Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Jefferson Davis to John Jenkins, November 16, 1846

(From Vicksburg Sentinel, November 24, 1846.)
Brierfield, Nov. 16, 1846.

Jno. Jenkins, Esq.—Sir—My ideas of military propriety prevented me from publishing any statement of the conduct of the Mississippi Regiment in the siege at Monterey.

Secure in the consciousness of its gallant and valuable services, even without such restraint, I should probably have remained silent and allowed the official reports of commanders to reach an unbiassed public.

But by the publications of others a question has been prematurely raised as to the capture of the first Fort at the east end of the city of the 21st Sept. Deferring to some subsequent period a full account, I will now only present some of the main facts bearing upon this event.

In the forenoon of the 21st Sept., a part of Gen. Twigg's division made a demonstration upon the advanced work at the east end of Monterey—Gen. Butler's division from the position occupied heard the firing of small arms, but were not in sight of the combatants, when three Regiments, to-wit, the Tennessee, the Mississippi and the Ohio, were put en route in the direction of the firing, which was obliquely to our left and front.

After we had proceeded a short distance, the Ohio Regiment was diverged to the front, and the Tennessee and Mississippi Regiments continued their line of march in the order named, and moving by a flank.

During the whole march we were exposed to a cross fire of artillery. A round shot raking the Tennessee Regiment made great havoc, but did not check the advance.

The firing of small arms which had attracted us, ceased, and when we halted before the Fort and fronted to it, a small body of troops in the undress of our "regulars" was standing in such a position as to mask the right companies of the Mississippi Regiment. I pointed out the fact to Brig. Gen. Quitman commanding in person, and the closing or other movement of the Tennessee Regiment having created an interval on our left, it was agreed that I should occupy it. We were within the effective range of the enemy's fire but beyond that of our Rifles. I therefore executed a movement which gained ground to the front and left and when the Regiment was again formed into line, the troops who had stood upon my right were gone.

The attacking force now consisted of the Tennessee and Mississippi Regiments. The latter on the right, was directly in front of the Fort.

A deep, wide embrasure (which seems to have been used as a sally port, was immediately before our fifth company, numbering from the right; the piece of artillery which belonged to this embrasure was run behind the parapet. We commenced firing, advancing; the men were directed to select their objects and aim as sharp shooters. Their fine rifles told upon the enemy so that in a short time, say ten minutes, his fire was so reduced as to indicate the propriety of a charge. I had no instructions, no information as to the plan, no knowledge of any sustaining troops except the Tennesseeans on our left, and seeing nothing to justify delay, gave the order to charge.

Lieutenant Col. McClung led the company before the embrasure at full speed upon it, the flanks ran, converging to this line of approach, which was over a smooth piece of ground from which the corn had been lately cut. When the movement commenced, I saw Col. Campbell directing his Regiment in some flank manoeuvre; thereafter I do not recollect to have looked back, and did not see him; but I have been informed that he led his Regiment by a flank.

When I crossed the ditch our Lieutenant Col. was the only man upon the parapet. I sprang into the embrasure beside Lieutenant Patterson of our Regiment. The defence of the place was abandoned; the last of its garrison were crowding out of the sally port at the other extremity; we pursued them, firing upon them as they fled to a fortified stone building in rear of the Fort and across a stream to a fort still further to the rear. When I saw Col. Campbell's letter (recently published) claiming for his Regiment the credit of storming this fort, carrying it at the point of the bayonet, and giving to the Mississippi Regiment the merit of only having sustained him, my surprise at such an arrangement of the Regiments, was only equalled by that which I felt at learning that the bayonet had been put in requisition. No one could go upon the ground, examine the position of the Regiments and the condition of the parapet and ditch of the fort, and the surface over which it was necessary to approach, without coming at once to the conclusion, that our Regiment must have entered the fort first, or faltered in the charge. Why this claim has been put forth it is not for me to determine. It is improbable, unjust, injurious to us, and unnecessary to our comrades in that attack, when the conduct of the whole was the property of each. As a duty to my Regiment, I will follow this question, raised by others, until a mass of concurrent testimony from a variety of witnesses shall incontestably establish our claim to whatever credit attaches to the storming party on that occasion.

Your friend, &c.,
JEFFERSON DAVIS,

SOURCE: Dunbar Rowland, Editor, Jefferson Davis, Constitutionalist: His Letters, Papers and Speeches, Volume 1, p. 61-3

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