History of the War between the United States and Mexico/Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV.
THE ARMY UNDER TAYLOR.
The American forces on the line of the Sierra Madre, and in the Valley of the Rio Grande — Correspondence between General Taylor and General Mora y Villamil — The Texan Rangers — Expedition to Huejutla — Part of General Taylor's forces ordered to Vera Cruz — Position of the Troops — The command transferred to General Wool.
The severe defeat experienced by the Mexicans, at Buena Vista, threw them far back into the interior; and no further attempt was made seriously to molest the American forces on the line of the Sierra Madre, and in the valley of the Rio Grande. Reposing quietly and contentedly on the laurels he had won, — his name potential as that of the Black Douglass in overawing the enemy, — General Taylor remained in his camp near Monterey, not seeking an opportunity to achieve new victories, but prepared, at all times, to maintain and enforce the authority of his government over the territory occupied by the troops under his command. Generals Urrea and Canales hovered in the vicinity with their bands of rancheros, but they were careful not to approach within reach of an arm, which, as they well knew, was not more prompt, than it was powerful, to strike.
In accordance with the directions of General Taylor, most of the ranches between Mier and Monterey, which had been the harboring-places of the marauding bands who had obstructed his line of communications, were laid waste. This harsh, but necessary measure, in connection with his order requiring an indemnity for property destroyed, secured his trains, in a great degree, from attack; although occasional efforts were made, by small parties of the enemy, to capture some of the wagons, where a train was large, or feebly guarded. The principal object of the banditti appeared to be, to seize the merchants' goods going up under the protection of the army escorts, and General Taylor felt compelled, for the safety of his own supplies, to prohibit their accompanying the trains. Fewer inducements, therefore, were held out to the guerilleros; and consequently there were fewer attacks, and fewer losses sustained.
After the return of Santa Anna to the city of Mexico, General Mora y Villamil held the command, for a short time, at San Luis Potosi; and when the requisition for an indemnification was issued, he addressed a communication to General Taylor, desiring to know, whether his wishes and instructions were, "to prosecute the war in conformity to the laws of nations, and as war [was] conducted by civilized countries, or as barbarous tribes [carried] it on among themselves?" Besides referring to the requisition, he also alluded to several acts of violence committed by some of the Texan rangers, a new regiment of which, under Colonel Hays, had recently been enrolled; and threatened to retaliate, in case satisfaction was not rendered for the grievances specified. General Taylor replied on the 19th of May, 1847, refusing, peremptorily, to give a categorical answer to the inquiry, upon the ground that it was a deliberate insult to himself and his government, yet, nevertheless, assuring the Mexican general, that every possible effort had been made to discover the perpetrators of the acts complained of, in order to bring them to trial and punishment, but without success. In regard to the threat of retaliation, he treated it, as it deserved, and stated that he was ready for any course of policy which the Mexican authorities decided to adopt.[1]
During the ensuing summer, General Taylor found himself unable to control the lawlessness of the rangers; and so many unprovoked outrages were committed, the authors of which could very rarely be ascertained, that, as an act of justice to himself and to his country, he ordered a number of the more turbulent and refractory among them to be summarily dismissed from the service, regarding them as being wholly unworthy to belong to the American army.[2] Collisions, growing out of these outrages, frequently took place; but the departments of Tamaulipas and New Leon, with this exception, were generally quiet. The active operations of the war were carried on upon a different theatre, and General Taylor remained strictly on the defensive.[3]
Early in July, Colonel Gates, of the 3rd artillery, the commanding officer at Tampico, received information that a number of American prisoners, entitled to liberation, were at or near Huejutla, over one hundred miles in the interior of Tamaulipas, where General Garey had established his head-quarters, with a force from twelve to fifteen hundred strong. Being anxious to liberate them as soon as possible, Colonel Gates ordered Colonel De Russey, of the Louisiana volunteers, to proceed to Huejutla, accompanied by an escort of 126 men, in order to communicate with General Garey, and effect the restoration of the prisoners.
