Newspaper Page Text
1 C
THE
INK
‘WISDOM—JUSTICE—MODERATION,”
VOL. II.
ALBANY, BAKER COUNTY, GEORGIA, WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1846.
NO. lS.
THE ALBANY PATRIOT,
■ rumunuD ITXIY wzdsisdat NMumrn, it
NELSON TIFT A SETH N. B0U8HT0N,
n »■. — * P,..irhfnrB
xiairon ana rropruior*.
TERMS.
TWOToBsr* per annum, if paid in advance,
Tktee Dotlara at the end of the year.
AdvertUemenU Dot exceeding twelve lutes, will
tx iMerted at One Dollar far the few insertion, and
Fifty cents far sack continuance. Advertisements
hot hart n* tbs
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BatraofUad
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a of Insd and Nrjroon by Executor*, Adiatni*-
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tdrertiaad In a public sanotte, rimy days psaviaas to
the day of sale.
The sake of Personal Property mast be advertised
In like manner forty days.
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IT All Letters on business most be post paid.
POETRY.
From the S. Y. Ermisg Mimf.
COL. CROSS.
O r* Kio Grande’s embattled stream,
Why Ixomi the minute gunt
Why pales the crescent moon her beam T
A warrior's race is ran.
Not no the field, by fireman's blade,
In noble strife ho fell;
Vile murderers lurked in ambuscade,
When horror shriek’d bis knell.
With martial tread and flashing eye,
His gallant comrades come,—
Rrveogo swells every bosom high,
Mad beats tho muill-d dram.
Deep in the dusky forest lair.
Ilia mangled corpse they found:
Spaniard—Uie chapparal beware!
Blood consecrates his mound.
In line, tho marching squadrons wheel
Beside the soldier’s grave;
The dirge notes steal, the volley peal,
Tho flag droops o’er tho bravo.
Martyr of fate, fame guard, thy sod
To her who weeps alone,
With breaking heart turns to her God,
Stern vengeance will alone!
In glory shall his name be ahrined.
Who, dashing on the foe,
The vilo assassin slavo to find,
Strikes tho avonging blow.
Freedom, thy battle honr is nigh!
Swords gleam and war plumes toss;
The army charges—Spaniards fly 1
The watchword—” gallant Cross I”
POLITICAL.
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE
( Concluded.)
LETTER OF GENERAL SCOTT TO
THE SECRETARY* OF WAR.
Headquarter, or the Armt,
Washington, May 25. IS4C,
I respectfully submit to tlio Secretary
of War certain leading points, on the set
tlement of which will depend a great
number of smaller mailers to be atlcudcd
to successively and rapidly.
My allusion is to the diUcrcnt State quo
tas of twelve month volunteers which
havu been called (or. and which are to be
ordered to inarch against Mexico.
I suppose that those volunteers may be,
by States, assembled at their respective
rendezvous about as follows:
Ohio, quota, at or near Cincinnati, June
20, 1846.
Kentucky, quota, nt, say Frankfort or
Bowling Green, June 20, 1846.
Indiana, quota, at, aay Madison or Jc.-
ferson, June 20, 1846.
Illinois, quota, at, aay Quincy and
Shawneetown, June 26, 1846. '
Tennessee, quota, at, aay Nashville
and Memphis, June 25,1846.
Missouti. quota, at, any Fort Leaven
worth and Jefferson Barracks, June 26,
1846.
Arkansas, quota, at, aay Washington or
Fulton, June 30, 1846.
Mississippi, quota, at, aay Natcbez,
Jane 30, 1846. .. ,, _ .
Alabama, quota, at, aay Mobile, June
30, 1846.
