New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-04
PUBLTC DOCUMENTS
Report Of TIE Secretary Of War
Wan DBriKTxurT. (
WIsHHoTos, Saturday. Nov. %, 1851.

hengff OF ne bI@1sA4'bo " sni' ~ postiiths 'N+
inp the year which has Tus,e expired.
The subject which mas most engaged the al
;entiou OF ;he Department has been the defense o.
Texas NeH.MeIlcC, aid the MeIlcan Territory
adjacent 70 our own, ag sln-f the inc1fslons o.
the neigh6oriDg Indian tribes
In mn last annual report ofiefy aiyered 70
the nature Of these incursions. Unlike hen
race IN this part Of tie continent, these tribes
arc artuated not so much by hostility to the
WHITES. az by motives OF plumber. Accustomed,
fror, tine innemoTisl 10 cary or predatory var
tsys agzIns, tie spanish seiIlemenls Ia ielr glcDy
thsv SuDmit with reluctance 20 nsv and more
poverful race 10 put sop 20 taer incursions ne
rbaracter Of The country. which anOrdS NOEderi II
fsciies 10 escape and presents aIaOst lnsufhouns-
abe obstacles to pursuit, is wonderfully adapted 10
these naraud ing expeditions As infantry Is OF little
ne. III a service which consists principally ID pnl-
sung small parties who are al"ays mounted, re-
CONNIE nded II my last rep ut, the raising OF an al
cltlona al mounted regiment. equipped with special
reference TO this service. Congress not having
adouted his recommends ion all That renamed ioT
the DEPARTMENT to 90 vas 10 make such DISPOSE
tion of The force at It's disposal would effect
ualy project our territory and fefl our treaty
obligations 10 Mexico. Accordingly, prompt meas.
ures were taken to concentrate, on the confines OF
Texas and New-MeXlco, as many OF the troops
adapted TO tns service, as cold De spared ron O'ef
quarters.
The Indians II California and Oregon having al
WAYS appeared of an unWarlIke character, aad dis
posed to cultivate the good VIII OF the whites was
thought that the services OF the regiment Of mounted
rifemen might be dispensed with on the Pacific. IL
was therefore ordered to Texas. Brevet MAJOR Cen
era Smith. It's commander, was put IN command oil
the eighth military department. and Breyet BIlGdoler
General Hitchcock was ordered 10 succeed hln IN
the command Of the Pacific division.
In the interval OF several months which elapsed
between the death OF BreTet MAJ Cen BROOKE ana
the arrival of BreVet MAJ. Cen Smith IN Texas, the
command Of that department devolyed on bfeTet
BrigadieT General Harvey, during which time tins
officer displayed his accustomed activity IN arTesiing
the ncursIons of the Indians, and the good elect OF
the measures adopted by him, already descernI-
bic in the comparative tranquility wnlchhat section
OF the country mas for some time past enjoyed.
some OF the hercest and most insolenl OF inc
trbes m Oil that region, occupy the northern portion
OF Texas where the streams that flow INTO the MIS-
sipp as well as those that empty themselves directly
INTO the Gulf, find their sources FROM ms region
these Tribes make frequent fOrays, nos only into
Texas and New Mexico, but across the Rio Grande
into the Mexican territory With the double OBJECT OF
oyeraNing these tribes, and OF arordlng protection
to SUCH emgTan.s as may take that route 20 leAds'
Mexico, or California. deemed u ddf SABLE 70
establish chain of military posts on that frontier
For this purpose. the Fifth Regiment OF Infantry
(which was already stationed high up the Ked RIVER
and the Arkansas) was ordered to advance inrther
into the interior, and to establish cham of posts
extending n q western direction and following as
nearly practicable, the route calied iLonhe name
Of the officer who traced IT. Marcys Route"
The Seventh Regiment of Infantry was ordered
from Jefferson Barracks to occupy the stations
abandoned by the Filth.