Colonel De Russey left Tampico on the 8th of July with his command, consisting of one company of the 3rd artillery, Captain Wyse, with a field-piece; a company of dragoons, under Captain Boyd and Lieutenant Taneyhill; a detachment of Louisiana volunteers, under Captains Mace and Seguine; and a small party of Tampico rangers, a volunteer company organized by Colonel Gates for the defence of the post. Passing up the river Panuco, in steamers, about sixty miles, and then marching by land through Asulwama, the alcalde of which was made acquainted with the friendly purpose of the expedition, and cheerfully furnished the command with supplies, Colonel De Russey arrived at Tantayuka, twenty-five miles from Huejutla, on the 11th instant. The alcalde of this town was also informed of the object of his mission; and on the morning of the 12th he continued his march. So far he had been unable to find a military officer who might accompany him to the head-quarters of General Carey and, although he anticipated that preparations for {{hws|de|
fence would be made, he intended to rely on the white flag when the enemy should be discovered, in order to prevent a conflict, at least until the pacific nature of his visit should be made known.
About eight miles from Tantayuka, a Mexican Indian was met, who informed Colonel De Russey that General Garey, with a large force, had laid an ambuscade for him, at the Calaboso river, one mile in his front. Captain Boyd was then in advance with his company, and before orders could be sent to him to fall back to the main body, a rapid discharge of firearms was heard. Colonel De Russey hurried forward with the remainder of his detachment, and encountered the dragoons in retreat, having already lost Captain Boyd and six of their comrades. On approaching the river, it was found that the enemy, who had displayed considerable sagacity in their choice of position, had cleared the ground from bushes, for the space of one hundred and fifty yards on either side of the road, leaving, beyond the now open ground, a dense hedge of Chaparral, in rear of which a fence had been constructed as an obstacle to the movements of cavalry. The main body of General Garey’s force were upon the opposite bank of the stream, also protected in their front by thick Chaparral.
A charge was instantly made on either flank by Captains Mace and Seguine, with their men, and the enemy retired hastily across the river. Captain Wyse at once opened his fire upon the main body on the opposite bank, which was kept up for nearly an hour, when the enemy manifested a disposition to abandon their ground, and their fire altogether ceased. It was now ascertained that all the cartridges but three had been exhausted, and great numbers of the enemy from the towns through which the Americans had passed, were discovered on the flanks and in the rear, who had succeeded in capturing about ninety mules, laden with the provisions, the money, and clothing of the detachment. It was also known that the road to Huejutla lay through a gorge flanked by steep acclivities, and that the prisoners had been removed. In this position of affairs, Colonel De Russey determined to retrace his steps with his small command.
After the retrograde movement commenced, the Mexicans began to harass the American rear, but they were always repulsed. with great loss, by Captain Mace, who poured upon them his volleys of musketry with good effect. On ascending a hill about one mile from Tantayuka, a desperate rush was made by the enemy, and the rear-guard was driven in. Captain Wyse promptly unlimbered his gun, and dispersed the Mexicans with two discharges of canister. In this manner the detachment returned to Tantayuka, keeping up a continued fight throughout the whole distance of nine miles. When they reached the town, the enemy appeared in their front to oppose them. The field-piece was again discharged, and again scattered the enemy in confusion.
Colonel De Russey now posted his men on a mound overlooking the town; powder and ball were procured at the stores; and a number of cartridges were prepared, by using champagne bottles, as a substitute for tin cylinders, which were half filled with balls, and the remaining space packed with earth. Musket cartridges for the infantry were also manufactured, and every preparation was made to defend the position. At nine o’clock on the night of the 12th, a message was received from General Garey demanding the mediate surrender of the force. Colonel De Russey replied that this was impossible, and then informed the bearer of the message of the object of his visit. The latter stated, in answer, that there had been some misunderstanding in regard to the matter, and arranged an interview between General Carey and Colonel De Russey, to take place in a few hours. The Mexican officers failed to keep the appointment. and suspecting treachery, Colonel De Russey ordered his men under arms, and at two o’clock in the morning the 13th continued his retreat towards Tampico, protected by the darkness. Shortly after daylight the enemy again appeared upon the flanks and rear of the detachment. Whenever they attempted to make a close attack they were driven off by the fire of the field-piece or muskets, though the pursuit was continued for more than fifty miles beyond Tantayuka. The detachment succeeded, however, in reaching Tampico, having lost, in the affair at the Calaboso river, and the subsequent retreat, fifteen killed and mortally wounded, ten wounded, and three missing.[4] The enemy lost nearly two hundred in killed and wounded.
