Captain Seth Thornton was wounded and captured during a skirmish with
Mexican soldiers. He was returned with other wounded men. Later, Thornton
was killed on 20-August-1847 in an engagement at Churubusco outside Mexico City.
The river referred to as Del Norte is the Rio Grande.
From The Portsmouth, Virginia New Era, 14-May-1846.
AMERICANISM?
We perceive that
modern whiggery alias the
toryism of 76, true to its instincts, is pouring
forth its usual quantum of abuse and opposition
against the government of the people. Not even
the invasion of our territory and the blood of our
slaughtered countrymen can incite some of the
advocates of
foreigner interests and insolence,
to forget party, and go for the country. We envy
not the spirit of those Congressmen and others,
who can at this crisis act the
traitor. A fearful
retribution awaits those who dare attempt to
betray the interests and honor of America. Let
the odium attached to the term
"Federalism"
by the conduct of a party during the last war
with Britain, warn even the anti-patriotic to beware.
The Bill as given below, which passed the
House of Representatives by a vote of 173 to 14,
is under discussion in the Senate, and will no
doubt pass that body, with perhaps some slight
modification in
form. The emergency demands
promptitude, and patriotism should dictate
unanimity.
Since penning the above we learn from the
Baltimore Sun, that the bill has passed the
Senate by a vote 40 to 2. The amendments of the
Senate strike out the portion requiring the
officers commanding volunteers to be chosen by and
with the advice of the Senate; and reduce the
pay of privates to 8 dollars per month. The House
met at 7 o clock, P. M., and concurred in the
amendments of the Senate.
Whereas, by the act of the republic of Mexico a
state of war exists between that government
and the United States:
Be it enacted, by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of America
in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose
of enabling the government of the United States
to prosecute said war to a speedy and successful
termination, the President be, and he is hereby
authorized to employ the militia, naval, and
military forces of the United States, and to call for
and accept the services of any number of
volunteers, not exceeding fifty thousand, who may offer
their services either as cavalry, artillery, or
riflemen, to serve twelve months after they shall have
arrived at the place of rendezvous, or to the end
of the war, unless sooner discharged; and that
the sum of ten millions of dollars out of any
money in the treasury, or to come into the treasury
not otherwise appropriated, be, and the same is
hereby, appropriated, for the purpose of carrying
the provisions of this act into effect.
Sec. 2.
And be it further enacted, That the
militia, when called into the service of the United
Stales by virtue of this act, or any other act, may
if in the opinion of the President of the United
States the public interest requires it. be compelled
to serve for a term not exceeding six months,
after their arrival at the place of rendezvous, in any
one year, unless sooner discharged.
Sec. 3.
And be it further enacted, That the
said volunteers shall furnish their own clothes,
and if cavalry, their own horses; and when
mustered into service shall be armed and equipped at
the expense of the United States.
Sec. 4.
And be it further enacted, That said
volunteers shall, when called into actual service,
and while remaining therein, be subject to the
rules and articles of war, and shall be in all
respects except as to clothing and pay, placed on
the same footing with similar corps of the United
States army ; and in lieu of clothing every
non-commissioned officer and private in any company
who may thus offer himself shall be entitled, when
called into actual service, to receive in money a
sum equal to the cost of clothing of a
non-commissioned officer or private (as the case may be) in
the regular troops of the United States.
Sec. 5.
And be it further enacted, That the
said volunteers so offering their services shall be
accepted by the President in companies, battalions
squadrons, and regiments, whose officers shall be
appointed in the manner prescribed by law in the
several States and Territories to which such
companies, battalions, squadrons, and regiments shall
respectively belong.
Sec. 6.
And be it further enacted, That the
President of the United States be, and he is hereby,
authorized to organize companies so tendering
their services into battalions or squadrons;
battalions and squadrons into regiments; regiments into
brigades, and brigades into divisions, as soon as'
the number of volunteers shall render such organization,
in his judgment, expedient; and shall, by
and with the advice of the Senate, appoint the
generals of brigade and division, and the general
staff, as now authorized by law :
Provided, horn
ever, that major generals and brigadier generals
shall have the appointment of their own aids-de-camp,
and the President shall if necessary, apportion
the staff field, and general officers among
the respective States and Territories from which
the volunteers shall tender their services, as he
may deem proper.