Georgia, quota, at, aay Columbus, on
the Chattahoochee, June 30,1846. _
The gieat difficulty first to be consider
ed is, the placing of the mounted volunteers
on the Rio Grande, and at tbe proper
points—say (for the Chihuhua expedition)
n liule north n» the Presidio de Rio Grande;
and (for the march upon Monterey and
south) at Camargo and Matamoras, or
HhiooMu
Supposing the rivers to be navignblo tn
all July for steamers of the middle awe,
the horse regiments may. he transported
(but at great coal) from Kentucky, Ten
nessee, See., via Nttw Orleans and the
Gulf of Mexico, to La Baca, (a branch of
Matagorda bay,) and thence marched to
the I’rr3idio de Rio Grande, an as lo
the lower poinls—os Camargo, Ilhmosa,
delay iu arrival to about the 10th of
August.
All tbe fool volunteers called for, aided
by steam, may be taken to the several
points on the Rio Grande a little earlier,
It it thus shown, according lo the beat
calculations which can be made here—
no matter bow areal tbe seal and energy
of tbe State authorities and ol tbe volun
teers themselves—that the whole, (say
22,000) nor a greater part of tbe twelve
month volunteers—horse and foot—can-
oqt be brought on the Rio Graude before
the first week in August, if so soon.
Assuming, then, the possibility of get'
ting (say) 22,000 twelve-month volunteers
(horse and foot) in position on the Rio
Grande by the 1st, or even the 10th of
August, ami leaving out, for the present,
tbe poeeibilityfof extending the regular
regiments (there or to be seat) by raw re
cruits to 6,000 or 7,000 men—all within
the same time—I come next to the second
difficulty—Ota the troope, after getting in
position, tale up lines of operations beyond
that riter scith any probability, nay possibili
ty, of advantage in the month of August?
This is the question—put here in tbe
second place; but which is the first in im
portance—now to be met.
As a soldier, whethet I am to command
in tbe expedition or not, it is my duly to
meet it. No matter what the danger to
myself—and 1 know that 1 have already
been condemned for haviag suggested tbe
1st of September as the earliest day (or
marching much beyond tho Rio Grande—
I have now, according to better and most
reliable information, come to the conclu
sion that such operations cannot, after,
say the 10th of June, or before the 1st of
October, be assumed with the least possi
ble advantage. This is a conclusion
which (under every personal danger) 1
dare announce, and I beg all above me in
authority to discuss it with severity, but
also with candor; and if the conclusion
shall be found to be just, that 1 may be
cordially and actively sustained against
the clamors of the ignorant and the slan
ders of the mnlian. 1 make the request,
not as a personal favor, hut for the good
of the service, so fur as my humble ubili-
lies, and far greater experience, may be
deemed of any advantage to the service.
My conclusion as to the 1st of October,
is founded on the most satisfactory infor
mation derived from Col. A. Butler, a dis
tinguished officer in the war of 1812, since
minister in Mexico, &c., anti from Gen. J.
1'. Muson, who has travelled much in
Mexico with Col. Butler. It is clear to
my mind that the two know more ofNorth-
ern and Middle Mexico than all olliejr
persons,taken together, within the District
of Columbia. 1 beg to refer to him.—
They nrc full, precise, und emphatic upon
the subject.
If their conclusion (now mine) be adopt
ed by the higher authorities here, and laid
down as a basis, then these smaller points
and details necessarily follow.
Let the State quotas, as above, meet at
tlteir respective rendezvous without de
lay, be inspected, mustered into the ser
vice, and armed, as promptly aa practica
ble; let them be supplied with subsis
tence, cutup equipage, he put under in
struction, nod held in readiness to move
in time tn reach the Rio Grande, accord-
I should be ashamed to supersede him,
before the arrival of competent reinforce
ments to penetrate the interior of Mexico
end to conquer e peace. I shall be ready
for any instructions or orders, with which
the President may honot me.
All of which is respectfully submitted,
WINFIELD SCOTT.
Hon. W. L. Marot, Sec’y of War.
friends to whom I have alluded, To that
source, and from no ill-will of your own,
I have feared that you had not made, and
was not likely to make, the just and easy
explanations in my behalf, which might
be made. You are also aware of other
causes of uneasiness 1 have against thedc-
partment-=of tbe want of that confidence
ing to the routes which may be given, a
little Itefore the beginning of October—aay
to Point Isabel, and thns reach the Rio
Grande a little earlier. Bui the horse
i Arkansas would be obliged
* “ * to the Presulo de
...lie. which
by tbe 26th ol Septcmlier.
