The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-08-11

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such disaster would have been irreparahle durnr
the present century. These considerations, addei
to the deep and irresistible impression upon nv
mind. depressed To Governor johnson, General
Felix Houston. General DE Buys, and Coloael
Grymes, and hundreds Of other men OF experience
and ialen,.) iha, Mexico could not have been So
blind as la Commence hsiilities without some az.
snrnnre cfheip from her European .frieads---
and consequently, that we might count upon find
l"y the Sea Ports Of Texas very soon placed On.
uer strict Blockade. and our commerce at sea
ana Tue ports of Louisiana, and eastward thereof
at least 4" Key West, menaced BY War Steamers
With Palxhan Guns.
w uh these impressions felt myself as much
IA homer and IN duty baund to obtain an the
Mounted Gun Men, the Artillery. Infantry. and
Riilsmen which invited into the service Of the
United States, as ever did in the ar of 1914 10
prepare for action.
With these impressions took measures 10
place at Forts Jack,on, ST. Philip, and other un-
protected F"rts and Barracks, a Volunteer Ba,tal.
ION IT Artillery, with s"me companies of Infan-
iry--not Corps of Arii6cers,'' as stated in the
list of imputa,ions orrayed against me-but in
selecting Volunteers for Garrison service think
II is the duty of every officer always To give a
decided preference TO such mechanics, (back.
smiths and carpeniers,) as may be advantageous
y employed in the repair or construction of For
Ifca' ions. or Ch.raus dc .frize, and Floating
Batteries, To cooperate ,eith our Forts in the
protection of our great Sea Puris-wITHoUr
WHICH THEY CANNOT BE DEFENDED. Even
n Nv at war with a neighborng power, will take
leave here TO ask whether it would not be prudent
and proper to hold ourseve, ready to lock up the
navigation of the Mississippi river and some of
our other inets which found exposed, and took
measures TO secure them. But these last men
toned companies, like most of the Mounted Gun
Men which had invited into the service never
a he ,nfs IF fhaiy Hoe
they cost the United States dollar. though MANY
of the meritorous citizens who made arrangements
Tor raising these valuable corps, expended, as I
am assured, hundreds of dollars in their laudable
Efforts to anticipate the acquisitions which | had
perhaps too confidently assured them | had reason
to expect. Their fervent desire to render prompt
and essential service was signaly checked if not
chilled, by the order of the Secretary of War.
dated the 18th, received on the ooh of Nav.
1916. from Adjniant General jones, requiring me
to countermand ing call for several Regi-
ments of Mounted GIN .uen"-and for why2
The General answers very expritv-" as This
"requtsitio:s aoiU interfere aoiM the arrange
"ments made by the Var Department rela.
" tioe to the quota Of Volunteers to be called
"antO the service of the General Gouern-
"ment from the several States under the new
g ta,c." But he adds, =" The Volunteer fnrce
"called into the service from Louisiana, Ala
- bama, &c, on your authority, and which you
r. have previously reported. | am instructed 10
" say, meets the approval of the Department"
tere 10 an order TO couniernand my call for
Mounted GIN Men, not because the call was
made without any specific authority from the
President of the United States mot because The
emergency under which the call was made did
not indicate great peril to the Country hut be-
cause my reguis ton ,oouid interfere ,oith the
arrangements made By The War Department,
rpI tive a f
several States under the new law for calls not
yet made. but to be made at some future period.
Had General Tayors supplies been cut off,
and his Army hard pressed by the Mexican forces,
should have gone to his relief, accompanied by
Major General Lewis Superior Division of New
Orleans Volunteers. including The Legion. Com
manded by General ID. Ausustin, with Major
Gaiiy's excellent Artillery; and | have good
reason to believe that buth Houses of The Louis.
lana Legislature would have accompanied me
In addition TO This force, should have taken with
me all the Mounted Gun Men and all other
troops IN service, or atlainable by my invitation
His defeat. as have before stated, would have re-
CURED six unexpectedly len times The number
oil men-and mora than ten times the quantity and
amount of munitions of War to enable us to re-
establish our strength and moral power to hold the
Mexicans in check, than can now he needed -
While therefore such disaster was at all pruba-
BILE. as II was. then believed and do still believe
1t better to have fYe or ten Regiments too many
Than To have single man short Of the safe and
reliable number necessary to ensure victory in
the frs; great c0nfct. The first battle in a War
between the most civilized Nations seldom fails
to result in panic on the part of the vanqnished
Army, and great increase of moral proves on
the part of the victor. The capture or defeat of
General Iaylor's Army would probably have
given the present Government of Mexico de-
gree OF military distinction as to have called TO
| the frontier hundred, if not hundreds of thou
sands of the finest h0rsemen and swordsmen of
the Repsblic. If reason correctly in these
views, was right in anticipating, and in desir-
ing the high public funclionaries Of the Western
States To anticipate large call for Volunteers
Had neglected TO do so. and waited two weeks
! To obtain orders from the War Department, and
General Taylor's Army had been, in the mean
| time, defeated, | should have been denounced as
any thing but efficient officer.
In my letter of the 24,h Of September, 1916,
to the Department Of War, after pointing out, with
u possible respect. the strange efforts employed
rePndiate my authority, by disconnecting General
Faylor's Brigade from my Division, without my
| knowledge, by giving him confidential instructions
without apprlslng me thereof, | concluded in the
words which follow:
9 1t is now apparent that all the once scattered
sections OF General Taylor's Army of Occupation
nave oeen happily concentrated without any such
| N'' 10 WIN tnOuSanuS OF Olner men OF
some exPerience) had reason to anticipate might
occur between the 18th and Goth Of August. I
heartily rejoce al this result. II may be the
means OF saving the United States and Mexico
from war-a war which has to me too much the
appearance of family disturbance "A civil oar
(the most iriQhtIul Of all the horrors of war to
the honest votaries Of free Government)-to be
averted if possible. by every rational precaulion."
My conduct, however, is not To be JUDGED by
what has happened subsequent to the enbarkation
Of the Louisiana Volunteers. but by the actual
state Of thIngs as represented IN me al The mint