Chapter XXVII.

peremptory refusal of their request—the neutrals might have left the place previous to the bombardment ; and as to the Mexican women and children, his summons to the city had been disregarded, and now no truce would be allowed apart from surrender. Some excuse for this stern denial of mercy to foreigners, and to innocent women and children, might have been found if the capture of the city would have been hazarded by the intermission for a few^ hours of the fiery deluge which was overwhelming it. But Scott well knew that he had it in his power to reduce the whole city to one mass of ruins. So also, had a reinforcement of Mexicans been approaching, a motive would have existed for compeUing a surrender before their arrival ; but the beleaguered city had no hopes of relief, and the position and force of the American army precluded the possi- bihty of succor. Scott's army, moreover, were so safely ensconced in their entrenchments, that he had no reason to fear, that the boon that was asked would prove inju- rious to the assailants ; since in his operations against the castle and city, his total loss, out of 10,000 men, did not exceed sixty-five killed and wounded. Before replying to the Consuls, he wrote to the Secretary of War the same day, " ALL THE BATTERIES ARE IN AWFUL ACTIVITY this morning. The effect is no doubt very great, and I think the city cannot hold out beyond to-day.'" Hence, by his own confession, and by the fact that the city did surren- der on the 26th, the slaughter of women and children oc- casioned by the awful activity of his batteries during the whole of the 25th, there being then a "full supply" of shells, was utterly unnecessary. To the horrors of this bombardment we may advert hereafter, and at present only offer the following as a commentarj^ on General Scott's refusal : "I heard a great many heart-rending tales which were told by the survivors with breaking hearts ; but I have neither the inclination nor the tim« to repeat them. One, however, I will name. A French family were quietly seated in their parlor the evening (night of the 25th), previous to the hoisting the white flag, when a shell from one of our mortars penetrated the building, and exploded in the room, kilhng the mother