No. 2. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, New Orleans, December 21, 1846. SIR: Opposed by head winds, (northers in the Gulf of Mexico,) I reached this place at the end of nineteen, instead of twelve days. I found here your communications of November the 23d, and December the 7th. I have also seen your letter (in the hands of Lieutenant Colonel Hunt) to the quartermaster general, dated the 11th. By the latter paper, I perceive that the vessels_freighted with ordnance and ordnance stores are to rendezvous at Pensacola, there to await my orders, instead of lying out an indefinite time off the Brazos. This is an excellent arrangement; but, as I fear, the new regiments of volunteers will, most, if not all of them, be quite backward in their organization and embarkation, they will have no time for tactical instruction at Pensacola, or anywhere else, before a descent upon the coast of Mexico, in front of the enemy. I beg, therefore, you will cause the chiefs of the staff about you to make the necessary calculations, and to push forward the new volunteers to the Brazos, so that as many of the foot regiments as possible may be off that point by the middle of the next month. Instructions to the same effect will be left here with Brevet Brigadier General Brooke, in respect to the four regiments which will pass out by the Mississippi. Such of the same corps as may arrive off the Brazos after my departure thence down the Mexican coast, will find instructions to follow me. There is nothing late, of striking interest, from the army in Mexico, other than the death of Brigadier General Hamar, of the volunteers. This melancholy event is not known officially, but it is universally credited. At the latest date, Major General Taylor was supposed about to make a movement, with a part of his army, upon Victoria, via Linares. Surplus troops at, or within easy reach of Tampico, will not be out of position for operations farther down the coast. I enclose a copy of my letter of yesterday to that' commander. By instructions to the bearer, (Captain Montgomery,) I have made it almost impossible that it should fall into the hands of the enemy. I doubt whether my arrangements here with Brigadier General Brooke and the staff will be completed in time for me to embark in the Alabama, to-morrow. That steam ship takes out many companies of the rifles. The Massachusetts, and other steamers, will be at hand, freighted, to accommodate me a day or two later. I have the honor to remain, sir, with high respect, your most obedient servant, WINFIELD SCOTT. Hon. W. L. MARCY, Secretary of War. [No. 1.] HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, SIR: I enclose, herewith, a copy of a semi-official letter which I addressed to you from New York, the 25th ultimo. A tedious passage only brought me to this place yesterday, and I now write by a safe conveyance, Captain Montgomery, who sails in an hour or two. I shall follow, the day after to-morrow, in the steam-ship Alabama. The particular expedition I am to conduct is destined against Vera Cruz, and through it, the castle of San Juan d'Ulloa, so as to open, if we are successful, a new and shorter line of operations upon the capital of Mexico. The first great difficulty is to get together, in time, and afloat, off the Brazos, a sufficient force to give us a reasonable prospect of success, before the usual period, say the end of March, for the re-. turn of the black vomit on the coast of Mexico. I have supposed that 15,000 lands troops, including five of regulars, and the co-operation of the blockading squadron, desirable, if not absolutely necessary; but am now inclined to move forward to the attack, should I be able to assemble the 5,000 regulars, and, say, three of volunteers. Of the new regiments of volunteers called for from States this side of Texas, I can hardly hope that more than four will reach the Brazos before the 15th of the next month, the day I have appointed for that general rendezvous; and I have supposed that the descent ought to be made, in sight of Vera Cruz, at an early day in February. On all those points, and others connected with the invasion of Mexico, on this side of the continent, your advice is invited and will be highly acceptable. Perhaps you may be able to meet me on the Rio Grande, say at Camargo, or lower down the river; and I shall send an officer to you, at an early day, who will be able to communicate my views to you in greater detail. To make up the force for the new expedition, I foresee that I shall, as I intimated in my letter, of which I enclose a copy, be obliged to reduce you to the defensive, at the moment when it would be of the greatest importance to the success of my expedition that you should be in strength to manœuvre offensively upon San Luis de Potosi, &c. It is not known that Brigadier General Wool's division has yet joined you, but it is supposed that he is already on your line of operations. This letter is written in haste, to enable you to prepare the troops to be detached from your general command. Including the regulars and volunteers at Tampico, or on their way thither, I may now say that I shall want from you, say Worth's division of regulars, made up to 4,000 men; two field batteries, say Duncan's and Taylor's, and 500 regular cavalry; besides 500 volunteer cavalry, and as many volunteer foot as you can possibly spare-leaving you a sufficient force to defend Monterey and maintain your communications with Camargo, the mouth of the Rio Grande and Point Isabel, The whole of this force will be needed at the latter points by the middle of January. Until I can communicate with you again, I forbear further details, and remain, with the highest respect, your most obedient servant, WINFIELD SCOTT. P. S.-Troops at Tampico will be, perhaps, in a more favorable position for embarkation as a part of the Vera Cruz expedition than if they were at Point Isabel. I propose to leave but a small garrison at Tampico. Major General Z. TAYLOR, U. S. A., commanding, &c., &c., &c. W. S. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, December 14, 1846. SIR: I send you a copy of a letter written to the Secretary of the Navy, describing a plan for debarkation in the vicinity of Vera Cruz. I know nothing of the writer, nor can I find any one who does; yet it is quite evident he has some personal knowledge of the localities. I have thought it proper that you should possess a copy of it. I am, with great respect, your obedient servant, Major General Scotr, New Orleans. Secretary of War. No. 3. