gress, which, it is presumed, will not be protracted beyond four weeks from this time. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major General Z. TAYLOR, WM. L. MARCY, Secretary of War. Commanding Army of Occupation on the Rio Grande. Mr. Brooke, who is the bearer of this, will take charge of any communication you may make. [No. 66.] HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, SIR: The communication of the Secretary of War, dated the 11th instant, requesting me to furnish a list of such officers as, in my opinion, are entitled to the distinction of brevet commissions for their services in the affairs of the 8th and 9th of May, and in the defence of Fort Brown, was received yesterday by the hands of Mr. Brooke. The task of making the selection desired by the Secretary is one of peculiar delicacy and difficulty, increased, at this particular moment, by the fact that nearly all the corps of the army have. moved forward to Camargo; and I am thus deprived of consultation with their chiefs. I fear that the list which I shall present will appear large; but where all behaved so well, it has been impossible, without unjust distinctions, to form a more restricted one; and it may be that I shall find it necessary, hereafter, to recommend a few names in addition. The list which I subjoin presents the names of such officers as I conceive entitled to brevet commissions for their participation in the affairs of the 8th and 9th of May, and the defence of Fort Brown. Affairs of the 8th and 9th of May. General staff.-Lieutenant Colonel Payne, Captain Bliss, Lieutenant Eaton, A. D. C., Captain Crosman, (affair of the 8th, only,) Captain Waggaman, Lieutenant Scarritt, engineers, Lieutenants, Meade and Wood, (affair of the 8th, only,) topographical engineers, Major Craig, ordnance. Light artillery.-Captain Duncan, Lieutenants Ridgely, Roland, Shover, Fremont, Hays, Peck, and French. Second Dragoons.-Colonel Twiggs, Captain May, Lieutenant and Adjutant McDonald. Artillery battalion.-Lieutenant Colonel Childs, Captain Smith, 2d artillery; Captain Scott, 4th artillery; Lieutenant Luther, 2d artillery; Lieutenants Chase and Daniels, 2d artillery; Lieutenant Churchill, (affair of the Sth, only,) Lieutenant and Adjutant Garnett. Third infantry-Captain Morris, Captain Barbour, Lieutenant and Adjutant Irwin. Fourth infantry.-Lieutenant Colonel Garland, Major Allen, Captain McCall, Captain Buchanan, Lieutenants Alvord, Hoskins, adjutant, Beaman, Woods, and Hays. Fifth infantry.-Lieutenant Colonel McIntosh, Major Staniford, Captains Scott, Hooe, and Chapman, Lieutenant and Adjutant Deas. Eighth Infantry-Lieutenant Colonel Belknap, Captain Montgomery, Lieutenants Gates, Lincoln, Lee, Maclay, Clark, adjutant, and Jordan. Defence of Fort Brown. Captain Mansfield, engineers; Captain Lowd, 2d artillery; Lieutenant Bragg, 3d artillery; Captain Miles, and Lieutenant and Adjutant Page, 7th infantry.. I have underscored such names as may properly be selected, to form a smaller list, should the above be found too large. I will only add, that the above list has been prepared in great haste, in order to allow the bearer of the Secretary's communication, Mr. Brooke, to proceed to New Orleans in the return steamboat. The inquiry relative to such non-commissioned officers and soldiers as were distinguished, cannot be answered until I can have an opportunity of consulting the various subordinate commanders. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Major Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The ADJUTANT GENERAL of the Army, Washington, D. C. WAR DEPARTMENT, July 17, 1846. GENERAL: It affords me sincere pleasure to be the medium of communicating to you the complimentary notice of yourself and the army under your command, as conveyed in the accompanying resolutions of the general assembly of the State of Connecticut. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major General Z. TAYLOR, W. L. MARCY, Commanding Army of Occupation on the Rio Grande, Texas. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, July 27, 1846. SIR: The commissioners appointed by the United States to treat with the Camanche Indians redeemed from them a captive Mexican boy, by paying a ransom of $150. He accompanied a deputation of the Prairie Indians to this city. It has been determined to restore him to his parents and friends, who reside in the department of Chihuahua, and in order to do this he has been sent to the quartermaster at New Orleans, with directions to send him to you. You will, in the way you deem most expedient, return him to his friends. All we know of him or them we have learned from himself. He will inform you of the particular part of the department from which he was taken. By the treaty between the United States and Mexico, that republic would be bound to refund the sum paid for his ransom and the expenses of returning him, but the occurrence of war has abrogated that treaty in this respect. It is thought the sending him to his parents would have a good effect upon the people of that province. Mr. Wm. S. Parrott, now of this city, long a resident in Mexico, is personally acquainted with the present governor of Chihuahua, and has written him a letter on the subject of returning this captive. I herewith enclose it to you, to be forwarded to him. I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, Major General Z. TAYLOR, W. L. MARCY, WAR DEPARTMENT, October 5, 1846. SIR: By a joint resolution of