The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-07-19

MS pay or other allowances, aud the government
authorities are as much bound for the fahlnent or
the one as the other Let US hope that the time is
not far distant when this subject will receive the
attention that its importance demands and that the
soldier may yet obtain justicefor God knows he Is
deserving OF ell the law allows him.
The occupation of the troops along this frontier
consists chiefly in preserving inyOate the neutrality
between the people of the United States and those
composing our sister republic on the other side Of
the Rio Grahde and in a1ordng protection against
tine incurslons OF the indians T. few miserable half
starved Mexicans, who cannot be said TO have at
tanned much higher pc itoo upon the scale OF hui
man intelligence and civilization than the savages
who prey upon them.
The n.e n and horses are continually held in hand
to take the trails of Indians, which are followed
both night and day, under the guidance of expe-
renced trailers who have made this the business OF
their lives, and are able to follow the tracks of
horse almost as well at night as in the day. No
fires are allowed OF cooking dune 80 long rs the trail
is warm. AND parties are often Obliged to ride a
hundred miles without battling, and frequently with
out fnoiDg drop OF water.
Exposure to the capricious vicisstudes Of climate
in the extremes Of our territorial possessions, ul-
wholesome Diet and the privas0ns to which the
amy has been subjected for the past ten years have
caused much sickness ana large per centage Of
mortality. During the past five years the deaths
among the troops on the frontiers have amounted to
nearly six per cent per annum, or about double that
of New York and most Of our cites, and this EN-.
bracinP class of persons in the prime Of manhood,
least likely Of all others to contribute to The aggre
gate of mortality. In addition to this, many men
have been discharged with impaired constitutions
and infrmities n0uced by exposure and OverwOrk
The military post before ALLUDED to is regarded as
of the most healthy of all those garrisoned by
tie army; yet counted there upwards Of seventy
graves Of officers and soldiers, all made within the
brief period of six years, and these are doubtless
tenanted by those who have died prematurely from
the causes before mentioned.
As have already remarked, the officers aud men
perfectly conscious of the fact that prlvat ons
and hardships are Necessary incidents 70 the pro
mitttd to without murmur il they possessed any
guarantee that they would receive justice from their
government and fellow citizens; but when the
1ndians are apprehended and most rghteously
punished for their merciless and fendish
b4tbarities many of the newspapers OF the country
TEEN with sympathetic illusions in behalf of the
poor" "persecued" and mobile" race OF "red
men," and wi h anatbemas upon the cruelty OF the
officers who direct their chastisement IT, perchance
Oh the other hand, the troops, after undergoing
fa,ieues and privatons that only known to those
who have psrtcpa ed in them, SHOULD happen to be
unsuccessful In capturing band OF Indians who had
murdered a white man or stolen his animals,
these same disin.erested guardians OF the
nations veal Immediately raise cry that
the army is entirely inefficient, and that volun.
tees are much better adapted to predatory
warfare than regulars, with many o'her state nents
of similar import all OF which our citizens living
on the borders exposed to Indian depredations and
familiar with the facts know to be as unjust aud un.
grateful as they are ridiculous aud absurd And the
most charitable construction that Can be conceded
to men who fabdcae and give currency to such ire
parable falacies is that they are ignorant of the
subject upon which they write.
II is unnecessary for me to say to those familiar
with the annals of the Revolution, that General
Wsshingtons military disasters were in almost
every instance attributable to the uRdiscplned state
of his army, which fact was SO apparent TO his mind
hat ba mad inn auta N ores
organization Of permanent military establishment,
say ing that he regarded new eves, and men enlisted
for short periods, little better than An organized
mob that could not be relied on or controlled.
Many instances might be cited during the war of
1sl2-l3 and IA, to prove the total unmanagaoeness
of new svies, even when commanded by experien ,ed
officers The humiliating defeat OF our troops at
Queenston Heights, which was only one OF long
catal, eue in that campaign, WAS entirely owing to
the pusianimous panic OF the raw militia, who bat
few hours previous manifested tho most eager dis
position for the combat but upon the very first dis
tant view OF the enemy, suddenly became embued
with conscientious scruples regarding the constu-
tiobaty of crossing the oundaries and in the most
insuboTdnate spirit peremptorily refused 70 go to
the relief Of the little band Of regulars and volun-
teers upon the Canada shore who after several times
calamity repusiDg the enemy, only succumbed to
overwhelming odds, which the presence of their
truant comrsoes might have prevented. During Go
neral Jacksons campaign against the Creek Indians
he was at crisis the evs OF being deserted by
his entire army of undsciplined volunteers, and u
was only by timely and resoute excftion of his
iron will and indomitabe infiexibiliiy OF purpose
that be succeeded In diverting them from cons lm-
ma ing their dastardlv Cesign. Again, at
more recent period, during the war with
the Seminole Indians q regiment OF volunteers
at the battle of the Okechokee stampeded and ran
at the very first volley from the enemy, and in
shameful rou left the 1eld of battle 10 the regulars
who, after most sharply contested and sanguiuary
conflict, were victorious and masters OF the field.
The colonel Of this regiment, who was gallant
officer and MORALLY wounded, Was so much distress
ed at the conduct OF his communal that In his dying
moments he entreated General Taylor TO spare them
AS much possible in his report OF the action
which tbs General very magnanimously did, saying,
in aluson to the part performed by them, that they
did about a. well as volunteers without discipline
generally do. This admits OF variety OF interpre
taobs yet under the circumstances, 1t va most As
suredy very lenient expression. Notwithstanding
this, he was so unfortunate as to incur the displea-
Of the Legislature OF the state from which the
regiment came and it, indignation exploded in a
vote OF censure hurled at the devoted head of the
General.
In our late war with Mexico the two descriptions
Of troops served together and their relative merits
were exhibited ia strong contrast Alihouga the
volunteers in many cases afer they had become
somewhat disciplined fought bravey, Yet, in other
instances, the same cannot be admitted; aud had II
not been for the OF arms IN every battle
during that campaign, many facts in reference TO
particular corps and individuals, which have been
care uly screened from the pubic eye, would have
been brought to light. For example: IT is not gene
rally known that at Buena Vista there were parts OF
the amy, besides the Indian Regiment, where the
white plume was exhibited very conspicuously.
have il from uDquestionable authority that such WAS
the case, and General Taylo at time when he oe-
ievei that the fate Of the. day was going against
him, was heard by several members OF his staf TO
remark, that II he had two regiments OF
regulars, he could take every gun the
enemy had, and In a moment Of indignant ex.
element he added Yes, by God, II ! had one regi-
nent could do III"
His opinions relative to the part performed by the
regulars In this engagement, may he inferred from
reference TO that portion of hs report where he says
that the handful Of regular artillery which he WAS
30 fortunate as 10 have "tuIned the fate OF the
day." and gave him victory when he had every rea-
son to believe himself defeated
In the last elaborate report of the Secretary, and
which is evidently regarded by him NJ q graceful
drop 10 the concluding act In his official farce,
he seems 10 have been 20 completely engrosssd with
the importance Of his own production that he has
omitted 10 bestow even passing glance upon the