Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-04-08
THE CHARACTER OF TAyr.oR


though very different in character; and Scott
and Taylor are great generals, though as op-
posite i'll mind as they well can be. We have
analyzed SCOTS genius in the article alluded
TO: let us endcavor now to dissect Taylor's.
The most prominent characteristic of the
hero of Buena Vista is his rare perfection of
Judgment. In this respect, perhaps, he ap.
proaches nearer to Washington than any pub
lie man the United States has produced in
this century. There is nothing brilliant, in
the ordinary sense of the term, in the intel
lcct OF Taylor He is no melo-dramatc hero
no Crchton, no charlatan. But he possesses
that which is worth more than the mere bril-
liancy OF genius a consummate wisdom which
rarely, or never errs in lis conclusions. His
campaign on the Rio Grande is a proof of this
He did not make single movement without
first having naturely considered its propriety
and in no case, consequently, did he commit
a false step. Subsequent events always sus-
tained the accuracy Of his judgment. When
Scott, preparatory to the siege of Vera Cruz,
withdrew the regulars from Taylor, he re.
commended to his subordiate 10 abandon Sal
tillo and fall back on Monterey. The same
suggestion was made by the President. But
Taylor thought this course unwise. He saw
that if the enemy was to be checked at all,
he must be met in the passes of the noun
Vista was the result. The importance of that
victory cannot be too highly estimated. 1t
not only preserved the country between Sal
tillo and the Rio Grande from returning to the
tige Of Santa Annals name. 1t did more.
1t crushed the best appointed and naostppm-
erous army the enemy had ever brought into
the field; while it proved that the American
volunteer was more than eqnal to Mexican
regular. All these consequences the wisdom
of TAYLOR had forseen. The battle Of Buena
Vista. moreover, was, in one sense, the cause
Of all our subsequent triumphs 1t would be
going TOO far, perhaps. TO say that Cerro Cor
dc, Con;rcras and Chapultepec, would have
been lost without it, but we assume ii as
certain, that in all those combats the desire
to emulate Buena Vista was foremost in the
thoughts of officers and men. "Soldiers, be-
hold the sun OF Austerlitz," said Bonaparte,
on the morning of the battle OF Jean; and
those words, stimulating them to rival former
glories, won the day. This consummate
judgment is visible in every act of Taylor's
public career; in his department TO his off,
il,
tive, in his conduct under the thousand an
noyances OF campaign.
But wisdom in forming opinions would be
useless without the will TO execute them.
Taylor, however, is as resolute and prompt
in action, as he is cool and comprehensive in
| Judgment When at Fort Brown he found
his communications with Point Isabel cut off,
he daringly staked all on the valor of the lit
tie garrison, and marched 10 the coast for
ammunition and stores. The morning after
his arrival at Point Isabel, the report of guns
al Me,amoros announced an attack on the
| fort, and the army, with one voice, generous
/ ly demanded TO be led 10 the relief Of their
comrades But Taylor hesitatcd. If he left
the Point TO succor For, Brown, the object Of
his late movement would be entirely frusira-
ted and accordingly he resolved TO wait at
least until he could hear frou the garrison,
By this decision, he assumed a momentous
responsibility, which can only be fullyunder-
stood by imagining the obloquy he would
have suffered if Brown and his little detach-
| npr,th hn1 oF So T;.,,
Taylor accepted battle agains, the advice of
both Scott and the President; and if he had
lost the day, nothing could have saved him
from a court martial. In deciding to fight
Santa Anna, he perilled every life in hisarmy
for a defeat would have terminated in a
general massacre. When he refused there
fore, to shut himself up in Monterey, and
boldly advanced to the foot of the mountains
to meet the foe, he assumed responsibility
which few would have ventured on, even
though as fully convinced of its wisdom as
himself
We doubt if there was another man in the
army who would have risked the battle OF
Buena Vista under exactly similar circum-
stances. There can be no greater proof of
the stubborn will of Taylor than the assertion
of Santa Anna, that the Americans were
thrice beaten, but that they did no, know it.
Some of Taylor's officers, on one of these oc-
casions, advised him to retreat; but he knew
that this was impossible with his compare.
lively raw troops, and he fought on. "Every
Englishman must die here, if needs be,''
said Wellington at Waterloo; and Taylor
held substantially the same resOlute language
at Buena Vista. His determination TO con.
quer and his confidence in victory were forci.
bly, exhibited at the final point of the conflict
Several assaults, and the enemy had been re-
pulsed, and he was now making third, and
he believed, decisive charge. At the head
of a column Of infantry and cavalry five
thousand strong, Santa Anna advanced 10 the
attack. The out-pos,s of the Americans were
driven before him like chafi O'Brien's bat
terry had been captured; Clay and Hardin
had fallen desperately contending; an(