The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1847-01-20

Ience to it's deeds on the ba,tle field.
From the N. Q. Com. Times, Jan. Z.
Late and Important 7ntelIi-
gemce from the Seat of War.
ARRIVAL o THE ALABAMA. gE
Report of Santa aAnna's'aduancc contra-
dictcd. Return of General Taylor toDard
Victoria. Junction of forces undcr Gen.
erals Worth and Wool, DC. DC.
By the arrival here yesterday Of the II.
s. Transport Steamer Alabama, Captain
Windle, which left Brazos on the Sd inst,
we have received intelligence from the
several divisions OF the Amy up TO late
date. s II 5
It appears that tho reports which hive
been in circulation regarding The advance
Of Santa Anna on SaltilIo have been ch.
tirely premature, and the statement that
was published Of his being, at the date Of
our last adviccs from that place, within
three days. march oft. is entirely without
foundation. There was, however, some
cause for the rumor, Of which the following
aro the particulars:
Gen. Worth on the 10th ullimo receiv-
ed Information from two scouts that the
Mexican General-in-chief had left San
Luis de Potosi, at the head Of a body Of
$4,000 cavalry, with tho intention To fall
on the American division al Saltillo, which
he imagined he could easily crush. After
this, he proposed attacking General Wool.
anu if similar success attended him, 10 re-
pair TO Monterey nnd capture or destroy
the magazines and public stores which lay
there. Gen. Worth, without attaching
moro importance 10 the report than il
seemed to merit, forthwith dispatched cx-
presscs'to Generals Taylor, Wool and But.
Ter, acquain,ing them with what he had
heard, leaving tito them TO oct in the pre-
misses. The expires overlook General
Taylor short distance from Monterey
on the route TO Victoria. He Immediate
]y returned to his old cncamping ground
near Monterey, with the whole ofhi di-
vision, and then waitcd further advices.
After remaining three days, during
WHICH he received information of the i'm.
probability Of the report Of SANTA Anna's .
advance on Saltiilo, he again took up the
line of march, and proceeded onward to
Victoria. Meanwhile, General Wool, who
had been informed OF the rumor curr ent al
Ssltillo, called in all his detached com
mands, and AT the head Of his division, 5000
strong, quilted Parras on the 18Th ullimo,
and by arrangements, previously made,
was to enter Saltillo on the 23,I ut farthest,
pushing forward will, all practicable speed.
General Butler had previously reached
Sallillo from Monterey. During This time
the intelligence Of the reported advance OF
Santa Anna had reached other more dis
tant points Of the line Of occupation; and
troops. already under orders to march TO-.
ward Monterey, FASTENED their progress
onward.
1t appears that Generals Taylor ond
Worth, on mature reflection. readily dis
covered sac improbabiIity Of The report Of
SANTA Annals advance on, and near proxi-
nifty TO Saltillo, from The following facts:
LIST. The Distance between San Luis de
Potosi and Sallillo was too great to admit
Of the possibility of The march Of so large
n body as $4,000 men, without timely no.
tice being afforded to the American Gene
raj 10 prepare for his reception. 2tIly.
The ground between the two cities is ex-
tremely bare Of vcrturc, or other means Of
sustenance for man and beast-9O miles of
which, Us is we'll known, being an arid de-
sert, divcst Of fountain, running stream, or
any other source OF wafer, besides afford
ing not the lcas, chance Of getting food or
fodder, being almost uninhabited, ,hrough>
out its extent. The rcpor, Of the Mexican
scouts, however, is sa;l 10 have been cor
rohorated. by Information received al Sal.
tillo, in n letter from all English merchant
Mt San Luis dc Potosi, who stated that
Santa Anna had positively left thn. city,
at the head of numerous body Of cavalry.
Even now, in those parts Of Mexico, occu-
pied by our troops, it is admitted that San
Ia Anna is mtwith considerable mounted
force, but with objects far different from
those attributed to him, by the scouls.-ll
was stated in the letter above alluded to,
that the Mexicans' intentions were to hur.
ry forward, and occupy the only praclica.
bile pass in the mountains, lying between
the divisions of Generals Worth and Wool,
thus intcrcepting their communications.
After realizing his anticipated success
against them. by cutting them up in detail.
he was then 10 advance on Monlcry, &C.,
&c. These announcements are now prov
Cd To be premature, and things are proceed
ing in their former train, accelerated a lit.
tie by the alarm which has just subsidized.
For much Of the above information we
are indebted'to Mnjor Butler. "a passenger
by the AIabama,) Paymasler U. $. Army,
ttached to the division Of Gen. Wool, who
visits this city on business, which will de-
tain him here about week, when he re-
turns TO head quarters. Major B. left Par
ras on the l7lh ulimo, where General