George B. McClellan

“ Such marching! [39] They were marching by the flank, yet the road was not wide enough to hold them and it was with the greatest difficulty that you could get by—all hollowing, cursing, yelling like so many incarnate fiends—no attention or respect paid to the commands of their officers, whom they would curse as quickly as they would look at them. They literally straggled along for miles.
In making a short cut through the chaparral we came upon a detachment of mounted Volunteers, amongst whom the famous Murphy, captor of two cities, stood out predominant. ”

“ We started at sunrise, and it was a sunrise well worthy of the day. A cloud obscured the sun at first, but it seemed a cloud of the brightest, purest gold, and the whole east was tinged with a hue which would defy the art of man to imitate. ”

“ The volunteers have been creating disturbances, which have at last aroused the old General [Taylor] so much that he has ordered one regiment, the First Kentucky foot, to march to the rear, as they have disgraced themselves and their State.... The volunteers cannot take any care of themselves; the hospitals are crowded with them, they die like sheep; they waste their provisions, requiring twice as much to supply them as regulars do. ”

“ Quitman came out to meet General Patterson—but old Zach [Taylor] , who arrived with his regulars about an hour before we did, stayed at home like a sensible man. [22] We made fools of ourselves (not we either, for I was laughing like a wise man all the time) by riding through the streets to General Quitman’s quarters where we had wine and fruit. Then we rode down to the camp ground—a miserable stony field—we in one corner of it, the “Continental Army” all over the rest of it. We at last got settled. About dark started over to General Taylor’s camp. ”

“ The Mexicans appear to cultivate nothing whatever but a little Indian corn (maize) . They are certainly the laziest people in existence—living in a rich and [12] fertile country (the banks of the river at least) they are content to roll in the mud, eat their horrible beef and tortillas and dance all night at their fandangos. This appears to be the character of the Mexicans as far as I have seen, but they will probably improve as we proceed further in the country.
Matamoros is situated about a quarter mile from the river. ”

“ We may go to San Luis—we may go to Vera Cruz—we may go home from Tampico, we may see a fight, or a dozen of them—or we may not see a shot fired. I have made up my mind to act the [18] philosopher—to take things as they come and not worry my head about the future—to try to get perfectly well—and above all things to see as much fun as I can “scare up” in the country.
I have seen more suffering since I came out here than I could have imagined to exist. It is really awful. I allude to the sufferings of the Volunteers. They literally die like dogs. ”

“ We slept in the sand—wet to the middle. In the middle of the night we were awakened by musketry—a skirmish between some pickets. The next morning we were sent to unload and reload the “red iron boat”—after which we resumed our position and took our place in the line of investment. Before we commenced the investment, the whole army was drawn up on the beach. We took up our position on a line of sand hills about two miles from the town. The Mexicans amused themselves by firing shot and shells at us—all of which (with one exception) fell short. ”

“ The road so far was horrible, being hilly and very sandy. Our mules were so weak and miserable that the men actually had to push the wagons along, and it was easy to see that our march was to be very severe upon all concerned. General Worth and his staff passed us as we were busily engaged in “cussing” a team up a hill—we then learned for the first time that Santa Anna was at Cerro Gordo with a large force. ”

“ General Patterson and others are good Democrats; they are indignant that General Taylor should have left them in the rear when he carried more troops than he could feed. They complain at Washington, and forthwith General Patterson and Co. are directed to proceed against Tampico, and General Patterson informed before his commanding general knows anything about it. Well may we be grateful that we are at war with Mexico! ”

“ They rob and steal the cattle and corn of the poor farmers, and in fact act more like a body of hostile Indians than of civilized whites. Their own officers have no command or control over them, and the General has given up in despair any hope of keeping them in order. The consequence is they are exciting a feeling among the people which will induce them to rise en masse to obstruct our progress, and if, when we reach the mountains, we have to fight the people as well as the soldiers, the game will be up with us. ”

“ During my conversation with General Scott he mentioned that he had seen the charge of Twiggs’s Division and spoke of it as the most beautiful sight that he had ever witnessed. He said everything in praise of his “rascally Regulars.”
With reference to the operations of Twiggs’s [88] Division.—During the afternoon of the 17th [April] the hill opposite to and commanded by the Telegraph Hill was carried by Harney’s ( [Persifer F.] Smith’s) Brigade and the enemy pursued partly up the Telegraph Hill by the Rifles and 1st Artillery. ”

