No. 33. ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, GENERAL: By direction of Major General Scott, I have the honor to enclose you copies of two letters from the Secretary of War to the governors of certain States, dated the 16th instant, calling for additional regiments of volunteers; one to Acting Governor Horton, of Texas, calling for a regiment of cavalry; and the other, addressed to the governors of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi, calling for one regiment of infantry from each of those States, and designating the several places of rendezvous therein. You will perceive from the letter to Governor Horton, that you are expected to furnish the mustering officer and examining surgeon for the Texas regiment; and the general-in-chief requests that, to expedite matters, these officers be directed to repair, without delay, to Austin, and report in person to his excellency, or repair to such place as he may have appointed for the rendezvous of the new regiment. You are also requested to give the mustering officer exact instructions as to the manner of performing his duty, furnishing him with a copy of such parts of the Secretary of War's letter as may be necessary for his guidance, and enjoining upon him to be very careful not to accept any volunteer who does not possess the prescribed qualifications. A supply of blank rolls, for mustering the regiment into service, will be this day sent to Austin, directed to the care of the governor of Texas, from whom the mustering officer can obtain them. Four rolls are required for each company, and an equal number for the field and staff; the same blank forms being used for companies and for the field and staff. One of these rolls must be sent to this office, one delivered to the captain, (and in the case of the field and staff, to the colonel,) and two handed to the United States paymaster, who will be at the place of rendezvous to pay the travelling allowances, and six months' advance for clothing. A consolidated return of the force mustered, must also be forwarded to this office, agreeably to paragraph 463 of the regulations, and a duplicate should be transmitted to you. The general-in-chief desires that you will keep the governor of Texas advised of any orders you may issue in relation to the regiment from that State, up to the moment of its reception into the service of the United States. The commissary general of subsist ence will take measures for its subsistence. I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Major General Z. TAYLOR, W. G. FREEMAN, Assistant Adjutant General. Commanding, &c., Monterey, Mexico. [The following is the form of requisition from the Secretary of War to the governors of States, calling for additional regiments, alluded to in the communication from the adjutant general's office to General Taylor, dated November 18, 1846.-R. J.] WAR DEPARTMENT, SIR: I am instructed by the President to request that you will cause to be raised in the State of and organised at the earliest practicable period, for service Mexico, unless sooner discharged, ganised, will be mustered into the service The regiment will consist of during the war with which, as soon as or " of the United States. 1 colonel. 1 lieutenant colonel. Field and staff. Non-commissioned staff. 1 major. 1 adjutant-a lieutenant of one of the companies, but not in addition. 1 sergeant major. 1 quartermaster sergeant. 2 principal musicians; and 10 companies, each of which to consist of 1 captain, 1 first lieutenant, 2 second lieutenants, 4 sergeants, 4 corporals, 2 musicians, and 80 privates. Should the number of privates, on being mustered, not fall below sixty-four effective men in a company, it will be received. is designated as the place of rendezvous for the several companies, as fast as they shall be organized, and where they may be further organized into a regiment. The regiment will be inspected and mustered into service by an officer, or officers, of the United States army, who will, in every case, be instructed to receive no man who is in years, apparently, over fortyfive, or under eighteen, or who is not of physical strength and vigor. To this end, the inspector will be accompanied by a medical officer of the army, and the volunteer will be submitted to his examination. It is respectfully suggested that public notice of these requirements will prevent much disappointment to the zealous and patriotic citizens of your State who may be disposed to vol teer. By the enclosed copy of an act authorizing the President to call for volunteers, it will be perceived that all the field and company officers with volunteers, taken into the service of the United States, are to be appointed and commissioned, or such as have been appointed and commissioned in accordance with the laws of the State whence they are taken; and I would suggest the ex treme importance to the public service, that the officers for the above regiments be judiciously selected. It may be proper to remark, that the law provides for the clothing (in money) and subsistence of the non-commissioned officers, musicians, and privates of volunteers who are received into the service of the United States. In respect to clothing, the law requires that the volunteers shall furnish their own clothing, for which purpose it allows to each non-commissioned officer, musician, and private, three dollars and fifty cents per month during the time he shall be in the service of the United States. In order that the volunteers who shall be mustered into service under this requisition may be enabled to provide themselves with good and sufficient clothing, the commutation allowance for six months (twenty-one dollars) will be advanced to each non-commissioned officer, musician, and private, after being mustered into service, but only with the express condition that the volunteer has already furnished himself with six months' clothing -this fact to be certified to the paymaster by the captain of the company-or that the amount thus advanced shall be applied, under the supervision of his captain, to the object contemplated by law. In this latter case the advance commutation for clothing will be paid on the captain's certificate that he is satisfied it will be so applied. In respect to subsistence before arriving at the place of rendezvous, and for travelling home from the place of discharge, the allowance is fifty cents for every twenty miles distance. The President requests that you will be as prompt as possible in the arrangement of this whole matter, in order that the volunteers may be ready for immediate service. Officers of the quartermaster and subsistence departments will be immediately ordered to the place of rendezvous, with funds to defray the necessary expenses which may be incurred. