HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY IN CHIHUAHUA, City of Chihuahua, March 20, 1847. . SIR: The forces under my command are a portion of the Missouri volunteers, called into service for the purpose of invading New Mexico, under the command of Brigadier General (then Colonel) Kearny. After the conquest of New Mexico, and before General Kearny's departure for California, information was received that another regiment and an extra battalion of Missouri volunteers would follow us to Santa Fé. The service of so large a force being wholly unnecessary in that State, I prevailed on General Kearny to order my regiment to report to you at this city. The order was given on the 23d September, 1846; but after the general arrived at La Joya, in the southern part of the State, he issued an order requiring my regiment to make a campaign into the country inhabited by the Navajo Indians, lying between the waters of the Rio del Norte and the Rio Colorado of the west. This campaign detained me until the 14th of December, before our return to the Del Norte. We immediately commenced our march for El Paso del Norte with about 800 riflemen. All communication between Chihuahua and New Mexico was entirely prevented. On the 25th of December, 1846, my van guard was attacked at Brazito by the Mexican forces from this State; our force was about 450, and the force of the enemy 1,100; the engagement lasted about forty minutes, when the enemy fled, leaving 63 killed and since dead, 150 wounded, and one howitzer, the only piece of artillery in the engagement on either side. On the 29th we entered El Paso without further opposition. From the prisoners and others I learned that you had not marched upon this State. I then determined to order a battery and 100 artillerists from New Mexico. They arrived in El Paso about the 5th of February, when we took up the line of march for this place. A copy of my official report of the battle of Sacramento, enclosed to you, will show you all our subsequent movements, up to our taking military possession of this capital. The day of my arrival I had determined to send an express to your forthwith, but the whole intermediate country was in the hands of the enemy, and we were cut off, and had been for many months, from all information respecting the American army. Mexican reports are never to be fully credited; yet, from all we could learn, we did not doubt that you would be forced by overwhelming numbers to abandon Saltillo, and of course we could send no express under such circumstances. On yesterday we received the first even tolerably reliable information that a battle had been fought near Saltillo between the American and Mexican forces, and that Santa Anna had probably fallen back on San Luis de Potosi. My position here is exceedingly embarrassing. In the first place, most of the men under my command have been in the service since the 1st of June, and have never received one cent of pay. Their marches have been hard, especially in the Navajo country, and no forage; so that they are literally without horses, clothes, or money-nothing but arms and a disposition to use them. They are all volunteers, officers and men, and, although ready for any hard ships or danger, are wholly unfit to garrison a town or city. "It is confusion worse confounded." Having performed a march of more than 2,000 miles, and their term of service rapidly expiring, they are restless to join the army under your command. Still we cannot leave this point safely for some days; the American merchants here oppose it violently, and have several hundred thousand dollars at stake. They have sent me a memorial, and my determination has been made known to them. A copy of both they will send you. Of one thing it is necessary to inform you: the merchants admit that their goods could not be sold here in five years; if they go south they will be as near to the markets of Durango and Zacatecas as they now are. I am anxious and willing to protect the merchants as far as practicable; but I protest against remaining here as a mere wagon guard, to garrison a city with troops wholly unfitted for it, and who will soon be wholly ruined by improper indulgences. Having been originally ordered to this point, you know the wishes of the government in relation to it, and of course your orders will be promptly and cheerfully obeyed. I fear there is ample use for us with you, and we would greatly prefer joining you before our term of service expires. All information relative to my previous operations, present condition, &c., will be given you by Mr. J. Collins, the bearer of these despatches. He is a highly honorable gentleman, and was an amateur soldier at Sacramento. The Mexicans report your late battle as having been entirely favorable to themselves; but, taking it for granted they never report the truth, we have fired a salute for our victory in honor of yourself and General Taylor, presuming, from report, you were both present. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. W. DONIPHAN, AN, Commanding 1st Reg. Missouri Volunteers. Should the horses or mules of those bearing this express fail, or prove unfit to return upon, I have to request that they may be supplied by the government with the proper means of returning. A. W. DONIPHAN, Colonel 1st Reg. Missouri Volunteers. Brig. Gen. WooL, U. S. A. HEAD QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, Camp near Monterey, April 11, 1847. SIR: Since my despatch of the 4th instant, nothing has occurred. worthy of note in this quarter. No mail has arrived from the United States, and we have nothing from the interior upon which we can fully rely. It is reported that General Santa Anna has been proclaimed dictator by a part of the army, and that our troops have advanced as far as the Puente Nacional and even Jalapa. I do not deem it worth while to repeat the many rumors which reach By the orders sent in this mail, you will learn the measures taken to muster out of service the 1st regiment Kentucky volunteers. I cannot doubt that orders will be given from the department for the discharge of the great body of the 12 months regiments. I have selected New Orleans for the place of discharge of the regiment in question, it being much more economical to the government to discharge it there than in the field. