Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-12-25
OFFICIAL.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR.
Wan DEPAnrmrsr, W.su,,srox Drc ls47

Sin have the honor submit the following report
the operations of this Department during the past year
The returns and statements from the Adluan General
herewith submitted exhibit nearly as can be ascertane,
at his ohce the number description, and distribution
troops composing military force al this time Most
the volunteers IN service the date of nv last animal
were engaged for twelve MONTHS and have since been dis
charged Owing TO the dispersed situation of the roops and
he want oi lecent returns accurate statements of their
pes IN the aggregate and at particular points, cannot
be presented but from the best means in the Department q
arriving at correct results the whole aggregate land force EN-
poyed IN prosecuting the war; estimated at forty
thousand hse hundred and thirty six Of which
thousand five hundred and nine are regular troops and tho
remainder volunteers
The distribution of this force is as follows With Major
uehefai oco, ana belonging to his column, including the
troops en- rou al ampico at and about Vera Cruz and on
hene thence to his headquarters the aggregate force es
umaed at thry-two thousand hundred end ffty-six
With Major General Taylor, at the posts under his
immediate command, is about six thousand seven
and weny-seven. In Santa Fe and on the Oregon and
Santa re roues and In the Indian country there about
three thousand six hundred and thirty. four
Inc oe IN the Caiornas about thousand and nine
teen including tive hundred the that country
There in the Department of calculating the
deductions which ought TO be made for sickness disability
and other casualties but the effective force considerably
below the foregoing estimates.
The volunteers first received into service entered for pe
rod OF only twelve months and entitled to their dis
charge some late in May, but mostly in June and few in
July and August They sent from the operative col
men Only small portion Of the volunteers called out in
November for joined the army before the twelve months
had left it, The act of Congress authorizing the ten re-
gments not passed until the h Of February and seve-
raj months necessarily elapsed before they could be raised and
sent to the field An anxious desire felt that both col
umns of the army should be speedily reinforced consde
rabe mpaence expressed at the delay by those who did
not fully appreciate the difficulties from which it necessarily
resulted The best energies of the Department. in all its
branches, devoted to this object and it is believed all
things considered that the new regiments well the vol
untees called out raised organized and sent to the ar
my expedousy could have been reasonably expected
The climate OF Mexico presents obstacles in the interior
OF the country to campaign any of the year. That
the present year considered having opened with the
military operations subsequent to the capture of Monterey
The temporary suspension of hosties within certain lin
It's which was agreed at the convention of Monterey,
September 1896 terminated the 18th of November follow
ing, by notice that effect which Major General Taylor
was instructed to give to the enemy Among the
abrdging the period of the armce the apprehension
that its continuance might interfere with military operations
which had been previously directed to be carried in Ia
mauEpas and along the Gulf coast
Immediately after the armistice terminated the Command
ing General proceeded to occupy Sao the capital OF Goa
hula, by part of his forces Previous the capture of
Monterey, suggestions had been forwarded to him. but
then received, relative TO movement into Tamaupas,
particularly with view to taking and holding Tampco, the
principal seaport in that State. Orders from the Navy De-
partment given TO the squadron in the Gulf operate
with the land forces in this latter enterprise Or found prac
ticabe, to take that place without waiting for their assistance
In the month of December the column intended for this
commenced its march from Matanoros and reached its
destination taking Victoria in its way, the 23d day of
January but before It's arrival, rva force under Commo
dore Perry had taken possession of Tampco. Shortly there
after the city and its defences turned the land
forces and the place has been since occupied by garrison of
our troops
post Salto it would cover the direct route TO San
Luis de Potos where the main army of the enemy post
ed and control productive region whence supplies could
drawn was deemed of much importance by the Commanding
General considerable force was by his ORDERS stationed
at this point. The column under Brigader General Wool
which had moved from San Antonio de Bexar for the purpose
OF capturing and holding chihuahua, had proceeded far
Moncova The advanced positions then occupied by General
Taylos column had rendered the military possession of Chi
huahua less important and the troops designed for this pur
pose ordered to upon and occupy Pana and in
that position came under the more immediate command OF
Gen. Taylor who proceeded to establish and hold defensive
lne extending from Paras to Tampico Leaving garsons
at Monterey, and points the Camago and the
mouth of the Rio Grande, reserve and hold in check
any hostile in his rear, he advanced Victoria
the capital Of Tamaulpas and entered that city without
sistance early in January with force of five thousand
men. Such the position Of military affairs in Mex
co when Major General Scott under instructions from this De-
parment dated the 23d Of November s46 reached the Rio
Grande.
quite evident that if the conquest Of the CALIFORNIA;
and New Mexico and military occupation Of the impor
tant departments OF ramaupas, New Leon, and Coahuia
would not dispose the enemy TO accept reasonable terms Of
would be necessary direct future opera
tons against vital parts of the Mexican Republic In
view of the capture and possession Of the city Of Mexico
SO advantageously made from the Rio Grande hitherto the
base of operations from another base which might be
selected presenting a much shorter line. The attention of
the Government therefore directed early September
1885, TO for the occupation Of the principal places
along the Gulf and particularly Vera Cruz the nearest
point which opened practical route to the capital of the Mex
can Republic.
While the line of the Sierra Madra was to be held and
the further advance Of troops IN that quarter left to the
control OF circumstances the principal aggressive movements
TO be pushed forward into the heart of the enemys
country the line from Vera Cruz could
be established. Measures taken to organize expe
don for that purpose and Major Gen. Scott assigned
conduct it. and upon him, the senior officer of highest
rank the general supervision and direction Of military
operations in the enemys country devolved. In pre-
pairing for this expedition which had for its immediate object
the capture of the city of Vera Cruz and the reduction of the
Castle Of San Juan dc Ulua-a fortress deemed almost mpreg
nabe- became necessary draw largely from the forces
the previous line of operations and to reduce that line for
time 10 defensive condition The number and descrp
ton Of troops thus to be withdrawn necessarily left to
the determination of the General in chief command and pas
culay charged with the conduct Of the expedition against
Vera Cruz
The preparations for this expedition necessarily cores
pondng with the magnitude of the object wefe large
SCALE and required much time for completing them that
it reasonable to expect design could be kept from
the enemy that the resistance its accomplishment would
he any thing than the which in his power
to make
The troops destined for this service were assembled the
island Of Lobo amounting oabou twelve thousand and finally
embarked for their destination early in the month Of March
While these progress the forces under