It is here assumed that all spare time
for instruction, as cavalry or as infantry,
had better be taken at this than the other
end of the line (Rio Grande) of march or
water transportation^ 1st, on account of
health, (while at rest;) and, 2d, on ac
count of abundance and cheapness of sub
sistence and other supplies.
Bui there are offsets against these ad
vantages: 1st. The rivers in August and
September may not furnish as good navi
gation as in July. 2. Such of the troops
as shall be obliged to pass by New Orleans
may, after July, be in danger of taking
the yellow fever; and 3. The earlier pres
ence of a portion of the twelve-month
volunteers may (possibly) be needed to
aid in the defence ot positions on the Rio
Grande (say) Matamoras, Rhioosa, and
Camargo, which Gen. Taylor may have
taken, or desire to lake, before tbe laiger
army can be ready (say Oct. 1st,) to take
up the long line of invasion.
All these points I am ready to discuss,
to balance'and to settle with the Secretary
or War. at bis call; and I beg to add that
they ought to be early settled.
Now, I hope to be pardoned in saying
something further in respect to myself.
I have been preparing, by looking to
quotas, rendezvous routes, (oo both sides
of tbe Rio Grande,) arms, accoutrements,
camp equipage, subsistence, means ol
transportation, (steamers, wheels and
packs,) Mexican topography, Ac., tec., in
order to be ready to obey any instructions
for distant service, with which the Presi
dent may honor me. Such have been my
incessant occupations since the intimation
that I might be required to command the
new forces against Mexico. I think my
LETTER OF GEN. SCO IT TO THE
SECRETARY OF WAR.
Hbadquaetebs or the ArjJV,
Washington, May 25,1846.
Sir: Your letter of this date, received
at about 6. p. m., as I sat down to take
a hasty plate of soap, demands a prompt
Too have taken four days to reflect,
and to convict me, upon my letter to you
of the 21st inat. of official, perhaps, per
sonal disrespect to tbe constitutional com
mander-in-chief of tbe army aod navy of
the U. Stales.
If you have succeeded in imparting
that impresion to the President, then, by
the conclusion of your letter, written in
his behalf, I am placed under very high
obligations to his magnanimity—may I
not add, to his landmen?—in not placing
me instantly in at rest, and before a gener
al court martiaL I may then hope that
the President saw no such intended dis
respect ; and I can assure you both that
I leel too great a deference to the consti
tution and the laws of my country to of
fer or to design an indignity to our chief
magistrate.
The strongest passagesin my condemn
ed letter are, I think, hypothetical. In it,
I spoke of “impatience”—“pethaps in
high quarters,” oft “perhaps, utter con
demnation, in the quarters alluded to,”
of the “infinite importance of securing
myself against danger (ill-will or precon-
demmitiem) in my rear,” and of that “most
perilous of all positions” to any comman
der—“a fire upon his rear from Washing
ton, and the Gre in front from the Mexi
cans.” And I also spoke of the necessity
of “the active, candid, und steady support
of (such commander’s) government”
the hope of conciliating it.
Now, if there be any offence to the
President in these passages—the intention
of committing which I utterly disclaim—
it must, in candor, be found in the mean
ing of the passages “high quarters” and
the “quarters alluded to,” which qualify
all the others quoted by you.
It will be perceived that I spoke not of
the highest quaiter, but, in the plural,
“high quarters;” and 1 beg as an act of [
justice, no less lo myself than the Presi
dent, to say I meant “impatience,” and
even “pre-condemnation,” on your part,
and the known, open, and violent con
demn- -lion of me on the part of several
leading and supposed confidants of the
President in the two houses of Congress,
(high quarters;) because, on an intimation
—not an order—I did not fly tn tbe Rio
Grande, without waiting for the invading
army, yet to be raised—nay. abandoning
iltngetlolhal river as it could, & without
the least regard to the honorable pride
an>l distinction of the gallant general al
ready in command tin that river, who we
knew, had done well, was doing well, and
who, I was quite sure, and his little army
would, if the occasion offered, cover
themselves with glory. My prediction,
in this respect, has been fully accom
plished.
