C. Memoranda for Brevet Major General Jesup, Quartermaster General, U. S. A. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Camp Washington, before Vera Cruz, March 19, 1847. A sufficient portion of the siege train for the reduction of the castle of Vera Cruz, though due more than a month, not having arrived, I can give no definite day for the advance of this army into the interior of Mexico, say by the national road hence, towards the capital. But I have every reason to hope that the heavy guns and mortars, (or most of them,) still due, may be here in time. to enable the army to take the castle in, say, the next ten, or at the outside, fifteen, days, when I shall take up the line of operations as above. For that interior march, a very heavy baggage train, wagons and teams, and pack mules will be needed for the army, however greatly I may restrict the articles to be transported with it. For an army of at least 10,000 men, there will be needed, as early in April as practicable, means of transportation about as follows: Say from 800 to 1,000 wagons, with five mule teams; Say from 2,000 to 3,000 pack mules; Say from 300 to 500 draught animals for a travelling siege train, including entrenching tools and pioneer tools. Some of the draught animals, for all of the above uses, say two-thirds, we may hope to obtain in this vicinity and on our line of operations; but the wagons, and as many of the draught animals as possible, must be brought hither from our sources of supply-Tampico, the Brazos, and New Orleans. In making the above estimate, reliance is placed on the country within reach of our line of operations; for forage, beyond five leagues from the sea coast; for bread stuffs, at thirty leagues; for three days in four, and for the meat ration, five days in six. Notwithstanding this reliance, it will be necessary to transport with us much hard bread and bacon, coffee, sugar, and salt, besides common tents, at the rate of three per company; some wall tents for the general officers and general staff, and the field and staff of regiments; a full supply of ammunition for artillery and small arms; medicines, some hospital stores, and the personal necessaries of officers; leaving many wagons for the transportation of the sick to the next depot, and pack animals as well as wagons, for gathering in forage and subsistence within (say) ten miles of our line of operations. The loss of draught animals may, no doubt, be readily replaced, all along the line of operations, by capture and purchase. Besides the estimates above for land transportation, additional means must be found for a reinforcement of at least 10,000 men, (new regiments and recruits,) expected to join me in all the month of May, if not by the end of April. WINFIELD SCOTT. GENERAL ORDERS, HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Vera Cruz, April 1, 1847. Notwithstanding the strong provisions of printed general orders, No. 20, proclaiming martial law, many undoubted atrocities have been committed in this neighborhood, by a few worthless soldiers, both regulars and volunteers, which, though stamping dishono upon the whole army, remain unpunished, because the criminals have not been seized and reported by eye-witnesses of the atrocities. It must be evident to all who honor their country, or respect themselves, that law and order cannot be maintained in the army. unless every good soldier shall give his personal aid to authority This was invited and expected, under that printed order, but crue have been the disappointments of the general-in-chief, and all the good officers and soldiers of this army. One more appeal is made to the ninety-seven honorable men, against, perhaps, the three miscreants in every hundred. Ce tainly, the great mass ought not to allow themselves to be dis honored by a handful of scoundrels, who scout all religion, morals law, and decency. Therefore, let every bad man be denounced in his act of guilt, seized, and reported for trial, and this army wi march in triumph, and be everywhere kindly received, and sup plied with necessaries and comforts by the peaceful and unoffending inhabitants of the country. As one preventive to outrage, and all officers will seek to apply others, no man will be allowed to stray from his camp, or post, future, without a written permission, and no such permission will be given to any soldier not known to be sober and orderly in his conduct, This restriction upon the good, is the first evil brough upon them by undetected criminals. All killing of cattle, even for food, and all seizing upon poultry vegetables, and other private property, even under the pretence of supplying the sick, must instantly cease, except by express order of some officer of high rank. Arrangements have been made to supply the army and its hospitals by purchase, and individual of ficers or soldiers must, each, purchase for himself, fairly and honestly, as at home, all comforts not supplied by government. By command of Major General Scott. H. L. SCOTT, GENERAL ORDERS, No. 91. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, the 1. The first infantry, and the two volunteer companies tem porarily attached to the first division of regulars, will, upon march of the army hence, remain to garrison this city and the castle of San Juan de Ulloa, when Brevet Colonel Wilson, assigned to duty according to his brevet, will become the governor and com manding officer of these places. In the meantime, that officer, by arrangement with the present governor and commander, may, with his regiment, relieve so much of the actual garrisons as shall be found desirable. Accordingly, he will report in person to receive orders for his regiment. 2. With a view to a march into the interior, the baggage of all corps and officers will be, in the next two days, reduced to the smallest compass and weight. Not more than three common tents, principally for arms and the sick, can be allowed for the present, to the officers and men of any company, and general officers, -general staff and field officers, will I mit themselves in proportion. All surplus baggage, public and private, will, accordingly, be properly packed, marked, and turned over to the quartermaster's department for storage. Requisitions for means of land transportation, (wagons, pack, and draught animals,) will be made upon the chief quartermaster, by divisions and by the chiefs of the other branches of the general staff, subject to the severest revision; and notice is now given that any excess of baggage, public or private, will be rejected and thrown aside by the quartermasters and their agents at the time of loading up, or at any time on the march that such excess may be detected. 