New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-30
lS46-19l6.

NlplllN. QllNat NiIE kdildiiA4 ~ AlN iNANs
unbroken success against great numerical
odds. the campaigns in Mexico were mar
velously successful. No faults were com
mitted in the field. But faults committed
in Congress and by the Polk Administra-
ton prevented Generals Taylor and Scott
from reaping the fruits Of their brilliant
victories and unduly prolonged the sub
mission of the Mexican government.
Ii is interesting to compare the condi-
tons under which the war of 1S46-'4S was
fought with the conditions of to-day. Then,
as now, preparation had been entirely in
adequate. Texas was admitted into the
Union on March |, lS45, and cause for
serious friction with Mexico was thereby
created. In the following December the
War Department, carrying out sug-
gestion Of General SCOTS, asked Congress
TO authorize the President to increase the
number of privates in each company IN the
regular army 70 a maximum Of eighty
men. This increase would nearly have
doubled the enlisted strength Of the regu-
lar establishment, raising it 10 about
$4,000. and would have doubled the fight
ing force with which General Taylor began
his campaign in the Rio Grande Valley.
But Congress was as dilatory in 1S45 as
it has been in 1914, 1915 and 1916 1t re-
fused then to authorize an increase, be-
lieving that hostilities against Mexico
could be conducted with the aid of local
militia, hastily raised and inadequately
equipped. In like manner it has obstinately
refused in the last three years to increase
the regular establishment TO the minimum
of peace strength recommended by the War
College Division of the General Staff. AS
consequence our mobile regular forces
on the Mexican border are now greatly
and to support them recourse
must again be had to state militia con-
verted into United States volunteers.
General Taylor was obliged to fight at
Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, with 4
little force of 2,222, a Mexican army Of
about 5000. State militia arrived subse-
Quently on the Rio Grande to the number
Of 5000. But they had been called out
for only three months, and they went home
without ever firing a shot at the MeXicans. |
Congress, realizing that militia would be
useless for prosecuting a war on foreign
soil. decided after the war began to create
a volunteer army. But the grave mistake
was made Of permitting volunteers TO en-
list either for twelve months or for the
war. There were volunteers in abundance
1852 all told, including 1861 three
months men. But few of them saw any
real fighting.
Twenty-seven thousand enlisted for
twelve months and $4,000 for the duration
of the war The expiration of the one-year
enlistment term crippled SCOTS army in
Mexico, after it had won what should have
been the decisive battle of Cerro Gordo
Excluding from the volunteers the 1st
New York, lst and I'd Pennsylvania and
lst South Carolina regiments, which stayed
with Scott to the end, and excluding the
Texas Rangers from the three-months
men, the total loss Of volunteer forma-
tons aggregating $4,000 was only thirty.
five men killed and died Of wounds.
General Taylor invaded Northern Mex
leo in August, 1886, and fought the battle
of Monterey with force numbering 6.645.
The Mexicans numbered 10000. Taylor
was obliged to leave 5000 volunteers be-
hind him in Texas for lack of transport
facilities. But these volunteers were rig
orcusly trained, and many of them helped
later to win the battle of Buena Vista,
fought in February. 1847, when Taylor's
little army Of 4,759 with only 517 regu-
.ars) defeated 10000 Mexican troops IN
der General Santa Ana.
General Scott landed at Vera Cruz on
March 9, 1S47, an army Of less than 10000
men, Vera Cruz fell on March %, and
Scott started for Mexico City on April 8.
Ten days later he won a great victory at
Cerro Gordo, but could not profit ty it.
Within a few weeks his army began to
crumble He lost 1000 men through the
expiration Of terms Of service, and had only
$500 electives left when he reached
Puebla. There he stood on the defensive
for about three months, while made
quate reinforcements were o. their way
to him.
On August : he marched against the
capital with less than 10000 electives. He
entered it on September IA with only 5000
electives, and he was left there without
proper reinforcements until December II.
The paramount lesson to be drawn from
the war of 1S46-'4S is that with little
rational preparation it could have been
won in a much shorter time and very
large percentage of its cost could have been
saved. The new troops raised numbered
lOO.454 But few Of them were ever eff
fectively employed. a simple five-line en-
actment like that proposed in December,