352 GENERARL SCOTT's PLAN DONIPHAN's EXPEDITION. 



paring the means for their transportation to Vera Cruz, nor 

 judged correctly of the military skill of Santa Anna, who naturally 

 preferred to crush the weak northern foe with his overwhelming 

 force than to encounter the strong battalions of veterans who were 

 to be led against him on the east by the most brilliant captain of 

 our country. 



The enterprise of General Scott was one of extraordinary mag- 

 nitude and responsibility. With his usual foresight he determined 

 that he would not advance until the expedition was perfectly com- 

 plete in every essential of certain success. Nothing was permitted 

 to disturb his equanimity or patient resolution in carrying out the 

 scheme as he thought best. He weighed all the dangers and all 

 the difficulties of the adventure, and placed no reliance upon the 

 supposed weakness of the enemy. This was the true, soldier-like 

 view of the splendid project; and if, at the time, men were found 

 inconsiderate enough to blame him for procrastinating dalliance, 

 the glorious result of his enterprise repaid him for all the petty 

 sneers and misconceptions with which his discretion was under- 

 valued by the carpet knights at home. There is but one point 

 upon which we feel justified in disagreeing with his plan of cam- 

 paign. He should not have weakened the command of General 

 Taylor in the face of Santa Anna's army. It was almost an invi- 

 tation to that chief for an attack upon the valley of the Rio Grande; 

 and had the Army of Occupation been effectually destroyed at Buena 

 Vista, scarcely an American would have remained, throughout 

 the long line of Taylor's base, to tell the tale of cruelties perpe- 

 trated by the flushed and revengeful victors. 



Whilst events were maturing and preparations making in the 

 valley of the Rio Grande and the island of Lobos, we shall direct 

 our attention again for a short time to the central regions of the 

 north of Mexico in the neighborhood of Santa Fe. 



A considerable force of Missourians had been organized under 

 the command of Colonel Doniphan, and marched to New Mexico, 

 whence it was designed to despatch him towards Chihuahua. 

 Soon after General Kearney's departure from Santa Fe for Cali- 

 fornia, Colonel Price, who was subsequently raised to the rank of 

 general, reached that post with his western recruits and took com- 

 mand, whilst Doniphan was directed, by orders from Kearney, 

 dated near La Joya, to advance with his regiment against the 

 Navajo Indians, who had threatened with war the New Mexi- 

 cans, now under our protection. He performed this service sue- 