Sec. 7.
And be it further enacted, That the
volunteers who may be received into the service
of the United States by virtue of the provisions
of this act, and who shall be wounded or
otherwise disabled in the service, shall be entitled to
all the benefit which may be conferred on persons
wounded in the service of the United States.
Sec. 8.
And be it further enacted, That the
President of the United States be, and he is hereby,
authorized forthwith to complete all the public
armed vessels now authorized by law, and to
purchase or charter, arm, equip, and man such
merchant vessels and steamboats as, upon
examination, may be found fit, or easily converted into
armed vessels fit for the public service, and in
such number as he may deem necessary for the
protection of the seaboard, lake coast, and the
general defence of the country.
Sec. 9.
And be it further enacted, That,
whenever the militia or volunteers are called and
received into the service of the United States,
under the provisions of this act, they shall have
the organization of the army of the United States,
and shall have the same pay and allowances,
except as follows, to wit: Privates of infantry,
artillery, and riflemen shall receive ten dollars
per month, and privates of volunteer mounted
corps twenty dollars per month, for their services
and the use and risk of their horses.
And its title was so amended as to read "An
act providing for the prosecution of the existing
war between the United States and the republic
of Mexico."
A motion was made to reconsider the vote by
which the bill had been passed ; and the question
being taken under the operation of the previous
question, the vote was
not reconsidered.
The bill was then ordered to be sent to the
Senate.
RANK AND FILE OF THE ARMY.
On motion of Mr. Haralson, the House took up
the bill to increase the rank and file of the army,
and concurred in the amendments made thereto
by the Senate.
And then, at a very late hour,
The House adjourned.
THE MACHINATIONS OF MONARCHY.
A letter received at Washington recently by a
respectable gentleman, from a merchant in Vera
Cruz, dated April 2, in which he remarked that
the movements of the Mexican army towards
Texas, would depend upon advices then expected
from England, and which reached there very
shortly afterwards; whereupon the signal for
these operations was given, and the result is now
before the world. It is argued from this strong
fact, that Great Britain is an actor behind the
scenes in this attempt of Mexico.
THE RIO GRANDE -- GEN. TAYLOR.
A New Orleans correspondent of the Baltimore
Sun says, private letters received there from Gen.
T. stated that he should leave five hundred men
in his main entrenchment, and march with the
remainder of the forces to Point Isabel.
==> We are rejoiced to learn, says the Union,
by this evening’s mail, that Captain Seth B.
Thornton, and Lieutenant Mason, with two
dragoons, had arrived safe in Gen. Taylor’s camp.
Captain Thornton, discovering the ambuscade
too late to retreat, had plunged gallantly through
the enemy’s ranks, and cut his way with his own
sword, with a boldness and intrepidity that is
almost incredible. It seems he is not to be killed
by accidents of flood or field. He is the same
gentleman who so narrowly escaped when the
Pulaski was blown up. He had the yellow fever
several times in Florida, and has passed through
many other hair breadth ’scapes.
When Gen. Worth left the camp, Captain
Thornton asked him for his sword. The general
buckled it upon him ; and when he heard yesterday
of Captain T.’s gallantry, he exclaimed,
"That was
my sword. I knew it would never
be disgraced in his hands. He is as noble and
gallant a fellow ever held sword in hand."
SIGNS OF WAR-ORDER FOR CANNON
BALLS
Messrs. Savery &. Co., iron founders of
Philadelphia, have received an order from the
Government to supply at once one hundred tons of
cannon halls.
==> We learn that three companies have been
ordered from Fortress Monroe, to repair forthwith
to the assistance of Gen. Taylor, and that they
will be joined by two more companies, daily
expected from Baltimore, making five in all. They
will take their departure as soon as the necessary
conveyance is offered. --
Herald.
