Sir, - In his otherwise informative article (May 7th) on the ceremonies marking President Clinton's arrival in Mexico City, Joe Carroll states that the traditional wreath laying ceremony took place at a monument which commemorates the "slaughter" of young army cadets by American forces during the US Mexican War of 1847. The facts are otherwise.
Chapultepec castle was the last fortification blocking the advance on Mexico City of General Winfield Scott's expeditionary force. It also housed Mexico's military academy. Among its 1,000 defenders were some 50 cadets. It was considered impregnable. Among the junior American officers helping to plan the assault were the future Confederate generals, Robert E. Lee and P. G. T. Beauregard. Using scaling ladders, the American forces took the castle by bayonet. The battle lasted just over an hour. Among the hundreds of Mexican casualties, a total of six cadets were killed.
The American forces pushed on to take Mexico City in street to street fighting. This was the culmination of a campaign begun with the capture of the port of Veracruz six months previously. Though consistently outnumbered, Scott fought and won five battles on the 240 mile route across a number of mountain ranges to the Mexican capital. In the final battle for the city, Scott's army, reduced to under 7,000 effectives, defeated General Santa Anna's 15,000 strong force. The verdict of the Duke of Wellington was that Scott's campaign had proved him to be "the greatest living soldier."
No "slaughter", then. But perhaps of greater local significance was another aspect of the battle for Chapultepec castle. Captured in the earlier battle of Churubusco were some 65 members of the so called San Patricio Battalion. Turn coat mercenaries who had deserted from the American army, they had fought desperately knowing their certain fate, under the draconian military law of the time, should they be captured.
Though all were sentenced by courtmartial to be executed, four were pardoned and the sentences of a further 11 were commuted. The signal for the execution by hanging of the remaining 50 was the striking of the Mexican colours over Chapultepec castle, the sign that the fortress had fallen. - Yours, etc.,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.