During the absence of Colonel De Russey, Colonel Gates was informed of his critical situation, and it was also rumored that an attack upon Tampico was contemplated; whereupon, he immediately dispatched a messenger to Colonel Wilson, at Vera Cruz, with a request that he might be reinforced. There being no disposable troops belonging to the army, at that post, Commodore Perry sent a small party of marines to Tampico. In the meantime Colonel Gates had ordered a reinforcement of one hundred and fifty men to move up the Panuco to the support of Colonel De Russey, who did not effect a junction with the latter until after the enemy had ceased to molest his command. The alarm at Tampico did not entirely subside for a number of weeks. The ordinary supplies of the market were nearly cut oil, and General Garey was reported to be moving upon the town with 3,000 troops. On the 29th of July the schooner Petrel, Lieutenant Moore in command, proceeded up the Panuco, in tow of the steamer Undine, with a detachment of marines on board, and a field-piece in addition to her armament; but she re — turned without accomplishing any thing, except that the enemy were intimidated from making any attack upon Tampico, if it had been in contemplation.[5]
Exaggerated rumors of the approach of large bodies of troops constantly reached the American camp at Buena Vista, where General Wool remained in command, during the summer of 1847. General Urrea was known to be at Tula with about 1,500 troops, and after General Valencia was ordered to Mexico, with his division, General Filisola was left at San Luis Potosi with 3,000 men. Canales also roamed about the country with several hundred men, always taking care, however, to keep out of the way of harm. Most of the rumors in circulation had reference to the movements of one or more of these commanders, and parties were frequently dispatched in different directions, to obtain information. In July, a detachment was sent to Parras to capture Señor Aguirre, Governor of the State of Coahuila, but they came back without His Excellency, though bringing with them a quantity of captured provisions.
In the expectation of being ordered to advance into the interior, General Taylor directed a camp of instruction to be formed at Mier, early in the summer, in order to have his troops ready for active duty in the field. The camp was organized by General Hopping, who was placed in command of the upper district on the Rio Grande — Colonel Davenport, of the 1st infantry, being assigned to the lower district. Colonel Belknap, of the 8th infantry, was ordered to take the immediate charge of the camp, but before it had fairly gone into operation, General Taylor received orders to detach a large portion of his troops to reinforce the column under General Scott. The brilliant results which had attended the operations of the General-in-Chief on the line of the National Road, and the necessity of opening his communications with the sea-coast, rendered it as necessary as it was advisable, to strengthen his column without delay. Several new volunteer regiments had previously joined General Taylor, together with three regiments of infantry raised under the ten regiment bill, and a part of the 3rd dragoons.
Instructions were received by General Taylor, in August, to send all his disposable troops to Vera Cruz; and, in accordance therewith, General Cushing, with his brigade, consisting of the 13th infantry, Colonel Echols, and the Massachusetts volunteers, Colonel Wright; and General Lane, with the 4th Ohio, Colonel Brough, and 4th Indiana, Colonel Gorman, forming the brigade under his command; together with five companies of Texan rangers, under Colonel Hays, were ordered to embark forthwith from the Rio Grande. General Marshall was also directed to join General Scott, with two regiments of Kentucky volunteers, recently enrolled, and on their way to Vera Cruz.
After the departure of these troops, General Taylor had about 6,000 men under his command, including ten companies of regular dragoons, belonging to different regiments; and nine companies of regular artillery, also belonging to different regiments, and serving with batteries, or garrisoning the forts on the Rio Grande. Besides the regular cavalry, there were five companies of Texas horse, and four companies of mounted volunteers from different states. The 10th infantry, Colonel Temple, was ordered to garrison Matamoras and Camargo. Colonel Butler, with the companies of the 3rd dragoons, was also stationed on the Rio Grande. Colonel Tibbatts garrisoned Monterey with six companies of the 16th infantry, and the remaining four companies of his regiment occupied Seralvo. Lieutenant Colonel Fauntleroy, with his squadron of the 2nd dragoons, and the battery of Lieutenant Colonel Bragg, were stationed at General Taylor’s camp at Walnut Springs. At Buena Vista and Saltillo, were the Virginia and North Carolina regiments, under Colonels Hamtranck and Paine, and the 2nd Mississippi rifles, Colonel R. Davis, with the heavy battery of Captain Prentiss, the light battery of Captain Deas, and several companies of regular and volunteer cavalry, all under the orders of General Wool.
