120 DRAMATIC CHARACTER OF ARMY RECRIMINATIONS. 



The picturesque and scenic efficiency of such an army will be 

 easily admitted, and the causes of its failure in the late war will be 

 quite as easily understood. What can be more deplorable in bat- 

 tle, even for the victors, than to behold an undisciplined man badly 

 led or driven into conflict ? What can be more disastrous for an 

 officer than to stand in the midst of blood and carnage, without 

 knowing what to do in the moment of trial when knowledge and 

 presence of mind are imperatively needed ? Can it be surprising, 

 therefore, to observe that the columns of Mexican gazettes and 

 pages of Mexican pamphlets published during the war, are filled 

 with the basest crimination and recrimination or the lamest attempts 

 at exculpation from disgraceful defeat ? 



A writer in the Monitor Republicano, speaking of the Mexican 

 army, says, you have nothing to do but to read the writings of its 

 generals from the commencement, of the campaign, through the dif- 

 ferent actions and skirmishes in chronological order, and it will be 

 seen that they have mutually called one another traitors, cowards, 

 and imbeciles. He gives the following list of recriminations : — 

 " Arista accused Torrej on, Ampudia and others; Torrejon Ampu- 

 dia, while Uraga charged Arista ; Jarregui accused Carrasco and 

 various chiefs ; Carrasco accused Jarregui and other generals ; 

 Mejia brought charges against Ampudia;- Ampudia against him and 

 several leaders, as Carrasco, Enciso and others, principal officers of 

 the army. Urrea and others charged Parrodi with cowardice and 

 treason ; Parrodi accused Urrea and Romero, and Romero accused 

 the famous Miramon of Mazatlan, the speculator in the goods taken 

 by the troops of Urrea from those of Gen. Taylor. 



Requena accused Santa Anna; Santa Anna in his turn, Re- 

 quena; Torrejon and Juvera recriminate Requena; Requena, in his 

 turn, Torrejon, Juvera and Portilla. Santa Anna accused Minon; 

 Minon accused Santa Anna and his confederates. Santa Anna 

 brought charges against Valencia, in Ciudad Victoria ; Valencia in 

 his turn, accused Santa Anna. Viscayno accused Heredia and 

 Garcia Conde ; these in turn, Viscayno. Santa Anna recriminates 

 against Canalizo, Uraga and others at Cerro Gordo ; Canalizo, 

 Uraga, Gaona and others against Santa Anna. Santa Anna again 

 accuses Valencia in Padierna ; Valencia accuses Santa Anna, Salas 

 and others, and Salas accuses Valencia, Torrejon and others. Santa 

 Anna, in the first actions in the valley, accuses everybody; he ac- 

 cuses Rincon, Anaya, and the National Guard at Churubusco ; in 

 the other actions of September, Terres, Bravo and others. Bravo, 

 Terres and others in turn, recriminate Santa Anna, Perdigon and 



