Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-05-19

IL
you very properly took upon yourself the
who lie charge of giving directions in this mat
Ter. In letter to Captain Hetzel, senior omar.
termaster at the BraZos, speaking on this sinh
Ject of the land transportation which NAV he
needed alter the descent on the enemy's coast
near Vera Cruz, you say: 81 have already
" discussed and arranged with Won the detail
''of the early land transportation train &c.-
On the 10Th Of March, you furnished General
Jesup with your estimates and directions On
this subject. The staff officers being with
you, and under your orders, nothing further
was, or properly could be, required or exnec.
ted to ernanate from Washington, beyond the
supply of funds; and, this being done, if Won
were disappointed in not realizing your ex-
pectations, you have not a colorado pretence
tor lmputlng blame TO g the head of the War
Department."
AS a just ground of complaint, and matter
OF accusation, you refer to your deficiency of
means to make the descent, and TO capture the
city OF Vera Cruz and the castle of San Juan
dUlloa, and assume that the extent of that
deficiency was the difference between what
you received and what you required. It
would be quite as correct reason to say, that
what you had having proved sufficient for the
the errors in your estimate. The truth lies,
had less, probably, than you should have had,
and you required much more than was neces.
sary. That you did not have more, and, in
deed, all you asked for, have already shown
was not the fault OF the War Department
Gen. Jesup was with YOU at Vera Cruz,
saw your means, and is capable Of forming an
90 hoir
letter herewith shows, disposed to be Just, and
even generous to your fame. To his opinion
on the subject, no well-founded exception can
be taken. He says, in reference to your COM
plants on account of a deficient supply of
" The result shows that he General ScotO
had surtboats and stores enough % And of
the delay of which you complain, he fully
exonerates the War. Department, and ascribes
the whole to yourself, and to unavoidable &C
cldents. The lmputatlon that you were de-
S'gaedly crippled in your means, is charge
as preposerOus as it is unfounded.
am aware that the execution of some of
the many arrangements for the Vera Cruz eX-
petition was obstructed and delayed by acni-
dents, but they were such as common sagaci-
ty could not foresee, or human agency control.
crate mind, bringing into view all the vast
difficulties OF the case, would have expected.
When your complaints on this subject were
first received here, evincing, as they did, that
you intended to hold the department response
bic for every untoWard event, the heads of the
several bureaus were called on by me to show
how they had executed the duties which had
been confded to them, particularly in regard
IN To Nv
they presented of having done all that was re-
CURED, or could have been expected, convin-
ced me-and | venture to say that, on a full
examination, it will satisfy any mind open to
convCtion-that all your complaints, so far
as they imputed blame 10 the War Depart
ment, or any of its branches, are unfounded
1t will do much more-it will show that great
industry, promptness, uncommon capacity,
and extraordinary eXertions, in relation to ev-
erything connected with the war, have charac-
departments. AS commentator Justly merit
ed by these several branches of the depart
ment, assaled as they are indirectly by you,
see no good reason for Withholding my opin-
ion, that an instance cannot he found where
so much has been done, and we'll done, in so
short time, by any similar body of officers
AS you have, by implication, laid heavy
hand upon the bureau which is charged with
the onerous duties of executing the laws and
orders for raising and sending forward the re-
cruits and levies, feel bound to affirm that
service the greatest Injustice No industry
has been spared-no possible effort omitted
to raise the forces which were authorized, and
to cnn1 thono To THAR docfino+;on within tho
briefest practicable period. The numerous Or
ders issued from the Adiutant Generals Office,
and its voluminous correspondence on that
subject, will sustain this assertion.
You have pressed with unwonted zeal the
charge in relation todiverting the detachments
of the new regiments under Gen'l Cadwala-
der's command to the Brazos, and have indul.
ged in the widest speculations as 20 the sad
consequences which attended this imputed er-
ror Assuming that my orders diverted these
troops, or any others, Gan assertion which
shall controvert hereafter,) the circumstances
justified the measure. The critical condition
of Gen'l Taylor, according to all accounts re-
ceived here at that time: is stated in my letter
to YOU of the 22d of March. To show thai
the department acted properly, though it in
Cured your reproof, it is necessary to recall
the facts as they then appeared here. They
are presented in the following extract from
that letter:
"The information which has just reached
us in the shape of rumors, as 10 the situation
of Gen'l Taylor, and the forces under his COM
mand, has excited the most painful apprehen-
sons for their safety. 1t is almost certain
that Santa Anna has precipitated the large ar
my he had collected atSan Luis de Poosl up
on Gen'l Taylor and it may be that the Gen
eral has not been able to maintain the advan-
ced position he had seen fit to take at Aqua
Nueva, but has been obliged to fall back on
Monterey. 1t is equally certain that Mexl-
can rorce has been interPosed between Mon
terey and the Rio Grande, and that it has IN
terrupted the line of communication between
the two places, and seized large supplies which
were on the way to Gen'l Taylor's army.
eff the hostile force between the Rio Glande
and Gen'l Taylors army is as large as report
represents it. our troops now on that river
NAV not he able to re-estab!ish the line, mol
will 1t, perhaps, be possible TO place torce
there sufficient for the purpose, IN time 10 pre-
vent disastrous consequences to our army uh
less aid can be afforded from the troops uhueI
YOUR immediate command.
60 From one to two thousand of the new re
cruits for the ten regiments, from this quarter
will he on the way to the BraZos IN the course
of three or four days. All the other force;
will be directed to that point, and every eiior
made TO relieve Gen'l Taylor from his crltlca
situation, You will have been fully apprlzee
before this can reach you of the CONDITION O
things in the valley of the Rio Grande' and a