Correspondence of the Picayune
Camp of the Army of Occupation
Corpus Christi, Texas, Oct. 31, 1845.
Messrs. Editors
— It is becoming to be a matter of speculation here whether the
Government of the United States knows that such a thing as the “Army
of Occupation” still exists. You can confer a favor on us by
enlightening our superiors on this subject, and informing them that we
not only exist, but desire a continuance of those blessings – life and
health – heretofore bestowed on us. We are even like other mortals –
requiring the aid of bodily food and creature comforts to sustain us,
though our personal supplies, always very limited, are rapidly
vanishing, and the hopes of obtaining more are fading from our
heretofore too sanguine minds. True, we have done but little here to
deserve the special favor of our rulers; but we have done all expected
of us, and were prepared, on our part, to have done more, had it been
required and the necessary means furnished. As it is, we should now
make an obstinate resistance before leaving to our enemy the position
we have so long occupied and enjoyed. It is probably the first time
in the history of our country, or that of any enlightened nation, that
an army has been sent into the field, to take possession of and occupy
a disputed territory, without being accompanied by some means of
locomotion. Such, however, was the case with the “Army of
Occupation,” and even now it could not move, unless in retreat, for
want of the first requisite to an army – transportation. As yet it
has not been needed, but had it been, we should have presented the
humiliating spectacle of an army ready and willing to execute its
order, but crippled and paralized by the power which gives them. At
this late day not one-third of the army here could take the field, and
for the limited means we have, except such as came with the 2d
Dragoons, we are indebted to those with whom we expected to contend –
the Mexicans.
Our country, too, not only expected us
to move, to fight and to conquer without means, but it expected all
this of us “without money and without ______.” Part of the troops
here have not received one cent of pay for six months, nor is there
the slightest ______________ of an intention to pay them for the
future. Congress at its last season made the necessary
appropriations, and the money is in the treasury. Fifteen officers
are provided by law for the disbursement of it, and our regulations
required payments to be made every two months. More than _____ our
army is here, and out of the fifteen officers of the pay department,
not one is with us. If required to move at this moment, four-fifths
of the army, at least, must leave unsettled recounts of long
_____________ behind them. We are in a land of strangers, where
credit is scarce, and were it plenty, it is of very doubtful
propriety. Congress is our only hope for a correction of these
abuses. Appeals to the authorities in Washington are useless; they do
not feel the evil, and will not appreciate it.
Even the Government of Texas, which
invited us here, has assumed a __________ and unexpected position toward
us – one _______________ to _____________ and harass us as
_______________ and destroy our _______________ as an army. Our
officers, who supply many of the necessities and all the _____________
to the officers and soldiers ______ the _________ and who are by law a
____________ part of the army, suffered to its rules and regulations,
and required ______________ such supplies as may be ordered, have been
called on by the author of this Government and held ______________ to
pay duties on those supplies – supplies as purely military as those sent
here by our own Government for the armament and subsistence of the
soldier. We occupy the anomalous position of invited guests
paying for our dinners. Why should officers and soldiers be here to
protect them by their own invitation, be required to assist in
supporting their Government. We enjoy none of their privileges, we reap
no benefits from a sojourn here that we should not have approved at
home, and we mean heavy sacrifices in accepting the hospitable
invitation. Why, then, are we to be taxed. As well ________ any State
in the _______________________________ orders ________ for accepting an
invitation to assist in quelling an _____________ within her
________________. The ___________ brought here for this have many of
them _____________________________________________ the United States,
and Congress has regularly our pay in ______________ ___________________
there. Could be just, then, that we should be required, from that small
____________ to pay ______ only the heavy transportation to this place,
but also some _____ or ______ per cent, in addition, as a bonus,
to those who invited us here, for the privilege of coming and protecting
them. If no other relief can __________________ I hope you will keep us
well supplied with Congressional arguments proving that “high duties
make low prices,” a fall budget of which will no doubt be soon laid
before the country.
O. P. S.
Army of Occupation, Nov. 3, 1845.
We learned from Corpus Christi, that a
Lieut. Rieves, of the _______ regiment of infantry, a few days since was
of a _____________. It appears that he had what he ________________ a
very _________________________ he set many of which are ___________ and
sold by the Mexicans and while showing _______________ the horse
___________________________________________________. He is still
confined to his bed.
A detachment of Hays’s men and of the 2d
Dragoons came into Corpus Christi on the 2d, from San Antonio where one
company of 2d Dragoons, under command of Major Fountleroy, is stationed
with a wagon train for provisions. They report the troops there
healthy, as also the line companies of the 2d Dragoons at Austin, under
Major bell. Some of the Camanches and Wahoes have been committing
depredations in the vicinity of Austin, and it is the opinion of some at
Austin that more troops will be required there. The command with
provisions will return in a few days.
Capt. Saunders, of the engineer Corps, who
went out some days since on a _______________, returned last night.
With a command of 25 foot and 25 horsemen, he took _________________
S.W. almost 10 miles, then S. about ____ miles which brought him to
within about 75 miles of Matamoros. He reports plenty of wood and water
throughout the line, and a country over which an army could march with
little ___________, and that the practicality of reaching Matamoros,
should anybody want to go there, is established beyond a doubt.
They saw no Mexicans or Indians, but crossed a large rail running north,
supposed to be a Camanche trail; – a party, I suppose, that had head the
Mexicans had more mules than they wanted, and having a little leisure
time, had ridden over to borrow the surplus. How accommodating.
“The man in the white hat” did not go with the command, as our last
advices stated. He was seen in camp after they left. He had set “them
boots” by the side of his bed the night before, prepared for an early
start. At the dawn he arose but in drawing them on, a small snake, with
eleven rattles, having taken peaceable possession during the night,
contested the place with his foot, and his snakeship being pressed, took
to ____________, whereupon “White hat” acted the mustang to perfection.
They think of matching him against Rives’s pony. Bets stand 5 to 3 –
odds in favor of “White Hat.”
Yours, &c.
Source: The Daily Picayune,
November 11, 1845, p. 2, col. 4.
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