Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-01-05

PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
Renort Of the secretary of War.

ds,r;hntion OF The tronps which have been in SER
vice during the past year. For The want OF iali
and recent returns, the enumeration Is net SO ac-
curate as could be de,ited
Previous to nv last annual report The largest
mari of our regular force had been concentrated
q, Corpus Chrisi under command Of Gen. Tay-
lor for the protection Of Texas, and in March
last pursuant 10 instructions from this Derai-
menl. he moved forward, 10 be in a situation more
efiecluay 10 execute that purpose, 10 the hi
bank OF the Rio Grande, where he arrived about
the end al that month, selected position for III
army opposite 10 Mala moras, and proceeded 80
strengthen il by The erection Of necessary field
works. al the sane time establishing depot sol
supplies at Point Isabel, about thirty miles distant
in his rear, and near the coast.
Notwithstanding Inc object Of this movement
OF our troops was made known, aud all inlchlNn
of doing more than peaceab!y 10 occupy The tei-
ri,ory OF Texas was dsavoWed, soon after The
arrival of the army on The Rio Giande. a hostile
feeling began 10 BE- manifested by the MEXICAN
forces stationed on The opposite bank oiiba, river,
and on The 2i,h OF April the Mexican General
Arisla, informed Gen. Taylor that he consider
ed hoslililies commenced, and should prosecute
them" On the same day detachment OF oui
Dragons sent up The lett bank VI t,e river 10 OBJ
serve The movements oil the Mexican forces, be-
came engaged with large body ii these troops,
and after shor, affair, in which same sixteen
we:e Killed and wounded, was compelled To sur
render.
Alter this occurrence, there could no longer be
doubt that the Mexican authorities had design
eddy changed the relation OF peace between Ihe
two countries into a stale Of actual var. Gen
TAYLOR ayailins himself Of authority vested in
him by your direction called on The governors 81
Texas and Louisiana Tor four regiments OF vol
un,eers from each sale, 10 b. sent forward with
the least practicable DELAY. In the meantime
owing 10 the scarcity OF provisions Tor the army
encamped opposite 10 Ma,amuIas, and being APP
prehensiye that the enemy would eDdeavor 10 cur
of The communication with The depot whence sup
plies were drawn, the general, leaving part OF
his force 10 defend his entrenched camp, (Foii
Brown moved with the resi- oil his army 10 Point
Isabel.
Alter securing his supply train, he commenced
his return march on the 1lh Of May, aud on lbs
next day encountered The enemy in considerable
force al Palo Alto, where an action ensued,
which was obstinaley contested by the enemy
from Two o'clock in the afternoon until nearly
dark, when the Mexican army was finally driven
with immense loss from the field. The Ameri-
can force engaged in This action was = 2SS. That
Of the enemy, as admitted by their own officers
taken prisoners, amounted 10 six thousand Tegl,-
lars together with considerable irregular force.
On The uexl day the enemy was again met So
ven miles in advance, a, Resaca de Id Palma,
where h. was drawn up II equal force, with The
advantage OF positions luoicious'y selected b.
himself. Here another action ted il 1hcb
Inc enemy was sisnal!y deeaie', aud dtiren
across the Rio Grandc with sill greater loss, ea:
inc \ large amount OF munitions and baggage 81
every description, which Tell into our possession.
His loss in killed, wounded and missing III the
Two engagements, has been estimated Al one
thousand men.
During the absence OF General Taylor with
part Of his force irom Foii Brown, that post was
bombarded by the eneiuys batteries from The iii
10 The 9Th oil MAY.
Or these gallant achievements ii is not neces
sary to s1eak more in detail, as The official ac-
counts were laid before Congress al the las. ses-
sion. They are considered everywhere in our
own country, and admitted abroad, 10 be examples
0. courage and skill scarcely eyceiled in The his
tory OF military Notwithstanding the high
est credit alike upon the officers and soldiers VINO
participated in these memorable actions
For several sue, essive years his department
had asked authority 10 prepare a ponlon tain, but
The prospect oi having Use Tor II seemed 10 he 50
remote, that no provision therefor had then been
made, and Tor want vi means OF pursuing the
enemy across The river the commanding general
was unable 10 avail himself, 10 the utmost extent,
of the advantages Of these decisive victories; and
il was not ill the 18th that he succeeded in cross
ing the river and taking military possession of
The city OF Matamoras; which was, on ms sp-
leavn behind them considerable supply 81 ord
nance and pnhlic stores.
