Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-05-12


rr;ocinle. so confidently laid down by the Dc
pn,tusnt FIN the letter of the 22d February;
but belie,ing thnt the practice Of the United
states army. IN the two wars with Great Brit
ain. would have no weight. in The particular case
II waive further roply-having, at the moment.
no leisure, and no inclination for controversy"
Abiding to the heavy disappoinimenis, in re-
spect to transports, siege train and ordnance
stores, then already experienced, wrote to the
Department, from Lobos, Feb. 2s
1Pcrhaps no expedition was ever 20 unac-
countaby delayed--by no want Of foresight, ar
rangcmcnt or energy or my part, as dare sf-
firn--and under circumstances the most critical
10 this entire army; for everybody relied upon
knew, from the first, as well as knew, il would
be fatal TO rs TO attempt military operations on
this coast niter, probably the first week in April,
and here we are at the end Of February New
crthcless, this army is in heart, and crippled as |
am in the means required and promised, shall
90 forward, and expect to take Vera Cruz and
It's Castle in time to escape, by pursuing the en-
envy, the pes,ilence Of the coast"
The city and castle were captured March 20,
and, with about one-fourth Of the necessary
means for road train (no fault Of mine) the
retreat, in pursuit Of the enemy, was vigorously
commenced April 8. The battle Of Cerro Cor.
do soon followed, and VIC occupied Jalapa and
Pero,e, where we were obliged to wait for sup.
plies from Vera Cruz In those positions was
made so writhe under another cruel disappoint.
ment.
In nv four memorials to the Department, on
the farther prosecution Of the war against Mex
1 leo, written at Washington, and dated respec
lively October %, November IL, 16, and al
N was only minated 10 me in the night Of No.
vember Is that might prepare myself for the
fell)-papers in which / demonstrated that
Vera Cruz was the true base Of operations, and
that the enemy's capital could not, probably be
reached from the RIO Grande, estimated that,
after taking that great seaport, "about 10000
men," or ian army Of more than 10000 ment
may be needed;
IL. To beat, in the field and in passes, any
Accumulated force in the way. 2. To garrison
many important points in the rear, to secure
free communication with Vera Cruz, and 8. To
make distant detachments, in order to gather in,
without long halts, necessary subsistence"
And that force, supposed, including yolun'
teers. and aided by land and money bounties,
might be raised, in time, by adding ten or twelve
nesc regiments Of regulars, and filing up the
ranks Of the old.
4 A bin wRs introduced for raising ten addition.
al regular regiments and ], certainly, do not
mean to charge the Department with The whole
delay in passing the bill through Congress. BF.
it irds passed February II, ls4I, and under il,
BY early in April, some few thousand men had
been already raised and organized My distress
may be conceived, by any soldier, on learning,
at Jalapa, April %, that the whole Of that iorre
had been sent, under BrigadieT General Cad
waIader, 10 the RIO Grande frontier.
In my letter to the Department, written The
day after, said II had expected that
4 Deiachmcnts Of the new regiments. would,
as YOU had promised me, begin TO arrive in this
, month and continue to follow perhaps into June
How many "rvolunteersl win re-engage under
the act approved March 8, (only received two
DAYS ago) | know not probably but few
Hence the greater my disappointment csusedb by
sending the new troops to the Rio Grande, for
beside their keeping the road, in our present
: rear, open for many weeks, by marches in sue
cessivc detachments, had intended, as ad-
vznced, TO leave strong garrisons in this place
1Jalapal, in Perote, and Puebla, and to keep, at
the head Of the movement, force equal to any
probable opposition. II may now depend on the
2 number of old volunteers, who NAV rc-ergage,
i and the number Of new troops that may arrive
: from the Brazos in time, as also in some degree
= upon the advance Of Major General Taylor
r whether shall find this army in strength to
C leave the garrisons and to occupy the capital
may add that only about fifty individuals Of
5 the old volunteers, re-engaged under the pro
visions Of the act Of March 8 ; that the remain
t der were discharged, May i; that Major Gen
j eral TAYLOR made movement in advance
! Saltillo, and that the new regulars, including
Cadwaladers brigade, only began to come up
i with me, at Puebla, in July but not in suh-
1 cient numbers till August g. The next day the
$ army commenced its advance, upon the Capita,
Z with little more than 10000 effective men
+ Ii Is not extravagant to say that, If Brigader
e General Cadwaladers forces had not been di.
. verted from me, to the Rio Grande, where be
: wat made to lose, without any benefit to Major
a General Taylor, much precious time, / might
easily have taken this city in the month of June,
, and at one fifth Of the loss sustained in Angus;
c and September. The enemy availed himself q
r my forced delay, at Puebla 10 collect, to treble
TO organize, to discipline his forces, as, also, ID
erect numerous and powerful defences with bat
: teries. Nearly all those extraordinary prepare
: tons, for our reception were made after the
4 middle Of june. And IT is known that the news
$ OF the victory of Buena Vista reached Wash
ington in time to countermand Cadwalader:
S orders for the Rio Grande before his departure
I from New Orleans. Two rifle companies, with
= him, received the countermand there, and joined
!, me carly.
know that had the misfortune to give Of
n fence to the Department by expressing myself
} to the same effect, from Jalapa, May G. In a
report Of that date, l said;
"The subject Of that Order (No. l35-oh
q volunteefs) has gwen me long and deep sclci-
e tude. To part with so large and so respectable
2 portion of this army, in the middle Of a coun'
I. try, which, though broken in its power, is not
yet disposed to sue for peace to provide for the
e return home of seven regiments, from this inte-
o rior position, at time when find it quite diff
II cult to provide transportation and supplies for
z the operating forces which remain-and all this
II without any prospect of succor or reinforcement
n in, perhaps, the next seven months beyond some
d 500 army recruits-present novelties utterly un
d known TO any invading army before. With the
l. addition of ten or twelve thousand new levies IN
& April or May-asked for, and until very recent
Il ly expected-or even with the addition Of two
g or three thousand new troops, destined for this
t army, but suddenly, by the orders of the war
C Department diverted to the Rio Grande frontier
o i might notwithstanding the unavoidable d'
5, charge Of the old volunteers-seven regiments
and two independent companies-adyance WIN
; confidence upon the enemy's Capital. shan
l. nevertheless, advance; but whether beyond fu,
n eba will depend on intervening information and
!, reflection. The general panic giyenito the enc.
h my at Ccrro Gorlo still remaining, tmnk
IT probable that we shall go to Mexico; or, Tue