Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-03-15
A QUESTION IN HISTORY.

nary statement that Gen. Zachary
Taylor won his famous victory at Bne-
ma Vista in the Mexican war by brib-
cry. He says: president Polk gave
Gen. Taylor $4,000 600 of secret service
money and told him that If he should
get into tight place with Santa An
Tia to buy him off Capt. Blood Of
Louisville told me that the second day
of the battle at 3 O'Clock Gen. Taylor
was badly whipped. He sent by me,
Captain Blood said, 'and two Others,
proposition in writing TO Santa Anna
that If he would not do much more
fighting that afternoon and would
scatter his army that night he would
give him $4,000,000. He immediately
accepted and got the MONEY!" The
question is: Who is Capt. Blood and
what does he know about the battle OF
Buena Vista?
The above item is taken from a re-
cent issue of the Louisville Post. The
Captain Blood referred to is our old
townsman Capt. VIM. Blood, who re-
sided in Baxter Springs from 1869 to
the time of his death April l, 1856.
The publication of the article gave
rise to considerable discussion and the
relatives of Gen. Taylor became very
indignant at the reflection cast upon
them in the statement. In subse-
quent issue tho Post says:
A veteran of the Mexican war called
at the Office of the Post to-day and
said: "You asked who Col. Blood
was and what he knew about the bat
tie of Buena Vista. can tell you.
Col. Blood was a gallant soldier and
fought bravely at that celebrated VIC
tory. After the close of the Mexican
war he Travelled for wholesale hard
ware house in this city. knew him
well and he was man whose name
could not be doubted. But never
heard him tell any such story as that
quoted in your columns yesterday as
to the use of money at the battle OF
Buena Vista"
Then Mr.. Rabb, the Vincennes
banker, wrote the Post saying that
Capt. Blood was an officer in the I'M
ION army and knew all about The pnr-
chase Of Santa Anna. He told Gen.
w. 0. Butler what Capt. Blood had
said about it and Gen. Butler said he
believed It. The Post thinks if "Old
Rough and Ready" won the battle OF
Buena Vista with secret service money
instead of gunpowdcr it will be news
10 the historians. In another issue
the Post says:
We have received some further in
formation in regard 10 Capt. Blood, to
whom was attributed the curious sto-
ry about the victory ut Buena vista
being bought by Gen. Taylor. He
left kentucky with Gen. SCOTS army,
served through the Mexican war, 80
was engaged in the battle OF Bucna
Vista. Gen. Scott, in one Of his dis
patches, mentioned Capt. Blood as
brave and gallant officer. lie has
many old friends'in New Albany with
whom he cOuyetsed after his return
from Mexico.
Yes, Capt. Blood was undoubtedly
gallant officer and he has many friends
in this vicinity who often talked with
him in regard to his Mexican war ex-
periences. They are 10th 10 believe
that he took any part whatever III the
purchase of the Buena Vista victory
for Gen. Taylor with $4,0000OO, if
such a preposterous thing ever oc-
Cured. If we are to place any Gre
dence in history it is very probable
that Capt. Blood was a good many
hundreds OF miles distant from Buena
Vista when Gen. Taylor moved wide
swath through the Mexican army Of
10000 there with his 5000 brave
American soldiers. Ttis famous en-
gagement took place Feb. % end %,
lS47. On the 9th of March following
Gen. Scott, under whose command
Capt. Blood was acting, and with
whom he had recently sailed from
New Orleans, invested Vera Cruz
and on the Goth the castle of San
Juan de Ulua was capitulated. Vera
Cruz Is about 600 miles from the sc,ne
Of the. Buena Vista battle and it is
hardly probable that Capt. Blood or
any other members Of Gen. Scott's
army were with Gen. Taylor on Feb.
a3d and at Vera Cruz on March 9th,
only two weeks after the Duena Vista
battle. Then followed the battle of
Cerro Gorde, April 18th, the capture
Of Jalaps the 10Th, Peroto on the Odd