“ We came out with the Company (Captain Lee, Smith, Foster and myself) that evening, arrived at the place after dark, and Captain Lee, Smith and Foster went in to lay out a battery—leaving me, in command of the Company, in the road. When on our return we were passing by the old grave yard a sharp fire of musketry commenced—one of our pickets had been fired upon.
The next day (17th) we cut a path to the position of this battery (in perspective) . As we returned they discovered us and opened a fire of 24 pound shot upon us which enfiladed our path beautifully. They fired too high and hit no one. ”

“ They plunder the poor inhabitants of everything they can lay their hands on, and shoot them when they remonstrate, and if one of their number happens to get into a drunken brawl and is killed, they run over the country, killing all the poor innocent people they find in their way, to avenge, as they say, the murder of their brother. This is a true picture, and the cause is the utter incapacity of their officers to control them or command respect. ”

“ The muskets should be inspected every day, when the weather permits, as also the quarters. Men must be required to wear their worst clothes (working overalls, etc.) on board. Care should be taken that camp equipage and all articles necessary for immediate use of troops when landed are so stowed that they can be got at at once.
Brazos is probably the very worst port that [9] could be found on the whole American coast. We are encamped on an island which is nothing more than a sand bar, perfectly barren, utterly destitute of any sign of vegetation. ”

“ Smith! Take your glass—take your glass—those are our artillery or something worse! I fear they have been cut off.” However, it turned out to be Gibson, and Pat’s countenance changed suddenly from a “Bluntish,” blueish, ghastly white to a silly grin.
At last we reached our camp at a dirty, muddy lake—ornamented by a dead jackass. Pat ensconced himself in the best place with Tennessee horse as a guard, put Gibson “in battery” on the road, with us on his left flank—a large interval between us and the Tennessee horse—a similar [32] one between Gibson and the Illinois foot. ”

“ Three officers who were present dined with us today—Nichols of the 2nd Artillery, Captain Smith (brother of G. W. Smith) formerly Captain of Louisiana Volunteers now an amateur, Captain Crump of the Mississippi Volunteers—fine fellows all. Saw Bailie Peyton and some others pass our encampment this morning from Monterey. I am now writing in the guard tent (I go on guard every other day) . Immediately in front are sand hills, same on the right, same in the rear, sandy plain on the left. ”

“ Later a brigadier general in the Union Army. He was adjutant general on McClellan’s staff and closely connected with him while in command of the Army of the Potomac.
[10] The city was captured on September 24, 1846, after three days fighting.
[11] “The people are very polite to the regulars ... but they hate the volunteers as they do old scratch himself.... You never hear of a Mexican being murdered by a regular or a regular by a Mexican. The volunteers carry on in a most shameful and disgraceful manner; they think nothing of robbing and killing the Mexicans.” ”

“ Meade wrote further, from Camargo, August 13, 1846: “Already have they in almost every volunteer regiment reported one-third their number sick, and in many cases one-half the whole regiment, and I fear the mortality will be terrible among them, for their utter ignorance of the proper mode of taking care of themselves. The large number of sick is a dead weight upon us, taking away so many men as hospital attendants, requiring quarters, etc., and if taken sick on the march, requiring transportation in wagons or on litters.” ”

“ Were it all known in the States, there would be no more hue and cry against the Army, all would be willing to have so large a regular army that we could dispense entirely with the volunteer system. The suffering among the Regulars is comparatively trifling, for their officers know their duty and take good care of the men. ”

“ After getting up quite an excitement about a fight at Tampico etc., we were completely floored by the news that the navy had taken it without firing a single gun [7] —the place having been abandoned by the Mexican troops, who are doubtless being concentrated at San Luis Potosi in anticipation of a grand attack on the place—ah! if we only fool them by taking Vera Cruz and its castle, and then march on the capital—we would have them completely. ”

“ We are placed about one hundred yards from the sea, a row of sand hills some twenty feet high intervening. Whenever a strong breeze blows the sand flies along in perfect clouds, filling your tent, eyes and everything else. To dry ink you have merely to dip your paper in the sand. The only good thing about the place is the bathing in the surf. The water which we drink is obtained by digging a hole large enough to contain a barrel. ”

