About two months after the occupation of the City of Mexico by the United States forces a mail arrived from the States.  It was found that two letters written from the valley a few days after the battles of Contreras and Churubusco had been published in the newspapers.  One of them, published in the New Orleans Delta, was known as the “Leonidas letter,” and gave to General Pillow nearly all the credit for winning these important battles, and placed him on a plane of military genius far above the facts, as was understood by parties present.  Among other things the letter said:  “He [Pillow] evinced on this, as he had on other occasions, that masterly military genius and profound knowledge of the science of war which has astonished the mere martinets of the profession.  His plan was very similar to that by which Napoleon effected the reduction of the fortress of Ulm, and General Scott was so perfectly well satisfied with it that he could not interfere with any part of it, but left it to the gallant projector to carry into glorious and successful execution.”

The “Tampico letter,” as the other letter was called, is given in full: 

“TACUBAYA, MEXICO, August 27, 1847.

“The whole force which moved from Puebla, amounting to ten thousand, more or less, marched in four columns on successive days, in the following order, viz.:  Twiggs, Quitman, Worth, and Pillow.  In approaching the City of Mexico by the main highway you go directly on to Penon, which is a strong position, exceedingly well fortified.  Before leaving Puebla, it had been considered whether the main road can not be avoided and El Penon turned by passing around to the south and left of Lakes Chalco and Xochimilco.  The engineer officers serving immediately at general headquarters had questioned a number of persons, including spies and agents sent expressly to examine the route, and the mass of testimony was entire to the boggy, mucky, and perfectly impracticable character for wagons and artillery of the road leading in that direction.  It was therefore in contemplation to turn Penon by forcing Mexicalcinzo, although the ground was difficult and the batteries known to be numerous.  This route, you will observe, is to the north and right of the lakes.  The reconnoissances of the engineers were consequently directed to this end.  In the meantime General Worth, whose division had been left at Chalco, while General Scott, with Twiggs, had gone to Ayotla, sent Colonel Duncan with a large party to examine the denounced route.

“Colonel Duncan found it just the reverse of what it had been pronounced to be; it was firm, rocky, and quite practicable, requiring, to be sure, a little labor here and there.  General Worth instantly sent Colonel Duncan with this information to General Scott, and urged the movement of the whole army to the left of Lake Chalco.  The direct attack was abandoned, and on the morning the whole army was in motion.”

Owing to a letter written by General Taylor to General Gaines, which was intended to be private and confidential, finding its way into the New York Morning Express, the Secretary of War issued the following: