icest to be found in the west. For, it had been said,
that though the "Army of occupation" was small, the great celerity of
its movements, from the superiority of the American horses, would
contribute, as well as the greater bravery of its men, to make it more
than a match for the largest Mexican force. Ninety yoke of oxen and
several hundred mustangs were therefore bought, but not a single
American horse!

* * * * *

"Three batteries of artillery were added to the one which, at length
reached the company from Charleston. Horses were sent with two of them,
to manoeuvre them rapidly on the field of battle, and to transport
them wherever the army might go. But the third came unprovided with
cavalry.

"When the New Orleans volunteers left Corpus Christi, their artillery
horses were turned over to the company from Charleston. This company,
having always acted as infantry, had never even seen a flying artillery
drill,--half of the men could not ride,--many had never ridden at all,
and, in mounting for the first time, made Mr. Winkle's mistake as to
which stirrup to use. It was certainly an original idea, to convert,
_in a single day_, a company of foot into light artillery. However, as
horses had at length been given to the company from Charleston, it was
the ardent desire of the lieutenant commanding, to teach his men to ride
and drive, and the sabre exercise. This the loyal quarter-masters
resolved to prevent, and, at the same time, to show the world how
economical they were. They, therefore, refused to purchase any more hay
and told the dragoons and light artillery, that they, themselves, must
cut and haul the dry and sapless broom straw of the prairie, and forage
their horses on that."[80]

Such is a picture of the sufferings of our army of occupation, drawn by
an eye-witness, and scarcely colored by the warmth of his feelings. If
the advice of military men, and the opinion of persons whose experience
as campaigners entitled them to respect, had been heeded, this war would
have been speedily ended. Ever since the rumor of annexation in 1843,
but, especially, since the inaugural address of President Polk in 1845,
in which he pronounced so emphatic an opinion as to our right to the
whole of Oregon, our political firmament had been clouded. Prudent men
thought it probable that there would be war with Mexico or hostilities
with England, and that the two sources of irritation, by distracting