As soon AS il became known al this place that
Mexico had commenced hoS,ilitics, Congress re-
cognised lheexiSence Of war between The United
states and that Republic, and on The 18th Vi Ma:
authorized the President TO accept The services OF
volunteers, not 10 exceed fifty thousand. Under
this acl, acquisitions were immediately made upon
the Governors oil the States OF Arkansas, Mlssis-
sippi. Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky,
Missouri. lllinois Indiana Ohio and Texas for
a volunteer force equal 10 lweny-sx regiments,
amounting in all, with battalion from inns DIS
,rict and Maryland, TO about twenly-three thou.
sand effective men, 10 serve Tor Inc period 81
Twelve months, or 10 the end oil the war inns
call was responded 10 in prompt ana patriotic
manner. and the force duly organized and sent
forward 10 The points Of destination with the least
practicable delay. Much The largest portion OF IL
was designed 10 cooperate with The regular army
rnder General Taylor, then on the Rio Granie.
After establishing his basis OF operations on that
river for several hundred miles, he moved into The
enemys country in the direction oi Monterey IN
the department OF New Leon. Another portion
was concentrated under General Wool, al San
Antonio de Bexar, for movement upon Chihua'
hua; and the volunteers from The State ol Mis-
souri, assembled al Fon Leavenworth, 10 compose
with few hundred regular troops, an cxpealion
10 Santa Fe, under General heacney
Owing 10 the great difficulty in providing the
means OF transporting supplies for so large
force as that concentrated on the Rio Grance-'o
the necessity OF drawing all those supplies from
the United States, the encmy's county being deS-
tirule OF them: 10 the unusual ifesheis which re-
,arded the progress of boats on The river, and IL
The imnfacticabilily ol the land lou,e Tor wagons
~ that Acknowledgements for The movement
unon Monterey from Malamoras, by The wav o
Camaroo The route selected by The commanding
general, were not completed until The lallcr par
OF August, when a column consisting oil aoou
5000 regular and volunteer troops commenced
forward novemen; By brigade upon Scraivo, and
thence upon Monterey before which place II ar
rived on the 18Th ot September.
On approaching Monterey our army saw be-
tore them a CITY strong in natural ceirnccs, anu
made much more So by works ol art, with cila-
del protecting il on one side and fortified heights
on another the avenues 10 guarded by iuilresse'
veil aimed aud folly manned, and every house a
stronghold Thus strong in position, with more
Than forty pieces OF artillery sNiiiuny PACED iof
destructive resistance. well might us defenders
exu in their iancied security, and DEFY their az
sailan,s Here the valor, skull and heroism
which had recently shoae 81 conspicuous on ,he
weu.toucht and victorious nelas OF Paio AN"
and Resaca de la Palma were 10 be put 10 an
other and severe ulal.
The attack was commenced on the DIST, and
continued through uiS
enemy was assaied in his fortified positions; his
baueries captured; his orresses one after another
carried and a, length, dispossessed OF most OF
his defensive works, and more than halt OF the
civ, he solicited terms OF capulalon, and lioer-
al terms were granted.
No better justice can be done 10 Inc merits OF
The officers and soldiers who participated IN Inc
achievements OF the three glorious days oe'o'e
Monterey Than is presented in the perspicuous
despatch of Major General Taylor, and in The
rsoor,s of The officers in Subordinate command ON
thai occasion, which are herewith transmitted
A plain narrative OF their deeds is their best eu-
il i. gratifying 10 learn, that III The scenes at
Monterey, where The bravery anc contuc oil our
army were subjected 10 the seveies' tests Inc vo-
lnn,eeIs who we're with the advancing column,
-. a-anineni nart and enil,lci themselves 10