Final answer:
General Zachary Taylor likely received requests for surrender from General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna during the Mexican American War. Taylor and Scott were military heroes with presidential ambitions, and Taylor had significant successes in northern Mexico.
Step-by-step explanation:
When General Zachary Taylor and his troops went into Mexico, it was General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the then-president of Mexico, who would have been in a position to ask for a surrender. During the Mexican-American War, General Winfield Scott led the campaign towards Mexico City while General Taylor was securing northern parts of Mexico.
Santa Anna, a pivotal figure in Mexican history, led troops against Texas in 1836, and during the Mexican-American War, he resumed the presidency and commanded the Mexican military against the United States.
It is notable that both Scott and Taylor were heroes in their own right, with political aspirations that featured prominently during this conflict. Taylor, known affectionately as "Old Rough and Ready," was a popular figure and a potential political rival to Scott in the eyes of President Polk. As Taylor's Army of the Center captured the city of Monterrey, and Scott carried out the amphibious assault against Veracruz and advanced towards Mexico City, the conflicts they were engaged in were intense and marked by political complexities on both sides of the border.