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November 29, 1845
Army of Occupation
From Corpus Christi. — The U. S. transport
Gen. Worth arrived here yesterday from Corpus Christi, after a passage
of nine days. Lieut. Jones, of the army, came passenger on her. The
news from the frontier is without the least interest or importance. The
troops were all well, but the weather was getting cold, and the northers,
so well known on the Gulf coast, have set in. In the following letters
of our kind and attentive correspondent – who has our best wishes for
his prompt escape from that “feather bed” – the reader will find of what
the chit-chat and gossip of Gen. Taylor’s camp consists:
Corpus Christi, November 9th,
1845.
My Dear Friends
— We are all anxiously awaiting the result of the Minister’s visit “by
invitation” to Washington from Mexico. In any event this greatly
concerns this little army; if peaceable negotiations are to settle
Annexation, then troops are to be spread upon the line. Who stays and
how many of each arm and where will those who are withdrawn be stationed
are questions more frequently asked than correctly answered. These
questions will be decided immediately upon Mr. Polk’s reading the
preface of the Mexican Minister’s budget; and in case it is not to be
settled by “talk,” we shall of course be on the move, nor are we idle in
the interim, as we are “measuring off the cloth” in case Mexico should
want us to make breaches. Another party of reconoissance will
start tomorrow by land, under charge of Capt. Saunders, U. S. Engineers,
and is expected to proceed south to the Brazos Santiago. Capt. Saunders
is an officer of great merit, and was, until our movement to Texas, in
charge of the improvements on the Ohio river. This party will consist
of 4 or 5 officers and about 80 mounted men of the 2d Dragoons.
Another party under the direction of Lieut.
Maule, Topographical Engineers, I understand will start to-morrow or next
day to survey the coast from this to the mouth of the Brazos Santiago – an
usable passage through the Laguna del Madre. This party will, I
expect, take the steamer “Col. Long,” and some small boat, in tow. A
thorough knowledge of the whole section round about “wont set us back
any.” So you see we are carrying out the __________ of “our
illustrious predecessors” who said, “In time of peace prepare for war.”
Say to them at Washington – not to let us disturb them in the “talk” but
let them go ahead and not mind us. There are many in _______ that leave a
great desire to look into Monterey at their Fairs, but there are some who
think it would not ____________ at this stage of the game; and then they
will say, that the ___________ would not object to “our peeps.”
This mission is ____________ with interest
to us, and I hope you will keep your eye on it and give us the earliest
information; and if you have fine cigars, ____________ and wine, and also
some good clothes, if you will send them over here I’d tell you whether
your taste and mine agree.
Yours, truly,
Corpus Christi, Texas, Nov. 10, 1845.
My Dear Friends.
— The Custom House officers and the settlers here have got the ropes of
this lite kinked up to such an extent that they cannot sail together
smoothly along the tide of time. I will express no opinion upon this
matter, for this reason: I am neither settler, nor am I a Custom House
officer, but as I am fond of having a little chat with you at all times,
I’ll tell you the cause of disagreement.
When the troops came over first in the
Alabama, the Custom House officer came aboard, and he was informed she was
chartered by the Government, and contained troops, with their supplies,
&c, &c. This, I believe, is the general routine for every vessel as she
arrives. After the troops were encamped, the Custom House officer saw the
settlers opening their hoods in virtue of their appointments in the army,
and he demands the duty. The suttler says, “I belong to the army, you
should not tax me, as it is but taxing the soldier as the additional price
will have to be put on the goods we sell them. We do not sell to the
citizens of Texas and pledge ourselves not to do so; we are for the army
alone – you might as well tax their power and cannon.”
The Custom House officer says — “They tax
our goods when sent to the United States. Our laws says that merchandise
shall pay duty when coming into our country, and you have not been made an
exception; you mus therefore fork over.” ____________________ declares
doing. Gen. Taylor was appealed to but he tells them – “Gentlemen, I came
here on a little business with Mexico; your private difficulties must be
referred to the proper authorities.”
Everything worked well for the settler – as
there are not inhabitants enough here to be called a possession so long as
the first supply lasted, and the settler sipped his wine, smoked his
cigars, _______________ his hat on one side of his head, and reclined
lazily on his ______________________ while the Custom House officer looks
thoughtful and troubled. Time rolls on, and the settlers send for new
supplies, and __________________ or hire a schooner to bring them over.
So soon as she casts anchor here she is boarded and taken possession of by
the Custom House, a prohibition put upon landing goods, and the duties
demanded. The Pay master has just paid all the troops, money is plenty in
camp, all sorts of articles are on the vessel, where the soldiers would
buy rapidly, hence the anxiety of the settlers to get their goods. Mark
now the change. The Custom House officer sets his arms “a kumbo” changes
with much ______ enormous quid of tobacco from one jaw to the other and
treads with elevated cranium the deck of the captured schooner ________
piles of dry goods, groceries, barrels of ___________, and butter and
baskets of champagne. The settler looks as “the bout had _______ him.”
Thus matters stand at the present writing,
but it is expected that today an amicable adjustment will take place, as
the Comptroller of the Texas Treasury is now at St. Joseph’s, and is
expected here today.
Yours truly, &c.
Source: The Daily Picayune,
November 29, 1845, p. 2, col. 3.
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