3d Infantry, and Porter, 4th Infantry, were authorized by me a feio days since to scour the country for some miles with a select party of men, and capture and destroy any such parties that they might meet. It appears they separated, and that Lieutenant Porter at the head of his own detachment surprised a Mexican camp, drove away the men, and took possession of their horses.'^ In this affair, Porter and one man were killed—whether any, or how many Mexican lives were sacrificed, does not appear.
Thus it seems, that notwithstanding all the contri- vances of the administration to compel the Mexicans to strike the Jirst blow, it was in fact given by ourselves.
- Letter to Secretary of War, April 23, 1846.
The idea of small parties committing depredations, is a paltry apology for commencing a war. There were no Americans, no Tcxans, except the American army in the comitry, upon whom these small parties could commit depredations. What were the depredations complained of, and who were the sufferers, the General did not think proper to specify. But, moreover, the detachments were not authorized to arrest the depredators, but to captv.re and destroy any small parties they might meet, guilty or innocent. The General was instructed not to molest " the military establishments" on this side of the ri\'er ; yet he resolves that any small parties from these establishments who might leave their barracks, were to be captured and destroyed. His next letter, 26th April, reports, "that a party of dragoons sent, out by me on the 24th insteint to watch the course of the river above on this bank, became engaged with a very large force of the enemy, and, after a short affair in which some sixteen were killed and wounded, appear to have been surrounded and compelled to surrender." The very peculiar phraseology used to express this battle, " became engaged," was not perhaps accidental. Did the party of dragoons gallantly attack the very large force of the enemy, and were