In New.Mexico the Indians had become sobOld as
to commit their depredations within lev miles OF
the military posts, and regret 10 say that IN ~
instance was their audacity chastised. To remedy,
If possible, this state OF things, Brevet COL sumner
" as ordered TO the command OF that department
lie arrived at Santa IN the month OF July last,
and his first step was 10 make new and, 1t Is De-
lieved more udiciOus arrangement OF the military
posts. His next was 10 set out with portion OF MS
command on an expedition INTO the country OF the
Nayajos, powerful trlbo, which has long spread
terror, not only Ia Texas and NeSMeXiCo. bat even
in the State of Sonora. The result Of this expedl
ton is not yet known but If he should accomplish
more than TO establish a military post among
them, ard Ietaliate upon them, by capturing their
herds and destroying their fields, the expedition Will
not have been frnteSs,
Experience has shown that The most ehectuai way
to protect settlements is to oyeTawe the indians
by constant display Of military force IN their I'M
mediate nelghbOThOOd for this reason, as well as
on account OF the demOrallzlng influence OF the
towns and villages on the troops, the commanding
officers, both in Texas and New-MexicO, were d.
Iected t0IemOye the stations the frontiers
circumstances would permit. Both these officers
have with their accustomed promptitude, taken steps
t s nsM s lo f 0s oo 2 ses @
practicable, alike to the defense ofouT territory
and that Of Mexico. Strong hopes are entertained
that when their plans shall have been fully deyel
oped the Indians VIII DC disposed to make treaties,
and 10 observe them.
The United States have thus onJeavored to fulfill,
to their fullest extent, the obligations imposed upon
them by their late treaty with Mexico. It surely
was never contemplated that the entire expense and
responsibility Of defending her territory against
those ineuTsiols should devoive upon US. The Ian
guage of the treaty admits OF such obstruction,
ard, If IL did il would require Of us what 1t would
be obviously impossible for US to perform AS the
United States have no night 10 station their troops
within the limits OF Mexico, how Is 1t possible Tor
them entirely. TO protect her against tribes most (
whom occupy the vast desert lying between the two
countries All that We can do is 10 make common
cause with her to make her wrongs our own 10
4 M hv hoy ire
committed to compel them whenever 10 is possible
to do so, to make restitution OF Mexican prisoners
and property and nnally. in our tire aes with them,
To guard the interests OF Mexican citizens as care
fully as those Of our own and to punish any viola
ton OF the one as severely rs we do that OF the
other II Is manifest too, that whatever efforts we
may make for the protection OF Mexico will not
only be ffutless. but absolutely preiudlcal, unless
they are aided by corresponding efforts on her part
The number os military posts the vigilance, az
tvlty and courage OF our troops, all tend to DIVE
these maTaudofs fTom our border toward that OF
Mexico, where they can carry on their depIedatlOnS
with almost certain lmpunity.
The difference in the character OF the inhabitants
OF the two cOuntfles also tends 10 the result
Our people all familiar with the use of arms, and
readily form themselves into militia companies
for their own defense. Il was this circumstance,
joined with naive hardihood OF character that en-
a0led the pioneers OF ali our States to subdue tribes
far more formidable than the roboer bands that nfest
the frontiers OF Mexico. The inhabitants of Mexico,
on the contrary have little skill III firearms nothing
that deserves uc name OF militia ana little OF tha
caring ln,repdlty which distinguished the early set
tiers OF our own country. II is not surprising, there
fore, that the Indians stand less In awe OF the Next
cans than they DO Of our people, and that, where
both countries present equal temptations TO plumber,
they should direct thelrmcuIsiOn toN ard the former
rather thar the latter.
ltsnot improbable, Also that the feebleness Of the
Federal authority IN Mexico. the distracted state Of
that Republic, and the civil contests that have 50
long divided her people, may impair her influence
among savages who know no right but power, and
no motive bur the fear OF It's exercise.
The portion Of Mexico which is sad 70 have suf
lored most rom these depredatonS is the State Of
Sonora. Between that State and the inhabited pO.
tons of Texas and NewM exico, there Is an extern
siye range OF mountain and desert for the most part
uninhaoaSle, and at certain seasons Of The year,
almost impossible To send, therefore TO that
frontier, sufficient force to afford It any efectua
protection, and TO MAINTAIN Il there, would be at
tended with difficulties almost insuperable post,
~ Eol - IL. IL