The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-05-16
NUMBER 3.


eral, bill was pressed ubon Congress to au-
thorize the placing junior major general,
Just appointed, (the same Individually in COM
mand over all the old major generals then in
front of the enemy
! will not here trust myself to add Il soldiers
comment upon those attempts, but may thank
God that He did not allow them, or subsequent
injuries, to break down, entirely, the spirit and
abilities (such as they are) with which He has
endowed me.
Foresceing at Washington that, from the
great demands Of commerce, at the moment it
would be difficult, ifnOt impossible, to take up,
perhaps at any price, sufficient number of
vessels at New Orleans and Mobile to trans
port the regiments Off expedition from the
Rio Grande frontier to Vera Cruz, endea-
vored to impress upon the War Department
the necessity of sending out, from the North
ern and Eastern ports, a certain number of
large ships, in ballast, in order that the expe-
dition might not be delayed; and in view Of
'the fixed fact, the return of the romifo at We
IA Cruz in the spring of the year, a delay of
few weeks was likely to prove a total defeat.
In a paper transmitted to me-headed
Memorandum for the Quartemaster Gene
raj" marked "War Department, December
10, 49, and signed by the Secretary, which 1
IecelNeu january CIT Is Salu
Independently of this number Of transports
for troops and ordnance stores (from the
North) there viii be required say five ships
for the transportation of the (surt) boats now
being prepared, besides which ten vessels must
be taken up and sent ont in ballast for trcops)
unless stores can be put on board, to make up
the number (40) required by the command
ing general"
The date Of this memorandum is December
Is, more than three weeks after my requiSi-
ton and departure from Washington Of
not one of the ''ten vessels" in ballast, or with
stores Qeavmg room for troops,) have heard
up to this dav-Relving upon them confident
! ly, the embarkalion was delayed, in whole or
in part, at the Brazos and Tampico, from the
18th of january TO the 9Th March, leaving, it
was feared, not half the time needed for the
reduction OF Vera Cruz and its castle before
.he return OF the yellow fever. But half tic
surf-boats came not at all, and Of the sicgc-
train and ordnance stores, only one half" had
arrived when the Mexican flags were replaced
by those of the United States on those form-
dable places. We succeeded at last in reach
ing the point Of attack, in the midst OF fright
full NOrthers, by means, in great part, Of trail
| ing craft, small and hazardous, picked up ac-
cidentally at the Brazos and Tampi,o o; and
when the army got ashore, its science and val
or had to supply all deficiencies in heavy guns,
mortars and ordnance stores.
| The first letter that received from the De
\ partment, after entering the captured city,
contained an elaborate rcbuke (dated Feb. 22)
for having ordered Colonel Harney, I'd drag
oons, to remain in the command of the caval-
~ with Major General Taylor, so as to leave
Major Sumner, of the same regiment, the SEN
Tor Of that arm, in my expedition. There was
no great difference in the number Of Tie Cay-
airy companies with the two armies. This
rcIuke was written with a complacency that
argued the highest professional experience in
such matters, and could not have been more
confident, in its tone, if dictated 10 the green
est general of the recent appointments. Yet,
without the power of selecting commanders Of
particular corps, no general-in-chef would
venture to take upon himself the conduct Of a
critical campaign. Such selections were al
ways made by the father of his country, and
the principal generals under him. So in the
campaign of 1914 myself sent away, against
their wishes, three senior field officers, Of as
many regiments who were infrm, uninstruct-
ed and inefficient, in favor OF three Juniors,
and with the subsequent appreciation OF Major
! General Brown, on his joining lie, and the
Z ASsiNA VI thS w al ~
! Both were well acquainted with the customs
of war in like eases at home and abroad; and
without that energy on my part, it is highly
probable that no American citizen would ever
have cited the battles Of tie Niagara without
sigh for his country. / am happy, however,
that before a word had been received fl ON the
Department, and, indeed, before it could have
any knowledge Of the question, had decided
to take with me the frank and gallant colonel,
and hope soon to learn that he, and very many
other officers, have been rewarded with brew
cts for their highly distinguished services in
the campaign that followed.
1t was in reference to the same rebuke that,
in acknowledging your communication, | said,
from Vera Cruz, April 5:
50 / might very well controvert the military
principles confidently laid down by the De
partment in the letter of the 22d Of Februa-
~ j but believing that the practice of the T.
nited States army, in the two wars with Great
Britain would have no weight, in the partieu-
lar case-I waive farther reply-having at
the moment, no leisure and no inclination for
controversy"
Abiding to the heavy disappointments, in
respect to transports siege tram and ordnance
stores, then already experienced, wrote to
the Department, from Lobos, Feb. %:
"Perhaps no expedition was ever so unac-
countably delaycd-by no want of foresight,
arrangement or energy on my part, as ] dare
ailirm-and under circumstances the most crit
zeal to this entire army for everybody relied
on knew, from the first, as well as | knew, it
would be fatal to us to attempt military oper-
atoms on this coast after probably, the first
week in April, and here we are at the end of
February! Nevertheless, this army is in heart,
and crippled as l am in the means required
and promised, / shall 20 forward, and expect
to take Vera Cruz and its castle in time to es-
cape, by pursuing the enemy, the pestilenee
of the coast"
The city and castle were captured March
20 and with about one-fourth of the neces-
sary means for a road-train, (no fault CT mine,)
the retreat in pursuit Of the enemy was vigOr-
ously commenced, April s. The battle of
Cerro Gordo soon followed and we occupied
Jalapa and Perote, where we were obliged to
wait for supplies from Vera Cruz. In those
positions / was made to writhe under another