The Arkansas banner., 1847-02-10
Nsn iks lNsp Fart Espsfss. Letter from maj. Gen. Taylor. HKApaUAarras llnMr cx OccursTtos.
 on fEvassor, Monterey. Mexico.

Letter from NEab. Gen, Taylor.
 HKApavAarEas llnMy or OccUrs4tos,
 oE frsassor. Mosierey. Mexico.
 Nov. .. fsa6.
 Mr DEAR sesssse: Your very kind and acceptable letter of the 3lss of August, ssss reached me only short time since. for which beg leave 10 tender you my sincere thanks. IA few confidential remarks on certain pub. lie transactions are here omitted.
 After considerable apparent delay on he part of the QnartefmasteF'a Department, in getting sscAmhoats into the Rio Graade adap- ted to its navigasion, succeeded, towards the latter part Of August, in throwing for ward to CaHaaFgO, Ia town situated on iae San Juan river, three miles kon its junction with the Rio Grande, on the west side, nearly 500 miles from BFazos island by water, and 200 by land, and 40 from this place, a con siderable depot of provisions, ordnance, am- ImuHiti0n. and forage. and then, having brought together an important portion cf my command, determined on moving tn shis place Accordingly, after collecting l7OO pack mules, wilh their attendants and eon- dnesors, in the enemy,s country, (lhe prin- lcipal means of transportation for our provi- sions, baggage. &c.,1 l Ieit, on the 5lh Sep Iember, to join my advance, which had pre- ceded me few days to CeFTalvo, small village 75 miles on the route, which did on the 9sh, and, after waiting there few days for some of the corps to get up, moved on and reached here on the 18th. with {, ,250 men-2, 700, regulars the balance volunteers For what took place afterwards. must refer 1 yon 10 my sevefal reports--pa particularly to my detailed one on the 9th ult. do not believe the authorities at Washington are al all satis- fled with my conduct in regard 10 the terms Of the capliulaiion entered into with the Mexican commander, which you no doubt have seen, as they have been made public through the official organ, and copied into various other newspapers. have this mo- meni received an answer Ito my despatch announcing the surrender of Monterey, and the circumstances attending the samel from the Secretary of War, stating that s.ii was re- gretted by the President that t was not deem- ed advisable to insist on the terms had pro- posed in my first communication 10 the Mexi- can commander. in regard 10 giving up the ciiy''-adding tha, s.lhe circumstances which dictated, no doubt justified the change" AL though the terms of exploitation may be con- sidered too liberal on our part by tte Pfesi- dent and his advisers, as well as by many others at distance. particularly by those who do not understand the position which we occupied, Otherwise they might come to different conclusion in regard 10 the mat ter.l yet, on due reflection, see nothing to induce me 10 regret the course pursued-I The proposition on the part of Gen. Ampu- dia--which had much .o do in determining my course in the malter--was based on the ground that our government had proposed to his 10 settle the existing difficulties by nego- tiation, (which knew was the case, without knowing lhe result which was then under consideration by the proper authorities, and ! which he (Gen, Ampusiial had no doubt would resui, favorabiy, as tne whole of his people were in favor of peace. lfso, con- sideIed the further efiusion oT blood not only unnecessary, butimproper. Their force was also considerably larger than ours; and from the size and position Of the place. we could not completely invest il; so that the greater ] portion of their troops--if not the whole had they hee., disposed 10 do so, could any night have abandoned the city at once, enter 1 tered the mountain passes. and effected their retreat, do what we could, Had we been put to the alternative of taking the place by storm. (which there Is no doubt we should have succeeded in doing,} we should, in ali ! probability. have lost 50 or 100 men in kill ed, besides the wounded, which wished to avoid, as there appeared so be a prospect of peace, even if distant one. l also wished ] 10 avoid the destruction of women and chil- dren, which must have been very great. had { the stoTming process been resorted to. Be- { sides, they had d-a-xesy large and strong for 1 tifealioB short distance from the city, which, if carried with the bayonet, must have been taken q, great sacrifice of life i; aud, with our limited train ol heavy or bat tering artillery, It would have required 20 or D days 10 take il by regular approaches. ] That they should have surrendered place nearly as strong as Quebec, we'll fortified un- der the direction cf ar;lul eneineers-iheir works earnished with 42 pieces of artillery. ahundanily supplied with ammunition. garri- soned by 1000 regular and 2,000 irregular troops. n addition to some thousand citizens capable of land no doub, actually bearing arms. and aiding in it's deieace--io an oppo- sing force of half their number, scautily sup piled with provisions, and with light train of ar,illery--is among the nnaccountabie oc- cunences of the times.
 am decidedly opposed 10 carrying the war beyond Ssllillo in this direction, which place has been entirely abandoned by the Mexican forces, ali of whom have beea cons. centraied a. San Luis Po,osi; and shall lose no lime in taking possession of the former, as soon as the cessaiioI of hosliiiies refer red to expires-which l have notified the Mexican authorities will Dc ihe case on the 18th inst, by direction of the President of the United States.
 If we are (i1 the language of MT. Polk and Gen. Scott under the necessity of '.conquer- ing peace,n and that by taking the capital l,f fha ,r.nr,r4rr, rra r.,..sf rr, s, Vara Fsrrr