Knowledge of Jacob’s death must have spread rapidly among his troops, creating a moment of confusion into which Moroni stepped rapidly with his proposal of surrender. The subordinate captains must have realized by this point that they were fighting in two directions, and without a leader. This moment is similar to the battle before Manti where Lehi and Moroni had similarly surrounded the Lamanites and offered Zerahemnah terms of surrender (Alma 44:5–20).