Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/252

214 required 12,000 of these for the expedition against Vera Cruz. Besides the volunteers embarked from the United States for the island of Lobos, the appointed place of rendezvous, nearly all the regular troops under Generals Twiggs and Worth, and the greater part of the volunteer division of General Patterson, were ordered to the same point. It was with great reluctance that General Taylor parted with the veteran troops whom he had so long commanded; but the enterprise which General Scott was about to attempt, was of primary importance. It was necessary that Vera Cruz and the castle of San Juan de Ulua should be reduced, if at all, before the return of the sickly season; and if that could only be done by an assault, the regular regiments would be especially needed. Moreover, it was to be apprehended that Santa Anna might move his army from San Luis Potosi, in the direction of Vera Cruz, after receiving the information contained in the dispatches borne by Lieutenant Ritchie. Had he done this, the column under General Scott would probably have been decimated ere they could have effected a landing on the Mexican shore. Undoubtedly it would have been a wiser policy to have called out a larger number of volunteers in the summer or fall of 1846; but the error was one very likely to be committed in a country like ours. It was too late to correct it when General Scott arrived upon the Rio Grande; he had no dragon's teeth, from which armed soldiers might be raised at his bidding; and a