But that I did fear, and meant to ex
press the fear in my hasty letter of the
21st, that liaise persons here enumerated
would, soooer or later, impart theit pre-
condemnation of roe to the President, I
will not deny. My letter was written, in
part, to guard both tbe President qpd my
self against such a result, which would
have been fatal, not only to me, bat per-
, for a campaign, to the service of the
iiy. Hence the details I entered in
to to show the President and tbe Secreta
ry of War—neither supposed to be pro
fessionally experienced in tbe technical
treUminaries of a campaign—what had
teen, and what would continue for some
days, my incessant occupations. There
is no special pleading in this explanation.
It is written and offered in good faith; in
proof of which I beg to refer to my letter
to yon of this date, sent in three hours be
fore the reception of that to which I am
now replying.
Yon speak of mjr interview with the
President oo tbe subject of tbe intended
formidable invasion of Mexico. I wish
I had. tbe time to do justice to my recol
lection oftbe President’s excellent sense
and support necessary to my official posi
tion—whether here or on the Rio Grande.
I have heretofore explained myself on
these points, which render repetition un
necessary.
Whether it shall he tbe pleasure pf the
President to send me to the Rio Grande,
(which 1 would prefer,) or to retain me
here, 1 can only say, t am equally ready
to do'my duty in either position, with all
my zeal, and all my ability,
lo great haste, 1 have the booor to re
main, your most obedient servant,
WINFIELD SCOTT,
Hon. W. L. Mazct, Sec’y of War.
LETTER OF THE SECRETARY OF
WAR TO GEN. SCOTT.
Wax Department,
May 26th 1846.
Sib: Y'onr letter of yesterday, although
left at my house last evening, was not re
ceived by me until this morning.—
Though not much of the time between
the date of yours of tbe 21$t, and of my
reply of yesterday was devoted to (he
subject, yet it was, as justice to you re
quired it should be, well considered, and
tbe construction reluctantly given to your
letter, was such and only such, as your
language seemed to me to render-unavoid
able. As you now explain that letter,
the suspicions or imputations of “ill will,”
“pre-condemnation, Ac., were not in
tended by you to be applied to the Pres
ident, but in some measure to myself;
there is nothing in that letter which war
rants this particular application,—there
was nothing in our intercourse, and cer
tainly nothing in the state of my feelings
which would lead even to n conjecture
that such an application was designed^
You cannot recur with more pleasure
than I do lo the ‘‘many personal courie-
sies” between us lor “long years," and 1
was unconscious thnt the kindly feelings
in which they had their orgin, had un
dergone and change—on my part jhey
certainly bad not. I had hoped that your
knowledge of tny character was such as
to place me in your opinion beyond the
suspicion or apprehension which you
seemed lo have indulged, that I was ca
pable of being influenced and controlled
in my official conduct towards you by
unfounded clamor, even should it enme
from “leading and supposed confldunts
of the. President in the two houses of Con
gress.” As you “have not accused,'
and as your declare “do not mOBnlo ac
cuse me of a set purpose lo discredit you,
as the commander, Ac., but only fear the
effects of a sinister influence,” 1 submit to
your judgment whether it was not due to
our personal and official relations, that
you should have been more explicit—
that you should have stated the circum
stances which had excited your appre
hensions, aod thereby opened tbe way to
correct the rash conclusion yon have a-
dopted, “that (1) bad allowed (mysell) lo
be influenced by the clamor of some of
the' friends to whom (you) have alluded.’.’
You state that I am “aware of other
causes of uneasiness” (you) “have against
tbe department—of the want of that con
fidence and support necessary to (your)
official position, whether here or on tbe
Rio Grande.” I must say that I
wholly ignorant of any just cause for un
easiness on yonr part, and 1 am very
sure you have no ground whatever to
sustain the allegation of a want of that
confidence anti support necessary lo your
“official position.” Tbe matters, ot rath
er matter to which you probably-allude,
(fori can recollect but one.) and which
has been made tbe subject of a frank—
and I hope—satisfactory explanation, was
of minor importance, of too slight a char
acter to disturb our friendly intercourse,
or influence in tbe smallest degree our
official relations.
