The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-03

The Mexican war began with small en-
gagement at Palo Alto which was much
trumpeted over at the time. The Americans
had force of 1890 and the Mexicans 5000.
After five hours of cannonading and mus
kerry the Americans retreated. Our loss
was four killed and 30 wounded.
There was no more fighting until Sep
TENDER, when Monterey was taken, and the
next February the battle of Buena Vista
was fought, which practically ended the
work of the volunteers under Zachary Tay-
Ior
Scott began his operations by the attack
on Vera Cruz, March 8, 1847, and he occu-
pied the City of Mexico Sept IA of the same
year, making an active campaign of about
seven months.
In all there were about $4,000 volunteers,
enlisted for one year. But comparatively few
of these ever saw battle. The greatest
number of volunteers that Taylor-who had
most of them-had with him at any one
time was 5000
In all there were only % skirmishes and
battles, and the total loss of the volunteers
was but 513 killed, 100 MORALLY wounded
and / 300 wounded. That is, less than one
in 125 were killed or mortally wounded, and
only one in 65 wounded.
Contrast this with the mortality in the
war for the Union, where about one in every
so whose names appear on the roll were
killed in battle; one in every IL died of dis
ease, and one in every 10 was wounded in
action.
In many instances not man was killed in
the whole of States quota in the Mexican
war. Alabama, Florida, Iowa. Massachusetts,,
Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Yir-
GINA and Wisconsin, sent in all nearly
10000 men, of a0hom not one mas killed or
aoouaded. Texas had 8.018 in her quota, of
whom but 46 were killed and % wounded
about as many as an ordinary regiment
would lose during the late war in single
skirmish. Louisiana had 7,947, of whom
but Is were killed and eight wounded.
Georgia had six killed and eight wounded in
her quota of 1892.
The average service of the Mexican vol
unteer was much less than six months.
Comparatively few served out their enlist
ment of one year, while thousands of men
never left camp. OF those who served out their
enlistment of one year but 844 re-enIisted
for longer term, which is as much of con-
trast to the veteranizing of 1864 as the %
battles and skirmishes of the Mexican wal
are with the 1890 engagements in the wal
for the suppression Of the rebellion.
Yet Col Matson was very firm and ag
gressiye in his opinion that any man who
served in the Mexican war was entitled to ;
life-pension of So a month, with a simila1
allowance to his widow. He would now pu
off the Union veteran with 80 cents or there
abouts a month, with like starvation
allowance for his widow.
We agreed with Col. Matson when tn
Mexican Pension Bill was pending, that i
was simple justice to give the men VIII
acquired FOR us that immense domain So
' month, and we warmly supported the bin
$ We now disagree with him because he rate
o
the very much greater deseryings of tn
t Union soldier and his widow at so mucl
: less than those of the Mexican volunteer.
! Fsfte at once to your Member of Congress
/ demanding U0te apOa general pension bin
9 before taking the Uote on the Mus bill to empt
! the Treasury.
|, THE wonderful labor of the mountain
s. which resulted in bringing forth "ridicu
< lous mouse" has been paralleled by the fly
o months incubation by the Invalid Pensio
IS Committee of bill to give crippled vel
y eran three cents q dayl