Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-04-20
[Erom he N.w Orleans Delta, Apnt On. ]
DETAILS OF THE ACTIONS


[Fron HE Mr. Orleans Delta, Apnt 9A.I
DETAILS OF THE ACTIONS
Hl1i occurred on Tie 2;d end 23d II ftJraary
ias, o., tic fcid NJ AneoSGra.
LlBERaTIsG ARMY or THE RsPUBtic,
General-in-Chiei: Campaign Secrclary's Office. !
Mist EneclieM Sir: In my despatch from The
battlefield Of Angoslnra, dated The 23d, pro-
missed 10 give yon details oil The action Of The 22d
ana the battle Of The DID, 81 soon rs should e.
tect Tie movement which our eniie lack Of N"icr
and Of all supplies made Indispensable. In those
engagements The army and The nation have Ie-
stored The lusle ot their arms by overcoming OBJ
slaclcs ncunceivab!e 10 all save those VINO Wit
messed them. These arose, not only from tie
difficulties oil this contest, and oi our own sua.
lion, but also from The igor OF lte season, and
the exhaustion Of the country alohg IN almost
desert louie Of ever fiy leagues, that was des;i-
tulc 81 good water, and Of all save the most lin
tied supplies.
The Supreme Government was informed b.
communicates made before NY LEAVING San
Luis that The army Under ny command would
not commence its operations MI Inc end OF Win
ter, rs knew by experience Inc severe climate
oil The region, which was also seant Of hab!.a-
tions, provisions, shelter, and even q il.i. ],
therefore, resolved 10 90 or organizing. drilling,
armine and cohing The army end, in word,
10 put into military shape III forces which had
just been assembled. My mentions. however,
could not hc Iaiufeiy realized. The wan II PC
cuniary resources embarrassed all my dispose
lions. The soldiers, though we disposed - com.
bat with the enemy had heen badly srpriied for
a month, and NO I'd soon have been in wsntsven
Of iood--hul thai ihc eIefIions q! the comnard-
ers OF corps prevented that Ge>iiuiicn from ,ifiv
ing hem from their ranks. While hose neT!;o-
rons men were sufitrn. all KINDS Of r'i:a-
ticn, Certain writer's, from ienorai &C, want Of re-
heciion, party spiiil, or, perhaps. from mistaken
patriotism, were zealousy engaged in thSariine
The plans which might otherwise have pfo:ei
successful. This they did BY uajusi Charges
against The army and particula. individuals,
whom they abused for moi marching 10 ihr con-
flici accusing them OF wan, oil decision. and as
serng thai The position of The army :. San Luis
was more threatening 10 our liberties lag - lie
enemy. In the clubs OF that c,ci,ai they lab9rc5
with assiduity to make The army he ihsl!uneG,
Of revolt; bur frustrated heir i1tr;gues BY
timely Steps. There WAS one writer who had
The auGacity 10 intimate that was in colluson
with the enemy. Yes, ], 10 whom they may at
tribute errors, but whose Who'll rreyinus Course
has shown The mos elevate. patriotism! Tra:-
tors are they who seek no only 10 !radncc nc,
vgor for The service oi The coG5ify. Il SEEMS q
il a fatality directs he dcstinies II rhis nation.
and in,a.aici> nnaniriiiv ot he ruS.ic Gill 10
its defence; and nom ,ais fatal bin 'ne.> me
moment when every heart and every asHi!a on
should he directed 10 one Object, is The vcry ilEc-
tue when division and distrusl are disseminated
Behold me, then, compelled hV every cicnm
slanc, !, change my plans Deseriun had ~
ready commenced 10 a shameful sSer'; and
was July persuaded ha, j! The scarcity shoult
continue. The army would be- dishouorably fil-
tered away. therefore resolved that. if annini-
lated. il should tc with glory. Having no sup
plies, |, 20 obtain them, Compounded my pfivae
fortune and the credit Of myself ard m friends.
An this procured me the sum Of one hundred and
eighty thousand dollars, with which / was apc
10 furnish The needfu 10 the army lortweve DAYS.
| knew we'll The country we had 10 cross, AMI The
necessity there would be for carrying provisions;
and sympaihiZed in anticipation with the sol
der for what he wonh endure IRON The rigor q
the season; bu, 10 render COOL service 10 Tie
country, and save its honor, had to overlook al!
this.