==> The troops at Fort Mifflin, on the Delaware,
have been ordered to the scene of war.
WAR MEETING IN PHILADELPHIA,
May 11 -- 2 P. M.
On the receipt of the news from Washington
last night, the Mayor of Philadelphia published
the following call for a
TOWN MEETING.
The President of the United States having
made known to Congress that in his opinion the
country has, by the failure of negotiation! with
Mexico, and the attack by Mexican forces upon
the troops of the United States, been placed in a
state of war -- the undersigned, Mayor of the
city, respectfully invites his fellow-citizens of the
city and county to hold a public meeting in
Independence Square on WEDNESDAY. 13th inst.,
at 4 P. M to express their opinion upon public
affairs and to adopt such measures as are required
by the emergency of the country -- and such as
become citizens of this great Republic.
JOHN SWIFT, Mayor
Philadelphia, May 12, 1846.
FEELING IN NEW YORK.
New York, May 11, 1846.
The city has not wanted for excitement since
Saturday noon. Confidence in the army is felt
by all, and no half way measures are now spoken
of; the honor of the country is at stake, and
parties have ceased on this point. The more
active and energetic the measures of the President
the greater will be his praise.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE.
The greatest enterprise ever accomplished by
Morse s Magnetic Telegraph was performed
yesterday in transmitting, letter by letter, and word
by word,
exclusively for the "Baltimore Sun,"
the annexed message from the President of the
United Stages to Congress, relative to our
difficulties with Mexico. It was transmitted entire,
as read in Congress yesterday, and was completed
in the short space of two hours and a half. This
is the first message or lengthy document ever
transmitted in full on the Telegraph, and shows
what it is capable of performing more than
volumes of argument could possibly do.
Messrs. Editors: I am indebted to Messrs.
Richie & Heiss, editors of the Union, for the
following copy of the message.
To the Senate and
House of Representatives :
The existing state of relations between the
United States and Mexico, renders it proper that
I should bring the subject to the consideration of
Congress. In my message at the commencement
of your present session, the state of these relations
and the causes which led to the suspension of
diplomatic intercourse between the two countries
in March, 1845, and the long continued and
unredressed wrongs and injuries committed by the
Mexican Government on citizens of the United
Mates, on their persons and property, were briefly
set forth.
As the facts and opinions which were then laid
before you were carefully considered. I cannot
better express my present convictions of the
condition of affairs up to this time than by referring you
to that communication. The strong desire to
establish peace with Mexico on liberal and
honorable terms, and the readiness of this Government
to regulate and adjust our boundary, and other
causes of difference with that power, on such fair
and equitable principles as would lead to
permanent relations of the most friendly nature, induced
me in September last to seek a reopening of
diplomatic relations between the two countries Every
measure adopted on our part had for its object the
furtherance of these desired results.
In communicating to Congress a succinct
statement of the injury which we have suffered from
Mexico, and which had been accumulated during
the period of more than 20 years, every
expression that could tend to inflame the people of
Mexico, defeat or delay a pacific result, was carefully
avoided. An Envoy of the United States repaired
to Mexico, with full powers to adjust every
existing difference, but though present on the
Mexican soil by agreement between the two
governments, invested with full powers, and bearing
evidence of the most friendly dispositions, his
mission has been unavailing. The Mexican
government not only refused to receive him or listen
to his propositions, but after a long continued
series of menaces, have at last invaded our territory
and shed the blood of our fellow-citizens on our
own soil.
It now becomes my duty to state more in detail
the origin, progress and failure of that mission.
