APPENDIX.

A.

BATTLE OF MONTEREY.

General Quitman to General Felix Huston.

"Camp Allen, near Monterey, November 23d, 1840. "DEAR GENERAL,-I have just had the gratification to read your two letters of the 27th and 29th ult. They are especially gratifying to me, because they show the lively interest you take in my honor and reputation. They prove to me, too, how much those who have clear licads and only honest and patriotic intentions think alike on points of great public interest. I have been here since the battle, without the most remote idea that I had, since I left Camargo, done the slightest thing to deserve censure, and, in the honesty of my heart, believing that, in all my actions here, I had acted a conspicuous part in giving credit and honor to our arms, and especially to the volunteer servico. Not a breath was whispered but that I had been espccially fortunato in giving the only success to our arms in the hardfought affair of the 21st, and had done something very handsome in promptly occupying the strong line of works on the morning of the 23d, and, with the permission of General Taylor, led the gallant Mississippi regiment and a portion of the Tennesseans up to the very plaza. I was here complimented on all hands. Judge of my surprise when I was informed, several days since, that, simultaneously in Baltimore, New Orleans, and Natchez, rumors prejudicial to my military character had been heard. I mean to trace them, and beg your assistance in doing so. These slanders, I am sorry to say, receive some countenance from the fact that, in the first reports of these transactions, in which my brigade did so much for the credit of our arms, my name was not mentioned. I doubt not this fact struck the whole army with some surprise. Had any regular officer had a horse shot down under him before the batteries, think you reports would have been silent upon the subject? But I fear to appear to you anxious to have my vanity fed with praises. I would have been satisfied to say nothing had I merely been treated with neglect, but I can not consent to be censured for conduct which, if known, should extract praise instead of blame.

"By this time you will have received my letter giving you more in detail the particulars of the battle, and will probably also have seen General Taylor's detailed account. I have seen a rough draft of the latter, but was only enabled to read it imperfectly and in a hurried

manner. I am inclined to think he gives my command and myself more credit than in the first advices. There is a mistake that there were any participators with my brigade in the capture of the Fort Tenoria. The regular troops had been repulsed and scattered beforewe came up, and some of our men were wounded after we had entered the salient redoubt. Mr. Bailie Peyton's statement has astonished me. He has done great injustice to, and grossly misrepresented the Mississippi regiment. Both regiments were charging on the fort at the same time, the Mississippians, with M‘Clung at their head, most rapidly. The larger portion of the Tennessee regiment was impeded by a deep ditch, which was more shallow on the side on which Mississippi charged. There is a controversy which entered first. In this I, as the commander of both, should not take part. I can say, however, that I believe M'Clung was first on the rampart. The charge was made on both sides rapidly, and not one minute elapsed from the commencement of the actual charge before the greater part of both regiments were in the works, or part of them. I had just formed a new movement of the Mississippi regiment, and rode rapidly to the Tennessee troops and ordered a charge, when I looked over my shoulder and beheld our brave and gallant boys advancing, not in double-quick time, but as fast as every man could run, directly up to the crater of the bellowing volcano, and tumbling in upon the Mexicans. It is, however, impossible to make a particular description of the events of the three days without plots and drawings. Enough has occurred to prove all that ever you or I have maintained about American volun

teers.

“Having been unable to finish my letter in time for last mail, I now resume it. In looking over the accounts of the battles of Monterey two things have struck me. Almost all the letter-writers were with Gen. Worth. They show an evident disposition to blazon the transactions at the other end of the town to the disparagement of the gallant deeds of the army on this side. No man feels more sorely this injustice than Gen. Taylor. The other remark I have to mako is, that I have been treated with marked neglect by most of the writers, although victory followed where I led. But enough of this. My friends must see justice done me; I can not. Every examination shows more conclusively that we on this side had the bull by the horns. It was our vigorous attack that brought against us nearly the whole Mexican force, and drew them off from the rear, where Gen. Worth was operating. When the official reports of Gen. Taylor and Gen. Butler are published, I hope my friends will see them published in our papers. I have just this evening seen a paragraph in the Concordia Intelligencer calculated to injure me. It finds fault with me for speaking the truth, that I was not consulted and did not approve of the armistice. I had been charged with giving my sanction to it. In declaring my disapproval of it, do I censure or disparage those who approved of it? Gen. Taylor, in his first dispatches, says that he was very generous to the Mexicans. There is no officer in the army who I doubts that the city was ours; that we could have taken it in a few hours. Who dares say that we could not? But suppose not, I have my own opinion. The Courier had stated that I concurred in the terms. Shall I be assailed for indiscretion for holding an opinion

which Gen. Taylor held, and withal be told that others' acted a more conspicuous part in the battles?

