Perry County AlArchives History.....Letters of Remonstrance, Company C, Alabama Volunteers, 1846
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
J. Hugh LeBaron hlebaron@ms.metrocast.net January 2004


Letter of Remonstrance to General Zachary Taylor, commander of the Army of 
Occupation, from the Alabama Volunteers during the Mexican War protesting being 
left out of the fighting at Monterrey, Mexico.  Company C of the Alabama 
Volunteers was from Perry County, Alabama.


Appendix to the Congressional Globe
p. 186-188
29th Congress .... 2n Session
Alabama Volunteers-Mr. Reuben Chapman

Alabama Volunteers
Speech by Mr. R. Chapman of Alabama
In the House of Representatives
February 1, 1847


							   "Camp Near Camargo, Mexico
							    October 23, 1846

"At a meeting of the officers of the Alabama regiment, to take into 
consideration their grievances, and, if possible, suggest a remedy for the same, 
Colonel John R. Coffey was called to the chair, and Lieutenant Ketchum appointed 
Secretary.  Whereupon the chairman, in a few remarks, stated the objective of 
the meeting.

"On motion of Captain Smith, it was "Resolved, That a committee be appointed to 
draft a remonstrance to send to General Taylor, and a copy of the same to be 
forwarded to the Governor of the State of Alabama, setting forth our grievances, 
seek out, as far as possible, the causes thereof, and, in the name of the 
Alabama Regiment, in a respectful manner, to ask for an explanation.
"On motion of Captain Moore, it was"Resolved, That a committee of ten be 
appointed, to comprised of one member from each company.  "Whereupon the 
following gentlemen were appointed on said committee: Captain Pickens, Captain 
Thomason, Captain Moore, Captain Shelby, Lieutenant Hancock, Lieutenant Thom, 
Lieutenant Ketchum, Captain Smith, and Captain Cunningham. 
"On motion, the meeting adjourned till Thursday evening.

						Thursday, October 29, 1846

"Pursuant to adjournment, the committee made the following report:
"To Major General Z. Taylor, Commander-in-chief of the Army of Occupation:

"Although it is an unpleasant task, as well as an unusual liberty in military 
etiquette, for subordinate officers to lay their grievances before and 
remonstrate with their superiors, yet a solemn sense of duty we owe to 
ourselves, as well as to the State from which we came, that high sense of 
obligation that rests upon ever gentleman and soldier to preserve unsullied this 
reputation, compels us, on the present occasion, to forgo those considerations 
of mere delicacy and military etiquette, and avail ourselves of that high 
constitutional right, guaranteed to every American citizen, to present his 
complaints and grievances in a manly, dignified, and respectful manner to his 
superiors, of whatever grade or character, whilst we, in a spirit of truth, 
candor, and the most perfect respect, call your attention to some of the 
grievances to which our regiment has been subjected, and vindicate ourselves 
against certain erroneous impressions, alike prejudicial to our rights, and 
derogatory to our character as a regiment, and to us as officers.

"In order to a just appreciation of our grievances, we desire to call your 
attention to the history of the Alabama regiment, and to the disappointments to 
which we have been subjected.  You may remember, for such are the facts, that in 
the month of May last, two regiments of volunteers were called from Alabama by 
General Gaines, and soon after the battles of the 8th and 9th of that month; and 
whilst it was generally understood, throughout the whole country, that our 
little army, then on the Rio Grande, under your command, was in the most 
imminent danger, by his order mustered into the service of the United States for 
six months.  A part of both these regiments reached Mexico; the first led by 
Captain Desha - the first of all of to gird on the sword and fly to the rescue 
when his country called; the second by Colonel Raiford.  These detachments were 
afterwards disbanded here, by order from the War Department; and the portion of 
these two regiments which were detained in Mobile, the place of rendezvous, for 
want of transportation, were disbanded there by virtue of the same order.  
Still, however, unwilling to abandon the objects they held steadily in view when 
they left their homes, they proceeded forthwith, not only as individuals, but as 
companies, to be mustered into the service for twelve months; and at this time 
composed a large part of the Alabama regiment in the service. 

"After various perplexing delays, we finally embarked for the seat of war in the 
later part of June, and arrived on the sands of Brazos on the 4th day of July, 
and found in advance of us only three detachments of twelve months troops, to 
wit: the Louisville legion, first regiment of Tennessee troops, and the 
Baltimore battalion.  There we remained, patiently enduring all the sufferings 
and privations incident to the season and place, for three weeks, confidently 
supposing that we would be carried forward into actual service, in the order in 
which we arrived at the scene of war. 

