three batteries, of eleven guns, strong curtains, and wet ditches; in addition to which the main canal was cut, flooding nearly the whole front, the south-east being unapproachable. Scott had been reminded that it was easy to stop this work by cannonade. Instead of doing so, however, he wasted his time with slow disposition of troops and reconnoitring. A strong attack at any time before the 11th of September might have readily gained this front, and with it the city;[1] but when Scott awoke to the reality the intrenchments were finished. At the council now held the opinion of most officers appeared still to favor an attack on the south, rather than against the comparatively unknown lines on the west, which demanded a preliminary and probably costly reduction of Chapultepec. The lately completed defences, however, decided Scott for the western approaches, and especially for the hill fortress, to which he assigned an undue importance, believing that its capture would materially hasten that of the capital.[2] Twiggs was accordingly ordered to continue the demonstrations from La Piedad, against the south, with two batteries, supported by Riley's brigade, while Pillow and Quitman, supported by a portion of Worth's forces, marched during the night to take up position to the west and south of Chapultepec, and erect four batteries with which to open fire upon the castle at daybreak on the 12th. One was located within the Molino del Rey to cover the west approach to the castle, another immediately south of the mill building; the third midway between Tacubaya and the castle, facing its south-west angle; and the fourth on the
- ↑ The approach was good, as shown by a flying reconnoissance of some cavalry headed by Santa Anna, which narrowly escaped injury from a masked battery. Even if Scott had intended to occupy the south front merely with feints, it was a mistake on his part to let the opponent strengthen it, and so hold it with a smaller force.
- ↑ Mexican officers regarded it of less value, owing to its merely plunging fire, and to the shelter offered by the aqueducts leading to the city. Apunt. Hist. Guerra, 318, etc. Twiggs sided with Scott, and the vacillating officers were overruled.
