Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-10-27


onsroos st q dsaszias cannon ssv.,sl Aa.&sd nlss
sanSn. se"e Sv efssrins !, to .ail FOE ASns. -
nP tfo ns. WIN - companies 81 the 9th lusnyI. H.
Is isans sai d. Afi.y eo%p.ny V ON the ISL fisS
esa.ss not Assss sssssd tAs srtiis.y company sskd
seifkenf fksss.
Department and excuse apparent bundst. may
seem little strange that the Arueryeompany should leave
h,nd.."s. held e.s,sy park :, For Nssluis vAss
soen battery entirely useless and sail TO New Oreans:
there TO wait another battery IRON Nsw Ye<k. Th
ever was doubtless part Of that wise but mysterious pol
icy Of the War Department which only the initiated can
understand. In fact the policy Of the power, ihai b.
though Internationally charaeterredby eminent wisdom,
does seem hte queer. Il is believe, fixed military
primo pie, that the Infantry weak and nervcless when
unsupported by Cavalry and ARTILLERY. Our War Depart.
ment has essbahsd preeedsa hitherto wanting IN the
military annals OF oil from creation until the present
day. 'Ti tae year 1916, the world had he ard OF
the invasion Of populous nation by Infsstyy slsas.
But to explain ION Gen. Tayloss arrival at Aans.s
he found orders to ero.s the Nueee Although the
under his command (except the Ariilery company had
been in camp on The Sabine sr than year. in dsy
esPee,aoa OF erders 10 proceed ~ The rexsn outer-
the country who could furnish him with accurate inorma.
ton with regard TO its bays hsrbors. inle &C. &c.
natural consequence OF this sr.ags neglect tho
Army OF Occupation" entray isaoraat Of coun.
Try. The pilot employed New Orleans had never been
~ Aansas but before and that many yea ago.
to cap the climax the sssmboa brought out light
transports for the troops drew feet water too much
for the channel between Corpus Chsd and Bay
Gen. Taylor was compelled To employ their rses
n ais
place. lie also despatched officer Galveston to char
ter the only steamboat o light drsusht that city. This
boat arrived not in te to assist in the transportation
the 81 and 9TH Infantry, bat in time I'd destroy by her
ploson the lives OF valuable officers several fine
soldiers. With snch inadequate means Of transporting
troops from Arkansas the operation Of tedious and
ed daily. The point OF characterization about three
miles to the Of the Muses. cod In the
disputed territory. that territory inhabited entirely by
Mexcans, OF whom there said TO be about fifty
sand One hundred OF the@e rssolute and we'll armed
would have been sufficient have repealed all tbs
boats and skfs thar Gen. T. could have mustered The
landing OF troops Is usually protected by Artillery In
this there was necessarily departure from the die
ates OF common sense and the custom Of war can
mon ofthe Artillery eompanywss snugy housed 10 Water
vliet arsenal! ' 49, 49,.
Well, the 81 and 9Th Infantry landed At last. Thew
were now In vast prairie in enemy's country within
h;eo days march Of strongly fortified town. One no, az
fat as TO the motives actuatng the War Department would
probably have thought little strange that the Dragons
bad not been put In motion from Fort Jessup time to have
coopersed with tho Infantry their first landing to servo
svdettes at the outpoen as scouts the prsres, &C.,
&c. As it was, Gen. Taylor had rey for informauon
as to the Mexican movements sat1ey upon tho Corpus
Christi traders, than thirds OF whom are Me1i
The War Department had Of course some wise rea
retardng the Of the DRAGONS Perh.p,
they wished t, establish precedent for system Of
warfare. The "Army Of Occupation" reoiced II their
eminent success, though the experiment caused good
deal Of anxiety At time. When about FIVE hundred
men had landed here the officially that war had
been declared; at the Time the traders ,he Ranche
brought the that Ass with three thousand mel wa,
within eighty miles OF the encsmpment. There w.s no
Cavalry TO send out TO ascertain the truth hi. report no
Artillery to defend the the order as given
TO enench But il almost difficult obey this order
As TO drag cannon by hand through the Lousana marshes
Army OF Occupation unprovded with pick axes
hand barrows, &c, &c only few old spades could be
found But with these the troops cheeruy to work
Barrel slaves hed with strings parallel stick, made x
ceient hand barows. By similar convances all ueces
tools made. and oersby strong breast work
thrown up But there field pieces to be mounted
in IT, So that had the enemy indeed sppe arsd the dcyot
ed little army must have been pieces their trenches
by the distant TIRE of his artillery. 81.
The Union says truly, that four companies of field Ar
nery aud twelve Of Artillery acting as Infantry arc with
the Army Of occupation, but Il either gnorany or cafuy
conceas the fact that for forty DAYS the landing at
81 Josephs Island there United Staes' field
piece with the whole Army OF Occupation. 1t Btsee-s
guns reached New Orleans the last Of September They
were e first cannon the ground excep, those brous
by the Volunteers from New Oreans on account of whom
General Gaines has been severity censured Nothing as
yet has been heard Of the horses which TO have been
sent from Fort IesuP Possibly they gone TO report
TO Gen. Taylor At the mouth Of the Sabine One thing
however is certain the ARTILLERY Company fro Charleston
has not been mounted IT'S essier To drug cannon by
hand through the praEes than through the marshes OF
Louisiana: that's a fact.
AN ACTOR.
PS-The information contained in this letter may be
relied upon. -