GLC02905
Union and yet human ingenuity never invented a grosser tissue of falsehoods. The Scribblers
have extolled the gallantry of men, who ran from the Mexican guns like hounds from the lash.
One thing however, I believe, almost all admit and that is that our Division effected every thing
and that too, with but trifling loss. But unwilling that the Military Academy should be elevated
in the estimations of the people by the judicious manner in which our operations were conducted,
they have studiously striven to give all the credit to Worth. The true cause of Worth's success
and Taylor's failure, was W's having scarcely any others than Regular troops and Ts having few
else than ignorant, cowardly Volunteers In the last few days we have annexed another large
Department to the conquered territory, the Capital of Coahuila has fallen without firing a shot.
Three days ago, Worth's Division at present but seven hundred strong entered this city of fifteen
thousand inhabitants. Never was a more rash or foolish expedition projected. Saltillo is sixty
miles from Monterey and the road to it passes through the strongest defiles in the world. Gen
l
Taylor accompanied us with an escort of two hundred Dragoons, although he did not know when
in a mile of this place, whether or not he would have to fight an immense Army on his entrance.
As we filed in, there were more than five thousand men in the streets and Plaza, enough to have
driven us back with broom-sticks. Worth's Division has always been selected to perform
whatever of difficult, laborious & dangerous was to be done and in consequence, it has melted
snow
away like in the sun-beams. Two months ago, it numbered eleven hundred [3] at present but
seven!! The bones lie scattered from Point Isabel to Saltillo. One Brigade of this Division (the
Brigade to which I belong) though but five hundred strong, for three weeks were encamped at
Cerralvo within sixty miles of twelve thousand of the enemy. We lay down every night
expecting to be woke by the war bugles or our copper neighbors. We do not know at present
where Santa Anna is, some believe him to be in San Luis, some on the road to Monclova and
some very near to us. Gen
l
Taylor returns to Monterey tomorrow. What he has decided to do,
battle
no one knows, but all are satisfied of one thing that another desperate is to be fought and
whenever fought, the brunt of it will fall upon our Division. And if fought soon we will have it
all to do. I honestly believe that our seven hundred men will beat any seven thousand in Mexico
upon a fair field but they will never advance upon us with less than ten to one and such odds