The army moved from San Luis by brigades
so as 10 render available The scahiy resources al
forded BIZ the country, We were 10 cross The
force consisted OF 1892 infantry, divided into
% bataions; 1888 cavalry, in 80 sqnadrons;
and 4 Train OF artillery, oil three Il FOUNDERS
three Is FOUNDERS, FIVE 10 nounders FIVE Sponna-
ers, ard 7,nch howitzer, all served by AS ar
,i.lery men-lhe total being Is, le3 men. OF this
force there. remained behind, the garrison Of The
works AT San Luis, and others which allotted 10
towns on The roule as also two squadrons 10 es-
cort our small and only reserve al ammuoIiion;
a brigade Of infantry, Of two bailalions, under
General Dnn Ciriaco VGsquez, which remained
AS corps of reserve in Maehuala, and Of OBJ
servainn upon lula; as also brigade Of caval-
~. under General Don lose Urea. The later
was intended 10 pass rnla, and move through
Tamaulipas To The neighbour cd VI Monterey, s.
as 10 cali The enemys attention 10 that quarter
Tie point characterization for The brisales ought
necessarily to be near this place, so that in ihr
region through which they had 10 move, many
troops miahi mol be a; once thrown together
therefore fixed on The hacienda ci Encarnac'on
for that poin', il being, a. | calculated, Inc las
stage bni one OF my march there held re-
view OF The army, which had already iost thou
sand men BY sickness and ccseflon. Inc Tor
mer was caused By The scan mess and bad quality
oftood. and still more of water, which was bracil
ish as we'll as scarce, as also ny snowsto1 ne, and
the exposure OF The troops, VINO had always .
be in b,youac, and without fuel. These Sow
storms Obliged me 10 suspend the march !~o
cold had already caused lhedsarh Of several men
and horses and fell bound b. every means 10
diminish the losses VIC were mourning THESE
hardships will acccun, Tor he number o! deser
lions which occurred up 10 our arrival I'll Encar-
nacian, and which afterwards even increased Il
must also be remembered, that almost the whole
army had been recently formed, aad, as is well
known, of men taken BY violence from their
homes.
We had adyiccs lhs, The enemy were fortified
In the hacienda Of Aqua Nneva. with 6 600 men
and IS pieces, resolved 70 defend he defcs known
BIZ The names oi the passes Of Caracro aud Asna
Nueva. The Americans dio nc' knowlne precise
point on which our march was directed; Tor
though they exchanged some shos with our ad.
vance In Encarnation, and bad frequent small
skirmishes with us in the above passes, they sup
posed our troops 10 be scouting parties lh- hfs!
brigade Of cavalry. under Don jose V. Minon,
whom had advanced as lar as 'ne hacienia OF
Potosi These were The impressions when
made aly dispositions
II was NV intention 10 place my forces be-
tween the enemy and Salliilo, 50 a: 10 ohige hum
10 fab, I'm Ter The disadvantage Of having his
communication cn off, or, II he would no! !ea:e
his works. 10 ENABLE me 10 besiege him in Aqua
Nueva This plan might be carried ont 10 three
different WAYS. One was by marching 20 leagues
bv The direc; road-another by moving 10 me right
by la Hediopda, SO as 10 occupy enena Vista
and the third BIZ moving 10 The lei; BY Ia Pan.a de
Santa Elena, SO as 10 occupy the hacienfa OF ia
Banqueria and thereafter The road 10 Saitiilo.-
The Two last movements were at This tiGia I'M
practicable. for they would either Of them require
three or four DAYS march, while We were without
nrovisons forage or wafer. therefore resolved
10 operate BY the direct road force the positions,
and after passing the last dehle, make diver
sion by the left, and occupy The rancho Of Eocan-
lada. with the view OF Obtaining water, none OF
which was TO be had for more than eighteen
leagues. All this was favored BY the enemys
ionoranc Of our march; but misfortune still fol.
lowed Us. A deserler from The regiment Of Co
racero. a native Of sallillo, named Francisco
Valdes' passed over from Encarnacion TO the enc.