Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-08-07
From tie Rio Grande.
Extract from a Letter Rseeirei By a Member
g Congress from the Sent Of Ha~.
poiSr Is,u7t limo On Iatc


As soon as the alarm Of war was mnr
through the country, volunteers fastened here
from various quarters, until there il now on
this frontier some eight or ten thousand and
many more on the way. Many Of these men
have left comfortable homes, aud have come
expecting TO see actual service. Instead of
that. they are scattered over the country. in
different ~encampments, exposed TO the heat
OF the sun In latitude PC, and the soaking
rains OF the umnrr ~solslicc. inactive, and
many INDUCING in dissipation to kill time
AMI chase away enuui. | will eXpliin why
his is 50. The great object seems 10 have
been TO hasten them on here wiihouta any par.
ticular object. If it be for purposes Of de.
tense, Gen. Taylor has proved he did not
want many 10 assist him-certainly no more
than he called for. If the object be invasion,
the men come poorly provided. They come
with arms in their hands, and there are pro-
visions enough, easily obtained, but there is
not suticiency Of transportation for m army
of FIVE thousand men. 1t some attention had
been paid TO the necessary means of trans
porting supplies for an army, it would have
been much better than sending masses II
men 10 suffer in this climate. An army cam
not move without provisions, and if we PEN
citrate far into tho country it will require a
great number Of wagons. There are about
three hundred wagons and teams here, but
not drivers enough for them when | say
here, understand with the Amy. Wa are
told the Government has TIRE hundred wa
gons in or about Philadelphia when they
will be here, no one can tell; mules have TO
be purchased, and no chance of getting them,
except from the Mexicans; they are perfect
ly wild, and must be tanned and taught to
work this will take a long time utter the
wagons arrive. The Mexican officers are
driving mules off as fast as they can into the
interior, and forbid any sales to US; still a
good many are brought to Matamores and are
purchased. A month ago an officer was sent
u New Orleans to purchase several steam
boats suitable to navigate the Rio Grande.-
None OF them are here yet, and, from what
we have been informed, when they do arrive,
it is not probable they will answer the pur-
pose. In The mean time the mouth of the
rivers has been closed by a bar; the steamers
Sea and Cincinnati, chartered at high rates,
were caught inside, and are of little or no use,
drawing too much water. The Colonel Har-
ney steamer, belonging TO the Government,
was, during the last week, in open daylight,
run on the bar, off This harbor, and has gone
to pieces-a great piece of negligence. The
utter neglect to supply the army with sufi,
Client transportation for ammunition and sup.
plies now paralizes every thing and prevents
the army moving on. If we had had one
month ago three hundred additional wagons
and two or thres small steamers on the Rio
Gmnde, we should now be far on our way 10
Monterey, in a high healthy country, the
men contented and well, and no time given
the enemy to recruit their forces OF recover
from the consequences Of their defeat. In
stead of This, | do not believe the army will
leave the banks of the Rio Grande before the
middle of August or the commencement of
September. Until then the men must be paid
and supported-at what cost you will see
when you can get hold Of the accounts.
The staff department of the army, particu-
larly the Q~uariermaster's branch, is mos, in-
efficient and eXtravagant. The only persons
qualified for the station Of a qudrteImaster
are real business men-mcn Of system and
order, well acquainted with accounts. These
officers require no military skill or education,
but thorough mercantile habits and capacity.
The consequence Of the quarternasters not
bel 9 such men, will be developed when the
accounts are exhibited and The expenses come
10 be added up. Their unacquaintance with
the business, the state of the markets, &C.,
subjects them to the grossest impOsilions in
making contracts and purchases; aud there
are those who say favoTltism goes a long
way but Of that | know n~othing.