[2.] The American policy. Ho. 60; 30, 1, pp. 155–8, 165–6, 284. Matamoros Flag, July 14, 1846. [60]Marcy to McElroy, May 19, 1846. Polk, Diary, May 19–20. Our proclamations had some effect upon the people, but probably not much. They were accustomed to meaningless promises.
[3.] Gen. Patterson once asserted that volunteers were no worse than regulars, but the evidence of other officers and of the Mexicans was overwhelmingly against him. Regulars committed offences, but these appear to have been commonly pilfering, and to have been chargeable mostly to fresh recruits. It is probable, however, that the volunteers often bore the blame for acts done by soldiers dishonorably discharged, deserters, teamsters and other civilian employees and by the many “black legs” and “human vultures” who followed the army. The great difficulty was to identify the culprits. Mexicans were often afraid to testify against our soldiers.
[4.] After Matamoros was captured, crowds of women and girls continued to bathe naked in the river. The same thing occurred elsewhere.
[5.] A Mexican wrote to Gen. Mejía that Taylor expressly refused to accept any responsibility for such men, and that he said the people might kill them.
[6.] The Matamoros district. [91]Ayuntamiento archives. Davis, Autobiog., 102. Meade, Letters, i, 86, 91, 105, 108–9, 147. [218]Hershaw narrative. Tilden, Notes, 21. Robertson, Remins., 71. Scott ([256] to Marcy, Jan. 16, 1847, private) gave an appalling account of the outrages and added, “As far as I can learn, not one of the felons has been punished.” [291]Cushing to Pierce, May 4, 1847. Smith, Chile con Carne, 292–4. Brackett, Lane’s Brigade, 22. Buhoup, Narrative, 50. Oswandel, Notes, 37, 49, 193. V. Cruz American Eagle, Apr. 10, 1847. [13]Giffard to Pakenham, May 28; to Bankhead, May 20; June 9. [13]Bankhead, no. 118, 1846. French, Two Wars, 58. [65]Taylor, gen. orders 62, May 17; 65, May 23; 94, Aug. 2. [65]Patterson, orders, Sept. 29; Oct. 14. Picayune, Aug. 4, 25. New Orl. Commer. Bulletin, Sept. 22. [69]Cushing, order, Sept. 24, 1847. [69]Longoria, statement, Aug. 17. [60]Patterson to Bliss, Oct. 21. [60]Taylor to Hepburn et al., Nov. 2. Zirckel, Tagebuch, 45–6. Matamoros Reveille, June 24. Henry, Camp. Sketches, 118, 122, 124, 137. Giddings, Sketches, 89. Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 1178. Niles, Aug. 1, 1846, p. 341; Sept. 12, p. 23. Davis, Recolls., 236. Spirit of the Times, July 4. Sedgwick, Corresp., i., 4–5. New London Morning News, Dec. 10. History Teacher’s Mag., Apr., 1912 (Vieregg). [308]Shields to Walker, Aug. 3. Nat. Intelligencer, Dec. 23, 1846. [193]Foster to father, Aug. 14, 1846 (Matamoros a “complete sink of pollution”). [180]Pillow to wife, Sept. 6, 1846. [76]Mejía, June 20. [76]Spanish consul, Matamoros, June 7. [76]García to Parrodi June 20; Aug. 10. [76]Division of the North, Noticias, July 8. [76]Gaceta de Tamaulipas, July 16. [76]Parrodi, June 3. [76]Carroll to Faulac, Aug. 9.
[7.] In June, 1847, Taylor expressed the opinion that the Texan horse had scarcely made one expedition without committing murder, and asked that no more should be sent to him (Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 1178). Some of them committed outrages at Parras, where the Americans had been kindly treated, and Wool then ordered that Texan volunteers should not be sent on distant expeditions except under “extraordinary circumstances” ([69]McDowell to Hamtramck, Dec. 10, 1847).
[8.] E.g.: No soldier quartered outside the town (as nearly all were) could enter it without a pass signed by his captain and his colonel. Such passes were good for only one day, and only two could be issued the same day in the same company. Soldiers could use only a particular road and had to leave the city before the retreat was sounded (Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 508). Besides punishing offences, our commanders endeavored, first of all, to prevent the sale of liquor; secondly, to shut out gamblers and other undesirable followers of the army; and, thirdly, to inculcate a sense of humanity and a regard for the rights of the people. In April, 1847, well-to-do refugees were ordered to return to Monterey under the threat of occupying their houses, for while absent they were beyond the reach of American taxes and were encouraging guerillas ([97]Monterey judge, Apr. 14, 1847). A similar policy was followed elsewhere.
