New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-03-27
..ra.,,.,.c.nsrsl BY the Secretary Of War At
a. ,.hioh ,hs tolowins 10 q copy

$1,000 20 the Adjutant General and by him lsid ee-
fo,s me pursuant TO the request ineren " o. ~
a,,raordpary character and impesches In suen
"a ,,. the management Of that branch OF the pune
rvice committed to you, that have dee med II 70 De ny
duty to order copy Of II to be placed 10 youi """N
aud to direct your particular s'ienuon 20 ~ r...,,,ng
The avowed object OF General Taylor IN ptetennSs
these complaints or rather secufstons es~ns' W, ~.
Quartsrmssters Department Is to make ,nsin .
of record ] extremely un~lhne; anu r. ,hs-s
YOU cannot be lees so than mysei tnst me '"o
remain without explanation or invesusnuou' ,...t.
am fully aware Of the great cihculhes Lnh'olusoIo
la the management OF the QusriermasieTs DrPal' .
on the sudden occurrence Of swsr, When lns COHTy
was no, prepared for such an emergency. un III ~
lor must be presumed 10 be as well scq1Aneo 81.
the circumstances OF embai rsssment sluenus "a
Qusr,ernssters Department a. any 9ef .Tns,nn
vet I'D. arragurnent Of il il not qusied by any ausIo
10 them The Inference TO- that al proper -
made he considers that the management OF ~ - a.
Qusrtermaster's Department has oeen suSh =, ~
serve cep.ure Such appears 10 me 70 De n's I
sod .ucb nuprehend will be the general impression
resulting from the peruss Of bis letter II tnis cspsuis
IA really deserved II is proper that thst nose
TO II should be ssceItAned and oeaI WIN 81 ~ sns
due, deserves but IT, the contrary II 'nai oe II.ns
hist the officers of the Quartermssters Department
done their duty IN proper and tflclent msnHe s :"
trust will be the steps must be akon " -
the erroneous impressiOn, and vindeate theh O04ai
conduct
To this Gen. Jesup, Quartermsstere GENERA to
f"'~ NywOaLEANs Dec. 5, 1916.
s,, Uben received your letter Of the 2lst septem'
ner on the subject OF Major General iayor .ona
nl,nt, was sppreheusive that neglect or omissons
had occurred on the part Of some one OF more o. W.
subordinate officers Of the Department by when nS
operations had been seriously emoarrssiea' Vu' -;
looked into the whole matter, and am bouno ~
90 ..v ,bst M class of officers not even GenerA lsyoI
and the most distinguished men around DIM NV "
ter or more faithfully performed their duty anu u ahJ
tdBg has been wanting which tney cou.o nsne ~
1t has been because the proper oI"eIs "ei0 N0' $500
timely acquisitions made. I.
In conducting war II 10 the duly OF tne
to designate the object 10 be accomplished II ,
duty OF the General who conducts the operation 10
for The means reoaired accomplish that object De
fail. 10 do 3d. he is himsef responsible ior All me COZ
seouences Of his omission General ayor cotpPinu "
want of water and land transportation camp equPsso
and shoes for his cavalry horses As TO water usnpof
tatnp find that he called for single igntdrauen-a
rner early In NAV Lieutenant Colonel Hunt couio Dol
81 once obtain suitable boat but be executed the order
as soon as il was possible Late In May or early IN June
a.nera TAYLOR considering four boats necessary sp
pointed his agents to OBTAIN mem "aS ~ tue
time taking measures under the oroors OF oensi ~
80 oh,In suitsbIe boats for the navigation OF the RIO
C,snde but having reliable Information In relation 10
the navigation Of that river and believing zen
agents possessed Of the requisite fho"ledse preferred
,bst they should execute bis orders; and limited my
action In the matter doubling the plumber called LOT
by Gen Taylor, and authorizing farther increase
considered necessary by his brother and one OF MS
agents The number required by the General was be,
sye nearly quadrupled, ultimately By the officers Of
the Department. As 20 the complaint oil the Genera
that the steamers from Pittsburgh were then sept
Just arriving proper to state tnst tnese were .no
very boats procured by Of his own agents. when
Al Pittsburgh Inquired into the delay OF those boats
and II is but justice TO Capt. Sanders, Gen Iayors
agent 10 say that ecrt was spared 10 gel mem hto
service early as possible.
