om the
south, via Piedad; and the other obliquing to the left, to
intersect the great western or San Cosmo road, in a suburb
outside of the gate of San Cosmo.

Each of these routes (an elevated causeway) presents a double
roadway on the sides of an aqueduct of strong masonry and great
height, resting on open arches and massive pillars, which
together afford fine points both for attack and defence. The
sideways of both aqueducts are, moreover, defended by many strong
breastworks at the gates, and before reaching them. As we had
expected, we found the four tracks unusually dry and solid for
the season.

Worth and Quitman were prompt in pursuing the retreating enemy,
the former by the San Cosmo aqueduct, and the latter along that
of Belen. Each had now advanced some hundred yards.

Deeming it all important to profit by our successes, and the
consequent dismay of the enemy, which could not be otherwise than
general, I hastened to dispatch from Chapultepec, first Clarke's
brigade, and then Cadwallader's, to the support of Worth, and
gave orders that the necessary heavy guns should follow. Pierce's
brigade was, at the same time, sent to Quitman, and, in the
course of the afternoon, I caused some additional siege pieces to
be added to his train. Then, after designating the 15th Infantry,
under Lieutenant-Colonel Howard (Morgan, the Colonel, had been
disabled by a wound at Churubusco), as the garrison of
Chapultepec, and giving directions for the care of the prisoners
of war, the captured ordnance and ordnance stores, I proceeded to
join the advance of Worth, within the suburb, and beyond the turn
at the junction of the aqueduct with the great highway from the
west to the gate of San Cosmo.

At this junction of roads, we first passed one of these
formidable systems of city defences, spoken of above, and it had
not a gun! a strong proof, 1. That the enemy had expected us to
fail in the attack upon Chapultepec, even if we meant anything
more than a feint; 2. That, in either case, we designed, in his
belief, to return and double our forces against the southern
gates: a delusion kept up by the active demonstration of Twiggs
and the forces posted on that side; and, 3. That advancing
rapidly from the reduction of Chapultepec, the enemy had no