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. L. MARCY, No. 34. ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, GENERAL: The capture of Tampico, on the 14th instant, by the naval forces under Commodore Connor, and the sudden call for troops by that officer to garrison the captured town, it is highly probable may have caused the withdrawal of some portion of the army stationed on the lower Rio Grande, as it is understood that Commodore Perry, after leaving New Orleans, proceeded to Brazos Santiago for the purpose of procuring troops, &c., to meet the emergency of the public service. It having been decided to hold Tampico with a garrison of 1,500 or 2,000 men, pursuant to the instructions of the Secretary of War, such measures have been promptly taken as the exigency seemed to require, or at least as were within the reach of the War Department at the moment of receiving the official despatches of the naval commander at the seat of government.. I respectfully enclose, for your information, a copy of my letter of yesterday's date, addressed to Major General Patterson, or commanding officer on the Rio Grande, on the subject of the requisition supposed to have been made by Commodore Connor for the aid of the land forces near at hand, from which you will see what troops may be expected from other quarters, as well as the views of the Secretary of War, with respect to the propriety of weakening (temporarily) that portion of the base of your operations, &c. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. JONES, Adjutant General. Major General Z. TAYLOR, [The following is a copy of the letter to General Patterson referred to in the foregoing letter.-R. J.] WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, SIR: It is supposed that a requisition has been made upon you by the commander of the naval forces in the gulf, for assistance in holding the post of Tampico, taken by him on the 14th instant; and I am instructed by the Secretary of War, to say, that he hopes the state of the service on the lower Rio Grande may have been such as to justity a prompt complia ce with the request of the naval commander. It is necessary to apprize you, that it is decided forthwith to throw into Tampico a garrison of 1,500 or 2,000 men, a part of which, as above mentioned, it is expected will be drawn from the Rio Grande; but, as already intimated, the propriety of weakening that portion of the base line of operations, must be determined by the commander on the spot, possessed as he must be of a better knowledge of the actual state of affairs than the authorities at Washington can have. On the 21st instant General Brooke, commanding at New Orleans, ordered about 200 recruits, en route for Point Isabel, to Tampico, and he will give the same direction to six or seven companies of the rifle regiment which probably reached New Orleans soon after. To-day one company of artillery from Fort Columbus, (perhaps two,) and the two companies now at Tampa Bay, have also been ordered to that place, but the departure of the last two may be considerably delayed for want of transportation. This would make a regular force, including the rifle companies and recruits sent from New Orleans, of about a thousand men. I am further directed by the Secretary of War, to say that the force which may be drawn, in this emergency, from the Rio Grande will be more than replaced by a portion of the new levies which it. is expected will soon be ready to be pushed forward to join the army in Mexico. Please to send, by express, a copy of this communication to Major General Taylor. I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. JONES, Adjutant General. Major General PATTERSON, (Or commanding officer U. S. forces on the Rio Grande.) No. 35. ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, GENERAL: In forwarding a copy of my letter of yesterday's date to Captain L. B. Kinton, of the 2d regiment of Ohio volunteers, for your information, I write this note merely to say that the officer, who is represented to be a very clever man, was so much concerned at having left the army, and so anxious to get back, that the Secretary of War was disposed to view his absence (as stated in the official letter) in the character of one of leave, &c. In looking over my communication of September 21, referred to in the letter to Captain Kinton, it may be that I did not very clearly express the Secretary's intention with respect to granting discharges when furloughs could not be given to the volunteer officers. The intention was, that when furloughs were applied for, instead of granting the same, which the good of the service would not justify to any great extent, it would be best for the public interest that the officers should quit altogether, that others might take their places; and in case they should desire to do so (but not without) that they might leave their regiments by resignation; i. e. discharge. The first paragraph of the letter of September 21 explains the mode of the acceptance of resignations when tendered, which is by granting a discharge from the United States service for the reasons stated, &c. As you may suppose, we are all very busy here, as we know you are in the field. Wishing you continued success, health and happiness, I remain, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. JONES, Adjutant General. Major General Z. TAYLOR, |