The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-03-24
The Exciting News from the Rio Grande-
The Reported Battles.


The intelligence by telegraph, published in our
yesterdays paper, and given more in detail, in
this days Herald, confrmatory OF battle between
the Mexicans, under Santa Anna, and the
Americans under General Taylor, will be perused
with the greatest interest.
1t is now probably certain that there has been
tremendous and severe conflict near Saltillo.
for where there is so much smoke, there must
be some fire.
These reports, coming forward at a time when
we knew by accounts from Mexico by the way
fVera Cruz and Tampico, that Santa Anna had
left San Luis for Satio, prove the probability
of the collision between the forces We have little
doubt but that an action has taken place
IfGeneral Taylor has been induced to leave
his position at Aqua Nueva, it must have hap
pened in order to concentrate his defences. His
forces being not more than fourth of those of
Santa Anna, the withdrawal of them to position
where they could resist repe ated assaults, would
have been positively necessary. The necessi for
1t accounts then for the movement. The necessity
for the movement is to be easily seen to have I'M
dertaken pitched battle against force so much
stronger numerically than his own, would have
caused great losses, even if victorious in the end
The whole Of the force of the enemy would not
strike at him at one time, but repeatedly Repeat
ed attacks would lessen his vigor of defence be-
cause, if the Mexicans advance against him
in the first instance with 5000, and these were
routed; another 5000, fresh from the Mexican
ranks, could continue the attack then 5000 more,
and so on, General Taylor's whole force being all
the time occupied. We have a great opinion of
the GOODNESS, courage and ntrepidity of General
Taylor. His danger with small force con-
nsts not in the supposed impossibility of his
beating the enemy, but in the impossbity of re-
Hsting the weakening assaults of successive at
'acxs oil the enemy, and to cover himself until
endorsements reach him.
General Taylor will have been sensible of his
danger on taat account on discovering the enemy
SO superior In numerical strength and if he has
fallen back from Aqua Nueva a, all. il i. for the
purpose il concentrating the two commands of
Saltillo and Monterey. He may have evacuated
,oaiullo without encounterng the enemy; and the
latter may have been repulsed only at the Rim
conada Pass. The enemy was not repulsed a,
caltllo, or he would not be heard Of beyond il, ON
ths road to Monterey. We do not think it possible
that General Taylor, after loss of 2OOO men.
could retreat, after enough OF hard fighting, to
Kill and wound, four Of twenty thousand. His
Strength would be insufficient to retreat success
fuliy, pursued by an army which would be still
sixteen thousand strong
The battle reported as having taken place in
the streets OF Saltillo, may turn out to have been
arevoIt Of the citizens against the garrison, on
hearing of the approach Of Santa Anna such
movement was announced as likely to take place
by the Governor in the locality of that post; and,
If we remember rightly, he was threatened by
General Worth.
If General Taylor thought it prudent to move
10 Aqua Nueva, he must have done it because he
thought Saltilo unenable. If, therefore, he shall
have believed Aqua Nueva untenabe, also,
against 50 superior a force, the movements to
Monterey, on the approach of the Mexicans, is
accounted for; and the conflict will, as already
stated, have taken place only at the Kinconsda