"We were then removed up the Rio Grande some seven or eight miles, to Camp 
Belknap, where we remained until about the last of August, and until many who 
had arrived here after us had preceded us up the river.  We were then removed to 
Camargo, where we arrived about the first of September.  In the meantime our 
brigade had been arranged: composed of the Alabama regiment on the right, the 
Georgia regiment and the Mississippi regiment on the left.  We felt sure, then, 
that we should soon be in active service, and the tedious disappointment and 
sufferings of the past would soon be forgotten.  We had left our homes and 
friends to fight the battles our country; the eyes of our friends were upon us, 
they knew that our regiment was among the first at the seat of war, and felt 
sure that Alabama, the first State in the Union that had troops on the Rio 
Grande, would have place on the first battle-field in Mexico - the very thing 
that our regiment, officers and men, of all others, most desired.

"But here again we were doomed to a new mortification.  We were halted and 
posted without a purpose to achieve, whilst the Ohio and Mississippi regiments 
that had arrived in the field long since we had, were placed in our front and en 
route to Monterrey, and Alabama's place there was filled by another.  Since 
then, the Georgia regiment has been ordered on, and two companies of our 
regiment, which started for Monterrey to-day, were ordered back, and the second 
Kentucky regiment were ordered on in our place; some of whom are on their march.  
Though our whole brigade is now at Monterrey, we are still left behind, although 
the right of the brigade.  We have been more than twice decimated by the 
diseases of the camp.  Of this we do not complain; it is incident to a soldier's 
life.  At Camp Belknap, we were compelled to carry our provisions and water a 
mile, and for weeks through salt lakes waist deep; this, it is true, was an 
unusual hardship; but of this we do not complain.  The men under command have 
been now near five months in the service without receiving one dollar of pay; 
but still of this we do not complain - for it was for higher and more elevated 
considerations that induced us to embark in the service.  Nor do we claim 
superiority over any other regiment in the field, either in patriotism or 
chivalry; but we do claim, in both of these respects, equality with any corps in 
the service.  We do think we are entitled to move on in order in which we came 
into the field, and to our proper place in the brigade in which we were 
assigned, until by some act of our own we forfeit that right.  And it is that we 
have been passed by whilst others have been advanced over us, that we do 
complain.  Is this a grievance of which may justly complain?  We must leave that 
with you to determine.  We only ask to share in the dangers and honors of the 
campaign, whatever they may be.  But, as if the above grievances were not 
enough, it has, as we are informed, been represented to our superior officers 
that we are a disorderly and rebellious regiment, sometimes bordering on a state 
of mutiny; whilst it is represented at home, to our disparagement, that the 
opportunity of going to Monterrey was tendered to us, and that we ignobly 
declined.

"In relation to the first charge, if it has made any impression upon your mind 
prejudicial to our interests, we beg leave to undeceive you upon that subject, 
and positively assure you that it has no foundation in truth; and challenge the 
accuser to point his finger to one legal order that has been disobeyed, one 
outrage that has been committed in which any considerable number either of 
officers or men has been engaged, or one act that even savors of mutiny or 
rebellion; and if the opportunity was tendered to this regiment or any part or 
parcel of it, either to advance to Monterrey or to any other place beyond the 
point at which we now are, you best know the fact and to whom the tender was 
made, and we most respectfully request you, as our commanding officer, and as an 
act of justice to us, to the State from which we come, and in order to place us 
in a proper position before our friends at home, to respond to this 
communication, and to say whether any such offer was ever made to our regiment, 
or any part thereof, and if so, to whom.  We pledge ourselves that was, of all 
tthings, what we most desired; and we would hold in most ineffable contempt, any 
man or set of men, who has or would, on our behalf, for one moment decline such 
an overture.

"Notwithstanding all the ravages of disease, we are able now to bring into 
active service more than five hundred men of those under our command, we can 
speak without delicacy, and we positively assert, that in all the qualifications 
that constitute gentlemen, patriots, and soldiers, they are unsurpassed by any 
volunteer troops in the field.  Whatever may be the deficiencies of our field 
and or company officers, and of that is not proper that we should now speak, it 
is certainly not just that a whole regiment should be consigned to disgrace on 
account of the weakness, folly, inefficiency, of one, two, or more men.  Whilst 
we have deemed it alike due to you our superior officer, to ourselves, and to 
our friends at home, who are at a loss to account for our position, to say this 
much, we beg leave in conclusion to assure you, that in what we have said, we 
intend not the slightest disrespect to you or any other superior officer; that 
we will, to our utmost, discharge our duty in whatever position you may be 
pleased to assign us.

"Please receive assurance of our highest respect and regard."

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