[No. 1.] HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, New Orleans, December 20, 1846. 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 de 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 Brassos, a sufficient force to give us a reasonable prospect of success, before the usual period, say the end of March, for the return of the black vomit on the coast of Mexico. I have supposed that 15,000 land 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 Brassos 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 SCOTT, New Orleans. W. L. MARCY, 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 Brassos or Tampico. Volunteer regiments which are not likely to be in time for the descent I am to make near Vera Cruz, may be excepted. The rearmost of these may be ordered to the Brassos. 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, New Orleans, December 23, 1846. 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 Brassos 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 reach 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, Lieutenant 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 Brassos, 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 Brassos. 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 Brassos. Get all the information you can touching that harbor. With great respect, yours truly, Brevet Brig. Gen. BROOKE, 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 Brassos 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 February, ten, eight, or even five thousand men. The land force is expected from the Atlantic coast, the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, all new volunteers, to be added to regulars and volunteers to be withdrawn from Major General Taylor. I have app inted the 15th of the next month for the assemblage of all int nded for the particular expedition I am to conduct, off the two points mentioned above; but do not hope that more than three regiments of the new volunteers will be up so early. I shall, therefore, have to draw more largely upon the forces already on and beyond the Rio Grande. I am aware of the usual return of the black vomit, early in April, at the proposed point of our joint operations, and hence shall not be able to wait for the largest number of lard troops I deem desirable. This number will greatly depend on the force we may expect to oppose our descent from the open sea. I mean a Mexican army, in the field; not the garrisons and guns of any city or fort. Of the probability of our meeting such army, and of its numbers, I rely greatly on information you may be able to impart, and on agents which I have employed or am about to employ, in all, five or six. Those agents, as they may be able to get out of the enemy's country, are, or will be, instructed to report in writing or in person to you, or to some superior officer of your squadron, relying on your kindness to transmit the information rapidly to me, and beg to suggest that instructions may be given to board all neutral vessels coming out of the enemy's ports, after (say) about the 10th of the next month, in order to receive such agents or their written reports. Otherwise they may be compelled to return, or to report from the Havana. I hope in time to be able to give you their names, and shall be happy to receive your advice and suggestions on this delicate branch of the service, and all others. I embark to-day for the Brassos, and hence write in haste. Thence I may go up to Camargo for a few days, but wherever I may be, your despatches will follow me rapidly. Perhaps you may appropriate some steamer to our frequent correspondence. What my means of that sort may be at the Brassos, I cannot yet precisely know. Occasionally I may find a steamer for the purpose, at least as far as your vessels off Tampico. Upon information just obtained, I think it quite probable that I may appoint the roadstead between the Island of Lobos and the main, some fifty or sixty miles beyond Tampico, as a general rendezvous for the transports and other vessels with troops and supplies destined for the expedition in question. If a good harbor, as reported, it will serve and mask my views admirably. Please give me information on the subject, although I may be compelled to act to some extent before I can hear from you. I have the honor to remain, sir, with the greatest respect, your most obedient se: vant, Commodore D. CONNOR, U. S. Navy, WINFIELD SCOTT. Commandig blockading squadron off the coast of Mexico. 3 |