A forward movement from the line of the Sierra Madre being now abandoned, for the present, General Taylor, at his own request, was permitted to return home in November, — leaving General Wool in command, who transferred his head-quarters to Monterey.
- ↑ “It is with pain that I find myself under the necessity of addressing you in a manner to which I am little accustomed; but I have been provoked to do so by the object and the manner of your communication, which is objectionable, in my estimation, as well in its insinuations as in its tone. With respect to the implied threat of retaliation, I beg you to understand that I hold it at its true worth, and that I am at all times prepared to act accordingly, whatever may be the policy or mode of carrying on the war, which the Mexican government, or its generals, may think it proper to adopt.” — Extract from the letter of General Taylor.
- ↑ Assassinations and outrages, of the most barbarous and revolting character, that could not have been provoked by the bad conduct of the rangers, were committed by the regular and irregular Mexican troops. The cruelties practised by the Mexicans during the revolution in Texas, and the war with the United States, no doubt instigated the volunteers to some extent; but, however justly the former may have been punished, the cruelty of the rangers was none the less deserving of censure.
- ↑ In his letter to General Gaines, before alluded to, dated November 8th, 1846, General Taylor avowed himself in favor of withdrawing the American troops to a defensive line, extending from some point on the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific, and at the same time enforcing a rigid blockade of the Mexican ports, as the surest mode of conquering a peace. The same idea was advocated by Mr. Calhoun, of South Carolina, in the Senate of the United States, during the session of 1847-48; propositions for a large increase of the army being then before Congress. The Hon. Joel R. Poinsett, formerly Minister to Mexico, and Secretary of War, also approved of that policy, in a letter addressed to Mr. Butler, a senator in Congress from South Carolina, dated on the 12th of December, 1847, and published in the National Intelligencer on the 22nd of January following. Mr. Poinsett instances, in support of his argument the failure of the Russian government permanently to enforce her authority over the Caucasians. But the two cases are hardly analogous. The Caucasians are wild, fierce, and intractable, while the Mexicans are indolent, cowardly, and treacherous, — tyrannical as masters, but slavish as subjects; the former have few or no towns, and when driven from them, they regarded the deprivation as of little consequence, while the latter looked upon their capital, and their principal cities, as their main dependence and reliance; and, more than all, Russia desired to make a permanent conquest, which, of itself, was well calculated to arouse an untiring and undying spirit of hostility.
Had Mexico been inhabited by any other race, except people descended from a Spanish stock, perhaps the defensive policy would have been the most desirable. Such a policy, however, would have been of little or no avail against the Mexican guarilleros. It was the offensive measures adopted by the American commanders, and those alone, which they feared and dreaded. In a speech delivered in the Senate, on the 4th of January, 1848, Mr. Calhoun made use of the following bold and striking figure: — “Mexico is to us as a dead body, and this is the only way [the defensive policy] that We can cut the cord which binds us to the corpse.” Had the distinguished senator but enlarged a little upon his idea, and inquired how Mexico became reduced to that situation, would he not have refuted his own argument? She was, indeed, prostrate and lifeless, — but why? Because she was in the grasp of a giant! — The defensive policy would have released her from that grasp, and restored her towns and cities, her base of supplies, and all her most valuable internal resources, — thus inviting a bloody and vindictive warfare, to continue as long as a single man could be found to echo “the wild guerilla’s curse” among the gorges of the Sierra Madre.
- ↑ Among the killed, or mortally wounded, were Captain Boyd and Lieutenant Taneyhill. Having no surgeon or means of transportation, Colonel De Russey was compelled to leave Lieutenant Taneyhill and two privates, all mortally wounded, at the house of the alcalde in Tantayuka, where every attention was paid to their wants.
- ↑ Towards the latter part of November, the Indian population near Huejutla rose against the troops stationed there, and commenced murdering the white inhabitants. The latter were now very willing to implore aid from the American commander at Tampico. Notwithstanding their former treacherous behavior, Colonel Gates humanely sent Captain West, with two companies of the Louisiana volunteers, to their assistance.