Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-19
The Country Home
Gen. Grants Opinion of the Two
Wars
BY MRS. w. H. FELTON,


General Grant served in the Mex
lean war and the Civil war of the
COS, and 1 find in his personal
memoirs a characteristic expression
concerning these two wars. 1t is
we'll to notice also his admiration OF
| Confederate General Ewell who was
in the old army, and joined the ill
fated Confederacy when Virginia
seceeded. After Grant had graduated
Gated at Jefferson barracks, in Mis-
lsouri. and the young officer reported
/ for duty to Lieutenant Ewell. This
| is the same Ewell who acquired con-
| siderable reputation as a Confeder-
ate general during the rebellion. He
was a man much esteemed and de.
servedly SO. in the old army, ant
proved himself q gallant and efficient
officer in two wars-both in my esti'
nation unholy."
1 remember we'll the departure Of
! Georgia troops for the Mexican war
| We had a neighbor in the town we
lived in who had big, awkward son
| in humble circumstances, and botf
father and son were day laborers.
! To my great surprise the big, Awk-
ward youth enlisted for service 1r
the Mexican war, and my particular
interest in that 'unholy war" cen
tered about the neighbours son. I was
not yet in my teens" and my min6
military service in Mexico.
He lived to come back safely, an6
he counted for a good deal among
his friends and acquaintances after
ward. Perhaps our Country Home
readers would like to know why we
entered war with Mexico.
Texas was originally a state be
longing to the Republic of Mexico
It extended from the Sabine river
oh the east, to the Rio Grande on
the west, from the Gulf of Mexico
on the south, and east to the Ter
ritory of the United States and New
Mexico, another Mexican state at that
time on the north and west; 1t had
but a sparce population until settled
by Americans, who had secured au-
thority from Mexico to colonize
Those colonists carried their slaves
into the territory. Soon Texas set
up an Independent government OF
their own. Conflicts occurred. between
Texas and Mexico until 1886, and
Santa Anna was captured, the Mex1-
can president. In 1916, Texas OIL
fercd to come in as one of the United
States and the offer was accepted
IF the. manner of annexation could
be justified, the manner in which the
subsequent war, which was unpro-
voked, could not" says General Grant
in his book.
In taking military possession of
Texas, after annexation, the Army
of Occupation under General Tay-
lor, was directed to occupy the dis
puted territory between the Neuces
army did not stop at the Neuces
and offer to accept boundary
question, but went beyond, appar-
emily in order to force Mexico to
initiate war.
1t is to the credit of America that
territory thus forcibly taken. more
than it was worth to Mexico or
likely to be.
General Grant declares that the
southern secession was largely the
September, 1916, General Grants
regiment left New Orleans for Cor
pus Christi, (now in TeXas.) When
the Army of Occupation had assem-
bled at Corpus Christi, it consisted
some light artillery, five companies
of infantry, not more than 1900 men
in all. General Zachary Taylor COM
manded the whole. There was not,
at that time, a single individual
miles from San Antonio. The latter
place was occupied between Next
cans and Americans, says General
Grant. When the army had march
ed to Matanioras, on the Rio Grande,
there was not. a single habitation
Grande was reached. On the 9Th of
May Palo Alto was reached by
Taylors army to find the Mexicans
drawn up in line of battle, and the
Mexican war had begun!
the "unholy war" with Mexico:
Then there was another Army of
INVASION" commanded by General
We all read in school histories of
the final victory in the City Of
Mexico-and the two armies of "Oc-
cupation and nvasion"-became one
army and then the whole business
became a political war, between the
Wings and the Democrats in Wash
General Taylor was also a Whig.
Nevertheless the administra ton
(Polk) concluded that the bluff old
soldier was about the only one that
would not Interfere with the politi--
cal cohorts, and he was not supposed
to entertain political ambitions. Aft
er the fall of Montery-his third
battle and third complete victory his
Wing friends began to talk of Tay-
lor for the presidency.
So it was decided to send Scott to
Mexico-to Vera Cruz-and Scott's
lor's political prospects.
Thus it happened that Scott with
drew from Taylor nearly all his reg
ular troops, and left him only enough
volunteers to hold the lines then IN
possession of the invading army.
General Taylor protested, but had to
submit,
Scott had hardly started to his
command of all the American forces
in Mexico, when President Polk and
and his party decided to appoint Sen
ator Thomas H. Benton to the posi-
ton Of lieutenant general. But Tay-
lor fought the battle of Buena Vista
with his volunteers and under such
conditions that it made his nomina--
ton to the presidency a foregone
conclusion. He was nominated and
elected in 1848.
Thus the political war ended.
The Wings were triumphant and
the Polk democracy and its efforts to
cripple Taylor went down to deserved
defeat. Hence General Grant called
General Scott had less than twelve
thousand troops at Vera Cruz. But
he had able helpers, mentioned by
General Grant in his personal me-
moirs. He named them in order:
Robert E. Lee, first. then P. Y. T.
Tower, G. W. Smith, George B. Nc
Clellan and j. G. Foster of the Corps
OF Engineers, all of them officers
who attained rank and fame on "one
side or the other" in the Civil War.
General Grant was a fair man in his
published statements concerning the
Confederate military men. He has
always commanded my respect by his
manly attentions to General Lee at
AppomattoX.
1t is the mark of an honorable
mind to attribute greatness to
former foe if it is deserving.
Perhaps I can find General Grants
reasons for calling the Civil War
an 'unholy war" If my search is