[9.] American officers were not, however, flabby in protecting the lives of their men, and sometimes the authorities or the people of a place where one of these fell a victim to Mexican hate were held responsible until the culprit was discovered (e.g., [61]Wool to Pleasanton, Jan. 15, 1848). Such wholesale justice was often the only possible kind, and there is ample evidence that even the cruel retaliation practised by our soldiers had good effects.
[10.] The Monterey district. Meade, Letters, i., 108, 130, 147, 161. [218]Henshaw narrative. Picayune, Jan. 27, 1847. [212]Hastings, diary, May 28, 1847. Giddings, Sketches, 221, 325. Buhoup, Narrative, 108. Thorpe, Our Army at Monterey, 120. [144]Cassidy, recoils. Anon, diary. [97]Ayunt., Saltillo, Apr. 14, 1847. [93]Ayunt., Monterey, Oct. 8, 1846; May 18, 1847. Durango Registro Oficial, Oct. 15, 1846. Epoca, Oct. 17. London Times, June 15, 1847. [221]Hill, diary. [280]Nunelee, diary. [303]Orders 149, Dec. 3, 1846. Everett, Recolls., 216–9. [13]Giffard to Bankhead, May 20, 1846. [13]Bankhead, no. 118, 1846. Diario, Oct. 9, 24; Nov. 2. Monitor Repub., Oct. 18, 28; Nov. 20. Washington Union, Dec. 29. National Intelligencer, Sept. 10; Nov. 11; Dec. 7, 23. Metropol. Mag., Dec., 1907 (Hamilton). Henry, Camp. Sketches, 222–5. Smith, To Mexico, 85, 89. [61]Hamtramck to McDowell, Jan. 20, 1848. [65]Wool, orders 67, Feb. 26, 1848. [65]Taylor, gen. orders, 126, Oct. 5, 1846; 149, Dec. 2. [65]Patterson, orders, Sept. 29; Oct. 14. [65]Wool, orders 7, 15, 25, 31, 64, 66–7, 94, 112, Jan.-Mar., 1848. [65]Taylor, special orders 114, Sept., 1847. [65]Wool, special orders 147, 156, Dec., 1847. [61]Wool to Hamtramck, Dec. 18, 1847. [61]McDowell to Hamtramck, Dec. 10, 1847; to Butler, Mar. 2, 1848. [61]Wool to Pleasanton, Jan. 15, 1848. [307]Roberts, diary, Nov. 28; Dec 5, 1846. Delta, Aug. 15, 1847. [147]Chamberlain, diary. Apuntes, 65. Gaceta Extraordinaria, Victoria, Aug. 17, 1846. Wilhelm, Eighth Infantry, i, 281. [69]Morales to Taylor, Sept. 29; Oct. 6. [65]Worth, orders, Oct. 8. [69]Id.to Bliss, Sept. 27; Oct. 5. [61]Id.., endorsement on statement of Gaines. [61]Taylor, June 4, 1847. [61]Wool to Jones, May 9, 1848. J. Davis in Cong. Globe, 37, 1, app., p. 1034. [93]Mitchell, proclam., Apr. 6, 1847. [93]Tibbatts, orders, Sept. 8, 1847. Republicano, Apr. 14, 1847. Carpenter, Travels, 13, 29, 30. [52]Dimond, no. 341, May 24, 1846. Ho. 60; 30, 1, pp. 430–1, 1125, 1138, 1178 (Taylor); 508, 512–3, orders 126, 146, 149; 533, spec. orders 113. Niles, Nov. 14, 1846, p. 165; Nov. 21, p. 180; Apr. 10, 1847, p. 89; Oct. 23, p. 115. [370]Taylor to Louisville Legion, Dec. 1, 1846. Hist. Mag., May, 1870 (Deas). Sen. 32; 31, 1, p. 43. [214]Hays and Caperton, Life of Hays. Observador Zacatecano, Dec. 27, 1846, supplement. [76]González to S. Anna, Nov. 21, 1846. [76]Garcia to Parrodi, Aug. 10, 1846. [76]Ampudia, Oct. 4, 1846. [76]J. F. Rada, Oct. 17. [76]Letter from Cadereita, Apr. 5, 1847. [76]Many others.
By the end of the war desolation marked the route from the Rio Grande to Saltillo except at the sizable towns. To the credit of the volunteers it should be added that on Mar. 9, 1847, two priests and other citizens of Monterey presented a [93]petition to Taylor to let the Kentucky regiment garrison the city, not only because those soldiers were accustomed to it, but because their “well known morality and good conduct” inspired “security and confidence.”