Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1848-06-01
Whole Number 42O.

l
in respect to transports, siege trains, and
ordnance stores, than already experienced,
| wrote to the department, from Lobo,.
Feb. 80:
"Perhaps no expedition was ever so I'M
accountably delayed-by no want of fore
sight, arrangement, or energy on my pert,
as dare aliirm--and under circumstances
the most critical 10 this entire army; for
everybody relied upon knew, from the
first, as we'll as knew, it would be fatal
to Us 10 attempt military operations, on
this coast, after, probably, the first week
il April; and here we are at the end OF
! tahsnary., Ns'"-.hAloas Ibis army Is 30
heart; and crippled as in the nerts
required and promised, shall 90 forward,
and expect to take Vera Cruz and its cas-
tie in time TO escape, by pursuing the en-
envy, The pestlIence of The coast"
The city and castle were captured March
29th, and with about one fourth OF the nec-
essary means for a road-lrain (no fault Of
mine, the retreat in pursuit Of the enemy,
was vigorously commenced April 9th
The battle of Cero Gordo soon followed.
aud we occupied Jaapa and Perote, where
we were obliged to wait for supplies from
Vera Cruz. In these positions, was
made 10 wrilhe under another disappoint.
ment.
In my four memorials to the department,
on the farther prosecution ofthe war ag aInst
Mexico, written at Washington-and da-
ted respectively, October 81, November
10, l6 and 2l-(it Was only intima,ed 10
me in the night Of November 10, tina.
might prepare myself for the ield)-papers
in which demonstrated that Vera Cruz
was the true base Of operations, and that
the enemy's capital could not probably be
reached from the Rio Grande; | estimated
that, after taking that great seaport, "dbont
20 900 men," or ian army OF more than
90 900 men may be needed: /. 10 beat,
: in the field and in passes, any accumula-
ted force in the way; 2. TO garrison many
important points in the rear, to secure a
free communication with Vera Cruz; 8.
, TO make distant attachments, in order to
gather in, without long halts, necessary
subsistence.
And that force supposed, including
volunteers, and aided by land and money
bounties, might be raised in time, by add
= ing ten or twelve new regiments of regu-
: lars, and filling mp the ranks Of the old.
= A bill was introduced for raising len nd.
, di,ional regular regiments; and certainly
J did not mean TO charge the department
with the whole delay. in passing The bill
. through Congress But it was passed
y February II, ls47; and under ii, by early
in April, some few thousand men had been
> already raised and organized. My distress
u may be conceived, BY any soldier, on learn
{ ing, at JaIapa, April 81, that The whole of
{ that force had been sent, under Brigadier
: General Cadw aader, TO the Rio Grande
frontier!
In my letter 10 The department, written
the day after, | said had expected that
l.. "Delachmenls of the new regiments
' would, as you had promised me, begin to
i arrive in this month, and continue 10 fol.
:, low perhaps in Juue." GLOW many
q volunteers will re-engnge, under the &C,
Il approved March 8, Comfy received two
days ago know not; probably but few.
> Hence the greater my Disappointment caus.
ed by sending the new troops TO The Rio
= Grande; for, besides their keeping the
4 road in our present rear, open for many
weeks by marches in successive deach-
menls, had intended, as advanced 10
i leave strong garrlsons in this place, (Ja-
;, lapa in Perote. and PuebIa, and to keep
;, IA. the head of the movement, force equal
= to any probable opposition. 1t may now
y depend on the number of the old voIun-
= leers who may re-engage, and the number
of new troops that may arrive from the
l'razos in time, as also in some degree
upon the advance of Major General Tay-
lor, whether shall find this army in
strength to leave the garrisons, and 10 oc-
cupy the capital"
may add, that only about fifty individu-
ais of the old volunteers, re-engaged I'M
der the provisions Of the act of March 8;
that the remainder were discharged May
4; that Mai Gen. Taylor made no move.
men, in advance Of SaIlllo; and that the
new regulars, including Cadwalader's
brigade, only began to come up with me
at Puebla in July, but not in sufficient
numbers ull August 6. The next day the
army commenced its advance upon
the capital, with little more than
10000 effective men.
1t is not ex,ravagani to say that, ifBrig-
adler General Cad Salader's forces had
not been diverted from me to the Rio
Crane, where he was made to lose, with.
out any benefit to Major General Taylor,
much precious time. | might easily have
taken this city in the month of June, and
at one-fifih of the loss sustained in August
and September. The enemy availed him.
self OF my forced delay at Pueba, 10 COL
lect, to treble, to organize and discipline
his forces, as also to erect numerous and
powerful defences with batteries. Nearly
all those extraordinary preparations for
our reception we're made after the middle
Of June. And it is known that the news
Of the victory of Buena Vista reached
Washington in time TO countermand Cad
walader's orders for the Rio Grande, be.
fore his departure from New Orleans
Two rifle companies, with HIM, received
the countermand there, and joined me