Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-07-23
EXTRAORDINARILY
RETURN AND RECEPTION OF THE
MISSOURI VOLUNTEERS.
AT ST. LOUIS.
Col. BentOn'S Address,
Col. DOniphan'S Reply.


Col. Doniphan, and officers and men i:
have been appointed to an honorable and
pleasant duty-that of making you the con-
gratulations of your fellow-citizens of st.
Louis, on your happy return from your long
and almost fabul ous expedition. You have,
indeed, marched far, and done much, and suf-
fered much. and well entitled yourselves to
the applauses of your fellow citizens, as we'll
as to the rewards and thanks of your govern
mcnt. A year ago you left home. Going out
from the western border of your State, you re-
enter it on the east, having made circuit e.
quail to the fourth of the circumference of the
globe, providing for yourselves as you went,
and returning with trophies taken from fields,
the names of which were unknown to your
selves and your country, until revealed by
your enterprise, illustrated by your valor, and
immortalized by your deeds. History has but
few such expeditions to record and when
they occur, it is as honorable and useful, as
it is Just and wise, to celebrate and commence
rate the events which entitle them to renown
Your march and exploits have been among
the most wonderful of the age. Atthe call of
your country you marched thousand miles
to the conquest of New Mexico, as part of the
force under Gen'l Kearny, and achieved that
conquest without the loss of man, or the fire
of gun. That work finished, and New
Mexico, itself so distant, and so lately the
Ultima Thule-the outside boundary of spec
ulation and enterpTse-so lately distant
point to be attained, becomes itself point of
departure-a beginning point for new and far
more extended expeditions. You look across
the long and lofty chain-the Cordlleras of
North Amerca-which divide the Atlantic
from the Pacific waters and YOU see beyond
that ridgea savage tribe, which had been long
in the habit OF depredating upon the province
which had Just become an American conquest.
You, part only of the subsequent Chihuahua
column, under Jackson and Gilpin, march up
on them, bring them to terms, and they sign a
treaty with Col. Doniphan, in which they
bind themselves to cease their depredatons on
the Mexcans, and to become the friends OF
the United States. A novel treaty, that sign
ed on the western confines of New Mexico
between parties who had hardly ever heard
each others names before, and to give peace
and protection to Mexicans who were hostile
to both. This was the meeting, and this the
parting, of the Missouri volunteers, with the
numerous and savage tribe of the Navajo tn
dams, living on the waters of the Gulf of Cal
ifornia, and so long the terror and scourge OF
Sonora, Sinaloa, and New Mexico
! This object accomplished, and impatient Of
inactivity. and without orders, (Gen'l Kearny
having departed for California,) you cast a.
bout to carve out some new work for your.
selves. chihuahua "a rich and ropulous city
OF near 200 souls, the seat of government
of the State Of that name, and formerly the
residence OF the captains general of the inter
nal provinces under the vce-regal government
of New Spain,) was the captivating objec
which fixed your attention. 1t was a far dis
tant citv-about as far from St. Louis as Mos
COW is from Paris; and towns and enemies
and large river, and defiles and mountains
, and the desert whose ominous name portend
ing death to travellers-eI Tornado de 10:
Muertos-the journey of the dead-all lay be
tween you. 1t was a perilous enterprise, anC
a dlscouraging one, for athousand men, badly
equipped, to contemplate. No matter. Dan
ger and hardship lent it a charm, and the i'd
venturOus march was resolved on, and the tk
ecuton commenced. First, the ominous deser
was passed, its character vindicating its titlt
to its mournful appellatlon-an arid plain o
ninety miles, strewed with the bones of ami
5 mails persisted of hunger and thirst-little hill
E locks of stone, and the solitary cross, erected
by pous hands, marking the spot where some
Christian had fallen, victim of the savage, o
the robber, or Of the desert itself-no water
no animal life-no sign of habitation. Their
: the Texan prisoners, driven by the cruel Sa
Iazar, had met their direst sufferings, unreliev
ed, as in other parts of their march in the set
tied parts of the country, by the compassionate
ministrations (for where is it that UOman Ii
not compassionate y of the plying women
The desert was passed, and the place for eros
sing the river approached. A little arm of thu
river Bracito, lin Spanish) made out from it
side. There the enemy, in superior numbers
and confident in cavalry and artillery, under
took to bar the way. Vain pretension Thel
, discovery, attack, and rout, were about stimuli
! taneous operations. A few minutes did thu
work And in this way our Missouri volun
teers of the Chihuahua column spent thei
Christmas day of the year 1876.
The victory of the Bracito opened the way
to the crossing of the river Del Norte, and tt
admission into the beautiful little town of tn
Paso del Norte, where neat cultivation,
comfortable people, fields, orchards, and vine
t yards, and a hospitable reception, offered tn
: rest and refreshment which tolls, and dangers
t and victory had won. You rested there til
artillery was brought down from Santa Fe
but the pretty town of the Paso del NOrte
with all its enjoyments, (and they were many
and the greater for the place in which the1
were found,) was not Capua to the men o
Missouri. You moved forward in February
and the battle of the Sacramento, one Of tn
: military marvels of the age, cleared the roa
to Chihuahua, which was entered without fur
Their resistance 1t had been entered once be
fore by detachment of American troops; bu
, under circumstances how different In tn
It year 1907, Lieut.. Pike and his thirty brav
II men, taken prisoners on the head of the RI
: del Norte, had been marched captives into Chi
= huahua: IN the year 1847, Donlphan and hi
men enter it as cOnquerors The paltry tn
umph of captain general over lieutenan
= was efaced in the triumphal entrance of
thousand Missourans into the grand and an
! Gent capital of all the INTERNAL PROVINCES
and old men, still alive, could remark the gran
deur Of the American spirit under both event
the proud and lofty bearing of the captIv
thirty, the mildness and moderation of the con
quering thousand.
h Chihuahua was taken, and responsible du
s. ties, more delicate than those OF arms, were
IS be performed. Many American citizens wer
: there, engaged in trade; much American pro
4 perty was there. All this was to. be protec
: ted, both lives and property, and by peaceful
IL arrangement; for the command was too sma
to admit of division, and of leaving garrison
:. Cancellation and negotiation were resorte1 tc
and successfully. Every American intere:
! was provided for, and placed under the safe
= guard, first OF good will, and merit of guarar
Il tees not to be violated with IMMUNITY.