Although Alma had declared that Ammonihah would be destroyed if it did not repent, and his personal record showed that they did not repent, Mormon gives us the short version of the destruction of Ammonihah from the perspective of the large plates. There is little information given, but it is important for understanding the later story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies, which will provide a Lamanite view of the same battle.
The first important piece of information to file away is that this was a lightning raid on Ammonihah. It was a surprise, and the Nephites didn’t have time to raise an army sufficient to drive the Lamanites from the land.
The second piece of information is that the Lamanites took captives. That will become an important part of the story later, but it is interesting to note that we don’t get that explicit statement of taking captives in most stories of Nephite wars with the Lamanites.
Lastly, this was not a sustained campaign. Where other wars appear to attempt to establish territorial dominance, this was a hit-and-run raid. The Lamanites destroyed Ammonihah, took captives, and immediately left.
All of these features will become important when the other side of the story is told. Their presence here is corroboration that Mormon is dealing with historical records, and seeing them according to the way each faction recorded them.