The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-05-17

taF aoaPE.l asNe I hkaE4 ~ 10 a4is aak.
Rslyias npan ikrm e0aEdraily. he em.
bsrkaGi0h sss ak,syrd. IN sholear Il psrl.
n ghs BiasOs snd Tsmriro. frnm he l5ah
a sngaTy . ne Oh or Msnhs lFsEing.
u aas E1Esa. not half he time aeeded GO
he rEissson e Tsra crua and ils esslls
hefnrr- lhE Irsaza of lie yellow iessr. iiui
kalf ~ fnEf.hoais rame n AT; ard a The
sirge train snd onlnaner s.nrrs only abnui
nne-hslf hal ARMED whsa he Mrxieaa
fags werrfspisred hy those nffhr UHisrd
:slairs On lhose formiiable Eiares. We
ssereedrd u las, n rrsrhisg he point II
attack. in lhE midst a ftghllul nOnhsrs. hy
means in grrai TsrI a. trading eaft. small
and hazsE.ious. Pirksd up accidentally ~
The Bfasos and Tsmpiro; and, uhen The
army GOT ashort. is science and valor had
10 sapply al dr6rienelrs in heavy guns.
mortaFs. and nrlnsnce stores.
The fsI letter that received frnm The
Department. after entering he eapiunstl
CRY. confined an elaborate rrhuke dated
February -, Tor having ordered Col. Har-
ney. ID Dragons. 20 remain in The enm-
mand Of the cavalry with Msjnr General
raylo 20 Is IL leave Msjar Sumner. Of
The same rrgimsai. the senior Of that arm
IN my expedition. There mas no gErai dlf.
florence in The number 81 cavalry rompa-
MES with The two armies. This Frbuke
was written with a eamplareney that ar
gued the highest professional experience
IN sueh matters, and eon N not have been
more confident in iIs tone ifdirlaled 10 The
greenrst general Of the recent appoint
ments. Vel, without the power Of Sc
lecIing commanders OF particular corps. no
generAl.in.ehief would venture 10 lake up
on himself the conduct nf critical cam
paign. Such selections we're always made
by The Father nfhis Country and The prin.
cipal generals under him. 20 in the cam
paign of 1914. myselfsent away, against
their wishes, three senior Geld officers Of
as many regiments, uho were inhrm. un.
instructed, and inefficient. in favor Of three
jurniHgs. aud with The subsequent apprn-
baton Of Major Gen. Brown. on his join
ing me, aud The head Of the War Depart
ment. Both were well acquainted with
the customs Of war in Ike cases, al home
and abroad; and without that energy on
my part il is highly probabls that no Ame.
rican citizen would ever have cited the
battles Of the Niagara without n sigh for
his country. am happy. however. that
before void had been received from the
Department, and. indeed, before il could
have had any knowledge Of the question.
| had decided 10 take with me the frank
and gallant colonel, and hope seon TO learn
that he and very many other officers, have
been rewarded with breyets for their high.
ly distinguished services in the campaign
that followed.
II was in reference Ia the same rebuke,
hat, in acknowledging your communica-
lion. said, from Vera Cruz, April 5lh:
" might very well coniroyer, the mill.
tary principles so confidently laiJ down by
the Department, lia The letter OF the 22d
Of February; but believing that the prac-
iice of The United States army in the two
wars with Great Britain would have no
weigh, in the particular case, | waive fur.
Their reply-having at the moment, no lei.
sure and no inclination for controversy"
Abiding to the heavy disappoiniments
in respect 10 transports. siege trains. and
ordnance stores, then already experienc.
ed, ! wrote to the Department, from LObos,
Feb. 2Sth-- ..4
Perhaps no expedition was ever 81
unaccounlably delayed--by no want oi
foresight. arrangement, or energy on my
part, as dare afTirm-and under circum.
stances the most critical TO this entire ar
my; for every body relied upon knew.
from The FIRST, as wellas ] knew, il would
be fatal TO W TO attempt military opera.
lions, on this coast, after, probably, The
first week in April; and here we are a
the end of February! Nevertheless this
army is in heart; and. crippled as am in
the means required and promised. shall
60 forward, and expectio take Vera Cruz
and its castle in time TO escape, by pnrsn
ing the enemy. the pesiilence of the coast.
The city and castle were captured OF
March 29lh, and, with sbou, ope-fonl;h o
the necessary means for road.train, NJ
fault Of mine, the retreat. in pursuit o
the enemy, was vigorously commenced
April 9th. The battle of Cerro Gorit
soon followed. and we occupied Jalsp;
and Perote, where we were Obliged IL
wait for supplies from Vera Cruz. j.
those positions ! was made to vrithe un
der another disappointment.
In my four memorials 10 The depsr,
menl, on the further prosecution Of III,
war agains. Mexico, written a, Washing
ton. and dated, respectively. October 81
November l2, l6 and al il was onl,
intimaied 10 me in the night of Novembe
Is. thai ! might prepare myself for tn
field -papers in which ] demonstrate,
: tina, Vera Cruz was the true base Of ope
) raiions. and that the enemy capital cnul
not probably be reached from the RI:
Granda-I eStimated that afier ,at ia