Worth's troops entered the Mills by every door, and the enemy beat a hasty retreat back to Chapultepec.

Had this victory been followed up promptly, no doubt Americans and Mexicans would have gone over the defences of Chapultepec so near together that the place would have fallen into our hands without further loss.

The defenders of the works could not have fired upon us without endangering their own men.

This was not done, and five days later more valuable lives were sacrificed to carry works which had been so nearly in our possession on the 8th.

I do not criticise the failure to capture Chapultepec at this time.