The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1847-05-06
From tie y. 0. P,eavun,, ApraIL
LETTER fRoM GEN. rAYLoR.


LETTER FROM GEN. TAYLOR
We have been placed IN possession Of
private letter, nddressod 10 Gen. T.. G. "
Butler, of the parish oil lbery,lle, BY Gen
Taylor, which y III be read with the grea,
es. aYdty. Whatever relates 10 The bat
tie o! Buena VISTA, of an authentic charac
ter, must possess an absorbing n'etest.
IlEsDoUAprEss At Act, NuEyA, !
Army Of Occupation, Mexico, March 4, lsI7 {
.Hy Dear Gtnerai-Your very accepla
be aud interesting letter OF the - i Nuy'br
last, reached Ge on the 2i.h OF December
while on the march from Monterey 10 Tam
plco but The nature Of my duties since lhet
(b"Ing most Of The time IN the sadde,) il
addition to other matters, has prevented mC
from replying to it uatiI the present mo
ment. BE assured, ny dear cir, have moi
SINCE then lost sl.h' OF It or youfs r; and
| feel highly gra'li"d for the tlr,srlng man
ner IL Ullch you have noticed the conduct
Of the officers and soldiers Who marched
a'h me ltom the X Gfande to Monterey
aud compelled tia, place 10 surrender after
much hard h.h'lng, as ihey fully meritrd
the handsome cucomiuns you have though,
proper 10 bestuw on them. For this you
nave MY sincere thaaks.
The general then aludes to the msre
presentations which had been made ~ re.
gard TO Major Gem Butter at Moalcrey.-
Those misrepresentation had been The sub.
lacl Of conl etsition between them, and left
40 feeling like distfust or unkmdne.s TO-.
watds each otLer 10 lheIr breasts. The let.
ter thea goes OF
was aware ut the repof, as well As
statements IN a few Of the pubic journals,
tha. II was intended by CERTAIN individuals
TO bring Gen, Bu'lcr forward as The sue
cessor TO Mr.. Polk, which gave ne no con.
cetn, and would not even had II been the
case, which did 40; credit and ahich had
been forgotten. | doubt il the sn' pct
would have again crossed my mind, had It
cot been brought 10 my uo,ce 5y you OF
some one csc. have never heard hin OF
any Of his fnrn Is aliude 10 this matter. He
Gle general, 10 consequence Vi bis Wound
not hesIing, winch gave hln so much pain
as to render bin uniit for duty, lei a short
llmo siuce b. advice OF his medical al,eu.
dabt for Nea Orleans, where ! hope lie has
arrived IN SAFETY, nad here hope lie viii
very soon recover 50 as 10 be able TO take
the field once more.
! may observe that have been also nam
cd as a candidate ior Tie high office by few
newspaper editor. and others, which has
been done without my knosiedge, "lshe,
or consent
THIS | have assured all who have writ.
ten me on the subject, assuring them | had
10 aspirations for that or any other CNtI
office that my who,e energies, mental aud
physical, we're aud had been absorbed 10
such q way as though best calculated to
bring this war speedy and honorable close,
believing II was for the interest OF both
countries the sooner il was done the better
at any rate so Ear as ours was concern.
ed and that President making should be
lost sight Of until this was accomplished.
Here follows brief statement Of events
from The time Of Geo, SCOTS arrival at
the BrazJs al Gen, Tay lor returned from
Victoria to Monterey. The letter then
proceeds :
retraced my steps 10 Monterey, where
| arrived towards the latter part of The
Month January }, aud where | expected to
remain some lme to recruit myself and
horses but few days after my arrival
teceIyed Information from the command IN
ny ftonl al Saltllo (G5 miles IN the dlrec.
uun OF San LUIS Pulosi from Monterrey
that the command-between 1000 aud 5000
strong Under Gen, VI DOL had become We.
rs much alarmed IN consequence of about
100 picked men and horses, belonging 10
the Kentucky and A kansas regiments OF
mounted men, who were out towards San
LUIS to gam Intelligence respecting the
enemy and to watch theIr movements, hav
Ing been taken, after being surrounded IN
the nlLh aud all made prisoners by a large
force ui cavalry, about 90 miles IN advance
OF Saitlo. So SAID one CT the party who
succeeded IN making his escape the next
night aud getting back to SaltIljO also that
the NeSlcan army was advancing IN great
numbers towards Salttlo. These reports
INDUCED me TO JOIN my advance lmmedl.
ately. Leaving Monterey on the 3lst jan
uary, | reached SaitI!,o on the morning Of
The ~ February with small reinforce.
ment, which Increased my force TO five
thousand, when lost 10 tine in moving
forward and establishing camp at this
place, about twenty miles in advance OF
Saltllo, on the San Luis road for the pur.
pose OF carrying on a system Of Instruction,
as well as TO watch the movements of the
enemy, and where expected to fight him
should he attempt to move on Salullo. Here
| remained unui the 2lst, examining the
several passes through the mountalns-at
which time | ascertalued that Gen. Santa
Anna was advanc ne and uesr at hand with
an overwhelming force. Not exactly Tx
ing my position, having asceralned that be
could gain my rear by Two roads on my
rlgh, and one on my left, and not deem'ns
It pruden, to DIVIDE my forces, and having
apprehensoas about my supplies when
were IN SatIlo, | Determined al once to tail