The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-06-25


under my Instructions particularly those of July make
forward movement, 70 ,bs Rio Grande without authority
II have deemed my duty make the above sugges
tons Should they be avoraby considered, and instruc
tons based upon them, will thank you send the latter
in duplicate to Lieut.. Colonel Hunt-one copy To be de
.patched direct, without delay the other be sent via
Galveston should steamer be running that port from
New Orleans am, &c.,
''Brevei Brig. Gen. u. s A.. commanding
"ADurANr GsSERA. or THE ARMY, Washington D. c."
We invite the careful attention of our readers to the
terms of this letter Of General Taylor In the first lines
of it, he proposes to make suggestions concerning
that disposition of his force which he deems proper and
necessary to effect the objects for which his army had
been concentrated What those objects were, he knew
perfectly He had been told in the whole series of let
es from the War Department, from May to August, as
we have above quoted them, that he ordered to
Texas to protect that State from Merican up
lis limit of the Rio Grande, and to repel from that quar-
ter all Mexican hosilities He knew, too-and the sub
quent part of his letter which have placed in italics
shows that ne knew-that government claiming the
Rio Gan6e the boundary, was most DESTROYS to settle
that boundaryby negotiation These were the two OBJ
ects" be effected and, with view to their accomplish
ment General Taylor, rendering has he goes
along informs his government, this letter, that in his
Judgment, his army should take post upon the Rio
Grande, in order to display strength and state Of
preparation in not to be mistaken, and to
produce sautay effect upon the government of Mexico"
more complete and authoritative endorsement of the
whole policy Of government in sending army of
observation to the western frontier of Texas cannot be
stated in any form of language.
But it will be observed that this advice of General
Taylor, thus given on the 4h of October, 1885, was
not acted upon by our government till the 18th of
January ensuing 1t also be remembered that on the
7th of November General Taylor announced to the
War Department that he had just received intelligence
from Mexico tending, in some degree, to modify the
views under which he had month before advised
forward movement of his force.
Let us see now what communications, both from the
War Department and from Mexico, had reached General
Taylor the interval eapsng between the dates of these
his two letters, of the 4th OF October and the It'll of
November following. In the first place, he had
received the following communication from the War
Department, under date of the 10th of October 1885,
being the last instruction addressed 10 him from the
department prior to the 18th of January 1885, when the
positive order Tor his advance the Rio Grande was
issued:
'WAR DEPARTMENT., Washington Oct. I6, 1s45.
"SR: The Information chich hare here renders it
probable that no srions attempts ,o at present be made by
rco to inpade 1sras, although she continues to threaten
incursons Previous instructions will have put you in
possession of the views of the government of the United
States only to the Of its territorial claims
of its Discrimination to them. IN carrying these
Instructions, you A be left very much your jndg
ment by reason Of your superior knowledge Of localities,
and The earlier notice receiv Of The probable
Of Aerieo and the movements Of her troops.
"On the supposton that no dcive operations your
part pM be required during the approaching ,oint,r
important question be decided is position positions
to be occupied by your forces This must be determined
mainly with reference TO the objects for which the army
under your command sent into Texas You will APP
proach near the western boundary of Texas (he Rio
Grande) as circumstances will permits having reference to
reasonable security; to accommodations for putting your
troops into winter huts deemed necessary the facility
and certainty of procuring receiving supplies; and
checking any attempted ncursions by the Mexican forces
changed the forces which are, will be assembled
under your command be kept together divided and, if
divided what positions are to be nken and how they
to be divided! These questions which be in a
measure left judgment, least the decision upon
them here, if there be nme will be influenced in ncon-
siderable degree by the Information and views which You
may furnish the department You need not, therefore,
wait for directions from Washington to out what
may deem proper to be done Upon all the points above
enumerated and others not suggested, your reports and
views in full desired only with reference the
tnance oil the present aspect OF affairs between the United
States and Mexico but in the contingency of your
ing or being directed to take position the banks of the
RIO Grdnd near its mouth places above, the
event of open hostilities."
General Taylor acknowledges the receipt of this de-
spach in his letter of November 7th 1t will be OBJ
served that this communication from the War Depart
ment contrasts with last despatch of August 3O,h sen,
from the department to General Taylor and makes mani
fest considerable apparent change for the better the
pec of affairs 1t informs him that intelligence received
at Washington renders it probable that Mexico may moi
seriously attempt to invade Texas though she still
nues to menace an ncursion 1t goes to contemplate
the proper disposition OF his forces in "actve
operations" may be, for time, required. But il
places this idea entirely upon the contingency of the
United States and Merico and refers also 10 the con-
ngency of his being directed to take position upon the
Rio Gande in case hostlities should commence or the
peaceful aspect of affairs longer continue Thus
much General Taylor had learned from the War Depart
ment, in the interval between his two letters Even if
he had heard nothing else from any other quarter the
suspension of his opinion the change of his views
to the advance of the army expressed in his letter of No
vember 7h would have been altogether natural and JUST
fable
But he had heard more. On the 5th of November, he
had received the following letter from Commodore
Conner:
sUNITED STATES SHIP FALMOUTH
OF Vera Cruz October "a, 1915
GENERAL Ihdsten to inform that the Wrcda gorern-
meM has accepted tae 9posal made by that Of country
to arrange the eristing difficulties by negotiation This in
formation left here for Washington, yesterday by Mr..
Parrot, and we may consequently soon expect envoy
you should be thus early apprzed of this change the
state OF our relations.
No troops hare marched to,oayds the frontier for length
Of time; and told by Mr. Parro who Left Mexico
lew days snce that many OF Arsa's officers had returned
TO that city In state OF utter poverty have, @c,
liz. N O..