The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-07
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS ACCOMPANYING THE PRESl-
DENTS MESSAGE.

WAR DEPARrMEsT, December

Report or Secretary Of War.
WAR DEPARTMENT, December l. lSso'
SR; The account OF military operations con,
tained in the last annual report from thus department
left our oops late in October s47 possession Oh the
capital of Mexico, and many other places Ia ina
country The main achievements o. ou, h,, nbsr
wear were The considefduoh oui oei
OF date highly credltable to those engaged IN
them though of less important Character deserve no.
,h swsno~ Of the 22d of November General Lane
moved from Puebla, with a command OF only one hun
bred and sixty men, upon Meamofas' distant ABOUT my
and the enemy, consisting of from four hundred
TO SIX hundred put to flight, with loss OF from sixty
to eighty in killed and wounded quantity OF ordnance
and munitions was captured. and twentyone American
prisoners liberated On its way back TO Pueba the de-
iachment attacked by Mexican force OF about five
hundred men, under General Rea. After short
hct the enemy routed and dispersed, sustaining
further loss of about fifty in killed and wounded
In January expedition composed OF four companies
of Texan rangers two companies of the Sd dragons,
and one OF the mounted rifle regimen-all under the
command of General lanewere sent out from the city
of Mexico ito scour the country and drive the guerllas
from the roads" Having ascerained that Santa Anna,
with few regular troops and considerable irregular
force, was at Tehuacan the detachment moved RAPIDLY
and took possession OF that place So sudden was its
approach that Santa Anna had barely time TO save him
self by precptaie fight The expedition pressed on to
capturing quantity OF public property, and releasing
number of American prisoners. After remaining short
tune. and restoring to the owners private property there
deposited. which had been seized by guerilla bands, it
returned to the main column of our army, in the city of
Mexico, the 9th Of February. On the nth of the
same month"; General Lane led another detachment, con-
sisting OF two hundred and fifty Texan rangers and one
hundred and thirty dragons of the Sd regiment, against
the gueras, who were nfesing the country lying north
and northeast OF the city of Mexico. On the 25th, he
encountered body of The enemy Sequalteplan and,
after conflict the town taken, and the hos
tile forces Dispersed with loss of one hundred and
fifty killed. and more than fifty prisoners.
The command OF General Lane on these occasions,
displayed much enterprise, spirit. and gallany His in
teresng reports, with the documents accompanying them,
hereto appended.
Under the judicious management of Colonel Mason,
the commanding officer of troops in the CALIFORNIA;,
forts were made by the enemy 10 recover possession of
Lower California. In November, 1917, the post of La
Paz. with garrison of hundred and twelve men,
under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Burton of the
New York volunteers, was repeatedly attacked by 4
combined force of Mexcans Californians, and Indians
of from three to FIVE hundred The successive at
lacks repulsed with considerable loss the part OF
the assaants.
The gallant defence of San Jose, and the capture OF
klaZatan, are achievements creditable to our arms
They performed by the naval forces, and will,
doubtless be presented to your particular notice by the
Secretary of the Navy The details of these affairs are
contai in the accompanying reports from the
handing officer in California
Towards the close OF the last year the people of Chi
huahua exhibited determined spirit OF hostility and
treated with severity American citizens found among
them Information was received by General Price, who
in command of our troops in New Mexico, that
moving in the direction of Ell Passo, with The evi.
dent design OF attacking our forces in that territory With
view to dispense the enemy and repess the rising hos
his dsposabe force from Santa Fe the 18th of Fcbru
AIRY last. and in March captured the city of Chihuahua
The enemy fled Santa Cruz de Rosales-a distance of
sixty mles-and there made stand They occupied the
strong positions of that town. and resolved resistance
Though the place was invested the Sh of March, an
assault was delayed until the 10th, consequence of the
assurances given by the Mexican General (Tras) that
treaty of peace had been concluded and that official intel
able delay and continuation of this report being re-
ceived it determined TO dislodge the enemy Ga the
morning OF the 10th OF March arrangements made
Tor carrying the town Several batteries were opcned
and, after continued fire for five hours, simultaneous
assault at different quarters made and the cap
turei The conflict was severe. The enemy lost in
killed two officers and two hundred and thirty. six men
The number wounded was not ascerained The loss on
our part was one officer and three killed, and
this affair six hundred and sxty and that Of the
enemy eight hundred and four, exclusive Of officers
Among the captured property were eleven pieces of at
lefy, nine wall pieces, and five hundred and seventy.
seven stands OF arms. AS this engagement took place
after armisice had been cuded the
OF onr army IN Mexico, the cannon, arms. and all other
public property captured Chihuahua Santa Cruz de
Rosales, returned to the Mexican authorities The
report Of Cen Price, herewith transmitted. contains full
account OF his expedition into Chihuahua and the en-
gagement with the enemy at Santa Cruz de Rosales.
This concluded the series of brilliant achievements of
our armies IN the Mexican war; and though, in magni-
tude not to be compared to many Others yet was char
acterzed by the skill, ntrepidy and enterprise
which have given such wide spead renown to our re-
cent military operations To the mcritorous of
the officers and soldiers who achieved this last mnh Of
grateful country will award lust measure of
admiration and praise.
portion OF the battalion Of Missouri volunteers nm
der the command of Lieutenant Colonel Cilpin had
several encounters in July with the Camanche Indians in
the vicinity of Fort Mann, the Arkansas on the
route to Santa Fe, which resulted in manner creltabe
TO our troops The Indians defeated and dispersed
Teport5 OF these engagements herewith transmit
ted
The line of communication between Vera Cruz and
the headquarters OF army interrupted by guerilla
bands and robbers while our forces concentrated
and moving upon the enemys capital but after its fall
this line reopened and established by renforcemens
sent to the main column of the army. On the arrival of
additional troops new positions occupied with a
view not only to obtain abundant supplies and to collect
internal revenue, but to hostties with better
advantage, and 10 extend conquess to other import
ant parts of Mexico If the efforts to terminate the war
by an honorable peace should prove unavailing.
While measures in progress for sending troops
into the hinng districts, and extending military ope
rations the direction of the Rio Grande treaty of
in Mexico, and transmitted the United States for ra,.
hcaion Pursuant TO of its articles. Major General
Butler then in chief command, the 5th day of March
concluded with the government of Mexico an agreement
Tor the general suspension of hosties to continue two
months. This was followed by defnitive treaty of
peace, which went into operation on the 3oh of Nav
last Oh that day the movements for withdrawing our
forces commenced and before the end of the month of
July they had evacuated the republic OF Mexico The
OF service was limited to the duration of the war; were
disbanded. ~ ' "
Our military peace establishment is now nearly the
same IN numerical strength it wa, at the Commence
ment Of the war with Mexico Filled nm 70 ,ha ,,a.,
limit allowed by law, would be nno thousand c;yht