Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1848-06-08

demna,ory remarks on this subject was written on
The day of The date Of Mr. 1rlss first note to you,
and only the day before your capacous reply TO
it, and in both YOU assail the War Department. -
Your great disappointment seems 10 have sumber-
ed for ten days, and then TO have been aroused Ivy
the appearance Of Mr. 'Trisl IN Mexico aud your
quarrel with hun. If the order from the War De.
partment had IN fact "divered' the forces with
Gen. Cudwulader, still it was fully justified by the
breathing aspect OF affairs on the RIO Grande;
but ! am quite sure it did not divert them No
previous order from the department had dcsignnt'
ed any other place OF rendezvous thaa the Brnzos
for the troops that were to ion your column 1t
was well understood, before you left Washington,
that all the troops for both armies were TO be sent
TO that place. and there TO fall under your con-
mand.
This arrangement, was not nor was II expected
that would lie here change, until YOU had peneral-
ed so FAR into the enemy's country us to render
your communications with that place oil general
rendezvous difficult aud dilalory,
You also complain that the order was not coun-
demanded. If there had been such an order and
it had been counlernNndrd, what would have
been the consequence The troops would have
gone forward from the United States unded the
former orders of the department, which would
have taken them 20 the same place
You allGge that "the ncws oil the victory OF
"Bucna Vista reached tWashlngton IN Time
TO counlermard CadwaInder's orders Tor the
Rio Gmnde before his departure from New Or
leans" notice this specification Of neglect OF
duty, TO show he extent TO which y0n have cnrr-
ed your fult-findug, and The industry with which
YOU have searched for occasions to lndnge H.
Your assumption is, that the news Of the victory
Of Bucna Vista should have satisfied the War De-
arlment that CadwaIdder's forces were moi need
ed on the Rio Grande; and the omission TO coun
ternnnd, as soon rs that news was received, The
orders 10 send them there, was n neglect deserV-
ing severe nninadv elsion. How did you act mn
der similar circumstances? With better means oil
Information as to The actual condition OF the Rio
Grande fionlier after the victory Of Buena Vista,
you did not deem it prudent, alter beng orly-one
days in possession Of the news OF that victory to
issue positive orders TO remove 4 single man from
that frontier; yet you venture to censure me Tor
not having sent the troops away the moment the
news reached Washington.
You received information Of that victory on or
hefnre the l4lh Of March for on that day you pro
claimed i, in orders tn your army. TN The ION
of April, more than forty days thereafter, You
issued an order to the commanding officer at the
Brazos To embark for Vera Cruz "such delach-
mcnts of the new regiments as may have been or
dered by the War Department TO Point Isabel
but YOU made it conditional with reference 10 the
safely Of the line oflhc Rio Grnrde mud said to
the officer, that you relied upon his "sound judy
men, to determine on the spot whether TINT line
would not be TOO much exposed by the withdrawal
of the troops in question" Thus it appears that
YOU do not hesitate To lnpnte neglect of duty to
me. for not having adapted and acted on The con
cusion that the line Of The Rio Grnnde was safe
the moment | heard Of the victory Of Buena Vista /;
but, when acting on the same subject, you dared
not ndopt that conclusion, although you had been
in possession of the snue information iorty-rnc
days. Your own conduct IN this matter complete
" rcfu,es This charge of yours against tho War
Department. lt'does more: it shows how rash
and inconsldcrnle you have been in selecting
topics for attack.
But the most serious consequences are atrih-
ued 10 the long delay Of these troops al the Bra.
EOS For your sake, sincerely hope these con
sequences are much exaggerated, because am
quite confident il will be shown that Won alone are
responsible for the delay. The War Department,
did not--and it was proper that i; should not,
issue any order in regard to the movement of their
troops after their arrival in Mexico The order
from the department of the 3Oh of April, making
division Of the new le,es between The two col
umns does not contradict this assertion, for these
leves - ere then mostly within the United States;
only portions Of them had then reached Mexico
Until this order took effect, the troops at the
1aGia and dee%ae en- Gqaa9ff rad SHd T d
restricted command As to this matter, you were
under no misopprehensions; for on the 25lh Of
ApriI, before YOU were informed what had been
done here 10 secure the Rio GrGnde line, you
issued an order in relation TO the troops at the
Brazos This place, you well knew, was the gen.
era rendezvous Of the new lcvles from the United
States, and before you sailed on your expedition
TO Vera Cruz YOU were mortified that the Mexican
army were advancing upon General Taylor. 10
have assumed that you had not left n the Bra2os,
with view to meet any probable contingency
orders for the proper disposition Of the troops
which were, OF might be sent there, would have
implied an opinion that YOU wanted suitable quahf-
cations for the high station winch had been assign
ed 10 you
These troops were n part Of your command
and subject to your orders; and il they remained
one day AT the Brazos after ii was there known
TINT they were not needed on the Rio Grandc line,
and would he serviceahle with your column, the
| fault was entirely your own, and in n0wiSe i'm.
putabIe 10 the War Department. Vt your opinion
he not eXrravagant- and YOU say 1T is not that
but for the diversion Of Gen. Cadwnaders forces
from you, and the "much precious time lost al
the Brazos you might have taken this city MEX
leo in the month Of June, ard at one fifth Of the
loss sustained in August and September" you
have, indeed, mos, fearful account 10 settle with
YOUR country.
! cannot, however, but regard your speculative
opinions on this subject ns iancru and wild You
greatly ovci-esma,e the force which landed al
| the BRACES and subsequently jnined YOU From
the hes, calculation which can be made from data
| L. 4
nor probably exceed one thousand As the reru
taton Of Your chnrge ngan the department for di
verins hcsc troops is in nowise impaired by The
number BIO il more or less, i, is not important Il
inquire into that matter But there is question
of serious import, to which think the country vii
expec, you to answer
If these new lcves, which had jus, entered lh
service, would have enabled you 10 capture tn
city Of Mexico in June, with Il comparatively
snail loss, why did you, AT the very time you dis
covered they were 30 much needed, and woult
have been so useful send away from your arm
| three times as many volunteers, who had beei
many monlhs IN service and were, as you &C
knowledge, "respectable in discipline and eticen
cy," and who had distinguished themselves a
! Vera Cruz and Cerro GUIdo, and, in the hour o
peril had fought by the side Of your veteran troop
and merited nm honorable share in the go:y q
those immortal confic,s' The period of their en-
gagement had not expired. When thus sent ava,
but one Of the seven regiments had less than thir
: ", and most of them had more than forty -fv
days to serve, According to your own opinion
conaurred IN by the department. they could hav
heen LEGALLY retained on vour pnraupmant If m