Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-08-11

NoWNlof llmes
1t is more than half a century since
the United States army has had any
operations TO conduct at all comparable
to those which have been carried on in
Eastern Cuba and to those which are
about to be carried on in Puerto Rico.
The similarity is very striking in reading
over the history of the Mexican War.
, That also was an invasion of tropical
country and included a summer cam
paign In such country. The enemy was
of much the same kind as the enemy we |
are now confronting. The transplanted |
spaniard of Mexico is very much like the |
parent stock. We found the Mexican OBJ |
stinate and gallant in resistance, but |
without counsel and without enterprise.
Above all, we found him unready. Blancos
troubles are those of Santa Anna over
again. "Want of ammunition, overdue
pay and insufficient rations" are the
drawbacks with which the Mexicans had
to contend. on their own ground, while
the Americans, supplied from the sea and
= at a distance of hundreds of miles, were
wellsupplied. In that case as in this.
our worst enemy was the climate. AT
Pueblo, out of Scott's force of 1926 men,
but S.061 were effective, 2,2l5 being dis
abled with "climatic fevers." The yellow
fever, which was our chief dread, and
q against which Scott had tried to provide
In planning the time of the invasion, was
fortunately not severe.
II was, of course, SCOTS invasion that
bears the closest relation to what has
gone on in Cuba. Taylor's operations in
Northern Mexico were so successful as TO
do great honor to the American arms
There are no prouder names IN our mill
tary history than those of Palo Alto,
Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena
Vista. They were so brilliant as to make
Taylor rather than Scott the popular
hero, and to secure for him the next
Presidency. Not that they were really
more brilliant feats of arms than those
done under SCOTS command, but that
1Roueh and Ready" was much more the
kind Of man TO become q popular idol
than "Fuss and Feathers" Four years
later, when Scott did secure the nomina-
ton he was defeated in spite of his great
military success by Democrat with SO
very slight "war record" as Franklin
Pierce,
Taylor's invasion was au overland
march from his base of supplies, at the
mouth Of the Rio Grande, and it came to
an end practically when Scott's began.
Taylor himself had strongly advised
} against an advance on the Mexican capt.
tai from his position upon the ground
4 that itwould be impossible to subsist his
troops over SO long line. Although
Scott was regarded by the administration
), with jealousy as well as with dislike, his
position as commanding general entitled
him to the command of the principal ex-
petition, and his plan for II was adopted.
Practically all of Taylor's regulars were
transferred to him, and Taylor was left to
hold his position and consolidate his vic
tories with volunteers. His first fight, al
Palo Alto, had been fought May 9Th
1876. His last, Buena Vista, was tough,
February 23d, 1S47, and in the same
month transports were assembled al
Brazos Santiago for $4,000 men. Scot
had insisted upon minimum Of 10000
saying that $4,000 would be much better
If they could be made available before
the season of yellow fever.
The appropriation for the expedition
had been very intelligcntly made BY
Scott. For landing at Vera Cruz, O.
rather three miles from 1t, some 70 surf
boats had been provided, holding from n
TO 80 men each. By means of these $500
men were landed March 9th in few
hours without accident and, as at San
tiago, without opposition. In heav.
artillery the command was much bette
provided than Gen. Skaters force. Their
were hVdlldDlC lOr VIC ottSc Vi vera VI u
seven ten and six eight-inch mortars o
the 18th the investment was completed
and on the 18th the approaches began
The garrison consisted of 4,400 men, nc
enough 10 man the Notifications.
vigorous canponade by the army and tn
feet followed, add on the 9th the capitu
lation took place. All ornaments an
munitions Of war were surrendered, bu
officers were allowed to keep their arm
aud effects, and the garrison was allowe
10 march away on parole not TO sery
against the United States till exchanged
Our whole loss in the siege was 81 kille
aud wounded. The Mexican loss is SUI
posed TO have been over 1000 in kille
alone.
The advance began on April 9Th, th
Interval having been employed in collec
ing pack animals. There was greI
deal Of apolitics" at the Mexican capita
to which was attributed the failure
reinforce Vera Cruz and abe failure
oppose the first steps of the advanc
The first real resistance was made Apl
nth at Cerro Gordo. This was brillia
victory for the invaders, the storming
the abatis surrounding Cerro Gordo, al
afterward of the crest itself, being qui
compatible, for gallantry to the assar
upon the blockhouse at San Juan. II
attack was, however, assisted by art
lery, the Americans having with gre
labor. dragged up during the night
FOUNDER gun and two 24-pounder and o
6S-pounder .howitzers, which had gre
effect in supporting the attack. Thr
thousand Mexicans were taken prisone
although Santa Anna made good
escape.
It was not until August 7th that
final stage of the advance upon the cal
tai was begun with 1900 men. The
was really no check to the victorious q
vance excepting the repulse of Smitl
brigade on the first day at Contreras
repulse more than made up for on |
second, when the Mexican regulars W,
almost destroyed. losing 700 killed a
800 prisoners, including four Genera
The Americans Noss was slight
The decisive bhttle was that of Chez
busco, so stubbornly fought by the Me
cans that they lost nearly 1000 in kill
and wounded. and 5000 prisoners. VIII
Scott reported the American casualties
139 killed and S76 wounded. After t
there was no chance for the capt.
although the Mexican resistance was
stubborn as ever, and the hardest figl
of all were those at Moline del Rey a
Chapultepec, in the outskirts of the ci
Nothing finer has been done in mod,
war than the storming of Chapultepec
the regulars. IL was on September
that Scott entered the city, having c.
quered a peace at a cost Of 2,700 xii
and WON ded In the camnaiun and