Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-08-27

Cassius NJ. Clay has written a pointed leirc
from The city of Mexico under daie of July Is
vindicaling the surrender, made BY himself anc
brave comrades at Encarnacion. He says lC
the N. 0. Picayune, and with considerable feel
ing, that great wrong has been commired:
If the failure Of our superior officers to ex
change US after three successful battles, and the
capture Of many prisoners Of war, is necessary
to the public service, requiring the soldier never
to surrender, but in all cases 10 lay down his life
without regard 10 the inequality of numbers OF
the resulting good Of the sabrifice, then without a
mumur | submit 10 the sentence. But if this
policy becomes not general, and is not deemed
usual and necessary in war, then Oh the part Of
myself and my brave companions in arms, some
Of whom have gone from the Ioalhsome prisons
of Mexico, where praise nor blame can ever
reach them, | protest against it as n condemns
lion without a trial, and penalty without q
crime!
But why anticipate capiurel The
country through which they had TO pass was a
grass.covered plain, shut in by mountains, where
there was no growth Of wood TO conceal US. We
wer5 compelled to 90 10 fixed aud well known
places for wafer, surrounded by rancheros, who
were ever ready and not slow in giving timely
notice of our approach. The night before
reaching Encurnacon, we had resolved, accord.
ing TO The Spartan maxim, continually 10 change
our camp TO avoid surprise, and TO move, if neceS'
sary, twice Il night, TO prevent the peasanuy' S
knowing our whereabouts.
That we camped two nights successiveI y in
Encanacion, the cause in part of our capture,
was rather the result Of fortune than design on
our part. For we had on the 22d advanced ten
miles in the direction Of Salullo, intending 10 AT
tack two hundred men whom we learned were
stationed there, but night, storm and darkness
coming on we were compelled, having no guide
to return, against the protest OF some aud our
previous rules of action, TO Encarnacion. The
idea of putting out picket guards in plain ol
twenty miles diameter, nlerSecled by roads IN all
directions, is absurd. And had picket guard
given an alarm in the night the result would
have been the same, for we would not have LETT
our caltle till morning, ill we saw the enemy aud
knew their force.
Seventy.one men and officers, all told, held
Gen. Minon and three thousand regular and vete'
ran troops, as numbered by himself, al bay from
dawn I'LL noon oi The 23d day oil JANUARY
Without half as many rounds of shot as there
were opposing foes, without wafer, without pro-
visions, one hundred and ten miles from camp,
without the remolest probability Of reinforce
ment, we unanimously determined to exact "the
most honorable terms Of capltulation known TO
nalions," or sell our lives like men who held The
faith that honor is the only necessity. Holding
a Mexican chief of equal rank with our com
mandant as hostage, Maj. Gaines and Gen. Mi
non concluded the following terms oil capl'ula'
lion:
First. The most honorable treatment as prlso-
ners of war known TO nations.
Second. Private properly 10 be strictly respec-
led.
Third. Our Mexican guide 10 receive fair
trial in The civil courts.
When we remember that Taylor fought at
RueDa Vista, al "a liberal computation one to four
and had bis hands full--and thai we s'ood less