under Pillow, who on noticing that the battle had become serious hastened to the relief before Scott sent him orders.[1] Still intent on his project to follow up the advantage, and flushed with victory, Worth urged Pillow to aid him in carrying the hill fortress; but this officer would not infringe the distinct instructions of his superior. Perhaps he also objected to assist in plucking another laurel for a rival general. Worth had no alternative save to pick up his dead and wounded and fall back on Tacubaya in face of taunting demonstrations from the Mexicans, to whom he thus abandoned the field, and under the boom of the castle artillery which sounded like trumpet-blasts of victory. Indeed, Santa Anna assumed, and not without reason, that the objective point of the enemy was the fortress, and that his opportune arrival frustrated their plans and compelled them to retreat. At all events, he caused to be sounded a peal of triumph from the city bells, and spread throughout the country a glowing account of his achievement.[2]
So ended a battle which takes rank as perhaps the most strongly contested of any during the war, and, proportionately, the bloodiest; for out of the American force of barely 3,500 men, the casualties numbered 787, among which were 116 killed, the officers suffering exceptionally, to the extent of nearly one third of those engaged. The Mexicans also lost
- ↑ Roa Bárcena blames Scott for this tardiness.
- ↑ As instanced in Sonorense, Oct. 1, 1847, and other country journals. In a subsequent defence he modifies the claim somewhat. 'Á no presentarme en estos momentos con la columna que conducia desde la Candelaria, se hubiera tal vez perdido ese dia á Chapultepec.' Yet he finally succeeded in forcing the enemy to retreat. Detall, 109-11. Other Mexican writers recognize the intent of the Americans; and in Apunt. Hist. Guerra, 302, the battle-field is yielded to them, Santa Anna being blamed for his tardy arrival at 9.30 a. m. General Peña led the movements of the reënforcements. Roa Bárcena thinks that the Americans would have gained in honor and advantages by retaining possession of Molino del Rey. Their feint against the south lines of the city saved them by keeping back Santa Anna. Recuerdos, 430-3. The retreat left the moral effect of a defeat, and the impression that the castle was stronger than it seemed. Santa Anna did not reoccupy the mill. Mansfield, Mex. War, 285, 289, considers that the holding of the mill would have entailed a needless exposure to the Chapultepec fire.
