ing upon your military operations. I will be obliged you to if you will return me these papers after perusal. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, R. SEMMES, Lieut. U. S. Navy. B. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Jalapa, May 9, 1847. SIR: I have read your note of yesterday, accompanied by Commodore Perry's instructions to you (original) and the copy of his communication to the Mexican minister of foreign affairs of which you have been made the bearer, in relation to Passed Midshipman Rogers, supposed by Commodore Perry still to be held by the Mexican government, not as a prisoner of war, but as a spy; and I had some days before received by your hands the letter Commodore Perry did me the honor to address to me on the same subject, requesting that I would afford to you the proper means of placing you in communication with the advanced posts of the enemy, in order that you might, if permitted to pass to the seat of the Mexican government, and there to present in person, his demand for the release of Mr. Rogers. Commodore Perry adds in his communication to me the suggestion, whether, in the event of a failure of your special mission, Mr. Rogers may not be released by capitulation, or exchanged, &c., &c. Premising that I have not as yet aldressed a line to any political functionary in Mexico, if, in fact, there be any government in the country, and that I have all along intended, at the proper time, to propose for the exchange of Passed Midshipman Rogers, with other Americans taken prisoners of war, in the northeastern part of this republic; I think myself, on information, though not official, authorized to say, that the whole of the papers you have brought to my notice have had their origin in misapprehension. Mr. Rogers for many weeks past has not been held a prisoner for any ignominious act, but as an honorable prisoner of war, at large on parole within the city of Mexico. On taking leave of many of the higher Mexican prisoners of war, at Vera Cruz, I called their attention to the then reported confinement of Passed Midshipman Rogers, on the false allegation that he had been captured in the violation of the laws of war; and I added, in the most emphatic terms, if any hardship, injury, or punishment, should be sustained by Mr. Rogers on that false allegation, that I would inflict signal retaliation on the next Mexican officers whom the fortune of war should place in my power. Before the 15th ultimo, I had already heard, from whom I considered creditable persons, that Mr. Rogers had been released from the castle of Perote, and sent up with a single Mexican officer, both on horseback, to the capital as a prisoner of war. This information. was confirmed by several of the principal Mexican officers captured at Cerro Gordo, and again and again since, by respectable travellers passing through this place from the capital. I regret that Commodore Perry has thought it necessary to send you as his special messenger, to treat with the Mexican government, on the subject of Mr. Rogers. Even if I had been ignorant of the capture and position of the passed midshipman, a note from the commodore would have been sufficient to have interested me officially and personally in his fate, and I doubt the expediency of more than one channel of communication with the Mexican government on such subjects. But here is at hand another functionary, who, under very recent instructions from the President of the United States, may perhaps claim to supersede me in the business of exchanging prisoners of war, as on other military arrangements. Mr. Trist, chief clerk of the Department of State, appointed minister or commissioner to Mexico, has arrived at Vera Cruz, and may be at this place with the train expected up in a few days. Perhaps you had better refer the business of your mission to him. I only make the suggestion. The difficulty of sending forward a flag of truce at this time with communications to the Mexican government, if there be a competent government anywhere, consists in the necessity of protecting the flag, by a large escort, against rancheros or banditti, who infest the road all the way to the capital, and who rob and murder even wounded Mexican officers returning on parole to their friends. When nearer to the capital, sometime hence, I may nevertheless have occasion to communicate officially, under the cover of a flag. and a heavy escort, with any body then that may be in authority, on the subject of prisoners of war generally. Your communication, and any that Mr. Trist may desire to submit, may go by the same opportunity. In the meantime, you can remain here, return to Commodore Perry's squadron, or advance with the army, as may seem to you best. I have no advice to offer on the subject. With high personal respect, I remain yours, truly, Lieut. R. SEMMES, United States Navy, &c., &c., &c. WINFIELD SCOTT. UNITED STATES FLAG-SHIP MISSISSIPPI, SIR: I have received your several letters of the 5th, 10th, and 16th instants, with copies of your communication to General Scott, and his reply thereto, and I take pleasure in expressing my approbation of the course pursued by you. Continue to urge every practicable measure of effecting the object of your mission, con sistently with the most perfect respect and consideration for the high station of the distinguished officer at the head of the army. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, M. C. PERRY, Commanding home squadron. UNITED STATES FLAG-SHIP MISSISSIPPI, SIR: I have received from Lieutenant Semmes, of the navy, a copy of a letter addressed by you to that officer, in reply to one from him. In your communication I regret to notice the words quoted as follows: "I regret that Commodore Perry has thought it necessary to send you as his special messenger, to treat with the Mexican government on the subject of Mr. Rogers. Even if I had been. ignorant of the capture and position of the passed midshipman, a note from the commodore would have been sufficient to have interested me officially and personally in his fate, and I doubt the expediency of more than one channel of communication with the Mexican government." It is to be presumed that in penning the above paragraph you must have forgotten that Captain Aulick called upon you, on the eve of your departure from Vera Cruz, with a request from me that you would bear in special remembrance the situation of Mr. Rogers. See enclosed extract of an official memorandum of Capt. Aulick, marked A. Since then, I have received positive instructions to urge, with becoming energy, upon the Mexican government, the necessity of the immediate release of Mr. Rogers; and I was careful to ascertain before the departure of Mr. Semmes, from an authentic source, the true situation of the prisoner. From General La Vega, to whom I directed Lieutenant Semmes to apply, I received information which is contained in the enclosed extract, marked B. As to the expediency of having but one channel of communication with the Mexican government, I have little to say. It was enough that the order came to me, through the Secretary of the Navy, from our common superior, the constitutional commanderin-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and it would seem most proper that, as Mr. Rogers belonged to the navy, that I, as commander-in-chief of the naval forces operating in the gulf, acting entirely distinct and independent of your command, should be the chosen channel of communication with the Mexican government in his case, as in all matters connected with my exclusive command. The sending of Mr. Semmes by the way of your camp was purely a measure of expediency, that he might be facilitated on his journey. I am sir, with great respect, your most obedient servant, Maj. Gen. WINFIELD SCOTT, M. C. PERRY, Commanding home squadron. General-in-chief United States army. A. Extract of an official memorandum from Captain Aulick. MONDAY, April 12. I also handed him (General Scott) the commodore's letter, desiring him to endeavor to obtain the release of Midshipman Rogers, confined in the castle of Perote, to which he replied that he would make it a point to do so at the earliest moment practicable. J. H. AULICK. B. APRIL 27, 1847. From General La Vega, I learned that Passsed Midshipman Rogers was, at last accounts, at Puebla, he having been recently removed hither from Perote. His case is in the hands of the federal government, and has been referred to a military commission, which as yet has made no decision. R. SEMMES, Lieutenant. NAVY DEPARTMENT, June 21, 1847. SIR: Your despatch of the 27th of May, enclosing copies of a correspondence growing out of the mission of Lieutenant Semmes, to obtain the release of Passed Midshipman Rogers, has been received, and the course pursued by you in the matter is approved. It is not more gratifying to the department to witness the anxiety manifested by you and by Lieutenant Semmes to execute the orders in regard to Passed Midshipman Rogers, than to observe the courtesy and respect exhibited to the distinguished officer in command of the army. As no disrespect to that officer could be inferred, or was intended, by my orders to you, or by your mode of executing them, I have to hope, as I confidently expect, that nothing will occur to justify his erroneous interpretation of the proceeding. I am, respectfully, your obedient servant, Commodore M. C. PERRY, Commanding home squadron. J. Y. MASON. No. 29. HEAD-QUARTERS OF THE ARMY, Puebla, June 4, 1847. SIR: I arrived here, with four troops of horse, on the 28th ultimo. Twiggs's division came up the next day. I enclose, herewith, a copy of Brevet Major General Worth's report, dated the 15th ultimo, (the original was intercepted by the enemy,) of an affair he had with General Santa Anna, at Amosoque, some eight miles from this place. The effective strength of this army has been surprisingly reduced. Besides the discharge of seven regiments and two independent companies of old volunteers, we had to leave, in hospital, about 1,000 men at Vera Cruz, as many sick and wounded at Jalapa, and 200 sick at Perote. Here we have, on the sick report, 1,017. Not a corps has made a forced march, except in the pursuit after the battle of Cerro Gordo, and every possible attention has been given to the health of the troops. The general sickness may be attributed to several causes: 1. The great contrast in climates above and below Cerro Gordo; 2. The insufficiency of clothing, but little having arrived when the army marched from Vera Cruz, and 3. The want of salt meats, the troops not having had any oftener than one day in nine, since we reached the elevated country, as our insufficient means of transportation allowed us to bring up only small quantities of bacon and no mess pork. The prevailing diseases have been chills and fevers, and diarrhoea. Making the further deductions of the killed and wounded, the garrisons of Vera Cruz, Jalapa, and Perote, and we have here but 5,820 effective non-commissioned officers, artificers, musicans, and privates a force evidently insufficient to garrison this large open city and to march upon the capital, where, or near it, we may probably have to beat an indifferent army of from 12,000 to 25,000 men. This we could do with 4,000, but at a loss, probably, of onefourth of our number; whereas, with 8,000, our loss would not exceed some 300. Not having heard of the approach of reinforcements from any quarter, not even of the 960 recruits for the old regiments, who were to embark at New York and Newport, Kentucky, I have at length determined to abandon Jalapa, and to bring up to the head of the army the garrison of that city, with a part of the garrison of Perote, in order to be in a better condition to advance upon and to occupy the capital.-See herewith my instructions of yesterday, to Colonel Childs, the governor and commander of Jalapa. It is ascertained that any sick or wounded men, left on the road or in small villages, would be certainly murdered by guerrilla parties, rancheros or banditti, and I am not absolutely certain that threats of punishment will render our hospitals safe even in large cities. The want of reinforcements, long promised and expected, has driven me to this painful experiment. The delay here, until about the 22d instant, may, however, be compensated by one important advantage: General Santa Anna has |