Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-07-22

the and by breyei that the condition
things would far officers concerned, be adopted
and would exist at the close Of the II the law was not
changed
Mr.. BURT repeated that such the suggestion of the
Presdenlshat the army be pcreasedo more than $4,000
men, He understood his friend from Kentucky to be content
with army OF little than IL, 900 men, He begged
know Of that gentleman any body did suppose that
army of 200 should be commanded by major
general be begged to know if in the organization OF any army
the face Of the earth, had been known that there
should be but maor-general for IL 600 men,
Mr. BOYD would respond by inquirng whether the army
before the of the war, consisting OF 5000
$1,000 men, the might be, had had more than
major-generali
Mr. BURT. Was not General Gaines major general by
brevet
Mr.. BOYD. BY brevet.
Mr.. BURT. Was be not receiving the pay and emolu-
menis, and holding the rank Of major general
Mr. BOYD replied, while he was actually performing the
duties Of major general perhaps he receiving his salary
Mr. BURT believed the number Of the army before the
with Mexico did not exceed 1000 men, and we had two
major generals and several brgadergenerals. To be
they did not oil hold the commission OF brgadier and major
generals but Of them held the rank by brevet and why
those officers brevetted which Congress had refused for
the army by authorizing the appointment OF officers Of that
grade He undertook that in country, o whose mill
tary history had any information whatever was there an
army be found with less than major general to every
1000, and bgader general for every 1000 men, That
the principle of the organization of the army in every
try had been in this. The gentleman insisted that this
bill apace for individuals and to create officers
without Now, he trusted the gentleman saw that his
had been ncondeaey made, without reference TO
facts which were be found history and which
neither he any else would for moment endeavor to
He trusted that the gentleman would seebe
should leasthat this House was not to be frightened
from its proprey by denuncaons and decaraons of that
kind.
But the honorable gentleman from Kentucky should re-
member that making military peace establish
and he asked that gentleman if upon referring to the
history Of our country would DO found that every
military peace establishment had been composed OF an I'M
dsproporon Of officers the rank and file Of the army
And he asked the gentleman further if his good sense
which be knew gentleman much Of did not
teach him that profoundly ignorant of the princ
pies which military peace establishment should be made
who did not that there must necessarily be great dispo
portion Of officers the rank and fle Ii the object in
military peace establishment preserve the skeleton OF
army, such might be filled without mpaiing the eff
cheney of the force II could only be done by having the
qusie complement of officers, whatever might be the number
of the rank and he If It desired to increase the army
to be done by the addition of corps, but simply
by filling up the rank and e and having them under the
command Of experienced officers He would ask, to what
the country indebted for that glorious victory Of Buena Vista
II the officers those who directed the energy and the
bravery Of the troops Suppose army there had been
under the command of militia and volunteer officers, IN
aided by these regular officers did any doubt that most
ngoous defeat of must have heen the result OF that
day
Mr.. BOYD thought the volunteers did their full part-Of
GERS and men.
Mr. BURT cheerfully admitted this and gave full credit to
the volunteers for their ndomabe courage and gaianiy
but who selected their field of battle That the great
merit the field Buena Vista He asked who selected tho
field on which that great battle was TO be fought
Mr.. RICHARDSON said the question of the selection of
the field of Buena Vista was one that had been much
discussed in the public press since the time the battle was
fought The friends of of the officers OF the regular
army, Gen. Wool had claimed that he selected that field
He could sae for the information OF the gentleman and the
House, the facts they occurred, far he knew them and
believed them 10 be MATERIAL and gentlemen could draw their
own nferences In January, before that battle was fought
the regiment which he belonged placed in advance OF
all others Col Hardin forward to the pass, where The
battle subsequently fought battalion, under Major
Warren of the regiment and placed the pass which
formed The key Of the POSITION intending TO advance his reg
that point in the event of battle These were the
first Of our troops that occupied that place.
Early in February Gen Taylor assumed the command, and
advanced the whole Of troops except garrison for Sao
Aqua Nueva. On the morning OF the 2lst Februaryas
he (Sr. r. understood, for the purpose Of being
supplies which Satlo-he army retired towards
Sal lilo, leaving Tegmentsthe Arkansas and the Ken
tucky cavary-at Aqua Nueva AT Encantaaa, eight or
miles from Augua Nueva, COL McKees regiment halted
Three miles from that point, at the pass where Warrens
battalion had been stationed, COL Hardin obtained leave to
halt his regiment During that night the regiments that had
been left Encantada and Aqua Nueva retired from their
positions and fell back Gen. Woos position miles in
the of Col Hardin leaving him the advance position
where The battle fought During the night Of the 2lst
and the morning OF the 22d the first Illinois regiment under
Col Hardin, fortified that position II the point to be
first asaied the point from which the enemy first
dnven--a point rwhich lost single In the
contest between Col Hardin, the friends Of Col Hardin
and Gen. Wool he had hesitation in saying that that po
siion selected and fortified by COL Hardin. On the
morning Of the 22d Of February before either Of the general
officers came upon the field, Col Hardin after passing
the entire ground, returned and said Gen. Wool, in his
(Mr r. 81 presence, that necessary that position at
the foot OF the mountain the left should be fortified Off
view that portion Of the ground they
returned and he understood reported that the ravines
impossible for that the could DO
troops great injury there unless they could bring their
/ tlery with them. The battle commenced the 22d on
the morning Of the 23d, ut the very position where Colonel
Hardin insisted that troops should be sent and posted the
enemy turned flank and received great damage IL
due that he should state that the selection and orcaon
OF field done by officers whose particular duty
The by which the enemy advanced their artillery
by throwing heavy mber which they brought along for
the purpose Of mounting their cannon these ravnes
fact which could have been anticipated by those officers
who reconnoitred the field There timber in the
neghbohood Of any by which, unless they had
brought their tmbers, they could have their artillery
across the ravines.
While he the floor he desired refer another
matter in which injustice had been done tothe memory Of
who After the death Of COL Hardin it had
been said that the last charge Of the battle Of Buena Vista
the result Of conference between Col Hardin and Col Clay;
that Col. Mckee opposed the This incorrect
BY reference the official report Of COL Weaheord, it
would be seen that Col Hardin ordered TO make the
charge Ivy Capt. Chiffon, Of the aids. That order
given 10 his mr. R presence also in the presence Of
Capt Robertson, Leuts. Myers, Erwin, and Wallace, and
others In compliance with that orde COL Hardin advanced