In pursuance of the instructions given in September
last, an inquiry was made on the 13th of October,
in 1845, in the most friendly terms, through
our Consul in Mexico, of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, whether the Mexican Government would
receive an Envoy from the United Slates,
entrusted with full powers to adjust all the questions
in dispute between the two governments, with
the assurance that, should the answer be in the
affirmative, such an Envoy would be immediately
despatched to Mexico. The Mexican Minister,
on the 15th of October, gave an affirmative
answer to this inquiry, requesting, at the same
time, that our naval force at Vera Cruz might be
withdrawn, lest its continued presence might
assume the appearance of menace and coercion
pending the negotiations. This force was
immediately withdrawn. On the 10th of November,
1845, Mr. John Slidell, of Louisiana, was
commissioned by me as Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States to
Mexico and was entrusted with full powers to
adjust both the question of the Texan boundary
and of indemnification to our citizens. The
redress of the wrongs of our citizens naturally and
inseparably blended itself with the question of
boundary. The settlement of the one question in
any correct view of the subject, involved that of
the other. I could not for a moment entertain the
idea that the claims of our much injured and long
suffering citizens, many of which had existed for
more than twenty years, should be postponed or
separated from the settlement of the boundary
question.
Mr. Slidell arrived at Vera Cruz on the 30th
of November, and was courteously received by
the authorities of that city ; but the Government
of Gen. Herrera was then tottering to its fall :
the revolutionary party had seized upon the
Texas question to effect or hasten its overthrow. Its
determination to restore friendly relations with
the United Stales, and to receive our Minister to
negotiate for the settlement of this question, was
violently assailed, and was made the great theme
of denunciation against it. The Government of
Gen. Herrera, there is good reason to believe,
was sincerely desirous to receive our Minister,
but it yielded to the storm raised by its enemies,
and on the 21st of December refused to accredit
Mr. Slidell, upon the most frivolous pretexts.
These are so fully and ably expressed in the note
of Mr. Slidell of the 24th of December last, to
the Mexican Minister of Foreign Relations,
herewith transmitted, that I deem it unnecessary to
enter into further details on this portion of the
subject.
Five days after the date of Mr. Slidell’s note,
Gen. Herrera yielded the government to Gen.
Paredes, without a struggle, and on the 30th of
December resigned the Presidency. This
revolution was accomplished solely by the army, the
people having taken little part in the contest;
and thus the supreme power of Mexico passed
into the hands of a military leader. Determined
to leave no effort untried to effect an amicable
adjustment with Mexico, I directed Mr. Slidell
to present his credentials to the government of
Gen. Paredes, and asked to be officially received
by him.
There would have been less ground for taking
this step had Gen. Perades come into power by
a regular constitutional succession. In that event
his administration would have been considered
but a mere constitutional continuance of the
Government of General Herrera, and the refusal of
the latter to receive our Minister would have been
deemed conclusive, unless an intimation had been
given by Gen. Perades of his desire to reverse
the decision of his predecessor. But the
Government of Gen. Paredes owes its existence to a
military revolution by which the subsisting
constitutional authorities had been subverted.
The form of government was entirely changed,
as well as all the high functionaries by whom it
was administered. Under these circumstances
Mr. Slidell, in obedience to my directions,
addressed a note to the Mexican Minister of Foreign
Relations, under date of the 1st of March last,
asking to be received by that government in the
diplomatic character to which he had been appointed.
The Minister, in his reply, under date
of the 12th of March, reiterated the arguments
of his predecessor, and in terms that may be
considered as giving just grounds of offence to the
government and people of the Untied States,
denied the application of Mr. Slidell. Nothing,
therefore, remained for our Envoy but to demand
his passports, and return to his own country.
Thus the Government of Mexico, though
solemnly pledged by official acts in October last
to receive and accredit an American envoy,
violated their pledge, their plighted faith, and
refused the offer of the peaceful adjustment of our
difficulties. Not only was the offer rejected, but
the indignity of its rejection, enhanced by a
manifest breach of faith in refusing to admit the envoy
who came because they had bound themselves to
receive him. Nor can it be said that the offer
was fruitless from the want of opportunity of
discussing it, as our envoy was present on their own
soil. Nor can it be ascribed to a want of sufficient powers -- our envoy had full powers to
adjust every question of difference. Nor was there
room for complaint that our proposition (or
settlement was unreasonable permission was not even
given our envoy to make any proposition
whatever. Nor can it be objected that we, on our
part, would not listen to any reasonable terms of
their suggestion ; the Mexican government
refused all negotiations, and have made no
proposition of any kind.
