The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-09-09
that you will do what is in your power to

1t been indifferent to the alarming condition
OF Gen. Taylor's army, and forborne to use,
at the earliest moment, the most energetic
to guard against the fatal conse-
quences OF its defeat, then too probable, it
would have deserved an arraignment as Sc
we're as that which you have made against
1t for having done its duty in that critical
emergency. When you first received the
reasons assigned for the course adopted here,
they appear to have been satisfactory. In
your despatch of the 28th of April, you
say: yesterday learned, by your letter
of the 22d, and the Adjutant Generals of
the Goth ultimo, that all the recruits of the
regiments-some 3,000-raised or likely to
be raised in time for this army, have been
ordered to the Rio Grande" You did not
then intimate the slightest dissatisfaction
not even premonitory symptom of that deep
distress with which, instantly on Mr. Trist's
arrival in Mexico, you represent yourself to
have been seized 1t is coincidence not
unworthy of notice that the letter containing
your first condemnatory remark on this sub
ject was written on the day of the date
OF Mr.. Trist's first note to you, and
only the day before Jour captious reply to
it; and in both you assail the War Depart
ment. Your whitening disappointment
seems to have slumbered for ten days, and
then to have been aroused by the appearance
of Mr. Trist in Mexico and your quarrel
with him. If the order from the War De-
partment had in fact "diverted" the forces
with Gen. Cadwalader, still it was fully
justified by the threatening aspect of af-
fairs on the Rio Grande; but | am quite
sure it did not divert them. No previous or
der from the department had designated any
other place of rendezvous than the Brazos
for the troops that were to join your column.
It was well understood, before you left
Washington, that all the troops for both ar
mics were to be sent to that place, and there
to fall under your command
This arrangement was not, nor was it ex-
pected that it would be here changed, until
you had penetrated so far into the enemy s
country as to render your communications
with that place of general rendezvous diff
cult and dilatory.
You also complain that the order was not
countermanded. If there had been such an
order, and it had been countermanded, what
would have been the consequences? The
troops would have gone forward from the
United States under the former orders of the
department, which would have taken them
to the same place.
You allege that "the news of the victory
of Buena Vista reached Washington in time
to countermand Cadwalader's orders for the
Rio Grande before his departure from New
Orleans" l notice this specification of neg
lect of duty to show the extent to which you
have carried your fault-fnding, and the in.
dustry with which you have searched for oc
casions to indulge it.
Your assumption is, that the news of the
victory of Buena Vista should have satisfied
the " ar Department that Cadwalader's for
ces were not needed on the Rio Grande
and the omission to countermand, as soon az
that news was received, the orders to senc
them there, was neglect deserving severe
animadversion. How did you act under
. similar circumstances? With better means
EOf information as to the actual condition O
the Rio Grande frontier, after the victory o
Buena Vista, you did not deem it prudent
after being forty-one days in possession o
: the news of that victory, to issue positive or
: ders to remove a single man from that from
tier; yet you venture to censure me for no
having sent the troops away the moment tn
news reached Washington.
You received information of that victor,
on or before the 18th of March, for on tina
day you proclaimed it in orders to you
: army. On the 25th of April, more thai
forty days thereafter, you issued an order t.
the commanding officer at the BrazOs to EN-
bark for Vera Cruz "such detachments O
) the new regiments as may have been ordere
by the War Department to Point Isabel :
: : but you made it conditional with referenc
} to the safety of the line of the Rio Grande
and said to that officer that you relied upo
: his ''sound Judgment to determine on tn
i spot whether that line would not be too muc
exposed by the withdrawal of the troops i
' question" Thus it appears that you do nc
hesitate to impute neglect of duty to me fc
6 not having adopted and acted on the conclU
J sion that the line of the Rio Grande wa
d safe the moment 1 heard of the victory
Bucna Vista; but, when acting on the sam
d subject, you dared not adopt that conclusion
n although you had been in possession of IL
is same information forty-one days. Your ow
D. conduct in this matter completely refutC
st this charge Of yours against the War D
e partment 1t does more: it shows no
e rash and inconsiderate you have been in s.
'e Letting topics for attack.
J. But the most serious consequences are a
% tributed to the long delay of these troops
d the Brazos. For your sake l sincerely hoI
r these consequences are much exaggerated
S because l am quite confident it will be show
e, that you alone are responsible for the della,
L The War Department did not-and it W;
d proper that it should not-issue any ordt
y in regard to the movement of their trool
after their arrival in Mexico. The ord'
10 from the department of the Both of Apr
,e making division Of the new levies betwee
n the two columns, does not contradict tn
le assertion, for these levies were then most
,e within the United States only portions
in them had then reached Mexico Until tn
TO order took effect, the troops at the Brazo
le and, indeed, on the Rio Grande and wit
Gen Taylor, were under your entire al
W unrestricted command As to this matte
is YOU were under no misapprehension; for
in the 25th of April, before you were inform'
ne what had been done here to secure the X
It, Grande line, you issued an order in relate
y to the troops at the Brazos. This place, y
i'll well knew, was the general rendezvous OF q
ID new leYies from the U. States, and, befo
ey you sailed on your expedition to Vera Cru
RS you were notified that the Mexican arm
It, was advancing upon Gen. Taylor. 70 ha
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