The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1852-08-26

/
sented, that you were rebuked by the War il
discharging the prisoners cap Il
tured at Cerro Gordo. If, in case where it a
was so easy to be right, and so difficult to get 1
wrong, you could fall into such an obvious t,
mistake, what may not be expected from you e
in other matters where your perverted feel f
ings have frecr and wider range. e
Before considering your complaints for t
not having been supplied with sufficient I
means of transportation for the expedition ]
against Vera Cruz, will notice your ''four i
memorials" to the War Department, in {
which you demonstrated, as you state, that {
"Vera Cruz was the true basis of operations,
and that the enemy 'scapital could not proba-
bly, be reached from the Rio Grande." {
cannot discover the pertinency Of allu- {
sion to these four memorials, except 1t be to
put forth claim to the merit of originating
the expedition against Vera Cruz, and Of {
being the first to discover that the most !
practicable route to the city Of Mexico was
from that point on the Gulf; but your
known adherence for 'Fpruriency of fame
not earned" ought to shield you from the
suspicion of such an infrmity.
am sure you are not ignorant of the fact
but if you are, it is nevertheless true
that the expedition against Vera Cruz had
been for some time under consideration
that great pains had been taken to get infor-
nation as to the defcnces of that city, the
strength Of the castle, and the difficulties
which would attend the debarcation of troops;
that maps had been procured and carefully
examined; that persons who had resided
there, and officers of the army and navy, had
been consulted on the subject, and the en-
terprise actually resolved on before the date
of your first memoir, and before you were
| thought of to conduct it.
AS early as the 9th of July, 1916, within
two months after the declaration of war, and
: before the main body of troops raised for its
r prosecution had reached the scene of opera
$ tions, consderate attention had been given
e to that subject On that day, a letter from
, this department to Gen. Taylor thus alluded
2 to movement from Vera Cruz into the in
7 terror of the enemys country:
off, from all the information which you
+ may communicate to hedepartment, as well
u as that derived from other sources, it should
n appear that the difficulties and obstacles to
;, the conducting of a campaign from the Rio
! Grande, the present base of your operations,
J. for any considerable distance into the inte-
h rior of Mexico, will be very great, the de-
l. partment will consider whether the main in
e. yasion should not ultimately take place from
y some point on the cOast-say Tampico, or
at some other point in the vicinity of Vera
D. Cruz. This suggestion is made with view
r, to call your attention to it, and to obtain
Of from you such information as you may be able
re to impart. Should it be determined that thu
main army should invade Mexico at somt
al other point than the Rio Grande-say thu
&c vicinity of Vera Cruz--a large and suficien
of number Of transport vessels could be place.
"a at the mouth of the Rio Grande by the TIM
ay the healthy season sets in-say early in No
NC vember. The main army, with all its mum
he tons, could be transported, leaving a sufi
re, cient force behind to hold and occupy th
in Rio Grande, and all the towns and province
De- which you may have conquered before tina
time. In the event Of such being the plal
OF of operations, your opinion is desired Wha
a increased force, if any, will be required
;h- carry it cut with success. We learn tina
1t the army could be disembarked few mile
er, distant from Vera Cruz, and readily inveS
re- the town in It's rear, without coming with
ws the range of the guns of the fortress of Sa
ex- Juan d'Ulloa. The town could be readil
en- taken by land, while the fortress, being il
'ou vested by land and sea, and all communicate
OF cut off, must soon fall. From Vera Cruz
uld the city of Mexico there is fine road, upo
a which the diligences or stage coaches ru
md daily. The distance from Vera Cruz to Il
! to city Of Mexico is not more than one-third
ees that from the Rio Grande to the city
S to Mexico"
J OF The subject was again brought into vie
in on the 18th Of October in the same yea
olo- and more particularly on the the 22d of 0
tober, in letters addressed to General Taylc
lam At the last date, the plan had been so
n to matured that several officers of the staff al
ked line were indicated for that service. II
not was nearly a month before it was determi
the ed to employ you with the army in any p;
fore of Mexico.
ern- 1t was never contemplated here to stri
of at the city of Mexico from the line occupi
hose by General Taylor, or through any other
ver cept that from Vera Cruz. If the war v
you to be pushed to that extent, it required
tlon demonstration-no profound military
this ents-nothing more than common sagac
and and very slight reflection on the subject,
for see the propriety and necessity of maxi
'rdo, Vera Cruz the base of military operatio
May An alledged deficiency of means to ira
are port the troops in the expedition to V
Ike. Cruz seems to be most prominently prese
posi- ed, and most confidently relied on to sust
for your charge against the War Departm
)erro for neglecting this branch of its duties.
re- l issued, it seems to be admitted, the pr
oJect er order, so far as the means of transpo
from ton were to be drawn from the North;
the allegation is that it was issued too
pris- and was never executed 1t was issued
dis least four days before you arrived at
beral Orleans, on your way to the army.
still promptly executed, it was a reasonable
hang culation that the stem vessels" alluded t.
# the your letter, would have arrived in seaso
COM receive the troops, as soon as you could
Dject. lect them from their remote and scattt
rrass- positions in the interior Of Mexico, b
them them to the sea coast, and prepare for t
but, embarcation. Whether an order for S
links to be sent out in ballast, issued the 15tl
hang December, was or was not in season for
found service they were designed for, depends
m, to on the time when the expedition coul
efore, got ready to sail. To determine this, q
cases, gard must be paid for what you requirC
taken be done preparatory to the expedition,
send er than to what you may have said or
shall subject.