In my message at the commencement of the
present session. I informed you that upon the
earnest appeal, both of the Congress and
Convention of Texas, I had ordered an efficient military
force to take a position between the Neuces and
the Del Norte. This had become necessary to
meet a threatened invasion of Texas by the
Mexicans, for which extensive military preparation
had been made. The invasion was threatened
solely because Texas had determined, in
accordance with a solemn resolution of the Congress of
the United States to annex herself to our Union,
and under these circumstances it was plainly our
duty to extend our protection over her citizens
and soil. This force was concentrated at Corpus
Christi and remained there until after I had
received such information as rendered it probable
that the Mexican government would not receive
our envoy.
Meantime, Texas, by the final act of our
Congress had become an integral part of our Union.
The Congress of Texas, by its action of Dec. 19,
1836, had declared the Rio Del Norte to be the
boundary of that Republic. Its jurisdiction had
The country between that river and the Del
Norte had been represented in the Congress and
the Convention of Texas, had thus taken part in
the act of Annexation itself, and is now included
within one of our Congressional Districts. Our
own Congress had moreover, with great
unanimity, by the act approved Dec. 31st. 1845,
recognized the country beyond the Nueces as a part of
our territory by including it within our own
revenue system, and a revenue officer to reside
within that district has been appointed by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate. It
became therefore of urgent necessity to provide for
the defense of that portion of our country. Accordingly on the 13th of January last instructions
were issued to the General in command of these
troops to occupy the left bank of the Del Norte.
This river, which is the south western
boundary of the State of Texas, is an exposed frontier.
From this quarter invasion has been threatened.
Upon it, and in its immediate vicinity, in the
judgment of high military experience, are the
proper stations for the protecting forces of the
Government.
In addition to this important consideration,
several others occurred to induce this movement
Among these are the facilities afforded by the
ports of Brazos Santiago and the mouth of the Del
Norte for the reception of supplies by sea, the
stronger and more healthy military positions the
convenience for obtaining a ready and more
abundant supply of provisions, as water, fuel and
forage, and the advantages which arc afforded by
the Del Norte in forwarding supplies to such
posts as may be established in the interior and
upon the Indian frontier.
The movement of troops to Del Norte was
made by the commanding General, under positive
instructions to abstain from all aggressive acts
towards Mexico or Mexican citizens, and to
regard the relations between that Republic and the
United States as peaceful, unless she should
declare war or commit acts of hostility indicative of
a state of war. He was especially directed to
protect private property and respect personal
rights.
The Army moved from Corpus Christi on the
11th of March, and on the 28th of that month
arrived on the left bank of the Del Norte,
opposite to Matamoras, where it encamped on a
commanding position, which has since been
strengthened by the erection of field works. A depot has
also been established at Point Isabel, near the
Brazos Santiago, 30 miles in the rear of the
encampment. The selection of his position was
necessarily confined to the judgment of the
General in command.
The Mexican forces at Matamoras assumed a
belligerent attitude on the 12th of April. Gen.
Ampudia, then in command, notified General
Taylor to break up his camp within 24 hours,
and to retire beyond the Neuces river, and in
the event of his failure to comply with these
demands announced that arms and arms alone must
decide the question. But no open act of hostility
was committed until the 24th April. On that
day Gen. Arista, who had succeeded to the
command of the Mexican forces, communicated to
General Taylor, that he considered hostilities
commenced, and should prosecute them. A party
of dragoons of 53 men and officers were on the
same day despatched from the American camp
up the Rio del Norte, on its left bank, to
ascertain whether the Mexican troops had crossed or
wore preparing to cross the river, became engaged
with a large body of these troops, and after a
short affair in which some 16 were killed and
wounded, appear to have been surrounded and
compelled to surrender. The grievous wrongs
perpetrated by Mexico upon our citizens through
out a long period of years remain unredressed ;
and solemn treaties, pledging her public faith fur
this redress have been disregarded. A government
either unable or unwilling, to force the
execution of such treaties, fails to perform one
its plainest duties.
