Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-03-27
CORRESPONDENCE
BETWEEN GEN TAYLOR AND THE WAR DEPARTMENT

ID
On the lst of February the House of Representa-
tives passed resolution calling on the PRESIDENT
for copies of " all the correspondence with General
TAYLOR since the commencement of hostiities with
Mexico, not heretofore published; also, the cores
pondence of the Quartermaster Generals Depart
ment in relation to transportation for General Tay-
lor's army, and the reports of Brigadier Generals
Hamer and Quinan of the operations OF their bri-
gades in the attack on Monterey.
The President answered this call on the 9Th of
February, and the papers thus communicated are
now in the course OF publication in the Union.
! We do not propose to publish the whole of these
papers, (which, without being completed already
occupy some twenty columns of the Union,) but
merely to note the order of them, preserving their
essential parts, and give at large such as appear to
be of value, either for the information they contain
or for future reference.
The Message from the President accompanying the Docu
ment merely says that it has been thought TO
withhold any of this correspondence the ground that its
publication would be detrimental to the public service, be-
he is satisfied that the operations to which it aludes
far advanced and that the enemy has already
received much information from other in relation to
the intended army render this precau
| ton unnecessary"
The following the essential portion of the from the
Secretary of War, covering the correspondence
"The documents numerous, and attempt has been
made arrange them bring together letters relating
the subjects but it has been found inpraccabe to
carry this out the fullest extent In regard to the cores
pondence with General Tay o from to two months usu
ally interviewed between the letters written by and TO him. and
the receipt of the and within that period several
other letters, upon different Subjects sent and received
Had strictly chronological order of the correspondence been
observed in the arrangement, many different subjects would
have been introduced between the letters and the replies to
them An attempt has been made to bring together the let
and the replies and has been done to considerable
tent regard TO those which have reference to the campaign
and military Those which relate to transport
have also been brought together far practicable
"Among the letters embraced in the CALL several merely
formal SUCH for instance enclosed returns, proceedings OF
martial, &c, have not been copied but the dates
given and their briefly stated in the accompanying
synopsis"
The first letter is from the President General Taylor,
dated May &c. 1885, announcing the General his brevet
promotion the Major Generahp and complimentng him
and hs army their gallant conduct in the victories of Pao
Alto and Resaca de la Palma.
The first from General Tayloi dated May 20, 1916,
Matamoros mentioning that he had called the Cover
of Louisiana and Texas for eight regiments 5000men
and requested General Gaines assist in organizing this
force that General Gaines had called for many voun-
than he Gen. Taylor deemed necessary, &c. also
| asking for 1000 TENTS be Immediately to Brasos
| Santiago
On the 2Ist of May General Taylor again, soliciting
| further instructions. He says7
'Our future movements must depend, in great degree
the which the Rio Grande navgabe for
boats and fear that my expectations this particular will
not be realized Though at times navigable high Ca
margo Mie il is doubtful whether boat now be
pushed higher than Rcynosa Indeed the News, which Is
in the river and accompanied the expedition under General
Smith, has yet reached this place. though hourly expected
Could establish and keep up by depot at Camargo
operations might be carried the valley of the San Juan
Monterey the first city Of importance in that direction
direct from this point Monterey would require
transportation, chiefly by pack mules and would more
be hazardous account OF the scarcity OF
ter part of the route being supplied by wells only The
country between this and Monterey by whatever route
not support army.
81 shall lose no time in asceraining the practcabty of
the river for steamboats, and shall occupy Reynosa and such
| other points a boat may be able TO reach.
On the 9Th Of June the War Secretary Gen. Tay-
| lor at length. We make the following extracts:
ain my letter of the 2sth umo you left to your
own discretion and judgment the to be pur
sued before the end of the unavorbe shall be passed.
and is intended to control that discretion. You
best know what Of force you will have under your
command and what be best accomplished with that force
"It is presumed you will hold both banks of the Rio
rande 10 considerable distance from its mouth and
the uninterrupted Of that river for the transportation of
supplies hope you will be able to take and hold IN posses
sion all places on it high up Laredo.
:" proper that should advise you that considerable
force which will he also under your command will
semble San Antonio de Bcxar. The ultimate destination
Of this force is Chihuahua, if il should be determined that
such expedition would have favorable operation in the
conduct the but might be used to take and
secure the several places the Rio Grande. Though
have despatch from you since those giving account of
the battles the 9Th and 9Th of May, have such nfor
nation as induces belief that you possession Of Ma
tamoros and that you threatened with any
siderable Mexican force. II is desirable that you should find
yourself in sufficient strength TO capture and hold Monterey
with your present force You apprized that large rein
orcements preparing to join Besides the regular
forces under command and which will be speedily
augmented you will have nearly twenty thousand volun
eers ncudng those rendezvous San Antonio de Bex
arr who for year. Your determination
to immediate movements will therefore be somewhat nhu
enced by the consideration Of the additional force which will
soon Join you
"Much apprehension is felt to what is called the
healthy season. All agree that it is sckly the coast and
it is the general opinion that is healthy in the interior
Your positions should have particular reference to this
sderaon. All the the Rio Grande above Maamo-
are represented be healthy and Monterey in the
nor particularly is therefore hoped that you may be
enabled place considerable part of your troops in these
towns until the fall campaign shall open.
'he President is DESTROYS Of receiving and hopes
be favored with your and suggestions in relation the
fall campaign His determination have the prose-
cued with vgor embrace in the objects to be compass
ed in that campaign such will dispose the enemy desire
an end of the Shall the campaign be conducted with
the view Of striking the city Of Mexico, confined far
regards the forces under your immediate command to the
Northern provinces Of Mexico Your views this point
will doubtless have an important influence upon the detem-
nation of the here Should army penetrate
far into the interior Of Mexico how supplies to be obtained
Can they be, any considerable extent drawn from the
enemys country they be obtained from the United
States the latter what the facilities and difficulties of