Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1848-06-08

M, only the Quartermsster General, but officers
of The other staff departments. They did not look
10 the War Department, but TO yourself, for dlrec
lions; and il was your luty, and not mine, 10 see
that your requirements were compiled with
That they were so, TO tho utmost prac,icuD'o Ga
t.nt, have no reason TO doubts ont u 'hey we.e
MT, the fault, if any, is not with Inc war p,pa'.
meat You also gave the 'ns'tuc'o"s ~ 'e", oOa
IN nroviainu tho mems of land transportation, ana
The officers charged with that duty were under
vn,r Immediate con,rol and if there - blame any
,xherc for any deficiency in this respect, cannot
b. IMPUTED TO the War Department. your who're
cor,e.nondence with me- and the staff officers with
Won. shows tina, Won very properly took upon your
.elr tho whole charge Of giving directions IN Tins
matter. In letter to Capt tielzel, senior guar.
,ermas,er nj the Bra2os, speaking on inc su'cct OF
,ho land transportation which may be needed aver
,hs Jescen, on the encnly's coast near Vera Cruz,
you saw: 81 have already discussed and arranged
with YOU the detail of the early land "lranspor'a'
,i,n train" &c. On the 18th Of March, YOU furn-
i,hed General Jesup with ,our tslimatcs and drec'
,;,us Of this subject. The staff officers being with
von, and under your orders, nothing further was,
q, properly could be, required or expected to en-
ana,e from Washington, beyond tho supply OF
funds; and this being DONE you were di1appo'nt
ed in not realzing your expectations you nave NOT
a colorado pretence for inputing blame 10 "ihe
head Of the War Department
Az lust ground Of complaint, and matter OF
accusation you refer 10 your deficiency OF means
10 make the descent, and 10 capture me cry Of
Vera Cruz and the castle Of San Juan C'Ioa, and
n.,pme that the extent of that deficiency was the
difference between what you received ana what
Won required. II would be quite as correct reas'
oninp TO say, that what you had having proved
sufficient for tho purpose, that difference sho" ed
a., InG hn |
t,u,h lies nerhaps between tho Two extremes
You had less probably, than you should have mad
and YOU required much more Than was necessary
That YOU did not have more, and, indeed, all you
asked for, have already shown was not the iaull
Of the War Department
Gen. Jesup was with you at Vera Cruz, saw your
means, and is capable Of forming an estimate OF
their suhiciency. lie is, as his letter he'e"Hh
shows, disposed 10 be just, and even generous 10
your fame To his opinion OH the SUBJECT no
well-rounded exception can be taken. lie says,
in reference to your complaints on account Oh a |,
deficient supply Of surf boats selge train, and
ordinance storss;' The result shows that he(Gen
Sco,lhud surf boats and stores enough!' And OF
the DELAY of which YOU complain, he fully eXnner.
a,es the War Department, and ascr!bes the whole
10 Yourself, snd 10 unavoidable accidents. The
impunta,ion that you were destgnedly crippled IN
yoor means, is charge as Prepos'erou' as II Is
un(ounded
lam aware that the execution Of some of the
many arrangements for the Vera Cruz expedition
was obsrucled and delayed by accidents, but they
were such as human sagaclIy could not oresee, or
human agency control. They were not, however,
moro than considerable mind. bringing into vie"
oil the vast difficulties Of the case, would have eX-
pec,ed. When your complaints on TINS subject
were first received hero, evincng, as they did, that
tn,n Il hNll tha linen rrSuu =
for every untoward event, the heads Of the several
bureaus were called on by me 10 show how they
had executed the duties which, had been conhded
10 them particularly IN regard 10 maters referred
TO by YOU. The evidence they presented OF having
done all that was required, oil could have been e.
pec,ed, convinced me-and venture 10 say that
on foil examination, il will satisfy any mind open
10 conviction that all your complaints, so Tar as
they imputed blame TO the War Department or
any of its branches, are unfounded. II will do
much more-t will show that great industry,
promptness, uncommon capacity, and eXlraordIha-
nv eyerlions, in relation 10 everything connected
with the war, have characterized the action OF
each Of these subordinate departments. AS a
commentator Justly meried by these several
branches of the department, assa'ed as they are
indirectly by You, see no good reason tor with
holding my opinion, that an instance cannot he
found where so much has been done, and well
done, in so short time, by any similar BODY oil
officers under similar cirrnms'"%"::,,' .. Ll
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 recruits and leves, feel
hound to affirm that YOU have done to thai, branch
of,he public services the greatest injustice. No
industry has been spared-no possible effort
omitted-,o raise The forces which were author
lied and 10 send them TO their destination within
the brelest practicable period. The numerous
orders issued from the Adju,ant Generals office,
and its youminOus correspondence on that sub
jec, will sustain this assertion,
You have pressed with unwonted zeal the
charge 10 relation to diveriing the deachmenis Of
the new regiments under Gen Cadwaladers com.
mand 10 the Brazos, and have INDUCED in the
widest speculailons as TO the sad consequences
which attended this imputed error Assuming
that my orders diverted these troo; s. or any 9th
ers, ian assertion which shall controVett here
after the circumstances justifies the measure
The critical candnon Of Gen. Taylor. according
10 all accounts received here al that time, il sta
ted in my letter TO YOU Of the 22d Of March. To
show that the Department acted properly, though
il incurred your reproof, it is necessary TO recall
the facts as they then appeared here. They are
presented in the following extract from that lei
lor:
"The information which has just reached us in
tho shape of rumors, as to the situatinn Of Gen.
TAYLOR, and tho forces under his command, has
excited The mos, painful apprehensions for their
safety. Il is almost certain that Santa Anna has
precipitated the large army he had collected al
San Luis de Po,osi upon Gen Taylor; and it may
be that the General has not been able 10 maintain
the advanced position he had seen 6l to take Al
Aqua Nueva, but has been obliged 10 fall back or
Monterey. 1t is equally certain that Mexican
force has been in,eIposed between Monterey anc
the Rio Grandc, and that it has Interrupted The
line Of communication between the two places
and seized large supplies which were on the way
10 General Taylor's army.
If the hostile force between the Rio Grand,
and General Tayors army is az large as repor
represents II, our troops now on that river maj
no, be able TO re establish the line, orwil it
perhaps. be possible TO place force there suffi
Gent for the purpose, in time TO prevent disasrou
consequences TO our army unless aid can be afford
ed from the troops under your immediate com
mand.
"From one TO two thousand Of the new recrui,
for the ten regiments, from this quarter. will b.
on the way TO tho Brazos in the course of three o
four days. All the other forces will be directed l.
that point, and every effort made to relieve Gen
Taylor from his critical situation. You will hav
been fully apprized before this can reach Won
tho condition Of things in the valley of the ri
Grande, and at the headquarters OF General Tay
lOf and have taken ( trust snch mpasnraa n