Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-02-04
CROUCH aND READY"
LITTER rRo,. ..rsnaaL TAYLOR.

LITTER FROss t.F.N ESAL TAYLOR
, We lay before our readers the following let
ter, wnicn tells its own story too well 10 aees
any comment. Il is bat Just, however. to Il
heroic writer, whose courage and Judgiisen
i are squallej only b. bis honesty and moJesiy
TO state that il was written to TEAR friend ant
relative. now resident in this city. endeared Il
him by very many years ofpersonal intimacy
to whom he unbosoins all bis purposes. opln
ions and feelings. without the least reserve
This friend would moi have taken the liberty
Of making public communication Of this ma
iuFe. did not the recent manifestations VI tbs
envIous maLgniiy OF the Administration and
its servants and friends towards the man who
alone has saved them and the country from
the consequences Of their rashness, ignorance
and incapacity, make il necessary and just
that the object Of their base deiraction should,
at this critical moment. be heard in bis own
defence, by the whole people, in his own SIM
pie and honest language
We have more Of this sor, TO communicate,
and shall soon be able 10 show that, in his de-
fence against his own secret personal enemies
and selfish deiractors. as well as against The
armed enemies of his country, the old hero o.
the Rio Grande is ever s'RouGH AND READY"
~ y Express
Hid. Qs. Army IF Occupation, or Jarasion,
Monterey, Mexico. Nov. 9, lSi0.
Nv dear .
Your very kind and acceptable letter o. the
3lst OF August, reached me
only short time since, for which beg leave
10 tender TO you my sincere thanks. A
/ few confidential remarks on certain public
transactions are here omitted.
i After considerable apparent delay on The
Ina ~ 81, ~
ting steamboats, into the Rio Grande adapted
10 It's navigation, succeeded, towards the lar
Ter part OF August. in throwing forward to
Camargo, "a town situated on the san Juan
river, three miles from lis junction with the
Rio Cirande, on the west side. nearly $40
from Brazos Island BY water and 200 by land.
and i40 from this pace a considerable depot
OF provisions, ordinance, ammunition and Tor
age, and then, having brought together an
important portion oil my command, | deter
mined on moving on this place. Accordingly,
after collecting 100 pack mules. with their
attendants and conductors, in the enemy's
/ country, (lhe principal means of ransporta-
ton for our provisions. baggage, &c.,) | left,
on the 9Th Of September, 10 join my advance,
which had preceded me few days TO Ser
ralvo, 4 small village IS miles on the route.
which ] did on the 9th, and, after waiting
there few days for some of the corps to get
up, moved on and reached here on the 18th.
with 6250 men ,--2700 regulars, the balance
volunteers For what took place afterwards,
| must refer you TO my several reports,-pai-
ticularly to my detailed one OF the 9th ult.
do not believe the authorities al Washington
are at all satisfied with my conduct in regard
to the terms OF caplulatlon 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 va
rlous other newspapers. have this moment
received an answer Ito my despatch announc-
ing the surrender Of Monterey, and the cir
lcumstances attending the same,) from the
Secretary OF War, stating that at was regret
ted by the President that il was not deemed
advisable TO insist on the terms had proposed
in my first communication to the Mexican
commander, in regard TO giving up the city,"
adding that ''the circumstances which die
tailed, no doubt justified the change" Al
though the terms OF capitalization may he con-
sidered too liberal on our part BY the Presiden,
and his advisers, as well as by MANY others at
a distance, particularly by those who do not
| understand the position which we occupied,
| Otherwise they might come TO different CT n
cluslon IN regard 10 the ma,'er.) yet. on due re-
Election, see nothing to induce Inc to regret
the course pursued.
The proposition on the par, Of Gen. AMpu-
Ola, which had much TO do in determining
my course in the mater, was based on the
ground that our Government had proposed to
his to settle the existing difficulties by negotia-
ton, (Which knew was the case, without
knowing the result,) which was then under
consideration by the proper authorities, and
which he (Gen. AMPUpA,) had no doubt
would result iavorably, as the whole of his
people were in favor of peace. Ii so, con-
sidered the further effusion OF blood not only
unnecessary, but improper. Their force was
also considerably larger than ours; and from
the size and position OF the place, we could not
completely invest it; so that the greater portion
Of their troops, If not the whole. had they been
disposed TO do so, could. any night, have aban-
doned the city. at oEce entered the mountain
passes, and effected their retreai,-do what we
could Had we been put TO the alternative OF
taking the place by storm, (Which there is no
doubt we would have succeeded in dong we
should, in all probability. have lot fifty or one
hundred men in killed, besides the wounded -
which wished TO avoid. as there appeared to
be prospect OF peace, even If distant one.
| also wished 10 avoid the destruction Of wo-
men and children, which must have been very
great. had the slormlng process been resorted
TO- Besides, they had very large and strong
foriifcation. short distance from the city,
which. If carried with tee bayonet. must have
been taken at great sacrifice Of life; and, with
our limited train ofheavy or batiering artillery,
il would have required twenty or twenty five
days 10 take it by regular approaches.
That they should have surrendered place
nearly as strong as Quebec. well fortified I'M
der the direction of skilfu. engineers, --their
works garnshed with iorty-two pieces of ar
tillery, abundany supplied with ammunition.
garrisoned by 1000 regular and 1000 irregular
troops. in addition 10 some thousand citizens
capable of, (and no doubt actually bearing
arms, and aiding in its deience,--to an oppo-
sing force ofhal;theirnumber. scantly supplied
with provisions, and with light train ofar;il-
lery,-iS among the unaccountable occurren-
rences Of the times.
am decidedly opposed to carrying the war
beyond Sallllo in this direction. which place
has been entirely abandoned by the Mexican
forces. all of whom have been concentrated at
San Luis Potosi; and shall lose no time in
taking possession of the former, as soon as the
cessation of hos,ilites referred to expires
which have notified the Mexican authorities