Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-05-12

: nc O"0eS' at Holve anu abroad and without
that ener gy on my part, it is highly probable
that no American citizen would ever have ci-
led the battles of the Niagara without SIGH
TOR his country, | am happy, however, that
before word had been received from the de.
partment, and indeed, before it could have
had any knowledge of the question, had de-
clded 10 take with me the frank and gallant
colonel. and hope soon TO learn that he and
very many other officers have been rewarded
with brevets for their highly distinguished
services IN the campaign that followed.
II was IN reference to the same rebuke,
that, IN acknowledging your communication,
tald, from Vera Cruz, April 5th:
might very well controvert the military
principles so confidently laid down by the
department lin the letter of the 22d February:l
but believing that the practice of the U. States
army IN the two wars with Great Britain
would have no weight IN the particular case,
waive further reply--havng, al the moment,
no leisure and no inclination for controversy
Abiding to the heavy disappointments in
respect to transports, seige trains, and ord
nance stores, then already experienced,
wrote to the department. from Lobos, Feb %:
Perhaps no expedition was ever so unac-
countably delayed-by no want CT foresight,
arrangement, or energy, on my part, as | dare
atdrm-and under circumstances the most crit
lcaI TO this entire army: for every body relied
upon knew, from the first, as well as knew,
1t would be fatal to us 10 attempt military op-
eratons, on this coast, after, probably, the
first week in April; and here we are at the
end of February! Nevertheless this army is
an heart and crippled as | am in the means
required and promised, shall go forward, and
expect TO take Vera Cruz and its castle in
time to escape, by pursuing the enemy, the
pestilence of the coast
The city and castle were captured March
goth, and with about one-fourth of the neces-
sary means for a road-train, (no fault of mine, J
the retreat, in pursuit of the enemy, was Wig
orousIy commenced April 9Th. The battle of
Cerro Gordo soon followed, and we occupied
JaIapa and Perote, where we were obliged 10
wait for supplies from Vera Cruz. In those
positions, l was made to writhe under another
disappointment.
In my four memorials TO the department on
the further prosecution of the war against
Mexico, written at Washington-and dated
respectively, October, 27, November -, / 6,
and 21-(it was only intimated to me in the
night of November 10, that l might prepare
myself for the feld)-papers in which dem
onstrated 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 sea-
port, 'aboaH 10000 men, or can army of
more than 10000 men may be needed l.
I" To beat, in the field and in passes, any accu
L" mulated force in the way; 2. To garrison
many important points in the rear, to secure
Sc free communication with Vera Cruz; g.
" To make distant detachments, in order to
d" gather in, without long halts, necessary
sc subsistence
And that force, supposed, including vol
unteers, and aided by land and money boun-
ties, might be raised in time, by adding ten or
twelve neW regiments Of regulars, and filling
up the ranks of the old.
A bill was Introduced for raising ten add
tlonal regular regiments; and l certainly DO
rGt mean to charge the department with the
whole delay, in passing the bill through Con-
gress. But it 1ras passed February II, 1917 :;
and under it, by early in April, some few
thousand men had been already raised and Or
ganized. My distress may be conceived, by
any soldier, on learning, at Jalapa, April 27,
that the whole of that force had been sent,
under Brgader General Cadwalader, 10 the
Rio Grande frontier!
In my letter to the department, written the
day after, | said had expected that
Detachments OF the new regiments would,
as you had promised me, begin to arrive in
this month, and continue to follow perhaps
into june ' How many [volunteers] will
re-engage, under the act approved March 3,
(only received two days ago. | know not !;
probably but few. Hence the greater my dis
appointment caused by sending the new troops
to the Rio Grande; for, besides their keeping
the road in our present rear, open tor many
weeks by marches in successive detachments,
| had intended, as advanced, to leave strong
garrisons in this place. Caiapa,) in Perote,
and Puebla, and 10 keep at the head of the
movement force equal to any probable oppo-
siton 1t may now depend on the number of
the old volunteers who may re-engage, and
the number of new troops that may arrive
from the BraZos in time, as also in some de-
gree upon the advance of Major General Tay-
Tor, whether shall find this army in strength
to leave the garrison, and to occupy the CAPT
tall
| may add, that only about fifty individuals
of the old volunteers re-engaged under the
provisions of the act of March 3 that the re-
mander were discharged May 4; that Major
General Taylor made no movement in advance
of Satillo; and that the new regulars, inclu-
ding Cadwalader's brigade, only began to come
up with me at Puebla in July, but not in suti-
Gent numbers till August 6. The next day
the army commenced its advance upon the
capital, with little more than 10000 effec
tive men.
tits not extravagant to say that, if Brga-
der General CadwaIaders forces had not been
diverted from me to the Rio Grande, where he
was made to lose, without any benefit to Ma
ior Genera. Taylor, much precious time,
might easily have taken this city In the month
Of June, and at one-ffth of the loss sustained
in August and September. The enemy avail
ed himself of my forced delay at PuehIa, to
collect, to treble, to organise and discipline his
forces, as also 10 erect numerous and power
full defences with batteries. Nearly all those
extraordinary preparations for our reception
were made after the middle of June. And it
is known that the news of the victory of Bue-
ma Vista reached Washington IN time to coun-
termand CadwaIader's orders for the RIO
Grande, before his departure from New Or-
leans. Two rifle companies, with him, re-
ceived the countermand there, and joined me
early.
know that had The misfortune to give
offence to the department, by expressing my
self to the same effect from Jaiapa, May o.
In a report Of that date, said:
"The subject of that order mo. 1885, old
voIunteers) has given me long and deep soil
citude. To part with so large and so Tespec,
table a portion of this army. in the middle OF
a country which, though broken IN Its power
is not vet disposed to sue for peace;-to pro-