"Captain W. P. Rogers, of Houston, Texas, formerly captain of the 1st Mississippi Rifles, furnished me the following interesting account of the battle:

"Our first work was to carry a strong redoubt, but in approaching it we passed over a level plain for a mile or more, exposed to the cannon of the enemy from several batteries. When within 200 yards, or perhaps more, Quitman's brigade was, by an echelon movement, made to form line of battle in front of the redoubt. The Tennessee regiment was upon our left, and opened fire first upon the enemy. Forming thus in front of the redoubt, Quitman's brigade poured a murderous fire upon the enemy, and kept it up until five or six rounds were fired, when the order to charge was given. I heard the word first from Licut. Col. M'Clung. It is, however, due to others to say that he was the officer nearest to me. During the time, however, I saw Quitman, Davis, and Bradford in the thickest of the fight, cach encouraging, by acts and words, the spirits of their men. Bradford was still mounted, and remained so during the day. Quitman's horse was killed under him. Upon the order to charge a shout of triumph was raised, and every Mississippian sprang to the conflict, with M'Clung in front. The Mississippians were first in the fort, perhaps because they were nearer than the Tennesscans. The fort was soon swept of the enemy but the dead and wounded. Our halt was brief; on to the distillery we rushed; there M'Clung was wounded and fell. But on, on was the word, for the distillery had surrendered. Over the creek wo went, Davis on foot and in our midst. Hero the Mississippians were met by a most galling fire from Fort Diablo. Our men fell thick and fast. We were ordered to retire, and did so, passing to the right and rear about fifty yards over a creek. Here the main body of our regiment, with some of the Tennessco regiment, formed line of battle, and kept up, for two hours or more, a galling fire upon the enemy. Gen. Quitman and Major Bradford were the only fieldofficers that I saw for some time. Col. Davis had taken a small party with him, and passed up the Rio Monterey for the purpose of reconnoitring the position of the enemy and obtaining a better position for his regiment. About 4 P. M. we were ordered, probably by Gen. Taylor, to return to camp. We passed on under the command of Maj. Bradford for half a mile, when we were met by Col. Davis, who ordered us back to the redoubt. There we were halted to resist cavalry, which threatened us, but did not attack us. At night we were marched to camp.

"At dawn on the morning of the 22d we returned to our first position, and found that Gen. Quitman had, during the night, thrown up breast-works, with the aid of the Tennesseans (Campbell's regiment). He had been upon his post during the entire night, and remained so for the succeeding 24 hours, thus exhibiting that indomitable energy and will so necessary to the soldier. He remained in or near the breast-works alluded to during the 22d, exposed to occasional shots from the enemy's cannon. On the night of the 22d I returned to camp, and was not in the fight of the 23d, and can not, therefore, speak of it except from report.

"The glorious achievements of the 21st had intimidated the enemy, and his subsequent resistance was feeble. A nobler specimen of a man than Gen. Quitman never lived, and to him perhaps as much as to any other man is our country indebted for the glorious achievements at Monterey. With his brigade he effected a lodgment in the lower end of the city, a position at once commanding and calculated to intimidate the enemy.'

Extracts from Major A. B. Bradford's Letter.

"Monterey, 25th Sept., 1846. "The great city of Monterey is taken. It capitulated after one of the most sanguinary battles that have been fought in modern times, and the Mississippians have covered themselves with glory, as also the Tennesseans. The 1st regiment of Tennesseans and the Mississippians, out of 700, have lost near 170 men in killed and wounded. Many of the wounded will die, having been struck with cannon balls, grape, and canister shot. I have no distinction to make, all did their duty.

