Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-08-18

1
forty thousand 10 sixty thousand of the 6rare and
The free are generally 10 be found in the city Of
New Orleans al all times between The middle OF
November and the first OF April-but after this
| last mentioned period most Of them being
engaged in agriculture and occasional trade
| probably from eight 10 nine-tenhs Of the whole
number usually return 10 their homes by
The 10th of April Had The war commenced
month or two sooner, | have no doubt that
twenty thousand OF these superior Volunteers
could have been obtained in The course Of iS hours
As il was, however, most Of these gallant reasa
and recdy yonng nlea, including Thousands who
soon after returned prepared for action, bad en-
barked on board the hundreds OF magnificent
seamers that Ia departed from the CT y in March
and the first week Of April Ard nolwilhs,and-
ing The great exerlions Of all The State and city
authorities, with the most respectable ciz"ns of
all professions and OF all political parties, il was
found that during the first week or ten days of
May, but two small batlalions had been enrolled
and made ready fer service. Among these were
many of The most talented men OF Louisiana,
members Of the Legislature, and other resrecia
Bile citizens, such as had commanded divisions, bri
gades and regiments. II was under these adverse
circumstances while reports were daily arriving
from various parts Of Mexico and Texas, re-
| presenting The movement OF al least fifteen ,hnu-
sand brave Mexican troops 10 Natamoras, that
| invited the Governors Of The great and patriotic
States of Kentucky and Tennessee, Missouri.
Alabama and Mississippi-no indeed 10 ordt'
ont or dratt any part OF the militia OF their re-
spective States, las am sure might have done
with perfect propriely il not under positive or
ders TO the contrary but TO anticipate regular
call which was convinced they would speedily
receive from the Department of War, for a force
more than equal TO that which had deemed il 10
he INV duty 10 inriLe into the IT, S. service, for The
immediate succor Of Gen. Taylors army.
II was upon The same principle thai invited
the gallant Judge Lafayette Sanders with other
respectable citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi
to raise regiments OF Moun,ed (an Ilha. With
this formidable description OF force, Judge San
ders had served with much distinction, when
youth, AS Tennessee uo!un:cet, against the Bri.
fish and their red allies in The Creek Nation, and
| in the defence OF New Orleans, under Jackson IN
1914 and 1915. II was obvious 10 me, and had
| no doubt but il wanl be equally obvious 10 lie
military advisers Of the President from the South
ern States. that The most efficient description I'll
| force for immediate service in Mexico Oh The ap-
proach of summer, would be tie acelima!ed atn
and acclinated horses 10 be (ound oay III tic Sou-
,ccsiera and Southern States. made my arrange
menls for inviting into The service force sudl-
cient not only 10 succor Gen Taylor, IL able, rs
trusted he would be, TO maintain his position un-
Ill the ulIuule vi \Nni.H was btt
also 10 enable him 10 profit by any victory he
might achieve, by promptly following up The blow:
or, if overpowercd-and il was my solemn diary
10 keep in view The possibility OF ,ha. sad result
deemed it proper IN tine 10 provide force and
| SUPPLIES sufficient 10 hold The enemy ~ check IN
| ill fly thousand men with core pondins means
| could be concentrated upon the Rio GraEde, 10
maintain our command of that frontier. As, in
the event Of The defeat Of Gen. Taylor's army
The best instructed troops in America, il noi
in Europe-no less that $4,000 10 10000 men
would have been required 10 repair The damages
the mere physical damages-lhat must have re-
suited from such disaster. The moral elIec, al
such disaster would have been irreparable du-
ring the present century. These considerations,
added to The deep and irresistible impression upon
my mind, Expressed TO Governor Johnson, Ge-
neral Felix Houston, General De Buys, and CO.
lionel Grymes, and hundreds Of other men of ex-
perience and talent,) that Mexico could No. have
been so blind as 10 commerce hos,i.i!es with
out some assRraee ofhep from Ter European frienGs
and, consequently, that we nigh, count upon
finding the seaport, Of Texas very soon placed
under strict blockade, and our commerce a; sea,
and the ports of Louisiana, and Eastward thereof,
a, least 10 Key West, menaccd by war steamers
with paixhan guns.
