Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-05-12

Geucnl-in.Chie would venture 70 lake Upon
himself the conduct Of critical campdgn.-
Such selections were always made by the father
Of his country, and the principal generals under
him. So in the campaign of 1914, | myself
sent away, againsltheir wishes, three senior field
officers, Of as manyregmenls, whowere inhrm,
unlnslrueicd and Inefficient, in favor Of three
juniors, aud with the subsequent appreciation Of
MAJOR General Brown. on his joining me, and
'he mead Of the War Department. Bolh were
Wen acquainted with the customs Of war in like
cases a. home and abroad; and without that en-.
ergy on nay part II is highly probable thbt no A.
meriean citizen would ever have c;ted the bs..
lies Of the Niagara without sigh lor his conn.
iry. i am happy, however, that before vo,d
had been received from the Department. and In.
deed, il could have had any knowledge of ,be
question, had decided TO take with me ,be rrnnk
and gallant Colonel, and hope soon TO learn thar
he, and very many other officers have been re-
warded with brevels for their highly Distinguish
ed services in The campaign that followed.
twas m reference 10 the same rebuke, thar,
in acknowledging your communication, said,
from Vera Cruz, April 5:
81 might very well controveu the military
principles so confidently laid down by the De.
paumcnt lin the letter Of S9d February;) bu.
believing, that the practice Of the United States
army, in the two wars with Great Britain, would
have no weight, in the particular eaSe-l waive
further repy-having al the moment, no lei
sure, and no inclination for controversy"
Alluding to the heavy disaPpoinlmenls, in re-
spect TO transports, seige train and ordnance
stores, then already experienced, wrote TO the
department, from Lobos, February 20:
"Perhaps no expedition was ever so unaccoun-
tably delayed-bynowant of foresight arrange
ment or energy on my part, as dare affirm
aud under circumstances the most critical 10 the
entire army; for every body relied upon, knew,
from the first, as well as knew, it would be IA
tai to US to attempt military operations on this
coast after, probably, the first week in April, and
here we are at the end of Februaryl Never
theless, this army is in heart, and crippled as
am in the means required and promised, shall
go forward, and expect 10 take Vera Cruz and
its Castle in time to escape, by pursuing the en-
emy, the pestilence Of the coast"
The city and castle were captured March 29;
and with about one-fourh Of the necessary
means for road train, no fault of mine, the re-
treat, in pursuit Of the enemy was vigorously
commenced, April 8. The battle Of Cerro Cor
do soon followed and we occupied Jalapa and
Perote, where we were obliged 10 wait for sup
plies from Vera Cruz. In those positions was
made TO wrilhe under another cruel disappoini-
ment.
In my four memorials to the Department, on
the farther prosecution of the war against Mexi-
co, written at Washington, and dated respective
y October 27, Nov. 12, l6 and 2l-(it was
only minated to me in the night Of November
18 that might prepare myself for the fied)-
papers in which demonstrated that Vera Cruz
was the true base of operations, and that the
encmy's capital could not probably be reached
from the Rio Grande. | estimated that after
taking that seaport "about 10000 men," or ''an
army Of more than 10000 ment may be nee-
ded.
81. To beat, in the field and in passes, any
accumulated force in the way. 9. To garrison
many important points in the rear, TO secure
free communication with Vera Cruz and 3. To
make distant detachments, in order 10 gather in
without long halts necessary subsistence"
And that force supposed, including volun-
teers and aided by land and money bountes,
might be raised, in time, by adding ten or
twelve me'c regiments Of regulars and filling up
the ranks of the old.
A bill was introduced for raising ten addition
al regular regiments; and |, certainly, do not
mean TO charge the department, with The whole
delay in passing the bill through Congress. But
it aCaS passed, February J, l847, and under il,
by early in April, some few thousand men had
been already raised and organized. Nv dis
trcss may be conceived, by any soldier, on lear
ming, at Jaapa, April 81, that the whole Of that
force had been sent, under Brigadiar General
Cadwalader, 10 the Rio Grande frontier.
In my letter 10 the department, written the
day after, said:-l had expected that
'Delachments Of The new regiments, would,
as you had promised me, begin 10 arrive in this
month aud continue TO follow perhaps into June
How many "voIunteers will re.tngage under
the act approved March 3, only received Two
days ago, know not; probably but few. Hence
the greater my disappointment, caused by send.
ing the new troops 10 the Ro~ Grande, for be-
side their keeping the road, in our present rear,
open for many weeks by marches in successive
Idetachments, had intended, as | advanced, 10
leave strong garrisons in this place Jaapal in
Perote and Puebla, aud 10 keep, al the head of
the movement, force equal 10 any probable
opposition. may now depend on the number
of old volunteers, who may re-engage and the
number of new troopsthat may arrive from the
Brazos in time, as also in some degree upon the
advance of Maj. Gen. Taylor, whether shall
find this army in strength to leave The garrisons
and to occupy the capital"
may add that only about fifty individuals, of
the old volunteers, re-engaged under the pro-
visions Of the act Of March 2; that the remain
der were discharged May a; that Major Gener-
al Taylor made no movement in advance Of
SaldIo, and that the new regulars, including
Cadwallader's brigade only began TO come up
with me, at Puebla, in July but not in sufficient
numbers till August 6. The next day, The ar
my commenced its advance. upon the Capital
with little more than 10000 effective men,
ltis not extravugant to say that, if Brigadier
n Coao..I C,d,yaII adar's forcas had nnt haen d.