I have tbe honor to be, very respetfol-
ly, your obedient aervant,
W.L. MARCY.
Maj. General Winfield Scott,
Commanding General, Ac* Ac.
raised, for tbe conquest nfa peace within
Mexico. I cbnridftred myselfbonored by the
intended appointment, and I beg that my
expressions on that occasion, which 1 need
not here repeat, may be remembered.
1 have raid in toy letter to you of the
21st inst., “ 1 have received no orders aa
as yet, assigning me to the immediate com
mand W tbe army about to bt raised,” Ac,
No officer of tbe army or navy was ever
despatched by any executive, on distant
important service without written instruc
tions, or orders from his government. I
have received no such paper, and have nev
er even heard that such a paper had been
drawn up, or was even-in preparation fee
me. It is evident, then, that, without
written instructions, or orders, I could not
have left my official duties here, indepen
dent of the preliminary arrangements for
(he formidable movements contemplated
against Mexico.
On the 18th instant, hearing that Mexi
can troops bad passed tlie Bio Grande, and
of tbe capture of Capt. Thornton’s detach
ment, I addressed a letter to Gen. Taylor,
a copy of which I annex, and beg it, also,
(with tins letter,) may be laid before tbe
President. The letter to Gen. Taylor, was
twice sent lo you before it was despatched,
and, at your instance, was changed (by the
omission of a paragraph,) to tbe exact
shape of this copy.
i lu last paragraph it in these Words
do not now expect to reach the Rio Grando
much ahead of tho heavy re.inforcementa
alluded lo above, or to assumo the immedi
ate command In. that quarter before my ar
rival.”
I quote this paragraph to show that I
did not expect lo be tent to the Rio Grande,
and did not even suspect it was the inten
tion of the President, or yourself to send
me thither, “ much ahead of the heavy re
inforcements alluded to”—viz: tome twen
ty odd thousand volunteers, besides u few
additional regulars.
underwood, from eivil or political life. It
was then that my epptebenstons became
serious, aa may be wen in my lelief to vott
of the following day, (May ««,) and w
many of my snnaaquent acta. From tbw
moment, (before tny letter of the tl«,l I
have had but little doubt down to Inal night;
that if the bill became e lew—connecting
it with the clamor again* me lo which I
have alluded—1 should not be sent age teat
Mexico, . , . .
I will bow, however, hope for better for-
obedient servant.
WINFIELD SCOTT.
P. S. I edd to the papers, herewith, a
copy of Cot. Bullet's explanatory notes of tt
rough sketch made by him of northern
Mexico, which may tie valuable. The
colonel is not so full on the rainy season as
he and Gen. T. Mason were in Converse-'
tion with me. I beg again to refer to tbenl
personally. W. S.
Hon. W. L. Miner,
Secretary of War.
laittonal regulars.
Though, 1 had occasion to see you twice
thrice in (he meantime, 1 heard no com.
plaint from you, and received no correction
of that misapprehension—if, in feet, 1 had
fallen into any—before tho evening of the
20th instant, when you spoke of the imps-
lienco manifested nt my occupations (or
delays) here—which complaint caused my
letter to you of the next morning, May 21st.
It seemed, therefore, evident to me, nl
the lime, that your complnint had been
caused by the oubof-doorclamore, to which
1 Imve twice alluded.
Threo hours before 1 received your let
ter of the 25th instant, conveying tho dis-
f ileasure of tho Executive, ana without the
cast expectation of receiving such n letter,
I had soul to you my report or note of (ho
same tiny, (the 25th,) which concluded
with this declaration:
“ I think my preliminary and necessary
occupation may be endeu hero in (say)
three days more, when—premising that ut
ter the great and brilliant victories of the
LETTER OF GEN. SCOTT TO GEN.
TAYLOR.
