Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/508

502 have some four months pay due them. Our poverty, or the neglect of the disbursing departments at home has been made known, to our shame, in the papers of the capital here, through a letter from Lieut.-Col. Hunt, that was found on the person of the special messenger from Washington.

The army is also suffering greatly from the want of necessary clothing, including blankets and greatcoats. The new troops (those who have last arrived), as destitute as the others, were first told that they would find abundant supplies at New Orleans, next at Vera Cruz and finally here; whereas we now have perhaps a thousand hands engaged in making shoes and (out of bad materials and at high cost) pantaloons. These articles, about three thousand pairs of each, are absolutely necessary to cover the nakedness of the troops.

February 28, 1847, off Lobos.—I wrote to Brig.-Gen. Brooke to direct the Quartermaster at New Orleans to send to me large supplies of clothing. March 16 and 23.—Gen. Brooke replied that the Quartermaster at New Orleans had neither clothing nor shoes, and that he was fearful that, unless they had been sent out to you direct, you will be much disappointed. Some small quantity of clothing, perhaps one-fifth of our wants, came to Vera Cruz from some quarters, and followed us to Jalapa and this place. I must here specially remark that this report. No. 30, though forwarded the night of its date (July 25), seems to have miscarried, perceiving about November 27 that it was not acknowledged by the Department. I caused a duplicate to be made, signed it, and sent it off by the same conveyance with my despatch No. 36, and the charges against Brevet-Major-Gen. Worth, Gen. Pillow and Brevet-Col. Duncan, together with the appeal against me of the former. All these papers are acknowledged by the Department in the same letter, January 13, that recalls me.

It was that budget of papers that caused the blow of power, so long suspended, to fall on a devoted head. The three arrested officers and he who had endeavored to enforce necessary discipline against them, are all to be placed together before the