valry force; a strong one being required to keep the roads and country free from robbers and guerrillas. Brigadier Generals Lane and Cushing have been assigned to duty with the troops destined for the other line, the regiments and battalions of their brigades being indicated for that service. For a similar reason, General Hopping has been retained, two regiments of his brigade (10th and 16th) remaining on this line. I trust the above dispositions will meet the approval of the department. I have nothing of interest to communicate from the interior. Our last authentic date from Puebla is July 11th, and from Mexico, though not equally authentic, July 17th. I have to acknowledge your communications of July 16th and 17th, copies of your letter to Colonel Crane of July 16th, and Assistant Surgeon Kennedy of July 17th, Lieutenant Kingsbury's application for leave, referred to me July 17th, copy of my unofficial note to Major General Scott of December 26th, "general orders," No. 25, and "special orders," No. 34. I am, sir, &c., The ADJUTANT GENERAL Z. TAYLOR, Major Gen. U. S. A., commanding. Of the Army, Washington, D. C. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, May 10, 1847. SIR: I am directed by the President to modify the instructions to you of the 13th of April last, directing the collection of contributions, in the form of duties, on ships and merchandise admitted into the ports of the enemy's country, of which we have military possession, so far as to exempt from tonnage duties all vessels chartered by the United States to convey supplies of any and all descriptions to our army and navy, and actually laden with such supplies; but, if any vessel has on board other articles of merchandise than government supplies, it will not be entitled to such exemption, but must, like any other vessel, pay tonnage duties according to former instructions. A copy of this letter has been sent to the officer commanding at Matamoras, with directions to adopt the above modification without waiting for any specific instructions from you. I have the honor to be, with great respect, sir, your obedient servant, Major General Z. TAYLOR, W. L. MARCY, Commanding army, &c., Monterey, Mexico. WAR DEPARTMENT, May 11, 1847. SIR: Permit me, again, to call your attention to the subject of a likeness of yourself, for the purpose of preparing the die for a medal voted to you by Congress. Several artists have, as it is understood, gone to the army under your command, and allow me to hope you will avail yourself, as you intimated you would, in your letter of the 8th of December, of the opportunity afforded by their presence with you, to comply with the request heretofore made on that subject. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. MARCY, Major General Z. TAYLOR, Secretary of War. U. S. A., commanding, &c., Monterey, Mexico. WASHINGTON CITY, May 12, 1847. SIR: I communicate to you, herewith, an authenticated copy of "Resolutions giving the thanks of Congress to yourself, and the officers and men under your command, in the late military operations at Monterey," approved March 2d, 1847. Proper steps have been taken to cause to be prepared the "gold medal" to be presented to yourself, and the "swords" to be presented to Major General Butler, Major General Henderson, to Brigadier General Twiggs, Brigadier General Worth, Brigadier General Quitman, and to the nearest male relative of the late Brigadier General Hamar. As soon as they shall be completed, it will afford me sincere pleasure to present to you, in a suitable and appropriate manner, the "gold medal" voted to you by Congress. I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, Major General ZACHARY TAYLOR, JAMES K. POLK. WAR DEPARTMENT, May 14, 1817. SIR: It affords me pleasure to be the medium of communicating to you, and, through you, to the army under your command, the accompanying preambles and resolutions, adopted by the common council of the city of New York, unanimously expressing their appreciation of the skill and valor of the officers and men, as therein named in said resolutions. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. MARCY, Major General Z. TAYLOR, U. S. A. WAR DEPARTMENT, May 17, 1847. SIR: I am directed by the President to call your attention to the seventeenth section of the act of Congress, entitled "An act to make provision for an additional number of general officers and for other purposes," passed on the 3d of March last, and to request you to take proper measures to enable him to bestow upon meritorious non-commissioned officers and privates in the army, who have distinguished themselves, the benefits of its provisions. He is very desirous that all those who have earned the reward it confers, by their gallant conduct, should receive it without delay. It is conceived that the provisions of the seventeenth section are general; that is, they extend to non-commissioned officers and privates in the volunteer ranks, as well as those in the regiments constituting the regular establishment. To entitle a non-commissioned officer, who has distinguished himself, to a brevet, he must be recommended by the commanding officer of the regiment to which he belongs. It will, therefore, be proper that you should apprise the commanding officers of the several regiments in the army under your command of this provision of the law, and the expectation of the President that they should furnish recommendations of those non-commissioned officers who have earned for themselves the advancement which Congress has provided. The means by which the President is to acquire the information to satisfy him that privates have so conducted themselves as to be entitled to certificates, is not indicated in the act of Congress. You are, therefore, directed by the President, through the report of their immediate commanding officers, or in such other manner as you may think proper, to cause to be presented to the President a list of those privates in the army under your command, who are deemed to be entitled to the