transportation II proper to remark that there was
information Washington. so fsr as was informed 10
enable me- or the War Department TO determine whe'h'
or wagons could be used in Mexico. Gen. Taylor
though he had both mounted troops and Typographical
engineers had not supplied the want OF that iniorma
ton beside he had not as far as know or believe In
tmated to any department his intentions or wishes In
regard the means Of transportation to be used II was
known that he had a wagon train amply eumclent LOT
double the force he commanded before the Arrival OF the
volunteers-added to that he had Gen. Arh'a means
OF transportation; and he in country Astounding
In mules the means o ransporon beat adapted 10 the
country and the only means used oy the enemy gen
era Is expected avail himself OF the resources OF the
country In which be operates ~ Gen Taylor tailed 10
do So and was without the necessary transportation he
alone is responslbe-those means were limited only
by his own will. He had officers OF the Quartermas.
ters Department able to have executed MS ORDERS ana
willing 70 carry out his views His authority alone was
wanting
AZ to camp equipsge you are aware that the appro'
irritation which asked for last year was stricken out
and tn not cent appropriated which could be e'
g.v applied to that object before 9th snd 18th OF May
When the appropriations were made the oncers OF the
Department compelled to obtain materials wnere'
soeyer thew could get them and such as they could get
Cotton cloth necessarily substituted for linen in the
fabrication OF tents have doubt great deal OF the
material OF the quality represented by General
Tor that under the circumstances unavoidable.
The officers obtained the best they could get and de-
serve credit for their exertons In place OF the censure
they have received.
am some whst at loss to imagine why the deficiency
of shoes for the dragon horses made subject Of
complaints against the Quartermasters Department A
blacksmith is allowed by law TO every troop OF dragons
1t Ia the duty of every commander OF auoop 10 nave
his shoeina tools complete and to have at all times the
necessary shoe and nail Iron and II the duty OF the
regmentsl commander to zee that timely acquisitions be
made Now If those officers failed to have hat was
necessary the efficiency of their commands let Gen
TAYLOR held them accountable. The Qusrtermasters
Department IA not responsible for their neglects.
AS came through the Western country 10 this city
was informed that report was circulating tnst Zen
Taylor would have taken forward 10 Monterey much
larger force of volunteers, but for the neglect OF TIC
Quartermasters Department 10 furnish the means oil
transportation. In reply to that report respectfully
your non the letter of Gen Taylor of the I'd
of July to the Adjutsnt General There he tells you
through that officer that he proposes to operate iron
Camargo 10 Monterey he tells you that he Will opern't
with a column Of about 1000 that he must rely OF
the country for meat and depot at Csnsrgo for bread
and adds the for not taking greater force
that column exceeding SIX thousand men cannot ot
! supplied on that route with bread alone.
lfee SIR that every officer Of the Department has per
formed hs duty faithfully, II not ably and that TIT
charges Of General Taylor both unjust and unmeri
ted. As regards myself feel that have performed my
whole duty both 70 the country and to the army and
tho slightest doubt remain that subject owe te
myself 10 demand an immediate and thorough In vesti
CATION OF my conduct and that OF the Department from
the commencement of operations the Texan from
tier. as well previous to. as during the war
We have next letter from Gen. Jesup, dated
Sept q. asking for orders to proceed to New'Or
leans direct in person the operations Of bis de
partment In the Southwest. Waving allconsiders
ton Of his seniority by brevet to every officer serv
ing in Mexico he proposed TO go in bis capacity a
an officer of the staff, ready to obey the orders
General Taylor, General Butler, General Patter
son. General Wool or any other officer whom tb
Government or the accidents Of service may plsc
in command Of the army, or Of any separate dvisio
oft
To this the Secretary Of War replies that, thong
he does not conceive that Gen. Jesup could tax
any command in the line without an order or assign
ment thereto by the President, yet his waiver G
any claim to do so, and his proposition to go in hi
capacity as an officer of the staf ell diff
oultes. This proposition was therefore approved
and he was directed 10 proceed TO It's executio
without delay.
CF Mr. CLOVES of the New Haven and Sprng
feld line brought N CODY Of the Boston Atlas last ey,