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. Army, commanding. The ADJUTANT GENERAL of the Army. HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, Camp near Monterey, April 20, 1847. SIR: I have respectfully to acknowledge your communications of February 26th and 27th; the former relative to officers on the sick list, who may be able to perform light duty, such as recruiting; 'the latter announcing that a detachment of recruits had been sent out for the companies of artillery. Captain Steen, Captain Eustis, and Brevet First Lieutenant Pleasanton, of the 1st dragoons, have recently left for the United States, and will, probably, be able to render service in the way proposed. First Lieutenant French, 3d artillery, disabled by a severe wound received at Buena Vista, is now able to travel, and I have ordered him to report to you for such duty as he can perform. While on this subject, I would respectfully call your attention to the great scarcity of regular officers in some of the companies serving on this line, particularly in the arm of artillery, which it is so important to keep up to the establishment. The recent appointments and promotions taken from the battery of the 4th artillery (late Washington's) absolutely every officer on duty with it, viz: Major Washington, Captains O'Brien and Brent, and Lieutenants Whiting and Couch. Both of Major Webster's subalterns and one of Captain Prentiss's are likewise removed from their companies, while Major Bragg, who has at no time had more than two subalterns, loses both. Under these circumstances, I have deemed it necessary to retain on duty, with their companies, until their places can be filled, all the officers thus removed, whether dragoons or artillery, except Major Washington and Captain Donaldson, the services of the latter being greatly required in the quartermaster's department. The paramount necessity of this course will be seen, when it is remembered that I have no means of replacing, even temporarily, artillery officers who may be withdrawn from their companies. The recruits under Lieutenant Potter have arrived. You will see by my orders that I have assigned them all to the three field batteries, (C and E 3d, and B 4th,) a detachment having been sent to the 1st artillery by the orders of Major General Scott. Notwithstanding this assignment, two of the light companies are still below the establishment and short of the necessary strength to man six pieces in the field. The companies of artillery at Fort Brown and Camargo (Merchant's 2d and Hunt's 4th) are of respectable strength, but those at Point Isabel and Brazos island (Scott's 4th and Capron's 1st) are very weak. The latter, particularly, is quite unequal to the duty of guarding the depots at Brazos and the mouth of the river. I would respectfully recommend that 40 recruits be sent to each of these companies. The arrival of recruits for the artillery companies enables me to send to their proper regiment the 3d infantry recruits temporarily attached to the field batteries. I shall employ Lieutenant Potter to conduct these recruits to their regiment, together with all other men in this quarter belonging to General Scott's column. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, The ADJUTANT GENERAL Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. A., commanding. Of the army, Washington, D. C. No. 33. HEAD QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, SIR: Since my despatch of April 11, Major Chevallie has reached this place with a part of his command; the remainder being detached with a train now on its way up, via China. Agreeably to my orders, Major Chevallie has explored the country between China and Montemorelos, and has ascertained satisfactorily that General Urrea has left that region and has probably re-crossed the mountains. The communications are now infested only by bands of robbers, which are very numerous in this country. Our escorts can thus be reduced much below the strength which it has hitherto been necessary to employ. I learn that Colonel Doniphan is probably by this time at Parras, on his way from Chihuahua to Saltillo, having anticipated my orders to march on the latter place. You will perceive from my orders that we have received authentic intelligence of the fall of Vera Cruz. Our latest date from the city of Mexico is March 31, on which day General Santa Anna issued an address or appeal to the Mexican people. I do not enclose it, presuming that it will reach you much sooner by Vera Cruz or Tampico. It is represented by a person who has just arrived from San Luis that not more than one-half of General Santa Anna's original force was saved in the retreat after the battle of Buena Vista, and that his march is indicated by the dead strewed along the road for 60 leagues. Nearly all the troops have been withdrawn from San Luis and the adjacent positions. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, The ADJUTANT GENERAL Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. A., commanding. Of the army, Washington, D. C. No. 34. HEAD-QUARTRRS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, SIR: I respectfully transmit, herewith, the return of regular troops serving with this army for the month of January. I have to acknowledge your communication of March 12; copy of your communication to Brigadier General Cadwalader, of March 20, and of circulars to the colonels of the ten new regiments, dated March 17, 20 and 22. Nothing worthy of report has occurred in this quarter since the date of my last despatch. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, The ADJUTANT GENERAL Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. A., commanding. Of the army, Washington, D. C. No. 36. HEAD QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, SIR: I avail myself of the mail about leaving to say that nothing worthy of report has occurred since my last despatch, unless it be the arrival of a German merchant from Mazatlan, who brings recent intelligence from California to the effect that there had been a great deal of fighting in that territory, but no general action; that Lieutenant Colonel Frémont, just before the arrival of General Kearny, had been compelled to enter into a capitulation, but that quiet was restored when this German left California, in February. He further says that the Americans had lost many officers in the various combats. Commodore Biddle had arrived on the coast. I report very briefly the information brought from Mazatlan, thinking it just possible that it may reach you sooner than by any other route. I am very anxiously waiting instructions communicating the wishes of the government in regard to this line. Unless I receive |