I was in all the fight, saw every thing, and was exposed fifteen hours to cannon balls, grape, canister, and musketry; grazed seven times, but escaped unhurt. My poor horse Henry was wounded three times slightly, but yet is able to carry me. The Mississippians and Tennesseans under the galling fire took two forts by storm, and boro off three pieces of cannon as trophies. I can not forget tho bravery and coolness of the noble Texans, who showed themselves equal to any in the field. A part of two or three of Col. Wood's regiment of Texans were with me the last day, and fought under my directions, and won immortal honor, as did Captain Bennett's company of Tennesseans under the command of Col. Čampbell.

"I am now satisfied, and am willing that heaven may make any disposition of me it pleases. I have had my health, done my duty as a soldier, and lived to see our brave regiment gain imperishable renown. No corps in the army stands above us. Each officer and soldier did his duty, and it would take a volume to record their deeds/ of daring.

"The battlo ragod threo days almost incessantly, the 21st, 22d, and 23d inst., and the capitulation took place at twelve o'clock last night, the 24th."

Extracts from Capt. J. H. R. Taylor's Leiter.

"Monterey, Sept. 25th. "Monterey is ours. We reached here after a march of fourteen days through the scorching sun upon the plains, cach day lessening our number by disease until the effective men were about three hundred and fifty, leaving the poor fellows along the road at every ranchero. On Sunday we marched up and planted our mortars. Sunday night Gen. Worth was sent around the city to attack the opposite side. Monday morning our division and the 2d division moved toward the city. Gen. Twiggs opened the engagement with the Baltimoreans and was repulsed. Then came the Tennesseans and Mississippians, who were brought up a mile under the most destructive fire from the cannon poured upon us from the fort. We were led up

within a hundred yards of the fort, suffering from canister and grape, and balls from a thousand muskets. There we stood half an hour, our men falling around in heaps. Col. M'Clung ordered a charge; and unprecedented in history, the Mississippi rifle regiment charged the fort bristling with bayonets, followed by the Tennesseans. Through the fort we went, driving the Mexicans into. another fort. We rushed on, and at the entrance of this second fort the brave M'Clung was shot, and I fear mortally. We then waded the river, with Col. Davis and our brave Bradford at our head, gallantly leading under a still more galling fire from the third fort, losing men at every step, and even charging at this third fort. We were now ordered to fall back over the river; here the troops within a hundred and fifty yards stood and fired their small arms for an hour, exposed to the cannon of several forts. During this whole time we were not assisted by a single piece of artillery. At length the flying artillery came up and covered the divided troops from a charge of the lancers. The action commenced at five minutes before ten, and lasted till halfpast five in the evening. For the want of ammunition we were ordered to retire to camp, and for a mile and a half we received the fire of the enemy's cannon upon an open plain. Bombs and shots were passing all night from our forts and those still held by the enemy. Tuesday we were led back into the fort, exposed again to the cannon, and many a poor fellow lost his life before we reached it. We then opened our batteries upon the Cathedral from our fort. At night the Mexicans deserted the fort that we charged over the river. Wednesday, Col. Davis, with the rangers and regulars, and some Tennesscans, mado another attack upon the fort, but did not succeed, and it turned into a street fight—not many killed. The bombs were flying all night, and on Thursday morning they sent us a flag of truce." Extract of a Letter from Capt. S. A. D. Greaves to the Editors of the Mississippian, dated Monterey, Nov. 29th, 1846.

"General Quitman's brigade carried forts Teneria, the Devil, and Rencon without the assistance of the regulars, as stated by Gen. Butler in his letter, and Gen. Worth three batteries and the Bishop's Palace. Gens. Worth's and Quitman's brigade did all the hard fighting, and carried the city. If Gen. Quitman's command had been distinct, as was Gen. Worth's, he would have, beyond controversy, completely distinguished himself. As it is, he has gained a reputation that any commander might be proud of. Col. Davis in both battles showed himself to be an accomplished commander and gallant officer. He is the admiration of his regiment. They have the most unbounded confidence in him, and every man feels proud of him. No man displayed more true bravery than Col. M'Clung. His daring conduct elicited the admiration of all.

"I have seen a letter from Gen. Butler, published in the Louisville Courier of the 27th of October, in which he says: We took one battery and a house fitted up as a fortification, and assisted the regulars in taking a second.' Now, on Monday morning the 21st, Gen. Quitman's brigade, of Gen. Butler's division, composed of the Tennessco Volunteers and the Mississippi riflemen, carried by storm the 'battery and house fitted up as a fortification.' Thus far Gen. Butler's nc