4. It is absolutely necessary to an early march, that all public means of transportation, wagons, carts, horses, and mules, with their harness, saddles, bridles, halters, and pack saddles, now in the use of the corps, or in the hands of individual officers and men, should, without delay, be turned over to the quartermaster's department, which has instructions to re-loan three or four horses, in as many extreme cases, for a very short time longer. This order includes all such animals as may be held, under the pretence of capture, or purchase, since the army landed near the city. Captured property is always held for the benefit of the service generally, and no purchase can be respected, unless witnessed, and approved at the time, by a general officer or commander of a brigade, inasmuch, as if the property be stolen by the seller, it will certainly be restored, or paid for, by the United States, on demand and proof on the part of the rightful owner. 5. If the foregoing directions be not complied with fully, before to-morrow night, measures will be taken, however reluctantly, to seize every object designated above, and throw the burden of proving a just private title upon the possessor of the property. By command of Major General Scott. H. L. SCOTT, A. A. A. General. HEAD-QUARTERS 2D DRAGOONS, Camp near Vera Cruz, April 4, 1847. SIR: I have the honor to report to the general-in-chief that, in obedience to his letter of instruction to me, dated April 1st, I proceeded, on the morning of the 2d instant, on the road to Antigua. My command consisted of two squadrons of dragoons, under the immediate command of Major Sumner; one section of artillery, under Captain Taylor, and seven companies of foot, under Majer Bainbridge. After reaching the mouth of the river, I found the guide furnished me entirely ignorant of the road; another was procured, however, from a house near by, and from him I learned that there was a force of one hundred lancers in the town. The dragoons were immediately pushed forward on the road, but soon found their progress stopped by an almost impenetrable barrier of trees and bushes thrown across the road, and extending some twenty or thirty yards; with great labor these were removed, as were also three or four other obstacles of the same character, evidently so placed by the enemy to retard pursuit. Arrived at the river, the dragoons crossed immediately to the op posite bank; the stream was some three and a half feet deep, and one hundred and fifty yards wide. The head of the column, 02 reaching the bank, perceived some lancers escaping through the main street, and chase was immediately given, which resulted in the capture of one lieutenant and eight soldiers, with their horses, saddles and arms; the dense thicket surrounding the town greatly facilitated the escape of the remainder, (there were about forty in all, I subsequently learned,) though some twenty-five of their horses fell into our hands. Believing the enemy's force to be com pletely routed and dispersed, I directed the artillery and foot com panies to remain in camp on the right bank of the river, without crossing, which was done. It is proper to remark that there are comfortable stone barracks and stabling for one squadron of dragoons at this town, which ap pear to have been recently erected. It was doubtless the object of the troop stationed here to prevent supplies of any kind being brought to your camp; their dispersion may, perhaps, have the e fect of opening a market from that quarter. Every inducement was offered to effect this object, and the residents promised to con fer together, and do all that lay in their power to further your views. With regard to the other objects of the expedition, I beg respect fully to say that but little opportunity offers of procuring supplies from the district in question. I was not able to learn that there were any mules to be had on any terms, and cattle, though plenty, would not be sold but at most exorbitant prices. which Believing no further good could be accomplished by a longe stay, the necessary orders were given to return to this camp, I reached about 2 o'clock, p. m., on the 3d instant. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. S. HARNEY, Lieutenant H. L. SCOTT, A. A. A. General, Vera Cruz. Colonel commanding. HEAD-QUARTERS 2D BRIGADE, VOLUNTEER DIVISION, SIR: I have the honor to submit a brief report of the expedition to Alvarado, with which I was charged, by orders from the commander-in-chief. My command; consisting of the regiments from Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, a squadron of dragoons, under Major Beall, and a section of artillery, under command of Lieutenant Judd, left their camp, about 3 o'clock, p. m., on the 30th March, and advanced that evening to the mouth of Madelin river, when we encamped. I had previously arranged with Commodore Perry a plan of co operation for the expedition against Alvarado, in which it was stipulated that, whether resistance were made or not, the land and naval forces would effect an entrance at the same time, and act conjointly with each other. In crossing the Madelin river, on the morning of the 31st, I was greatly indebted to the assistance of the navy, in preparing a bridge of boats, under the energetic direction of Lieutenant Whitwell, first lieutenant of the Ohio ship of the line. The march, on the 31st, lay partly along the beach, through deep sand, and partly over a plain country, in rear of Lizardo. On the 1st March, [April,] we again struck the beach, and pursued it to the mouth of the Alvarado river, with the infantry and train. I reached the town of Alvarado, with the cavalry, on the evening of the 1st of March, April,] about half an hour after Commodore Perry had landed there. In the mean time, when about fifteen miles from the town, I had received a note from Midshipman Temple, of the steamer Scourge, informing me that the town had surrendered, and = requesting the commander of the land forces to hold it. This note is annexed to this report. Immediately upon my arrival, Commodore Perry expressed to me his disapproval of the act of Mr. Hunter, the commander of the Scourge, in landing; and has, I learn, signified it more public by the arrest of that officer. My command was posted in the town during my stay there. On the 2d, Commodore Perry, in the steamer Spitfire, proceeded up the river to the town of Tlacatalpa, having invited me to join him. My presence being required in camp, I sent with the expedition Lieutenant Derby, of the topographical engineers. Commissioners from that town conferred with the commodore and myself at Alvarado. They had made an unconditional surrender of their town and the neighboring country to our arms, and promised to furnish a number of horses, at least 500, to the quartermaster's department, at low prices. The town of Alvarado contains about 1,200 to 1,500 inhabitants, most of whom, however, had fled on our approach. With the surrender of the town, there fell into the hands of our naval and military forces twenty-two pieces of artillery, some ammunition and military equipments, of minor value, all of which were left in the possession of the naval forces on our departure, as the common capture of the naval and land forces. On the morning of the 4th of April, my command left Alvarado, and reached its camp at Vera Cruz on the forenoon of the 6th, having again been indebted |