The Capture of Mexico City
Molino del Rey (King’s Mill) was a group of low stone buildings less than a mile from the Castle of Chapultepec, which was located two miles from Mexico City’s gates. The buildings were reported to Scott as being used for the casting of cannon, ordered by Santa Anna as the peace talks were ongoing. The Americans attacked the position on September 8, and in heavy fighting, which included subduing the stone buildings one by one, destroyed the Mexican position. The attacking Americans came under fire from artillery within the castle during the assault, and casualties were heavy. After destroying the Molino del Rey the Americans still had to clear Chapultepec.
Chapultepec stood on the summit of a 200 foot hill outside the western gates of Mexico City. In 1847 it housed the Military Academy of Mexico, and was defended by just under 900 men, both within its walls and in external fortified defensive positions which covered its approaches. On September 12 Scott’s artillery bombarded the castle throughout the day, suspending the cannon fire during the night. On the following morning the artillery attack resumed. At 8 AM the Americans assaulted the castle and fortifications in three columns. The assault lasted just over an hour before the castle fell into American hands.
During the assault five Mexican cadets refused to withdraw when ordered by the garrison commander and remained to fight to the death. They were between the ages of 13 and 19, and remained by the side of one of their instructors. They are honored as the Los Ninos Heroes in Mexican culture, and a monument to their memory stands on the grounds of the castle Mexico City. The American attack did not stop with the capture of the castle, troops were quickly reformed and supporting units brought forward for the assault on Mexico City. By early evening American troops were through the gates of Mexico City, though Mexican troops remained in its major fortification, the Ciudadela.
The following morning, shortly after midnight, Santa Anna ordered a withdrawal of the remaining Mexican troops, to Guadalupe Hidalgo. Later that morning the civilian authorities of Mexico City surrendered to General Scott. Mexican resistance was not yet over, though Scott declared himself governor of the captured Mexican territory, and dispatched some of his troops to secure his lines of communication with Veracruz. He also reinforced the garrison at Puebla when Santa Anna launched an attack against the city late in September. Santa Anna was defeated at the Battle of Huamantla in October, ending his military career.
Throughout the fall of 1847 American troops continued to suppress guerrilla raids, which were often as much bandits plundering the defenseless Mexican villages as they were fighters against the American invasion. As they did Nicholas Trist represented the Americans at the treaty negotiations in Guadalupe Hidalgo, where he ignored President Polk’s instructions to include Baja California in the land to be ceded by Mexico to the United States, leading him to be fired after the Mexicans and Americans had signed the treaty. Faced with the smaller acquisition, which still was still more than half of the Mexican territory before the Texas Revolution, Polk had no choice but to accept the treaty.