By the autumn of 1847 the Americans occupied Tamaulipas and Nuevo León pretty effectively, but in Coahuila held only Saltillo and its vicinity. In Feb. and March, 1848, that state was overrun ([61]Wool, Mar. 2, 1848; [76]gov. Coahuila, Mar. 29, 1848), and on March 7 Mazapil in northern Zacatecas was made an American outpost ([61]Wool to Price, Apr. 5, 1848; [76]comte. gen. Zacatecas, Mar. 10). The Americans tried repeatedly without success to apprehend Gov. Aguirre, who was known to be hostile. Finally, about the middle of Dec., 1847, they burned his house and destroyed the clothing of his family who were there ([76]report to comte. gen. Durango, res., Dec. 21, 1847).
Valencia’s plan of combined operations appears to have been an elaboration of a suggestion of Filisola. By June 22 Filisola, then at Durango, was ready to advance. July 31 he feared his men would disband from lack of means. About Aug. 1 he moved. Many deserted or fell sick. August 11 he had 634 available privates. Avalos was in a similar condition, and his brigade shrank rapidly. Most of the troops placed under Filisola’s orders were diverted or simply failed to appear, and finally on Aug. 23, 1847, he was ordered to Querétaro. (This paragraph is based upon numerous [76]reports from the officers concerned.)
Price’s campaign. In Oct., 1847, it was feared at Santa Fe that the Mexicans intended to attack New Mexico (Santa Fe Republican, Oct. 9), and a considerable American force appears to have gone to the southern part of the province ([76]prefect El Paso, Oct. 26). In November El Paso was the scene of preparations to march south. The people of Chihuahua state had mostly been cowed at Sacramento, but Trias and a few others were determined to fight. He obtained 500 muskets that were landed at Guaymas, and his arsenal turned out eight small field pieces. At Santa Cruz de Rosales he took post with 804 men, besides officers. Price had 665 men, but his artillery was much superior to that of the Mexicans. His object was to get the munitions and other public property that Trias had brought from Chihuahua City. Trias said he knew officially that a treaty had been signed; but, as the Mexicans were more noted for astuteness than for veracity, Price would not believe him. He did, however, wait about a week. After some fighting Trias and his entire force surrendered. He lost 238 killed. The American loss was 4 killed and 19 wounded ([62]adj. gen. to Price, Oct. 4; Nov. 20, 1847. [256]Marcy to Price, May 22, 1848; to Wool, May 23. [76]Trias, Nov. 30; Feb. 15; Mar. 21. Ho. 1; 30, 2, pp. 76–7, 113–36. [61]Corresp. between Price and Trias, Mar. 10, etc. Ho. 24; 31, 1. Eco del Comercio, June 22, 1848. [76]Chávez to Armijo, Oct. 21, 1847. Roa Bárcena, Recuerdos, 535–7. México á través, iv, 710. [61]Justiniani and Trias, report, Mar. 22, 1848. Apuntes, 397–401). Price exhibited energy and courage in this campaign but poor judgment. A force occupying El Paso would have protected New Mexico, and to go even beyond the city of Chihuahua and fight so serious an aggressive battle long after the capture of Mexico City and in the face of positive assurances that a treaty had been signed was hardly reasonable. One suspects that commercial interests were behind this campaign. Gen. Butler ordered restitution made ([60]to Marcy, Apr. 7).
[2.] The chief documents relating to hostilities at Mexico. [221]Hill, diary. National, Nov. 14, etc., 1847. [65]Scott, gen. orders 289, 296. Apuntes, 325, 330–9, 362. London Chronicle, Nov. 12. Negrete, Invasión, iii, app., 451, etc.; iv, app., 310–2. S. Anna, Apelación, 59, 60, 63. Gamboa, Impug., 59, 60. Ramírez, México, 317–8. Semmes, Service, 466–7. [92]Ayunt. proclams. [92]Corresp. between Veramendi and S. Anna. [92]Ayunt. to Quitman, Sept. 15–6. [92]Mexican officials to Veramendi, Sept. —. [92]Quitman, proclam., Sept. 26. [92]Veramendi, proclam., Sept. 27. Arco Iris, Dec. 1. Picayune, Oct. 14; Nov. 20. N. Y. Sun, Oct. 14. Diario Esactísimo. Niles, Oct. 30, p. 138. [364]Worth to daughter, Sept. 28. Prieto, Memorias, ii, 248–58. [357]Wilcox, diary. Sen. 34; 34, 3, p. 25. [366]Poster. S. Anna, Detall, 33–4. London Times, Nov. 13. Sen. 1; 30, 1, pp. 383–4 (Scott), 393 (Worth); 399 (Riley); 417 (Quitman); 424 (Huger); app., 169 (Smith), 185 (Smith), 188 (Morris), 190 (Plympton). Hitchcock, Fifty Years, 304–5. Monitor Repub., Sept. 28. Grant, Mems., i, 162–3. Henshaw narrative. Claiborne, Quitman, i, 378. Engineer School, Occas. Papers 16. [73]Lozano, no. 7, 1847. Davis, Autobiog., 240. Roa Bárcena, Recuerdos, 507–11, 542. American Star, Oct. 14.
