Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-10-21
GENERAL TAYLOR.

those who were brought in contact with him before
his countrymen made him, whether he would or
no, candidate for the Presidency. The para
graphs copied below are part Of letter from
distinguished Officer of the Navy, who served in
cooperation with Gen. TAYLOR on the Rio Grande
in 1916, which was published in the Washington
Union in June of that year--a period when the
official gazette was willing to do justice to the
hero whose great exploits had then rescued the
Administration from that condemnation which the
iniquily of the Mexican war would otherwise have
brought upon it.
FROM THE UNION OF JUNE, 1916.
"USIrED STATES SHIP PoroMAc,
g" or Rio Grande May 20, 1916
"Mr DEAR Sin: had the pleasure of receiving your
friendly note of the 18th March, and regret that it has not
arrival here have been much occupied in both flood
and fe that have not been able write any body
cept my family, and to them in very burned way only.
The Of the late most glorious victories Of gallant
little army will be old you before this reaches Washington
and doubt the official reports Of Gen. Taylor are already
in the public prints When look at the great superiority
in numbers Of the Mexican oopsbeing nearly not quite
three to Of engagedand consider also the advan
tages OF the positions they occupied in the chapaals on
each side of the road by which troops compelled
advance, think it must be conceded by all the world that
brilliant achievement hardly be found on the
of history.
ssWe Of the squadron were off Vera Cruz when we were
informed that orders had been sent Gen. Arsta to COM
hosites against army the banks of the Bravo
We Immediately made sail for this place TO put ourselves in
communication with Gen. Taylor and to cooperate with him
far might be practicable We had short PASSAGE and
anchored of the Brasos Santiago the sth at the very
ment the first battle raging with its greatest violence
stThe Of the arlery-wheh for few hours nces-
santwas distinctly heard, and the clouds Of ascending
smoke from shps-the baitleh being not more
than seventeen miles from Our arrival was deemed quite
oppoune, and Immediately communicated 10 the General
by express His great depot Of supplies at Point Isabel
which the salvation of bis army depended had been
ry left with very small force for its protection.
This point requested reinforce and, being all
anxious that the navy should not be entirely lost sight Of
this war, you will readily believe slow in
plying with this request Accordingly five hundred
landed from the squadron fast they could he got
shore-Capain Gregory, myself the commanders of the
John Adams and brig Somers with several other officers
companied themof all hands volunteers. We spent
three Gays in camp pleasantly enough novelty in the life
Of salo but there fighting left for to lend d
hand al. The brave little army had finished all that work,
and most thoroughly did they do il for doubt if there
Mexican soldier, excepted the prisoners and wounded
the left bank of the Bravo hour after the rou begau
all fled for the river and many drowned in attempting
swim it. The Mexcans lost from thousand to twelve
hundred in killed, wounded and prisoners As for their
missing, the probability is that than onehrd of the
number with which Arsa commenced the campaign
be mustered heard of by him. The rest have dis.
al all a,J
until they reach their homes. Our loss in killed forty
nne and had hundred and five wounded altogether
in both battles. learnt from Mexican grenader who had
leg shot off in the FIRST battle, and was brought into our
camp Point Isabel that they had six thousand men
and five six generals in the field the day he wound
ed and during the night Of that day hey brought over from
Maanoros all the troops That had been e there as reserve
and they engaged in the second and last battle The
whole number Of their forces probably less than seven
thousand.
" General Tsy lor is an extraordinary man. and
has less Of the military in his appearance than any have
seen who wore sword He into camp on the
lth, dressed and looking like very plain good naured,
honest, wetodo the-word farmer in search Of market
for his crop with not much single uniform button to
he seen about him. We received him with three hearty
cheers But sailors, who like such fun would not stop
until they had given him nine. Notwithstanding his farmer
like appearance, the field of battle is said 70 he his very
element There he is cool and perfectly self possessed his
only fault General is that he is apt be found in
that part Of the field where the balls fly hickes Neither he
his horse received the slightest Scratch though he told
that his ordeys horse killed by his sdc by cannon ta
that passed between the legs Of his horse He has the
confidence in himself, and know Just what be can
do, and what he cannot and he 10 have the faculty
Of inspiring those around him with confidence in him
that he himself possesses He has constantly said,
told and he repeated the thing me- that he has
for moment entertained a doubt that be should beat the
MexiSns if they dared attack him, Notwithstanding the
great superiority Of their numbers hope however, he may
not be ordered permitted advance far into The country
without army Of at least 20 900 With such force,
well appointed and provided with every thing necessary he
will be able TO dictate his Of peace before he get,
half way hom The Bravo to the city Of Mexico. This an
sure would lie the most economical well humane ant
expeditions mode Of terminating the war"
Notwithstanding the very rational opinion of the
gallant writer Of this letter, that General TAYLOR
could not venture into Mexico. with an army of less
than 10000 men, he did advance with less than a
fourth Of that number, thanks TO the Government
for leaving him to fight his way under such APP
palling odds and captured fortified cities and con-
quered armies four times his own number.
We had no design to extend this notice beyond
the insertion of the above extract, which friend
IL = H. a.