Chapter XXIX.

ox destroy them. The people moreover must be conciliated, soothed and well-treated by every officer and man of this army, and by its follovv^ers." This preamble is succeeded by a declaration almost avowedly prompted by the fact, that supplies could no longer be brought from Vera Cruz : " Whoever maltreats unoffending Mexicans, takes without pay, or wantonly destroys their property, of any kind whatsoever, will prolong this war, waste the means present and future of subsisting our men and animals, as they successively advance into the interior, or return to our water depot (Vera Cruz); and uo army can possibly drag after it to any considerable distance, no matter what the season of the year, the heavy articles of breadstuff, meat, and forage. Those, therefore, who rob, plunder, or destroy the bouses, fences, cattle, poultiy, grain, fields, gardens or property of any kind along the line of our operations, are plainly the ene- mies of this array. The General-in-Chief would infinitely prefer that the few who commit such outrages would de- sert at once and fight against us. Then it would be easy to shoot them down, or capture and hang them."