Santa Anna sent an order to Herrera to return to Mexico, but by the time Herrera received it he was so far away that he did not think it best to go back, and the order was soon rescinded. One of the [92]proclamations of the president of the ayuntamiento, 12:30 p.m., Sept. 14, said: “The general in charge of the American forces which have occupied the city this morning has informed the Ayuntamiento that if within three hours, counted from the time this notice is posted, there is not an entire cessation of the acts of hostility now being committed with palpable imprudence and to the grave prejudice of the peaceable citizens, he will proceed with all rigor against the guilty, permitting their goods and property to be sacked and razing the block in which are situated the houses from which the American troops are fired upon.” There is no evidence that the last threat was executed. In another [92]proclamation of the same day the people were called upon to “reciprocate the civilization” of the American army, and to leave national affairs to the nation. In a [92]third the people were told that Scott had refused to give the pledges asked for by the ayuntamiento until the hostilities should cease. The action of the ayuntamiento brought upon President Veramendi the most violent denunciations and menaces of Santa Anna. Veramendi [92]replied that he “idolized” his country, and was only trying to avert the disasters to which it had been doomed by “the most well-proven rapine, the most lamentable demoralization of our people, and not by true patriotism or zeal to prevent the sacking of the churches” and other outrages. Veramendi wrote finally that it would be a waste of time to continue the discussion; that the authorities would do their duty and accept the verdict of public opinion.
The Americans commonly believed that the convicts were released from the prison by Santa Anna with the expectation that their crimes would be charged to the Americans; and on the other hand Otero asserted that the Americans released them to prey upon the people. His view was certainly erroneous; and the other, though not without support, may have been so. In the confusion the jailers perhaps left the prisoners unguarded or released them to save them from starving. Some believed that the real purpose of the uprising was to plunder the houses of the city under cover of the disorder, and there is reason to think this motive existed. No doubt, too, some Americans robbed the houses of innocent citizens from which they supposed, or pretended to suppose, that bullets had come ([221]Hill, diary). As late as December an uprising was planned. Scott had agents (including a member of Congress and a governor) to give him information (Sen. 34; 34, 3, p. 38). Scott’s general orders 289, Sept. 18, for the distribution of the troops in the city show that all the principal sections were covered, and that a guard and two guns defended each of the principal gates. No private house was to be used for quarters till all suitable public buildings had been occupied, nor then without the owner’s consent or an order from headquarters. Officers were to be with or near their troops.
[3.] The chief documents. Lieber, Guerrillas, 19, 20. Diario, Apr. 28; May 2, 4, 10, 23, 1847. [80]Address of Méx. legislature, Apr. 26. Republicano, May 8. Sen. 52; 30, 1, p. 138 (Marcy). Porvenir, May 27. Picayune, Feb. 23; May 6; Dec. 9. Kenly, Md. Vol., 312. Ramírez, México, 241, 244, 260. México á través, iv, 712. [256]Marcy to Kearny, Dec. 10, 1846. [76]Mora, Apr. 23, 1847. [86]Vera Cruz congress, manifiesto, Sept. 28. [76]Soto, proclam., undated. [92]Address of citizens, Apr. 6. [61]Salas, proclam., Apr. 21. [76]S. Anna, May 16. [76]Relaciones to Olaguíbel, Aug. 16. [257][Hughes] to Frank, Nov. 11. [76]Decrees, Apr. 28; May 1. Roa Bárcena, Rec., 250–5, 262.
In Spanish guerrilla means a party, each member of which is a guerrillero. The value of the work done by the Spanish guerillas was commonly much overrated by the Mexicans. Not only did the “patriotic” irregulars act atrociously in Mexico during the revolution against Spain, but those organized by the viceroy behaved so badly that he disbanded them (México á través, iii, 234). Guerillas (“light corps of the National Guard”) were decreed by the Mexican government on April 8, 1847. A citizen after obtaining authorization from the state or the national government, could raise a body of volunteers (not less than fifty), rank according to the number from lieutenant to colonel (800), and give his name to the corps. Other corps were to be supported by the state or the central government. Goods taken from the enemy were to be divided among the captors and could be sold without paying duty. August 16, 1847, the government ordered that the people within thirty leagues (about eighty miles) of every point occupied by the enemy should rise en masse, and attack them with “the arms each may have, fire-arms or cold steel, great or small, long or short—in a word, if there be nothing else, with sticks and stones” ([76]Relaciones to Olaguíbel).
Other guerilla leaders in Vera Cruz state were M. Senobio (near the coast), the Spanish priest J. A. Martínez, Juan Aburto, F. Mendoza and J. M. Vázquez. T. Marín had charge of the guerillas near Córdoba. Jarauta was ordered to bring together a number of small parties that were simply preying upon the people. In the autumn of 1847 he offered to join the Americans, but Gen. Patterson, who arrived at Jalapa just then, would make no arrangement with him (Kenly, Md. Vol., 328–31; [257][Hughes] to Frank, Nov. 11).
[4.] [76]Urrea, Aug. 12, res. [76]Canales to Urrea, Feb. 5; Aug. 6; to alcalde of Guerrero, Apr. 4. [69]Lamar to Bliss, Apr. 21. [245]Canales to ——, Apr. 4. Apuntes, 387–8. Republicano, June 11. Ho. 60; 30, 1, pp. 1138–42; 1197 (Belknap). [256]F. J. Parker to F. Smith, Apr. 1. Picayune, Feb. 23. Smith, Chile, 294, 298. [245]Boyd to Bee, Apr. 4. [148]Chamberlain, recolls.