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CHAPTER II.

War inevitable-General Scott at Washington-Recommends an increase of the Army-Mission of Mr. Slidell-Downfall of Herrera-Departure of Slidell-General Taylor marches from Corpus Christi-Arrives at Point Isabel-In front of Metamoras-Capture of Captain Thornton's party-March of General Taylor to Point Isabel-Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma-Taylor's Official Report.

We have traced in the preceding chapter the negotiations of the United States with Mexico and Texas to that point, in which the Mexican Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and the Mexican minister at Washington, officially announced that the annexation of Texas to the United States would be considered just cause of war, and the latter had departed from Washington with hostile declarations. That this declaration was believed, and that war would result from that act, the American Chargé d'Affaires in Texas (Mr. Donelson) shows in his entire correspondence. In his letter of June 4th, 1845, to the Secretary of State, he declares his full belief that war will occur, although he chose to attribute it to the instigation of the British minister, Mr. Elliott.

Mr. Donelson makes this remarkable announcement :

"I look upon war with Mexico as inevitable—a war dictated by the British minister here for the purpose of defeating annexation, and intended at all events to deprive both Texas and the United States of all claim to the country between the Nueces and the Rio Grande, at the

time the right of Texas to the protection of the United States arises under the contingency anticipated by you at the date of your last despatch to me."

The "contingency" here spoken of by the Chargé, was stated in Mr. Buchanan's letter of May 23d, 1845, and was simply the acceptance, by Texas, of the conditions of annexation stated in the joint resolution of Congress.

The question of "boundaries" was by that resolution and by all prior negotiations, left open for future discussion. Mr. Buchanan, therefore, cautiously uses the term "state," in reference to the annexation of Texas, and tells Mr. Donelson (23d of May, 1845) that, in the event of annexation, the President will deem it his duty to "employ the army in defending that state against the attacks of any foreign power." It was the state of Texas, whatever that might be, which, in May, 1845, the President undertook to defend, and not any imaginary boundary, or supposed claim of Texas beyond the Nueces, the Rio Grande, or any other stream.

Under the idea, however, as expressed in his letter of the 4th of June, that war was inevitable, Mr. Donelson asks the government for an army to defend the supposed frontier of Texas, and it is under this requisition that the corps of General Taylor was ordered to Corpus Christi, and became, in another year, the invading army of Mexico! The cause of the war-the manner it. which it was to arise and to be carried on, are projected and shadowed out so minutely in the diplomatic correspondence of Messrs. Buchanan and Donelson, as to leave the historian of these events no doubtful points to discuss. If they are not certain and fixed on the map of Time, in vain shall we look for any faithful volume of human transactions.

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• What was in prospect for the army when arrived in Texas, and its purpose there, is thus stated by Mr. Donelson :

"Under such circumstances, the officer intended for the command of the United States troops on the Texan frontier may expect to find a large force of the enemy there; and it is suggested whether that officer ought not at once to be selected, and ordered to some near and convenient point for the purpose of communicating with me, and providing the most prompt means of action the moment he is advised of the decision of the Convention of Texas on the terms of union proposed in our joint resolution."

The requisition of Mr. Donelson was complied with. An express was sent to General Taylor, at Fort Jessup ; his troops were ordered into Texas; and Captain Stockton was ordered with a squadron into the Gulf of Mexico; both with the avowed object of repelling the attacks of Mexico, an anticipated consequence of annexation.1

During this period General Scott was at Washington, in the diligent performance of his military duties as the commander of the army, without taking any public part in the political discussions of the day.

The commander of the army, even on the peace establishment of the United States, must necessarily carry on an extensive correspondence, and have the oversight of many and various departments of the public service. General Scott found ample scope for his official talents and time, in both the superintendence and the anticipation of the wants and means of the army. At the time General Taylor was despatched to the frontier of Texas, the American army

1 Mr. Bucnanan's letter to Mr. Donelson, dated June 15th, 1845.

was actually of less numerical strength than it had been in any year since 1808.! And yet the official documents prove that at that very moment of time the government was in daily expectation of war; and yet the Executive did not ask from Congress an additional regiment, nor did Congress anticipate the need of additional means!1

General Scott, however, in his annual report upon the state of the army, recommended, what the other departments of the government seem strangely to have overlooked, a small increase of the army. He pointed out a very easy method of doing this, without raising additional regiments, or even requiring additional officers. During the presidency of Mr. Monroe, and while Mr. Calhoun was Secretary at War, (and, indeed, upon his recommendation,) the plan had been adopted of having skeleton regiments, in which all the officers were retained, but the number of privates reduced one-half. The reason for this was very strong. It was that, having all the officers ready, and a skeleton of the regiment, the number of the army might be doubled, in time of emergency, by new enlistments, without the expense of permanent maintenance. Accordingly, the regiments of artillery and infantry had but forty-two privates in each company, when the number should have been eighty-four. The Military Academy had furnished a large number of valuable officers, many of whom were attached to the regiments by brevet.

General Scott proposed to increase the army, simply by filling up these skeleton companies, and giving em

1 The President twice in his Message (December, 1845) alluded to the danger of a war with Mexico; but recommended nothing for the army.

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ployment to these brevet officers. In his report (November 20th, 1845) he says:

"By adding ten privates to each company of dragoons, now fifty privates each, and twenty privates to each company of artillery and infantry, now forty-two privates each, of the present establishment, we should have a total increase (by this plan) for twenty companies of dragoons, forty of artillery, and eighty of infantry, of twenty-six hundred privates-without the addition of a regiment, or of one non-commissioned officer, musician, or artificer. See organization (table) of the regular army of the United States, Army Register. But, in this case, an additional subaltern (second lieutenant) to each company of dragoons and infantry (one hundred) would be necessary. There are, at present, about ninety-five brevet second lieutenants (graduates of the Military Academy-strangely called supernumerary by act of April 29, 1812, sec. 4) attached to companies, and doing duty with them. These officers would be absorbed, by promotion, should this second plan of augmentation be carried out, and the future supernumerary or brevet second lieutenants (graduates of the Academy) be kept down, for a series of years, to a small number-not more than sufficient to supply three officers constantly on duty with each company, and to give others for staff and detached duties which the progress of the service will, in five or seven years, cer tainly demand."

This was General Scott's recommendation without looking at the question of war with Mexico; although it now appears from official documents, that the war was then in the contemplation of the cabinet. Had the President recommended, and Congress acceded to even this

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