Sketches of the campaign in northern Mexico : in eighteen hundred forty-six and seven / by an officer of the First Regiment of Ohio volunteers.

282 SCOTT'S PLAN OF OPERATIONS.
Rome!" That grand achievement was reserved for the
commanding genius of Scott. It was accordingly determined
to transfer the war from the northern to the eastern part of
Mexico, and make Vera Cruz the point d'appui for future
operations, to be directed by the masterly mind of the general-in-chief of the American army. As the request of that
officer to be allowed to put his sword into the harvest of
Mexican laurels, had previously been peremptorily refused
by the President, some explanation of his employment at
this period, may perhaps be found in the difficulty that had
recently sprung up between General Taylor and the Secretary
of War, and which resulted in a sharp controversy, now
included in the documentary history of the times.
General Scott, hastening to execute the orders of the
government, arrived at Brazos San Iago in the latter part of
December. Being anxious to invest the city of Vera Cruz
before the season of the deadly vomito should again occur;
and finding that the ten additional regiments of regulars and
new volunteer levies, which Congress had lately called into
service, would not reach the scene of action in time to enable
him to accomplish that object, he determined to supply himself with troops from the northern line. He accordingly
wrote to General Taylor, revealing his plan of operations
and requesting him to send at once to the coast, the regulars
(Worth's and Twiggs' divisions) and enough volunteer troops
to swell the force to 10,000. " With these forces," he concludes, " and adding three or five regiments of new volunteers, Providence may defeat me, but I do not believe the
Mexicans can." Before this dispatch arrived at Monterey,