“ November 14, 1846. (McClellan Papers, Vol. I.)
“I believe with fifteen thousand regulars, we could go to the City of Mexico, but with thirty thousand volunteers the whole nature and policy of the war will be changed. Already are the injurious influences of their presence perceptible, and you will hear any Mexican in the street descanting on the good conduct of the ‘tropas de ligna,’ as they call us, and the dread of the ‘volontarios.’ And with reason, they (the volunteers) have killed five or six innocent people walking in the streets, for no other object than their own amusement ”

“ It was on this day that General Patterson sent back Brigadier General Pillow to tell Second Lieutenant Smith to cut down a tree around which it was impossible to go!!
December 31st. We left Encinal at daybreak and arrived at about 2 P. M. at Santander, o’ Jimenez. Road good for about ten miles when we found ourselves on the brow of a hill, some 350 feet above the vast plain, in the midst of which was the little town of Santander. No other indication of life was to be seen than its white houses. The descent was very steep, the road bad from the foot of the hill to Santander. ”

“ Wind-sails are very necessary. The acting commissary of subsistence should see for himself exactly what is put on board for the use of the troops and should cause a written requisition to be made upon him for the quantity used from day to day or week to week. He should have a reliable and intelligent sergeant at his disposal. Care should be taken that good cooking arrangements are provided. ”

“ The Captain left us before we got to the cemetery. I took one man (Sergeant Starr) and went down to reconnoitre it—in order to ascertain whether it was occupied by the enemy, whilst G. W. [Smith] went on to examine a hill which covered the valley from Santiago and the Castle to some extent. I went down to the cemetery (finding a good road) went around it and got in it—satisfying myself that it was not occupied. I rejoined G. W. and together we went on very near the town. We returned late, being the only officers of any corps who had gone as far as, much less beyond the cemetery.
[March] 15th. ”

“ The bridge and heights might all be turned by enterprising light infantry, for the stream is fordable. From the nature of the ground it would be impossible for artillery or cavalry to turn it without great trouble and labor.
Reveillé at 11.30—started at quarter past twelve—of course no undressing. S [tuart] “thought as he was already dressed there could be no hurry.” Night pitch dark. About an hour before daybreak found in the road a saddle (American) and a pool of blood—some poor devil of a straggler from Worth’s Division probably murdered. ”

“ Received an order from Major McCall [12] this morning to go back to Matamoros, as we are to march to Tampico, via Victoria, with the column under General Patterson. [13] Smith is away at [22] Brazos and if the order had been one day and a half later we would have been off to Tampico by sea. Have fine sea bathing here. It is blowing very hard from the south east, so much so as to raise the sand too much for comfort entirely. Bee and Ward at the Brazos—coming over this morning—will at least have an opportunity of giving Georgie that letter of Madame Scott’s! ”

“ Boyau, a ditch covered with a parapet, serving as a means of communication between two trenches, especially between the first and third parallels. Also called a zigzag or an approach (Century Dict.) .
[38] Berm, a narrow level space at the outside foot of a parapet, to retain material which otherwise might fall from the slope into the ditch (Standard Dict.) .
[39] Colonel Bankhead was the Chief of Artillery at the siege of Vera Cruz. ”

“ Taylor’s Battery was with Twiggs, Dunean came around with Worth—Steptoe was with Twiggs. The cavalry and rest of the artillery were in the Jalapa road ready to advance in pursuit.
Harney was directed to storm the hill, Reilly to cut off the retreat of the Mexicans by the Jalapa road—Worth to support. The affair of the 18th was opened, on our side, by the fire of our artillery. The 24 pounder was badly served and did little or no real damage. At length Harney charged over the valley with the 1st Artillery, 3rd and 7th Infantry, the Rifles being thrown out to cover his left. ”

“ Worth’s Division (or Brigade as it was then called) occupied the right of the investment, the Mohawks under Patterson the centre, and Twiggs the left. After resting our men at Malibran, we moved back to our old position with the 3rd Artillery, where we bivouacked.
[57] I had observed on the preceding day the position of the aqueduct supplying the city with water. I told Lieutenant Beauregard [33] next morning what I had seen. He reported it to Colonel [Joseph G.] Totten [Chief of Engineers] and Smith and myself were ordered to cut off the water, Foster remaining at home. ”