The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-12-13
made and he was selected TO take the
chief direcfiou of afraira

declaration made, and he selected to take the
The attack ON Castro was the next object He was at
Santa Clara an entrenched post the upper south
side Of the bay Of San Francisco with 400 and two
pieces Of field artillery. circuit of than an hun
dred miles must be trayersed to reach him On the 9Th
of July the pursuit was commenced by body of 100
mounted riaemen commanded by Colonel Fremont in
person who in three days arrived at the American set
that Castro had abandoned santa Clara and was retreat
ing south towards Cudsd de los angelss he City Of the
resolved on to pursue him to that place. AT the moment
Of departure the gratifying intelligence was received
that war with Mexico had commenced that Monterey
had been taken by naval force and the flag Of the
United States there raised the 7h Of July and that
and his forces The flag of independence was hauled
down. and that of the United States hoised amidst the
rs sa to the Joy of the a
Fremont.
The combined pursuit was rapidly continued, and
the 18th Of August, Commodore Stockton and Colonel
Fremont, with detachment Of marines from the squad
and some rinsmen entered the City of the Angels
Pico the Commandant General Castro and all the Mex
lean authorities having fed and dispersed Commodore
quest Of the United states and appointed Colonel FIRE.
mont governor under the law of nations to assume tne
functions of that Office when be should return to the
squadron.
Thus in the short space Of sixty days from the first
decisive movement this conquest was achieved by a
tation for the Mexican authorities proclaimed it con-
quest not merely ofthe northern part but of the whole
province Of the Ceifornias,
The Commandment General, Castro, ON the 9th of Au-
gust from his camp at the Mesa, and next day on the
road to sonora announced this result to the people to-
gether with the actual flight and dispersion Of the former
authorities and at the same time he officially communi-
Gated the fact Of the conquest 10 the French English
and Spanish consus in California; and, to crown the
whole the official paper of the Mexican government on
the 10th Of October in laying these ocial communica
tons before the public, introduced them with the
phatic dsclarst The loss of the Califsrnias
summated" The whole province yielded up to the
United States and is now in our military occupancy
small part of the sent out to subject this province
will constitute, is presumed sufficient force to retain
possession and the remainder will be dsposable for
In the foregoing remarks have presented to your
consideration the destination and operation OF the public
When its existence was recognised by Congress in May
last entire military force then stationed at different
points in our widely country, did not exceed
76a0 men Our preparation for large expansion OF the
army and particularly for carrying on military opera'
tons hey and territorial limits. were in many re.
spects quite deficient. Such demanded to meet
the wants Of army suddenly augmented from $40 to
more than 30 900 men, TO be sent forth on several differ
Ont and distant expeditions, could not at once be made
The duties Of this department have been, since the
commencement Of the arduous and embarrassing,
and its msd efforts have been directed to discharg
ing them in the best calculated to facilitate the
operations of forces in the field To hese forces be-
longs the merit Of the successes which have attended
thar movements and these not inconsder
able BY the operations OF the land AMI naval forces we
In military possession of the department of Tau
maulpas Of the right bank of the Rio Grande for several
hundred mles from mouth and Of the department
New Loon. Coahuils and Chihuahua are. in effect
wrested from tho control Of Mexico all Mexican autho
tty both civil and military has been displaced in New
Mexico and the CALIFORNIA;, and these large and mpor
tan provinces in quiet occupation Such are the
achievements OF arms within tho short period Of
months from the commencement OF war, sudden
ly forced upon when force in the field less
than three thousand effective men, with hostile army
Of double its numerical strength prepared to assai It,
and exulting in the confident hope OF decisive victory.
But our enemy Is not yet disposed to offer or listen
TO any terms for peace, necessary that should pre-
10 you views IN relation the further prose-
cution Of the war.
Authority given at the last session OF Congress to
increase rank and file of tho egments the regular
service to than double the former number Prompt
taken 10 recruits but they have
not been attended with the desired effect When filed
up 10 the maximum allowed by law and executive ap-
probation, our regular force will be 6eg3 officers and
men; but IL does not exceed le,300- The want of
be ascrbed to the large number Of which
In the meantime been called out The volunteer service
10 regarded generally by cue citizens as preferable to
that in the regalsr army; and long volunteers
expected to be called Tor will be difficult TO ll the
ranks Of regular the Of setSes
small pee unary bounty given at lifetime Of enlistment
land at the end Of the term of service would, is be-
leved have most beneficial effect Probably equally
favorable result would flow from aDnexing condition
~ the present perisd Of service allowing the recruit to
sumed there arc many thousand patriotic citizens who
would cheerully enter the service for the II they
eoS srn 70 ns s Il s .
number Of troops the exgencies Of the may require
for the ensuing year The estimates presented TO the
Secretary Of the Treasury have been made upon the
present establishment OF the regular troops wholly filled
up giving total force of 1898, exclusive OF enlisted
men Of ordnance upon ten additional regiments to be
raised 10 the end OF the war which will amount
$50 and upoE contingent force Of ten thousand
volunteers, TO be organized under existing laws and
called into service IL needed
The volunteers who have encountered the enemy in
the present campaign have than justified the high
Of this description Of troops, bat Is
dsparagement them say that regular force Is to
be preferred In to be prosecuted in foreign
try Bezdes, considerations of economy are decidedly
in favor Of troops engaged TO during the war am
most solcous that this should receive the early
attention Of body o.troops to serve for the
may be raised to take the place Of those volunteers
who will claim discharge the end Of their years
vice. Those who in the field, with the excep-
ton Of one regiment sent out to California entered the
service under the alternative fcontnung in il for twelve
will have the rghat all events they will have the per-
mission IL they claim The rghtto retire from the
the end of that period which will expire about
the first Of June next Nine regiments and battalion
Of volunteers have been recently called for various
States to the end Of the war; and the information
received at the Department gives the that
these regulations win be promptly and cheerfuiy com
piled with
The efficiency Of the regular troops in the field has
been much mpsired for the want of officers, especisly
regmental ded officers. In many instances II appears
that in the rates which have been fought ocers tho
lnsa rank Of captain have commanded regiments and
course companies hove been deprived Of the
Of those to whom properly belonged Many OF the