A young West Pointer, Kirkham penned vivid eyewitness descriptions of several battles in the outskirts of Mexico City and a unique account of the exit from Mexico City after U.S. troops turned over the National Palace to the Mexican Army. He also described the daily life of central Mexico--crops, bullfights, theatrical performances, an earthquake, and exhibits in the Art Academy and National Museum. Kirkham's observations in his journal and in his letters home to his wife are accurate, astute, and compelling.