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, New Orleans, December 23, 1846. SIR: The steamer Alabama has been detained a day, greatly to my regret, in receiving freight and five companies of rifles; but I am in the act of embarking. I have just had the honor to receive your letter of the 14th instant. Enclosed herewith are copies of two letters one to Brigadier General Brooke, and the other to Commodore Connor. Please observe the suggestion respecting the rendezvous between the Island Lobos and the main, some sixty miles beyond Tampico; and if the information of the Navy Department should confirm that I have just received here, I beg that the ships with troops and supplies, destined against Vera Cruz, yet to sail from Atlantic ports, may be directed from Washington to rendezvous in that harbor, rather than at Pensacola, or off the Brazos or Tampico. Volunteer regiments which are not likely to be in time for the descent I am to make near Vera Cruz, may be expected. The rearmost of these may be ordered to the Brazos. In haste, I have the honor to be, with high respect, your obedient servant, Hon. WM. L. MARCY, WINFIELD SCOTT. HEAD QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, SIR: Your position here, as the commander of the western division, is a most important one, in respect to the war against Mexico and I know that you will continue to fill it with your accustomed zeal, energy and judgment. The object of this letter is to throw together certain memoranda which demand special attention. Four regiments of new volunteers are to pass out of this river, and much materiel, for the theatre of hostilities, and many ships. with ordnance and ordnance stores, perhaps also with troops, intended for the same destination, may rendezvous, in ten, fifteen, or twenty days, at Pensacola. As they may arrive, I wish the whole (troops and supplies) to be despatched for the Brazos San Iago, subject to my further orders; but the volunteers, ordnance and ordnance stores, need not arrive at that point earlier than the 12th or 15th of the next month. The larger part of the former, will, I fear, not reath this place, or Pensacola, till a later day. Such you will order to follow and report to me, as fast as they may come within your command. Each transport should have on board subsistence for its troops to last (say) three months. Boats for embarkation and debarkation, now under construction, on the Atlantic coast, will come out with the troops expected from that direction. The current supplies for the army already in Mexico are not alluded to above. Those will go forward as heretofore, subject to the changes of positions and numbers, and must always be kept in advance of the wants of the service. Every confidence is reposed in your able assistants, the chiefs of the staff here, Lieut. Colonel Hunt and Captain Grayson. Any company of regulars or detachment of recruits which may pass this way will also be pushed forward. All not under special instructions for particular regiments will receive orders from me, off the Brazos, whether I may be personally there or not. Besides the rifles, but few troops will be landed there. Captain Dimond, a commissary, attached to the volunteers, may be soon expected here from a confidential mission. Give him orders to follow me without unnecessary delay. It is quite probable that you will receive early instructions from me to give to troops and supplies which may come within your sphere, particularly after a given day, another destination, without touching at the Brazos. I have made you confidentially acquainted with my views and expectations respecting the further prosecution of the war, to serve you as a general guide in the support confidently expected from you, and the better to enable you to comprehend special instructions. You will keep me constantly advised of the movement hence of troops and supplies which are to follow me, and take care to send all officers in health, and not under special instructions, who fall under your notice, to their regiments, or to their proper stations. Let there be no idling or lingering, on their part, in this quarter. Take particular care, through the quartermaster's department, to forward, rapidly, all letters and packages to or from my headquarters. I have just received information of a harbor, said to be a good one, between the island of Lobos and the main, some sixty miles beyond Tampico. I shall probably desire you, in a few days, to direct many of the ships with troops and supplies to rendezvous, after, perhaps, touching for orders off the Brazos. Get all the information you can touching that harbor. With great respect, yours truly, Brevet Brig. Gen. BROOKS, WINFIELD SCOTT. U. S. A., commanding, &c., &c., &c. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, New Orleans, December 23, 1846. SIR: You have, no doubt, been informed by the Navy Department that I am ordered to Mexico, and of the probability of our becoming, as soon as practicable, associated in joint operations against the enemy. I look forward with great pleasure to that movement. I shall do all in my power to render the combined service cordial and effective. Of your hearty reciprocation I am entirely confident. This is the beginning of a correspondence which the objects in view will render frequent on my part, and I hope to hear often from you in reply, and on all matters interesting to the common service. You are aware of the point near which our more intimate association will take place. I hope to be ready for the descent at a very early day in the month after the next. Every effort will be made to get afloat off the Brazos San Iago, and off Tampico, in time, the necessary number of troops. I have estimated twelve or fifteen thousand, besides the numbers you may be able to supply from the blockading squadron, to be highly desirable; but you may expect me, if I can get afloat, in time to meet you early in Febru ary, ten, eight, or even five thousand men. The land force is expected from the Atlantic coast, the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, all |