Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-06-25
TIE uNApOIEON OF TIE WEST

THE "NAPOLEON OF TIE WEST"
The New Orleans Delta contains a very long
and interesting letter from Gen. Minon, prison
or al Santa Mario del Rio, in defence oil his con-
duet III The battle Of Buena Vista. Accordinsio
his version, lie WAS al frat accused ol being IN
communication with The insurieCiicnisls vi
Mtxico-bu, afterwards asccl.aincd iEal his i'm
prsonmenl was based upon the charge that lie
had not, 4, the battle, brought into action his
force on The rear al The enemy, as he was Older
ed. He examines this point contends that lie
was present, ard suffered, with his whole BIZ
gade, from the fife Of six pieces oi artillery, open
ed upon hem Ly order al Gen. Taylor, and thai
his not following strictly the orders ot Santa
Anna was caused by he change Of the plan Of
attack, Gen. Taylor having posted himself al
Buena Vista instead Of occupying The position
a, Aqua Nueva, where Santa Anna expected him
10 make fight.
Having defended himself on this point, Mron
turns upon Santa Anna, and tears him piece
meal. He alleges lha, The only reason. The hue
cause OF The animosily q Santa Anna towards
him, is, that he disapprovcd ofhis (sanla Anna's)
inexcusaLle retreat IRON the field OF Buena Wis
Ia And here we make few extracts, 10 show
how Santa Anna, whom The Wings would cTyup
as a great General, is denounced !y 4 Mexican
officer ior his utter carac;ly as military man.
The opinion, TOO, is based upon facts which are
matters ofhislory-lhough Minon's confident pre-
dc,ion OF The destruction OF Gen. Taylor's amy,
under another General than Santa Anna, is ulleI-
ly chimerica. This portion OF his defence, cer-
iainly, contains The highes, compliment TO Gen.
Taylor and his gallant army:
My as'onishmert, indeed lid not arise from
the iacl thai Gen. Santa Anna should seek a pre-
TX, 10 relieve himself Of The enormous response
billy which rested upon him for The results OF
,ha:--vic.oIy; that is a part Of his known tao
lies, and much used Of old. In every battle which
he has lost and they are all those i's ,cca he has at
tempted 10 command in person, there was always
some newho had caused The defeat, TO blame al
Jalapa, in 1922, ST.. Lcno, who was sho, through
The body and abandoned, failed in The comhira.
lon at Tolome, LaEdcro and Audonaegui were
culpable; al San Jacinlo Cas,rilIior; and Today,
j, is /. Ii is certainly sorrow(ul TO see SO cele.
bratcd general always defeated and overcome,
always and everywhere, by The faults Of those he
has with him. My establishment arose from be-
holdingthe perfidy with which Gen. Santa Anna
had acled in regard 10 me, in seeking a pre'ext,
and nothing but a pre'ext, 10 pallia.e the
precipitation Of which he had been guilty,
and 10 lberate himself al the same time from
Tie indeslruc,be charges which had been
made against him, Tor leaving San Luis
in search of the enemy. wilhou, providing
for any lhing-Ior having given battle 10
Taylor where he did-for the errors which he
committed in the auack-ior The absence Of all
directions during the battle, which might turn il
to proft-ior his retirement from the field with
oui necessity-fcr his want of foresight jim fine,
in mol providing for attention 10 Ihslwounded. sub