The March of the 2d Dragoons.
We take great pleasure in publishing the
following letter, describing the march of the 2d Dragoons from Fort
Jesup to Corpus Christi. It shows the regiment to be in a thorough
state of discipline, and full of alacrity to meet the enemy: —
Corpus Christi, Texas, Sept. 2d, 1845.
To the Editors of the Picayune: —
Gentlemen – for the purpose of
correcting the various rumors and reports in circulation relative to
the march of the 2d Regiment of Dragoons through Texas to this place,
it is the request of the officers of the Regiment that you publish the
following:
Anticipations and predictions of a
disastrous march for the Dragoons, on account of the drought and warm
season, were rife among certain wiseacres, and verifications of the
same, in the shape of vague rumors of sickness and distress, were
accordingly sent abroad ere we had fairly started; indeed a report
reached us before we left Fort Jesup, that Col. Twiggs, who had
preceded the command an hour or two, was lying dangerously ill five
miles on the road. This we discovered to be utterly false; on the
contrary, our gallant Colonel never flagged or wavered,
notwithstanding a slight affliction at the commencement of the march;
but conducted the command to this point with a rapidity, energy and
masterly ability, in the highest degree creditable.
Passing through a comparatively unsettled
country, a Southern clime, a six weeks drought, the month of August, the
various and contradictory reports in reference to forage, &c., with
seven companies of Dragoons and a train of sixty wagons, might well have
staggered a firmer and more practical mind. But the task,
voluntarily undertaken, has been accomplished; and the Regiment and
train of wagons presented to the commanding General in such fine
condition as to have elicited the admiration of our friend of the
Infantry Regiments, and a complimentary order from General Taylor
himself.
True, we encountered difficulties on the
route, and obstacles that seemed insurmountable; but nothing impeded our
progress. Starting at 3 o’clock in the morning, and frequently at 12,
our marches of twenty-five and sometimes thirty miles, were terminated
before the heat of the day. Upon our arrival at the towns and villages
we were greeted by the acclamations of the multitude assembled to
welcome us. Balls and parties were immediately gotten up, and
committees, composed of the magi of the people, sent to
solicit our attendance. The ladies, God bless them, we found always
first and most enthusiastic in the expressions of their joy and
gratitude.
Our losses upon the route were principally
from desertion – only three deaths having occurred on the march; one,
the first day, was occasioned from overheating himself and drinking cold
water – and two others from a stroke of the sun, having been obliged, on
account of the soreness of their horses’ backs, to walk across a prairie
fifteen miles wide, on the borders of the Guadalupe. Indeed much of the
distress, and the consequent desertions, may be attributed mainly to the
circumstance, that during the first six days over sixty horses’ backs
were injured by the miserable saddle lately adopted by the Government,
and the riders consequently dismounted and made to walk the remainder of
the way. More upon this subject anon.
The amusing circumstance, and one that is
more flattering to the Regiment than any other occurrence on the route,
took place at San Patricio. The Regiment had made an early start (12,
M.), in order to accomplish a distance of twenty-seven miles to San
Patricio, and cross the Nueces by means of a raft, which had been
previously constructed by a party thrown forward the night and day
before. We arrived about 8 A.M. By 9 every Dragoon had swam the river,
with his equipments. During the whole morning, and especially at this
hour, hard been heard what was at first supposed to be the firing of a
salute at Corpus Christi. The continuation of the distant reports,
however, together with the absence of Gen. Taylor, who had informed Col.
Twiggs by express that he should meet him at San Patricio that day,
confirmed even the most skeptical that Corpus Christi had been
attacked. “To horse” was immediately sounded; then “the advance,” and
the sick and convalescent were ordered to remain as a guard to the
train. When we had got fairly under way, however, and the stragglers
were all up, the officer left in charge reported that there were no
sick, the number having been suddenly reduced from 50 to 0! We had
scarcely proceeded three miles, however, before we met the General
himself, and soon discovered, that instead of the enemy, we were about
to meet a violent thunder storm. We were not much vexed, as the
occurrence displayed to us the alacrity with which our men would prepare
to meet the enemy, and the stuff the Regiment is made of. Nous
verrons.
Ere I conclude it is but just that I
should inform the public, that to lieut. George Stevens, of the 2d
Dragoons, acting Topographical Engineer, is due the credit of surveying
and measuring the entire route from Fort Jesup, La., to Corpus Christi –
having with his own hands constructed a viometer for that purpose. The
distance to this point has been thus ascertained to be 501-1/2 miles.
The Regiment left Fort Jesup on the 25th of July, and arrived
at Corpus Christi on the 27th of August, having rested eight
days on the march.
No Mexican news of importance. The last
camp rumor brought in by a party of traders is, that troops are
assembling in such numbers, and so rapidly, on the Rio Grande, that they
(the traders) will be enabled to make but one more trip. The General
and his staff are busily engaged organizing the troops into brigades –
the 2d Dragoons on the right, forming a distinct corps, under its
Colonel, with orders to act at his discretion in case of alarm.
Source: The Daily Picayune,
September 25, 1845, p. 2, col. 4.