HZADQUABTCSS OF TUB ASMT,
gret
f jnllanl Tavlor, (of which we have recent,
y heard,) 1 should be ashamed to super-
military comprehension, patience, and
courtesies in these interviews. I' have
since often spoken oftbe admirable qual
hies be displayed on those occasions, with
honor, as ter as it wts in my power to do
him honor.
And to you, sir, allow me to say I have
not accused you, and do not mean to ac
cuse you, of a sot purpose to discredit
me as the commander at first dest
ine as ttae commander at first designed
for the new army that is to invade Mexi
co. I bear in mind with pleasure the
preliminary and necessary occupations many personal courtesies ftat I have, for
may be ended, here, in (say) three days long years, received al your hands. But
more, when, premising, that after the I have for many days believed that you
meal and brilliant victories of the gallan have allowed yoursclfto be influenced
Tavlor, (of which we have recently heard against me by the clamor of some of the
sede him before the arrival of competent
reinforcements to penetrate the interior of
Mexico, and to conquer a peace—I shall be.
ready for any instructions ot orders with
which the President may honor me.”
And again, on that day, (tho night of
the 25ih,) after receiving the censure of
the President, through your letter, I con.
eluded tny prompt explanatory reply (hue:
“ Whether is shall be the pleasure of (he
President to send me to tbe Rio Grunde,
(which 1 would prefer,) or to retain me here,
I can only my I am equally ready to do tny
duly in either position witu nit my seal and
all my ability.
I still hope when the President shall
have read that explanatory letter and tbe
foregoing expoeition of facie attentively, he
may be willing to recur to bie original pur-
poee, and accord to nty senior rank the
preference which I have never ceased to
entertain, and which 1 should have preased
with incessant zeal, but for tbe apprehen-
tioni heretofore expreseed, and which your
leucra have nearly, if not quite removed.
1 therefore beg to claim that command,
whenever the Preetdeni may deem it prop
er to give tne the assignment—whether to
day, or at any other better lime, he may be
pleaeed to designate.
In your rejoinder to me of yesterday
(May 26th) which I bare acknowledged
above, you quote from my letter of explan
ation the words: “ You are also aware of
other causes of uneasiness I have against
the department,” Ac., Ac.,
Your notice of thiscomplaint, on my pert,
la so liberal—not to ray kind—that 1 am
bound to bo frank and explicit, as to one of
those causes. I had, upon my mind, in
hastily penning those words, mere facte:
Brigadier General Wool was called to this
place by a letter of your own writing, to
command, under me, one of tho detached
columns against Mexico, according to an
LETTER OF GENERAL SCOTT TO
THE SECREARY OF WAR.
Headquaetzes or the Armt,
Washington, May 27,1846.
Sra:—I bad the honor to receive your
letter of yesterday, at my office, about 9
o’clock at night.
As you do not my that you bad shown
my explanatory note to you of the previous
night Mar 25, to the President, may I beg
yon to lay the fair copy (herewith) before
him 1 In ibis copy I have inserted in brack
ets, a material word—“friends”-^aceiden-
tally omitted in the burry of writing, and
also a developement of my meaning in an
other place, in red ink and in brackets.
Allow me to recapitulate some of the
principal facts in my present (to me) unfor
tunate misunderstanding with the War
Department.
About the 13th instant, both you and
the President expressed the desire, very ex-
plfcitly, that I should conduct, on an exlen- the new tegular generals of our
sive scale, with the new forces about to be grades, to
nquASTcaa or the Ahmt,
Washington, May 18,1846.
Sir: We have no report from you Isle*
than the 26th ultimo, and but little through'
unofficial sources no tale as the morning of
the 29th. Of course, notwithstanding our
high confidence in you and yonr lit lie army/
we are anxious to hear further from you.
All the succeee that may be expected tin*
der the circumstances is. confidently relied
upon.
Congress having, recognized the exis
tence of war between the United Stated
and the republic of Mexico, ond having
authorized the acceptance of 50,000 volun
teers, the War Department has already,
called upon eevcral States for quotas of
twelve month volunteer*—.making' a total
of uboul 20,000, say ona-fotirth horse, Iff
march upon Mexico from different points
on the Rio Grande. Of course, at ihn ear
ly moment, and at this distance from the
scene of intended operations, no definite
plan of campaign has been laid down.—-.
