[7.] (Kendall) Wash. Union, Mar. 1, 1847. [257]C. to F. Markoe, Jan. 3, 1847. Our commanders never had enough troops to garner the fruits of victory. [256]Scott to Marcy, Jan. 16, 1847, priv.: “For God’s sake give me a reinforcement of 12,000 regulars, at the least, for a sure and uninterrupted march from Vera Cruz upon the city of Mexico.” Upton, Military Policy, 215: If Scott had had 15,000 regulars after Cerro Gordo he could have taken Mexico City. If troops, vessels, etc. had been supplied promptly, there would have been no battle of Cerro Gordo (Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 908).
[8.] Scribner, Campaign, 21.
[9.] Polk’s Diary contains ample evidence regarding the character of his administration; e.g. May 16, 19; June 23–4; Aug. 18; Sept. 22, 24, 1846; Aug. 19, 23; Nov. 10–1, 1847; Jan. 24, 1848. (Period) Lalor, Cyclopædia, iii, 864. As Taussig says (Tariff Hist., 122), our prosperity from 1846 to 1860 should not be attributed solely to the tariff of 1846. London Examiner, Jan. 2, 1847 (“Polk has been the greatest of American conquerors, the most successful of American diplomatists,” and yet his recent Message does not boast). Curtis, Buchanan, ii, 72. Schouler, Hist. Briefs, 138 (Dallas said of Polk: “He left nothing unfinished; what he attempted he did”).
Our problem was hard. The report of the quartermaster general, Nov. 24, 1847, said that our nearest dépôts were farther from the source of supply than Algiers from Marseilles, yet we had accomplished more in a few months at the beginning of the war than France had accomplished in Africa in seventeen years (Sen. 1; 30, 1, p. 549). Polk’s relations with Pillow offer a curious problem in psychology and in morals; but one sees from his diary how deeply Buchanan’s cleverness impressed his plodding mind, and a person like Polk, with more taste than talent for subtlety, was naturally fascinated by Pillow’s readiness and cunning. Besides, he was much indebted to Pillow. His treatment of Scott is another problem. Perhaps he felt that as President he was above the ordinary requirements of fair dealing, and certainly he was intensely partisan.
[10.] Jomini, Précis, i, 143. Grant, Mems., i, 100. Greene, Army Life, 142 (Napoleon). [139]W. B. to D. Campbell, Nov. 2, 1846.
[11.] So. Qtrly. Rev., Jan., 1851, p. 31. Polk, Diary, Nov. 21, 1846; Mar. 28; May 6, 1847, etc. Garrison, Extension, 242. Henderson, Science of War, 14. [139]W. B. to D. Campbell, Mar. 20, 1847. Amer. Hist. Review, Apr., 1919, 446, 454–6, 462 (Marcy).
[12.] [256]J. Parrott to Marcy, Apr. 19, 1847, private. Lawton, Artill. Officer, 246. Sen. 52; 30, 1, p. 187. Grone, Briefe, 80 (punctuation modified). Semmes, Service, 378. Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 1255 (Jesup). (Shackle) Hitchcock in Mo. Republican, Nov. 3, 1857. [113]Beauregard, remins. Hamley, Operations, 20. Sen. 65; 30, 1, p. 465 (Lee).
[13.] [335]Trist to Mrs. T., Oct. 18, 1847. [335]Id., Notes for letter to Ho. of Repres. Lawton, Artill. Off., 151, 246. Sen. 52; 30, 1, pp. 190–1. [52]Trist, Aug. 14, 1847. Sen. 65; 30, 1, p. 465 (Lee). Hitchcock in semi-weekly N. Y. Courier and Enquirer, Mar. 1, 1847. Id. in Republic, Feb. 15, 1851 (re a Mexican book). Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 1255 (Jesup). Roa Bárcena, Recuerdos, 635 (after Mexico was captured, Scott became “the most sincere and powerful of the friends of peace”). So. Qtrly. Rev., xviii, 428.
[14.] Lawton, Artill. Off., 151. Sen. 52; 30, 1, p. 190. Picayune, Oct. 22, 1847. Grant, Mems., i, 139. [253]Harvey to McLean, June 13, 1847.
[15.] The earlier statements issued by our government were in many instances incorrect. The figures of the text are from the adj. gen.’s report of Dec. 3, 1849 (Ho. 24; 31, 1). They may be given more precisely as follows. I. Regulars. Apr., 1846, 7224 in all. On the Texas frontier, May, 1846, 3554 present and absent. 27,470 (15,736 of “the old establishment,” 11,186 of the new regiments, and 548 Marines), including recruits, joined the army in Mexico. The total in the service up to and including July 5, 1848, was about 31,024 (35,009 were recruited from May 1, 1846, and 32,190 of these were put en route; but some died or were killed in Mexico before becoming attached to a regiment, and some cannot be accounted for). Losses. A: Old establishment. Discharged on expiration of term, 1561; for disability, 1782; by order or by civil authority, 373; total, 3716. Killed in battle, 41 offs.—422 men; died of wounds, 22—307, respectively; ordinary deaths, 49—2574; accidental deaths, 5—134; total deaths, 117—3437. Wounded in battle, 118—1685. Resignations, 37. Desertions, 2247. B: New regiments. Discharged on expiration of term, 12; for disability, 767; by order or by civil authority, 114. Killed in battle, 5 offs.—62 men; died of wounds, 5—71; ordinary deaths, 36—2055; accidental deaths, 0—30; total deaths, 46—2218. Wounded in battle, 36—236. Resignations, 92. Desertions, 602. C: Marines serving with the army. Killed in battle, 1—5; died of wounds, 0—3; ordinary deaths, 3—33; total, 4—41. II. Volunteers. Mustered in, May, 1846, and later (16,887 mounted; 1129 artillery; 55,244 infantry) 73,260, including 3131 commissioned officers. Of this number 14,448 (3-months and 6-months men; two regiments of 12-months men from Ohio and Missouri; one Iowa company) did not serve. Total serving, 58,812. Discharged before the end of their term, 9169, including 7200 for disability. Killed in battle and died of wounds, 607; ordinary deaths, 6216; accidental, 192; total, 7015. Wounded, about 1340. Resignations, 279. Desertions, 3876. The number of ordinary deaths and discharges for disability was probably still larger, for the returns were incomplete. Some “ordinary” deaths probably resulted from wounds. July, 1848, there were (officers included) 24,033 regulars and 23,117 volunteers. Nearly all official figures of casualties are approximate. (Discrepancies exist in the accounts) One may consult also: Ho. 42, 48; 29, 2. Sen. 36; 30, 1. Ohio Arch. and Hist. Qtrly., 1912, p. 280. Ill. State Hist. Soc. Trans., 1912, p. 17 (W. E. Dodd). Lawton, Artill. Off., 317. Sen. 4; 29, 2. Picayune, Nov. 4, 1847. Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 1114. [117]R. Jones to Mayer, Feb. 8, 1849. Brackett, Lane’s Brigade, 131, 292. Claiborne, Quitman, ii, app., 311. Semmes, Service, 472. [61]R. Jones to Cass, Mar. 9, 1848. Cong. Globe, 45, 3, pp. 1627–8 (Shields). U. S. Army and Navy Journal, Apr. 25, 1885, p. 787. [288]Naylor, Alphab. list of American prisoners (1063 in all). Sen. 1; 29, 2, p. 56. Mich. Pioneer Soc. Colls., vi, 20. Rowland, Register, 412. [61]Wool to Jones, Jan. 7, 1848.