... to the naval officer in charge of the surf boats, and in my name, request that CaptainSwift be taken as soon as practicable, to the steamer which was the headquarters of General Scott. Thatrequest ... than two blocksin advance of the Alameda, and were closely approaching the Main Plaza and the National Palace, when Ireceived a positive order to countermarch my command, and report to General ... Vera Cruz.To add to their elation, they had now left the "hot lands" of the coast behind them, had reached a temperateclimate, 4,000 feet above the level of the sea, had escaped the...