Our commerce with Mexico has been almost
annihilated. It was formerly highly beneficial to
both nations; but our merchants have been
deterred from prosecuting it by the system of
outrage and extortion which the Mexican
authorities have pursued against them; whilst their
appeals through their own government for indemnity
have been made in vain. Our forbearance
has gone to such an extreme as to be mistaken in
its character. Had we acted with vigor in
repelling the insults and redressing the injuries
inflicted by Mexico at the commencement, we should
doubtless have escaped all the difficultly in which
we are now involved.
Instead of this, however, we have been
exerting our best efforts to propitiate her good will,
upon the pretext that Texas, a nation as
independent as herself, thought proper to unite its
destinies with our own. She has affected to
believe that we have severed have severed her rightful territory,
and in official proclamation, and in manifestoes,
has repeatedly threatened to make war upon us
for the purpose of reconquering Texas. In the
meantime we have tried every effort at
reconciliation. The cup of forbearance had been
exhausted, even before the recent information from the
frontier of the Del Norte. But now after reiterated
menace. Mexico has passed the boundary of
the United States, has invaded our territory and
shed American blood upon the American soil. --
She has proclaimed that hostilities have
commenced, and that the two nations.are now at war.
As war exists, and notwithstanding efforts to
avoid it, exists by the act of Mexico herself,
are called upon by every consideration of duty
patriotism to vindicate with decision the honor
the right, and the interests of our country.
Anticipating the possibility of a crisis like that
which has arrived, instructions were given in
August last, as a precautionary measure against
invasion or threatened invasion, authorizing Gen
Taylor, it the emergency required, to accept
volunteers not from Texas only, hut from the States
of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and
Kentucky. And corresponding letters were
addressed to the respective Governors of those
States. These instructions were repeated, and
in January last soon after the incorporation of
Texas into our Union of States, Gen. Taylor was
further authorized by the President to make a
requisition upon the Executive of that State for
such of its militia force as may be needed to repel
invasion, or to secure the country against
apprehended invasion.
On the second day of March he was again
reminded in the event of the approach of any
considerable Mexican force, promptly and efficiently
to use the authority with which he was clothed
to call to him such auxiliary force as he might
need. War actually existing, and our territory
having been invaded, Gen. Taylor, pursuant to
authority invested in him, by my directions, has
called on the Governor of Texas for 4 regiments to
of State troops, two to be mounted and two to
serve on foot; and on the Governor of Louisiana
for 4 regiments of infantry, to be sent to him as
soon an practicable.
In further vindication of our rights, and the
defense of our territory, I invoke the prompt action
of Congress, to recognize the existence of the war
and to place at the disposition of the Executive
the means of prosecuting the war with vigor, and
thus hasten the restoration of peace. To this end
I recommend that authority should be given to
call into the public service a large body of
volunteers to serve for not less than six or twelve
months, unless sooner discharged.
A volunteer force, is, beyond question, more
efficient than any other description of citizen
soldiers ; and it is not to be doubted that a
number far beyond that would readily rush
to the field upon the call of their country. I
further recommend, that a liberal provision be made
for sustaining our entire military force and
furnishing it with supplies and munitions of war.
Most energetic and prompt measures, and the
immediate appearance in arms of a large and
overpowering forces are recommended to Congress as
the most certain and efficient means of bringing
the existing collision with Mexico to a speedy
and successful termination.
In making these recommendations, I deem it
proper to declare that it is my anxious desire, not
only to terminate hostilities, speedily, but to bring
all matters between this government
and Mexico to an early and amicable adjustment;
and with this view I shall be prepared to renew
negotiations whenever Mexico shall be ready to
receive propositions or to make propositions of her
own.
I transmit herewith a copy of the correspondence
between our Envoy to Mexico and the Mexican
Minister for Foreign Affairs, and so much of
the correspondence between that Envoy and the
Secretary of State, and between the Secretary of
War and the General in command on the Del
Norte, as are necessary to a full understanding of
the subject.
JAMES K. POLK.
Washington, May 11th, 1846.
