Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-03-15
WAR DEPARTMENT,
WAsH1NoroN, NOYember 93, l846.

'sir:-The President several days since |
communicated iu person 10 you his orders TO
re1air to Mexico, 10 take command Of the for
ces there assembled, and particularly to organ |
ize and set on foot an expedition to operate on
the Gulf coasts, if, on arriving at the theatre OF
action, YOU shall deem it to be practicable. II
is not proposed to control your operIion by def
mite and positive instructions, but you are leit
to prosecute them as your judgment, under
full view Of all the circumstances shall dictate
The work is before you, and the means provi-
ded, or to be provided. for accomplishing it are
committed to you, 10 the full confidence that
you will use them to the best advantage.
The objects which it is desirable TO obtain
have been indicated, and it is hoped that you
will have the requisite force to accomplish
them. OF this you must be the judge when
preparations are made, and time for action has
Iarrived.
'Yery respectfully, your obedient servant,
w. L. MARCY, Secretary Of War.
Major General WINFIELD SooTT,
} Commanding the army, Washington
The 'preparations' we're made, and l63
transports conveyed the men and means provl-
Ided. The time for action arrived. The ar
NV was debarked, stores landed, and batteries
a were planted within nine days after reaching
Vera Cruz, in spite Of succession OF VOlen,
> 'northe1s,' and eight days after General Scot
!" despatched word to his government that the
IS Aag of the United States floats in triumph oyel
= the walls in this city and the castle OF San Juar
de Ulloa'-the same wave-washed and battle
. SCARED fortress, which in Europe had beer
e deemed impregnable. TO operate on the Gul
& coasts in this style was not sufficient for Gene
raj Scott. He scaled the Cordilleras, bore th'
eagles of his country in quick succession thro
ugh the streets of Jalapa, Perote, and Puebla
y with 8, SOB men, swept, resistless through tn
l. mass Of Cerro Gordo defended by IL, 500 Mex
in eans-with the same number Of men defeate
32. 900 at Contrreas and Cherubusco-wit q
1870 men stormed Chapultepec, defended by q
OOO-with G 900 took the city OF Mexico occr
s. MED by an army of 35,0OO--and thus accom-
s, plshed the objects desirable to obtain II
ro did what Lord Raglan had not done; he dI
: his work He did what Lord Raglan has M
done: he saved his soldiers. He threw not
OF life away that could be saved, and applied eve
rv possible means that could secure the heait
and comfort of his men. Performing his can
paign at the sickly seasons of the year, penetr'
" through crowded cities and over mountain az
is clivties, he yet subjected his men to not on
;" tenth of the suffering and lost not one-tenth
many of them by disease, as Lord Raglan h
done while encamped within six miles OF II
IS sea. He poured out no blood for fruitle
to victory like that of Alma; he annihllated no rec
imenas of his own by fatal order like that
Baakava; he invited no deadly attack by
neglect in iortifyng his position like that at L
nd hermann. lie did not leave his soldiers to b
I'D come tattered like savages, or famished iii
%. dogs. In fact there there is no doubt this siC
- of the water that the American Comm andC
Oh deserves his guerdon quite as well, TO say Il
We least, as the British; and Congress but retiec
or the sentiments of the people in recognizing tn
no truth. There is difference between trane
Iol administrator at the desk and an able Gener'
10 in the field; and that is the just diffegnce bs
II tween LORD RAGLAN and WINFIELD ScoTT.