150

THANKS TO THE ARMY.

of a general pursuit. This was not attempted by the American commander, and the enemy were allowed to collect their scattered forces at Monterey entirely unmolested. Arista was severely censured by his superiors, and relieved from his command. Galling under the rebuke, and never being particularly friendly to the elevation of Paredes, he attempted to produce another revolution in public affairs. His reverses had alienated the army, in a great measure, and he was unable to secure their co-operation. The design, therefore, could not be carried into effect, and he retired to his hacienda near Monterey, refusing to obey the summons directing him to repair to the capital. On the 16th of June, 1846, Paredes was regularly chosen to the Presidency, and a change was made in the officers commanding the forces on the northern frontier. General Arevalo was ordered to Monterey, and General Ampudia to San Luis Potosi, to collect reinforcements, and be in readiness to relieve any point that might be menaced by the American army. Proclamations were at the same time issued by Paredes, exhorting the Mexican people to make greater exertions, and promising them certain success for the future.

Congratulations were liberally showered, from every quarter of the Union, upon the army of occupation, for their gallant achievements on the banks of the Rio Grande. The captured standards and colors brought to Washington by Lieutenant Colonel Payne, of the 4th artillery, acting Inspector-general of the army, who had been disabled at Resaca de la Palma, were deposited among the national archives. The thanks of Congress, and of the people in their public meetings, were freely tendered. General Taylor was rewarded with the brevet of Major General, and soon after re

PROCLAMATION TO THE MEXICANS.

151

ceived a full commission of the same rank, in pursuance of a law authorizing the appointment of an additional officer of that grade. The volunteers enlisted under the act of Congress were sent forward to the Rio Grande as expeditiously as possible, and early in the month of June the army under General Taylor numbered not far from 9,000 men.*

In anticipation of a movement towards the interior of the enemy's country, General Taylor caused a proclamation prepared at the War Department, and translated into the Spanish language, to be circulated among the Mexican people, in order to apprize them of the objects for which the war was prosecuted, and the manner in which it would be conducted. The first and most

The general officers appointed to the command of the volunteers were William O. Butler of Kentucky, and Robert Patterson of Pennsylvania, Major Generals; and Gideon J. Pillow of Tennessee, Thomas L. Hamer of Ohio, John A. Quitman of Mississippi, Thomas Marshall of Kentucky, Joseph Lane of Indiana, and James Shields of Illinois, Brigadier Generals. Generals Butler and Patterson were officers in the army during the last war with Great Britain, and the former, then a member of General Jackson's staff, was highly commended for his gallantry at the battle of New Orleans. Governor J. Pinckney Henderson of Texas, acted as Major General of the volunteers from that state.

† "We come to obtain reparation for repeated wrongs and injuries; we come to obtain indemnity for the past, and security for the future; we come to overthrow the tyrants who have destroyed your liberties; but we come to make no war upon the people of Mexico, nor upon any form of free governu.ent they may choose to select for themselves. It is our wish to see you liberated from despots, to drive back the savage Camanches, to prevent the renewal of their assaults, and to compel them to restore to you from captivity your long lost wives and children, Your religion, your altars, your churches, the property of your churches and citizens, the emblems of your faith and .ts ministers, shall be protected, and remain inviolable. Hundreds of our army, and hundreds of thousands of our citizens, are members of the Catholic Church. In every state, and in nearly every city and village of our Union, Catholic churches exist, and the priests perform their holy functions in peace and

152 DIFFERENT ROUTES INTO THE INTERIOR.

important point to be secured, after the capture of Matamoras, was the city of MONTEREY,* situated at the base of the Sierra Madre, at a point where all the principal approaches from the Rio Grande concentrated, and commanding the main pass through the wall of mountains, the only road practicable for artillery leading to the heart of Mexico. Two routes lay open for the choice of General Taylor; the one to leave the river at Matamoras, and follow the track of the retreating Mexicans through the interior; and the other to proceed up the Rio Grande as far as Mier, and then take the road through Seralvo and Marin. The first was almost entirely destitute of subsistence; on the second there was but a limited supply; and an army moving in either direction would be compelled to depend on its principal dépôts upon or near the Rio Grande. But by pushing his supplies up the river, General Taylor found he could establish a dépôt much nearer to Monterey than the position at Matamoras, besides being more convenient to the route by way of

We come

security under the sacred guaranty of our Constitution. among the people of Mexico as friends and republican brethren, and all who receive us as such, shall be protected, whilst all who are seduced into the army of your dictators shall be treated as enemies. We shall want from you nothing but food for our army, and for this you shall always be paid in cash the full value. It is the settled policy of your tyrants to deceive you in regard to the character and policy of our government and people. Those tyrants fear the example of our free institutions, and constantly endeavor to misrepresent our purposes, and inspire you with hatred for your republican brethren of the American Union. Give us but the opportunity to undeceive you, and you will soon learn that all the representations of Paredes were false, and were only made to induce you to consent to the establishment of a despotic government."-Extract from the Proclamation addressed to the Mexican nation.-House of Rep. Exec. Doc. 119, (p. 15.) 2nd session, 29th Congress.

* The King of the Mountain.