few exceptions, had manifested a neutral disposition, he has continued from the first to pay punctually an liberally for all supplies drawn from the country for the support of his troops. He has used every effort to cause the war to bear lightly upon the people of these States, and he has hoped by this means to retain their confidence, and to assure their neutrality in the strife between his government and that of Mexico; but he regrets to say, that his kindness has not been appreciated, but has been met by acts of hostility and plunder. The citizens of the country, instead of pursuing their avocations quietly at home, have in armed bands way laid the roads, and under the direction and with the support of government troops, have destroyed trains and murdered drivers, under circumstances of atrocity which disgrace humanity. The lives of those who were thus wantonly put to death cannot be restored; but the undersigned requires from the people of the country an indemnification for the loss sustained by the destrucTo that end tion of the trains and the pillage of their contents. an estimate will be made by the proper officers of the entire loss, and this loss must be made good either in money or in the products of the country, by the community at large of the States of Tamaulipas and of Nueva Leon, each district or juzgado paying its just proportion. It is expected that the rich will bear their full share. And the undersigned calls upon all good citizens to remain absolutely neutral, and to give no countenance to the bands which infest the country for the purposes of murder and pillage. It is his anxious desire to continue the same policy as heretofore, and he trusts that the course of the citizens will enable him to do so. Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. A., commanding. No. 42. HEAD-QUARTERS ARMY OF OCCUPATION, Camp near Monterey, May 26, 1847. SIR: Colonel Doniphan's command reached this camp to-day. You will see by my "orders," No. 59, that it will proceed to New Orleans for discharge and payment, leaving small detachments to convey the horses, &c., to Miss uri overland. These troops have not been paid since they entered service, and although some of them would have preferred to be discharged and paid on the Rio Grande, it would have been impracticable for the want of funds. The American battery which accompanied this column from Missouri has been retained at Saltillo. I have permitted the Mexican guns, trophies of the battle of Sacramento, to be taken to Missouri, where they will be delivered to the governor, subject to the final orders of the War Department. I respectfully transmit a report by Captain Reid, Missouri volunteers, of an affair with the Lipan Indians, near Parras.. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. A., commanding. The ADJUTANT GENERAL of the Army, Washington, D. C. the CAMP AT ENCANTADA, May 21, 1847. SIR: In obedience to your order just received, I have the honor to report, that whilst lying at the town of Parras on the night of I was informed by the citizens of that place, that a party of some 60 or 70 Indians (Lipans) were in the vicinity, committing depredations on defenceless citizens, and driving off their stock to a large amount; and was solicited to go out and rescue from them some women and children they were said to have taken from a neighboring ranche. Considering the good disposition of the people of Parras, generally, and more especially their kind treatment of our sick soldiery who had been left among them, I deemed it nothing more than a fair return for favors received, to render them the assistance and protection that lay in my power. Having learned that the Indians must necessarily pass through a gap in the mountains, some thirty miles back on the road we had come, at a ranche called the Poso; I started about midnight with 13 men who had volunteered for the service, and reached the ranche named at daylight; here we posted a sentinel on a commanding point to watch their approach. At about 10 o'clock, a. m., they were seen coming. I now ordered the men to mount, but kept them concealed within the walls of the ranche, whilst with Don Manuel Ybarra and two Mexican vaqueros, I rode out towards the Indians, who no sooner saw us, than they gave chase and pursued us within a few hundred yards of the ranche. I now ordered the men to sally out, which they did; the Indians returning to the Caballado, where they halted for a fight. 1. The first fire of our men was delivered from their horses and was wholly ineffective, which I am induced to believe encouraged the Indians to stand better than they would have done. For a short time the conflict was warm and close, neither party seeming to have the advantage; several of our horses were wounded by their arrows, though none of the men, except myself slightly. Šo soon, however, as our fire began to tell and their men to fall, they fled in panic, leaving of their dead upon the field eight, and evidently carrying off many wounded; of whom seven more were found dead the next day. We succeeded in taking the whole caballado of horses and mules, consisting of some 500 head, which we left at the hacienda of Don Manuel Ybarro. Besides this we released 18 prisoners, women and children, who had been shamefully maltreat ed by their captors. It is proper that I should mention here that Lieutenants Gordon, Winston, and Sprowl, accompanied by some 12 men, came to my aid just before the attack commenced, and to their gallant conduct and good service I feel myself greatly indebted for the success of the enterprise. Hoping, sir, that our undertaking may have met your approval, I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, JOHN W. REID, Captain company C, 1st regiment, Mo. Vols. Brigadier General WooL. A true copy: JNO. E. WOOL, Brigadier General. No. 43. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Camp near Monterey, May 27, 1847. SIR: A fourth company of Texas cavalry for the war, under Captain Reid, has reported to me, and being filled up here to the minimum strength, I have directed its muster by Colonel Croghan, inspector general. I received yesterday a communication from Captain Howe, 2d dragoons, commanding at San Antonio, advising me that mounted troops had been raised in Texas on the call of Colonel Curtis, made in March, when this army was supposed to be in peril, and that he had mustered a regiment, (800 strong,) under Colonel Hays, which marched on the 12th instant from this place. I at first supposed that this force might be the volunteers for 12 months, organized under the call of the President, as modified in the Secretary's letter to Governor Henderson, of March 20th; but a further examination showed that they were called out only for six months, and were designed to comply in part with the call of Colonel Curtis, although the emergency which occasioned that call had notoriously long since passed away. I therefore deemed it my duty to suspend the movement of this force, and accordingly issued orders" No. 60. I presume that the department has no intention of employing in the field any volunteers except for the war, or at least 12 months, and we have, at any rate, no means of foraging this large force where its services could be usefully employed. From the Secretary's letter of March 20th, to Governor Henderson, which reaches me through Captain Howe, I learn for the first time that the supplemental companies of the regiment of Texas cavalry are not necessarily designed for this army, but will probably be employed on the frontier of Texas. Considering that the arrangements for the defence of the Indian frontier of Texas have been confided to the officer commanding there, who, I perceiye, is directed to confer with the governor in relation to his duties, I have instructed Captain Howe to make his reports direct to your office, and if superseded by a volunteer field officer, I have authorized him to leave his station and report to you in person or by letter, his company, as I understand, being now broken up. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. A., commanding. The ADJUTANT GENERAL of the Army, Washington, D. C: ORDERS, } HEAD QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, Camp near Monterey, May 27, 1847. Any mounted volunteers from Texas, that may be in route to join this army, and not mustered for the war or for 12 months, under the call of the War Department, will return to San Antonio, or other point of rendezvous, and there be discharged; their services not being required on this line for a less period than 12 months. They will be mustered out of service by Captain Howe as they reach San Antonio. By order of Major General Taylor: W. W. S. BLISS, Assistant Adjutant General. No. 44. HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, Camp near Monterey, May 28, 1847. SIR: I respectfully acknowledge the receipt, on the 25th instant, of copies of your communications of April 28 and 30 to Brigadier General Cadwalader, indicating the organization of his brigade and the regiments of those lately raised, which are assigned to the particular column of Major General Scott. I have had no report from Brigadier General Cadwalader since he received these instructions, but have no doubt that he carried them out promptly and fully. From the copy of your letter of April 30 to Brigadier General Hopping, I perceive that his brigade (10th, 13th, and 16th regi ments infantry) is assigned to the column under my orders, and I infer, though not with certainty, that the 3d dragoons, also, will form part of my command. I deem this a suitable occasion to make a few remarks in relation to the amount of force left under my orders, and the future operations on this line. In effectives, our strength will not exceed the following: The minimum force that should be left to hold this point, Camargo, Matamoras, and the adjacent stations, is 1,500, but preferably 2,000 men. Deducting the smaller of these numbers, we shall have 4,850 men available for active field service; a force quite too small for operations against San Luis Potosi. We are not well informed as to the state of preparation for defence and resistance at that city, and it may be that even the limited force above mentioned, though for the most part entirely new, could take the place; but it is quite clear that it would be insufficient to hold it and operate beyond, and yet more, to open and maintain, as we should probably be obliged to do, a line of communication with Tampico. Simply to take and hold San Luis without the ability of operating thence, in the direction of the capital, would be of little utility, while an evacuation of the town would be, in the highest degree, pernicious. We should march, therefore, if at all, fully prepared not only to hold San Luis, and, if necessary, keep up a communication with Tampico, but also to operate from that place, at least as far as Queretaro, a military position of the first importance on the route to Mexico. For such purpose, I consider 6,000 effective men the very smallest force that should be ventured, and in view of the description of troops, and the entire want of well disciplined infantry of the line, 8,000 men would be few enough to enable us to operate with confidence. The estimate above presented, which is a liberal one of the efficient force, say a month or six weeks hence, falls considerably short of the least of the above numbers. What accession of force may be expected by that time I am not advised, the state |