Being destined to the chief command of
tho nuginented force*, I shall delay aa
much as possible of that plan until I can
profit by your belter knowledge of the en
emy’s country, when it is my hope to bays
the benefit of your valttoblo services accor
ding to your brevet rank and with tha col
umn that may be the most agreeable iff
you. '/
Wo have multiplied our force on the geri-r
oral recruiting service, and hope; in two or
three months, to bring up the privates Of
companies lo 70 or 80—at least in the. re
giments with you. |
I fear that wo shall not be able to put off
the Rio Grande, with our utmost efforts,
more than ten or fifteen thousand vnlnn-
teers by the first of September—the best
period, we learn here, for the commence
ment of operations beyond, with a view to
the conquest of n pence. What you may
have done since the 2Gih ultimo, or wlml
you may bo able lo accomplish before the
first of September, with your limited means,
towards that general end—an honorable
peace—cannot now be assumed. We hope
that, with the small reinforcements you
have by this time received, roll bare 'for
ced berk the Mexicans to the right honk of
the Rio Grande, and perhaps may have
taken Matnrnoros, or possibly, by the great
ly auperiur army of the enemy, vou may
now be placed strictly on the defensive.—
lly this, it is not intended to embarrass you
with new instructions, but to give you in
formation aa to expectations or intemiofte
entertained here—leaving you under the
instructions you have already received,
and to your own good judgment, real and
intelligence.
1 do not expect to reach the Rio Grande
m ,,e « ahead of tbe heavy reinforcements
alluded to above, or to assume tbe immedi
ate command in that quarter before my ^
With great respect, I am, air,
Your most obedient servant,
WINFIELD SCOTT-
BreTet Brigadier Gen. Tenon, •
Commanding, Ac., Ac.
understanding between the President, you.
that effect. I raw Gen. Wool
fan,"the'day of his arrival (May 17,) and
communicated to him the purpose of bie
being called totbis place. In a day or two,
I learned from Gen. Wool that, notwith
standing my intimation, he had been told
ter you, be might not be ultimately assign
ed to that command, because, perhaps oth
er generals might bo authorised and ap
pointed, for tbe army, and called into ser
vice from tho. State*. That information
gave me no seriousapprehenaionaforGen
Woo! or myself, until I raw, on tbe morn
ing of the 20th a bill reported in the ben-
ate (at your immediato instance / knew)
the day before, providing for two major
generals, and four brigadier generals, to be
added to the regular military establishment,
besides giving to the President the power
of selecting Stale generals for the command
oftbe 60,000 volunteers. I then thought
I saw a strong probability that both Gen.
Wool and mvself would be supt
least fetes Star agahut Meat*
LETTER OF THE SECREATARY
OF WAR TO GEN. SCOTT, i
Was Department,
„ June 2, 1846.
bt* j When I received yonr letter of the
17th ulu, it was my iniAnion to answer it
at route length, and to note the misappre-
{tensions under which you are still labor
ing; butonaccouniofmyofficialcngage-
menls at this particular junciure, and not
wtMitng to protract this correspondence,
which can end in nn practical gaod, I have
changed my purpose, preferring to point
out those misapprehensions in a personal
interview, if you should so desire it.
. Your communications have all been laid
before tbe President, but I have received
no instructions to change or modify the di
rections contained in the closing paragraph
of mj letter of the 26th ultimo.
Very Respectfully, •><
Your obedient servant, M
W. L. MARCYT
s
at Galveston that Tnxna would send fijiem
hundred mounted men to Matamoros.—
Three weeks ago. a genllemnn travelling
m Fayette and Washington Counties, in a
journey of fifty miles, met over fi
Sud men. This fifteen hundred
in the field.
from Eastern Te
l ad to march over seven hundred
each their place of dcsiincuion.”
twvll * “V** pWVV v» IHMMWMI
_