Congress, approved July 16th, the President is authorized and requested to have a medal of gold procured, with appropriate devices and inscriptions thereon-presented to you in the name of the republic, as a tribute due to your good conduct, valor, and generosity to the vanquished. Preparations are being made to carry this resolution into effect, and the only dif ficulty that seems to present itself is the want of a faithful bust likeness of yourself, in order to enable the artist to prepare the die. It is possible that you may have a faithful miniature likeness of yourself, which could be made use of for this purpose: if so, and you will direct it to be sent to this department, it shall be taken good care of and safely returned to you. If you have no such likeness, it is suggested that one may be taken by a competent artist and forwarded to the department-the expense of which will be defrayed by the government. It is believed that a daguerreotype likeness would answer every purpose, and insure a faithful resemblance. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major General Z. TAYLOR, W. L. MARCY, Commanding Army of Occupation, Monterey, Mexico. HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, Camp near Monterey, Mexico, December 8, 1846. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of October 5th relative to the furnishing a likeness of myself for the purpose of aiding the artist in preparing the die for a medal designed for me. This communication came to me when absent at Saltillo, and hence the reason why it has remained so long unanswered. I regret, however, to say that I have neither portrait nor miniature of myself, and there is not in the army or this place an artist who could execute one sufficiently accurate for the purpose. The earliest opportunity shall be devoted to procuring a good likeness, and which shall at once be appropriated to the use of the artist employed upon the medal. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. W. L. MARCY, Z. TAYLOR, Major General U. S. Army. Secretary of War, Washington, D. C. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 30, 1846. SIR: In transmitting the enclosed communications from Colonel R. C. Hall, of Lewistown, Pennsylvania, I beg to say that the department would feel gratified by an early attention to his request, with as full and cir umstantial account of the death, burial, and place of interment of the late gallant officer who is the subject of the inquiry, as may be obtained. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major General Z. TAYLOR, W. L. MARCY, Commanding, &c., Army of Occupation, Monterey, Mexico. [No. 59.] HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, SIR: It has been brought to my notice that an omission occurred in my detailed report of the action of May 9, which I beg leave to supply in the following words, to follow immediately after the mention of Lieutenant Colonel McIntosh as "being twice severely wounded:" The command of the 5th infantry then devolved upon Major Staniford, who conducted it with zeal and ability to the close of the engagement. I need hardly say that this omission was entirely accidental; and I beg, as an act of justice to Major Staniford, as well as myself, that the above paragraph may be inserted in the original report, and may receive the same publicity. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Z. TAYLOR, Brevet Maj. Gen. U. S. A., commanding. The ADJUTANT GENERAL of the Army, Washington, D. C. [No. 60.] HEAD-QUARTERS, ARMY OF OCCUPATION, SIR: I respectfully report that several of the steamboats procured for the navigation of the Rio Grande have arrived since my last communication to your office, and that with their aid a forward movement to Camargo has been commenced. The 7th infantry, with two pieces of artillery and a company of Texan rangers, is now, or will very soon be, in position at that place, and a depot of supplies established. General Smith, with his brigade, (four regiments Louisiana volunteers,) has taken a position on the river between this point and Reinosa, which town is still held by the battalion of the 1st infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel Wilson. There has been an extraordinary rise in the river, and our boats, most of which have little power, find it difficult to stem the current ascending. I nevertheless hope soon to transfer the greater part of the regular force to Camargo, with such regiments of volunteers as I may determine to move forward. Any delay in our movement is the less important, as the whole country, from ten days' incessant storm and rain, is now under water and impracticable. The court for the trial of Colonel Whistler and Captain Thornton meets to-day. Lieutenant Colonel Whiting and Major Craig are necessarily absent from head-quarters on duties connected with their departments; and to have waited for the arrival of Colonel Gates would have prevented the session of the court altogether, as in a few days the army will commence its movement. No mail has been received from the United States since the 1st instant. Newspapers three days later than the last letter dates. have reached us by way of Mobile, bringing out the news by the "Caledonia" relative to the proffered mediation of England. I am looking with great anxiety for the next advices. I have no authentic intelligence from the interior. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, The ADJUTANT GENERAL of the Army, |