With these Impressions el, myself as much
in honor and in duty bound 10 obtain all The
Mounted Gun Men, the Artillery, Infantry and
Rilemen which invited into The service Of The
United States, as ever did in the war OF 1914 10
prepare for act,6n.
With these Impressions, took measures 10
place al Forts Jackson, ST. Philip, and other IN
protected forts and barracks, volunteer haitai-
lion of artillery with some companies OF lhi"n'
try-no, "corps Of arifcers," as stated in The
list oil impu,alions arraycd against me-bni IN
selecting volunteers for garrison service ihiak
III, frt,.
decided preference 10 snch mechanics (black-
smiths and carpenters, as may be advantageous
ly employed in the repair or construction OF Tor
tifcatons, or chevaaI dc frt-e, and floating
batteries, TO co-opc7aie nth 0W futs in The
| protection of our great sea pors-wiTHoUT
WHICH THEY CANNOT BIZ DEFENDED. Even now
| at war with a neighboring power, | will take
leave here TO ask whether il would moi be prudent
and proper TO hold ourselves ready TO lock up The
navigation Of The Mississippi river, and some OF
| our other inlels which found exposed, and took
measures 10 secure them. Bl, these last men,
| toned companies, like most OF the mounted gun
| men which had invited into the service, never
arrived al the points of their destination, nor did
| they cost The u. States dollar, though many oil
The meritorious citizens who made arrangements
| for raising these valuable corps, expended, as
am assured, hundreds Of dollars in their laudabe
efforts TO anticipate the acquisitions which had
perhaps too confidently assured them had reason
10 expect. Their fervcnt desire 10 render promp'
and essential service, was signally checked, IL
| not chilled, by the order Of The Secretary OF War,
dated the 18Th, received on the goth oil May, 1916,
| from Adjuani General Jones' requiring me IN
| countermand my call jar eccrat regiments al
mounted gun mtn"-and for why The General
answers very cxplicilly-"ns h's rcfa'sni,n 'rM
Interfere 7citA lie arr0n gemcnh gsaGe 6y TIC Uar
DsDari,ent 7eloLire 10 the qUo,a ~ roafcer> Ia br
4 H., ~ IJo ri
from tie scrcrnl Si0tes uadcY he ncle icac" But
he adds, "The volunteer iorcc called inio he ser
vice from Louisiana, Alabama, &c, IN yonr au-
thori.y, ana which you have previously reported,
| am Instructed 10 say, meets the approval Of the
department"
Here is an order TO countermand my call for
mounted gun men, not because the call was made
without any specific authority from The President
of the United States; not because the emergency
under which The call was made did mol indicate
great peril 10 The county, but because M 'cQai
s,t,on rould interfere acaA the arrangements made
| bv The Har Department, relative 10 The quota Of
volunteers from the several States under the new
law Tor calls not yet made, but 10 be made al some
future period.
Had General Taylor's supplies been cut off
and his army hard pressed by the Mexican forces
should have gone 10 his relief, accompanied by
Major General Lewis superior division Of New
Orleans volunteers, including the Lesion, COM
manded by General d Ausustin, with Major
Gally's excellent artillery; and have good reason
10 believe that both Houses Of the LOUISIANA L.
eislature would have accompanied me. Ia addi-
lion to this force, should have taken with me II
The mounted gun men, and all other troops in ser
vice, or atlanable by my invitation. His defeat
as have before stated, would have required six
times probably len times the number ri men
and more than ten lines the quantity and amount
Of munitions of war, TO enable us 10 rc-eslablish
our strength and moral power 10 hold The Mexi-
cans in check, than can now be needed. While,
therefore such disaster was at all probable as
il was then believed, and do still believe ii
better 10 have fire or tn regiments too many,
Than TO have single man short Of The safe and
rsI;a hi. number necessary to ensure victory in
the FIRST great conflict. The first battle in war
between The mos, civilized nations seldom fails TO
result in panic Oh the part OF The vanqu'shea
army and a great increase OF moral proves on
| - -, &c Tho victor The capture or defeat oil