The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-07-31

slran which kept them from the foe proved to be chafed
with lmpaence 10 get home Tor, on the 25h August
following the General writes to The Adutant General that
majority OF Colonel Johnson's regiment having ex-
pressed dissemination 10 for another term Of three
months he had ordered their discharge an that they had
already been mustered out OF service This short
time before the advance upon Monterey ard less than
month previous to the capture of that city The reg
ments OF Texan horse did perform SIX months da,y.
and shared IN the dangers and glory o the attack upon
Monterey Ga the 9TH OF October the entire force OF
Texas mounted volunteers had been mustered OF ser
wee; and were returning home as appears from the Of
hclai documents IL is no chape upon their courage
lflotsn To state the fact OF their discharge but 1t
ele reiaaton OF the senator's assertion thai they re-
strained from the contest for which they burned because
they had the prospect al encounerng the enemy equal
terms The regiment OF infantry did not choose
IN service TO participate in the operations Monterey The
mounted men did, and neither restrained at all The
general orders, dated October 1885, show tha, these eg
ments, like the foot discharged their desire
Sll more extraordinary is il in the senator say that he
"brave Texans taken to The southern plans there
to meet, beneath burning sus. lingering death by dis
ease. ask where were iLese southern plains to which
ne 'brave Texans were sent' What corps was sent
Who commanded them What complaint like this was
ever heard before! The men of Texas for whom Gene
raj Taylor called with the rest of the army Those
who were discharged before the capture Of Monterey saw
no plans more southern than those through which they
passed ON their way home, when discharged at their own
request, and those who remained three months more in
service only moved to the higher cooler, temperate
and healthy regions about Monterey and SalullO with
the other corps OF the army defy the senator to make
good this charge There may have been few Texans in
tnc COMMAND SCOu, Dut win lHeSe GeneIa
Taylor had nothing do and, instead Of being sent to
meet lingering death by disease southern plains,
they went to gather auels amongst the mountain heights
or in the elevated valleys of Mexico Sir, no one doubt
ed the courage and fidelity of the Texan troops. But is
going quite far to attempt To stignaze the late Pres
dent in this way when the opportunity OF achieving high
themselves.
But the senator says that two hundred and fifty Tex
ans, il the general had applied for them would have
pulsed any attempt to cross The Rio Irande. and have
nIo xpfpa nnndn nj pfliII Iu1
the border down to this day II is easy TO see how this
disparages, by implication, all the brave men who com
posed q Gen p. Iayos G,ce and won he memorable bat
dred and fifty Texan lions could have done all and more
than Gen Taylor, with between two and three thousand
accomplished the inference is clear that the latter
be, in the contemplation of the SENATOR very inferior
Observation-Disclosures mice, perhaps | am willing TO
concede to the Texans much valor may be claim
ed for any but this monopoly of praise, this eXaggera
lion of merit, injurious and disespectfu TO others
II ls r-proach upon the army, and denial oil that
ready and exulnng tibite OF admiration with winch
the whole country rewarded the skill and gaantry
of the officers and soldien who fought on the Rio
Grande. afraid that the senator is like the lion
who is sometimes violently chafed by the lashng OF
his own tail, and that he has worked himself up 10
this extraordinary deuson BY the license which he has
given to an eager fancy A delusion it must be for
from the who have deserved well Of their
try But the senator complains that Gen Taylor, in his
letter informing the War Department OF the discharge OF
the Texan volunteers had said "Wth their departure
may look for restoration of quiet and order in
Monterey for regret to say that some shameful atroci-
ties have been perpetrated by them since the captulaon
OF the town" OF this the senator "What high
comiums these in owle,gnent Of vaorous and
chvalrc deeds - &G, il due acknowledgment Of their
services had never been made But sir. these troops
have their share OF the Generals commendation which
their commander n-chief expressed in his despatch an
nouncing the capture OF the city In this he bears tes
nony to the good conduct, courage, and submission to
privaon OF all the troops engaged He particularly re-
turns thanks TO General Henderson for the sanzaon
of his command and its subsequent operations Else;
where other Texan officers iavoraby mentioned and
in the reports OF Generals Qutnan, Worth, and hender-
accompanying hs despatch. the good conduct OF the
Texan volunteers rs specially mentioned Nowhere IS
this praise Withdrawn. unless by the passage just cited,
and similar where the Texans censurcd for
subordinaton and lawlessness. or this shall speak
by and-by The senator next claims tor the Texan vol
well entitled the credit oil some important operations IN
the battle of Monterey. He says that al this city at
was the Texans VINO first took The plaza, the key Of
victory. The Bishops palace and heights too, were
taken by Texans" Aud IN another place be says
"fhey had entire command Of the city, and II was with
difficulty, alter the flag had been sent in, that they
could be induced 10 suspend Tor one moment their
active exetuobs, &c, 10 compel The instant capt.
ua,on OF the and for some time did they ponder
before they ooeyed their supenos orders SIR The SEN
ators statement If be be mol mistaken, shows the
most arng nsubodlnaoo, such as uahtted them Tor
that service which demands cheerful and ready sub
mission TO the orders OF commander. ] know not
whether their reluctance to retire was exactly OF the char
acer that they insubordnate as the senator
-upposes; for have understood, when that order was
given, IL was very vutsuoh "HcuItf
OF rettealing not greater than that OF maintaining
their position believe that when the order was gwen
the troops under they had fought their way
positions where they safe from musketry and al
from light artillery but they could only
tire ihrong open Streets where they were exposed To he
enemys and they did, ac sustain losses white 50
retiring But, sir when IT heard matter OF
praise any troops, that they pondered long before
obeying the orders OF commanders oi acknowledged
skin and couragei Who is 10 do the thinking who
to obey Are positions Of officers and soldiers TO be
reversed the command
This would be violation OF common sense, OF every
rule OF military duty of every principle OF safety an
Gersand IRON the documents, which have carefully
ahmed, that the Texan troops did their duty at Monte
rey, but that they by entitled to all the
credit which the senator assigns them There were two
regiments OF mounted volunteers this occasion. One
placed under the orders OF General WORTH In the
attack the western part OF the city. The other was
at first ordered to the support of Worths command,
Qnltman's command, which was. attacking The lower
or eastern part Of the city His troops bad been
gagged for three hours, and they were in hot engage
ment with the enemy when the Texans under Hender-
son came to their support. General Hendersons req
ment rendered gallant and efficient service, which
fully acknowledged; but they did not take /" the
plaza, the key OF victory" Ii not taken at all by
these any other troops. They reached within rather
less than squares OF the plaza and nen retired under
orders. These orders were perfectly proper General
Quman says, in his report, Having advanced within
less than two squares OF the great plaza apprebensvs
that might fall under the range OF our own artillery
which bad been brought up to our support, and ou'
ammunition being nearly exhausted active operations
were ordered to cease, &c, until the effect OF certain
batteries could be II then found that the bar
rlcades in The front OF the plaza TOO strong to b.