benefits of the seventeenth section of the act above referred to. Mere general good deportment, and a faithful discharge of ordinary duties, will not alone, in the opinion of the department, entitle either a non-commissioned officer or a private to the benefit of the law, for so much is expected of all in the service. Such conduct does not constitute a distinction. It is desired, so far as it can be practicably done, that the recommendation or report in each case should specify the conduct or acts of the soldier which are considered as entitling him to the reward of distinction. I herewith send you a sufficient number of copies of the section of the act of Congress to which I have called your attention, to enable you to furnish one to each commandant of a regiment, and other officers from whom information can be derived, which will be serviceable to the President in the discharge of the pleasing duty of dispensing rewards to the well deserving. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. MARCY, Secretary of War. Major General ZACHARY TAYLOR, U. S. Army, commanding, &c., Mexico. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, June 14, 1847. SIR: In my letter of the 17th ultimo, I sent to you several printed copies of the 17th section of "An act to make provision for an additional number of general officers and for other purposes," and requested that measures might be taken to secure the benefits of that section to the non-commissioned officers and privates entitled to them. When that letter was written, I was under the impression that the means by which the President is to acquire the information to satisfy him that privates have so conducted themselves as to be entitled to certificates, were not indicated in the act of Congress. Upon a more careful examination of that act, it is be-lieved that this is not correct. By virtue of the terms, "in like manner," used in reference to granting these certificates, it is to be determined that they are to be issued by the President, on the "recommendation of the comanding officer of the regiment," to which the privates belonged; and it is very questionable whether he can issue them without such recommendation. It is, therefore, proper that those who may consider themselves entitled to the distinction of a certiñcate, and the allowance of extra pay, should be informed of the construction given to the act, that the recommendation of the commanding officer of the regiment is deemed neces SIR: It is understood here that several companies of mounted men from Texas, which have entered the service for the period of six months, and are unwilling to engage for the war, or even for twelve months, have reported to you. They have organized, it is said, under what they considered a call from Colonel Curtis, while commanding officer at Camargo, when the communication between that place and your head-quarters was temporarily interrupted, and when some fears were entertained for the security of the line on the Rio Grande. I can well conceive that these troops, if they have reported to you for duty, will cause you some embarrassment as to the disposition to be made of them. Without having your views on the subject, or knowing precisely the circumstances of the case, I am at a loss to determine what ought to be done with them. You are, I presume, already advised of the description and amount of force destined for your column. These companies have not been taken into calculation. It is expected that a considerable part of the regiment of mounted men raised in Texas, under the command of Colonel Hays, will be with you. Some of the companies of this regiment are engaged for the war, and .some for twelve months. Should you be in want of more of this description of troops, the companies who have turned out for six months might be retained for that period by the ratification of Colonel Curtis's call, under which it is understood they have turned out. That call was made under apprehension that the Rio Grande frontier was exposed to invasion, and the act of the 13th of May, 1846, section second, declares "that the militia, when called into the service of the United States by virtue of this act, or any other act, may, if in the opinion of the President of the United States the public interest requires it, be compelled to serve a term not exceeding six months after their arrival at the place of rendezvous in any one year, unless sooner discharged." They have come out as militia, as distinguished from volunteers; and, should the President affirm the act of Colonel Curtis, they may be retained in service six months. If these companies have been raised under Colonel Curtis's call, have reported to you for service, and are still with you, and you deem it important to the public interest that they should be received, you are hereby authorized by the President to retain them, as militia, for six months. Should they, or a considerable portion of them, be willing to become volunteers, if it is only for the twelve months, it is decidedly preferable that they should be engaged as such, instead as militia. This matter, under the foregoing views, is left to your determination. There is some reason to apprehend that a number of Carlist officers have left, or may soon leave France, with a view to join the Mexican army. Steps have been already taken to prevent their entrance into Mexico. While on their way to that country we should not have a right to detain them as prisoners of war, but it is very clear that we may prevent them, if able to do so, from joining our enemy. I, herewith, send you an extract from a despatch to the Secretary of State, from our minister at Paris, giving the names of seventy or eighty of them, and also a copy letter to the commanding officer at Matamoras on the subject. Should you have occasion to act in this matter, you will do what you can to intercept their passage into Mexico. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. MARCY, Secretary of War. Major General Z. TAYLOR, U. S. A. commanding, at Monterey. of a |