The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-10
HEADoUARTERs ARMY OF OCCUPATION,
Clty Of Matamoras, MAY "a, 1876

Sir: | have to report The arrival this day of Gen.
Smith, with the battalion OF the lst infantry, the
Washington regiment of louisiana volunteers, and
a company Of volunteers from Mobile. Another
regiment Of Louisiana volunteers is below, and
will probably arrive this evening or tomorrow.
This command was accompanied from the mouth
OF the river by the steamboat Neva, which sue
ceeded without difficulty in reaching this place.
Lieut.. Col. Garland returned on the Odd from his
expedition in pursuit of the retreatlng army. He
succeeded in capturing small rear party, after
trIalng stirmIsh in the night in which a man and
unfortunately woman, were killed on the Mexican
side, and two men slightly wounded on our own.
lie pursued the route of the Amy for sixty miles
and then returned agreeably to his instructions.
The scarcity of water and condition of his horses
made 1t useless to proceed farther.
| would respectfully solicit instructions to the
disposition to be made Of certain property captured
IN the camp Of Gen Arista. A pavilion, and sew
eral pieces of massive plate among the articles.
His clothing and other property purely personal,
have been deposited in this city with a view Of
being returned to him | would suggest that the
pavilion be sent to Washington, to be disposed Of
the PresIdet t may direct.
The recovery Of ordnance and other public stores
still continues here. Two pieces of cannon have
been taken from the river, and small arms in consid
cradle numbers have been taken in the town.
am, sir, very respectfully, your sobcdent ser
v1nt ... ~
IA LUX,
Brevet Brigadier General U. S. A. Commanding.
The ApJUTANT GENERAL of the Army,
Washington, ID. c.
1t will be seen from the letter of General Taylor
of the 18th May, published above, that it
very unfortunate that he was not supplied with
pon,on train, which would have enabled him to pur-
sue the enemy across the Rio Grande, and greatly
improve the results of his victory. Having made
inquiry upon the subject, we have ascertained that
was a source of no less regret to the War Depart
ment than to Gen. Taylor, that it possessed neither
the power nor the means of providing him with
such a train. Its great usefulness and importance
In military operations has, we understand, been
long known to the department, and various eff
forts have been made to induce Congress to make
provision for it. The Secretary Of War, in his
Iast annual report, strongly recommended the meas
ure, as will be seen from the following extract:
"The propriety of organizing corps, moderate
in point of numbers, Of miners, sappers, and pom
TONER'S has heretofore been often presented to the
consideration of Congress. The reasons for such
a corps are becoming more evident and urgent, in
consequence of the military occupation Of Texas.
The commanding general there has requested to be
furnished with ponton train deeming 1t very es-
sential to the movement of the army in that coun-
try. In many parts of it, the materials for construct
ing bridges not to be obtained. When that is
the case, the movements Of an army would be i'm
peded or arrested by the considerable streams ira
versng its line Of operations, unless it supplied
with the 'ssary equpage for crossing them, and
attended by corps instructed in the use Of this
equpage. The name by which this corps is usu-
ally designnted-that of sappers and miners-is apt
to. misead the judgment to the nature of its du-
ties, and consequently as TO its usefulness and adap-
tation to our service The services required oft in
attacks upon fortified places constitute but small
portion of its appropriate duties This subject is
fully and ably discussed in the report Of the chief
engineer, herewith submitted The recommended
ton in its favor is sustsned by strong arguments
and the highest military authority and trust will
procure for the favorable action of Congress-. This
corps need not be nnmerous-one hundred enlisted
men being deemed sufficient; and, if placed under
the command of the present engineer officers, it
would not be expensive"
This recommendation was'followed up by earn
est and repeated efforts by the department to induce
its sanction by Congress- and the Secretary of War
no less than three times, in the early part of the
session. addressed the appropriate committee on the
subject, urging the Importance ofths measure, and
reminding them that the general commanding the
army in Texas had called for this essential equip
ment to his military operations.
Indeed we learn that, as far back "a 1899, Con-
grcss urged to make provision for an appropri-
ate ponton equipment, in connexion with corps Of
sappers and miners; and that the recommendation
has been repeated at almost every session since that
time.
These repeated efforts by the War Department
have finally resulted in the passage of an act, voted
May Is, 1876, authorizing corps of sappers
and miners, and ponton train for the use of the
my. Immediately on the authority thus being Civ
en-, efficient and vigorous measures wete adopted TO
procure this necessary appendogo to an army ope-
rating in the field
Extract from a communication, under date MAY rs,