| Explanatory
Notes: William
"Harrison" Harry Daily was
born in Charlestown, Clark Co., Indiana in 1819
and was the eldest child of David Wise Daily and
his wife, Mary A. (Shirley). He was a 1st
lieutenant, Adjutant, of Company I of the 3rd
regiment and was mustered in on 22 June 1846 at
New Albany, Indiana, by Colonel Samuel Churchill.
Transferred to staff, Harrison was mustered out
24 June 1847, at New Orleans, Louisiana.
D.W.
Daily was father of Harrison Daily. He
was born David Wise Daily in Charlestown, Indiana
on 16 August 1798 and was the son of Philip Daily
and Mary (Wise).
James
S. Athon, author of the letter, was a
surgeon mustered in from Clay County on 20 Jun
1846, at New Albany, Indiana, by Colonel Samuel
Churchill and mustered out 23 Jun 1847, at New
Orleans, Louisiana. He served in the Indiana
Volunteer Infantry, 2nd Regiment, Company C
(Mexican War). Was surgeon mustered into the 5th
Regiment on 22 Oct 1847, at Madison, Indiana, by
Major Morrison. He was mustered out 28 Jul 1848,
at Madison, Indiana, by Major H. A. Goff.
General
Pedro de "Ampudia" was a
Mexican general born in Cuba in 1803. As an
artillery officer in the Mexican Army, he
participated in the capture of the Alamo and,
after the Mexican defeat at San Jacinto,
retreated with José de Urrea'sqv army. Ampudia
was commander of the units of the Mexican army
stationed at Matamoros at the time of the Mier
expedition. He defeated the Texans at Mier in
December 1842, and in January 1843 marched them
as prisoners to Matamoros. Appointed general in
chief of the Mexican Army of the North just
before the outbreak of the Mexican War, he
arrived at Matamoros on April 11, 1846, where he
demanded that Gen. Zachary Taylor retreat to the
Nueces River. Ampudia fought in the battles of
Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. He surrendered
the city of Monterey to Taylor on September 23,
1846 and in February 1847 took part in the battle
of Buena Vista. Ampudia died on 07 August 1868,
and was buried in the Panteón de San Fernando.
General
Zachary Taylor was born in
Barboursville, Virginia in 1784. In 1808, he
joined the U.S. Army and was commissioned as a
first lieutenant. Soon afterward he was ordered
west into Indiana Territory, taking command of
Fort Harrison. In the War of 1812 he became known
as an excellent military commander. He served in
the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War
(1835–1842), and in 1846 President James K.
Polk sent an army under his command to the Rio
Grande. When the Mexicans attacked his troops,
Taylor defeated them despite being outnumbered
four to one and he won additional important
victories at Monterrey and Buena Vista, becoming
a national hero. He was sworn in as the 12th
President of the U.S. on 05 Mar 1849, and died
the following year in Washington D.C. on the 9th
of July.
Lieutenant
Colonel Henry Smith Lane was from
Montgomery County, was mustered in 20 Jun 1846,
at New Albany, Indiana, by Colonel Samuel
Churchill, transferred 1 Jan 1847 to Staff
Lieutenant Colonel, mustered out 16 Jun 1847 at
New Orleans, Louisiana, by Colonel Samuel
Churchill. He was the son of James Hardage Lane
and Sarah (Smith) and was born near Sharbsburg,
Bath Co., Kentucky on 24 Feb 1811. He began
practicing law in Mt. Sterling, KY in 1832, and
in 1834 Lane was elected to the Indiana House of
Representatives as a member of the Whig Party and
was closely aligned with beliefs of Henry Clay.
When the Mexican War broke out, Lane organized a
company of volunteers, which later became part of
the 1st Indiana Regiment. By the end of the war,
he had risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
He returned to Crawfordsville where he died on 18
Jun 1881 and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Colonel
James Henry Lane was born at
Lawrenceburg, Indiana, on 22 June 1814. He was
the son of Amos Lane, a political leader and
member of the Indiana House of Representatives.
Receiving a common school education, James later
studied law and in 1840 was admitted to the bar.
During the Mexican War he served as a colonel
under General Taylor, and then commanded the
Fifth Indiana regiment which he had raised.
General
Joseph Lane was born in Buncombe Co.,
North Carolina in 1801. He was a member of the
State Senate when the Mexican war broke out and
resigned his place in the Senate and volunteered
as a private. When the companies assembled to
organize and elect their officers, he was elected
colonel although he had never seen military
service as a soldier or officer. Before he could
put his regiment in motion, President Polk sent
him a commission as Brigadier General. When his
brigade, composed of the two Indiana regiments,
was exposed to a murderous fire from the Mexican
batteries on their flanks, and a front fire from
a large body of the enemy's infantry, the General
could be seen fifty yards in advance of the line,
waving his sword with an arm already shattered by
a musket ball. He would later become the first
Governor of the new Territory of Oregon by
Presidential appointment; and died in that state
at Roseburg in 1881.
Mordeci
B. Cole was from Charlestown. He was
born in about 1825 and was the son of Christopher
Cole who was born in 1802 and was assistant
sergeant-at-arms in the House of Representatives
for sixteen years. He and his son were both
merchants, and in 1848 M.B. Cole married Miss
Margaret Long. They resided in Charlestown and
were the parents of eight children, five who
survived were: John C., Edward W., Eva Belle,
James D., and Albert M. Cole.
Hugh
A. Calver of Clark County was mustered
in Indiana 3rd Regiment, Company I on 22 Jun
1846, at New Albany, Indiana, by Colonel Samuel
Churchill, discharged 19 Sep 1846, on Surgeon's
Certificate. (Died after date of discharge)
Thomas
C. Forsythe of Clark County was mustered
into the Indiana 3rd Regiment, Company I on 22
Jun 1846, at New Albany, Indiana, by Colonel
Samuel Churchill. He died 29 Sep 1846 as
mentioned by Harrison Daily in this letter dated
October 7th.
Monterrey
was founded as a Spanish colonial outpost in 1579
and was given the name Monterey (later changed to
Monterrey) in 1596 in honor of the count of
Monterrey, the Spanish viceroy of Mexico. The
city played a minor role in the struggle for
Mexican independence from Spain in the early 19th
century. General Zachary Taylor's troops captured
the city in September 1846.
Reynosa*
is correct spelling of Harry's Rinosa*, is a
Mexican city situated on the Rio Grande southeast
of Camargo, and northwest of Matamoros. It was an
area where the Indiana volunteers were active
during the Mexican War. It is now the largest
Mexican city in the Rio Grande Valley region with
an estimated population of just over one-half
million.
Matamoros
is a city and port in northeastern Mexico on the
Río Grande, near its mouth on the Gulf of Mexico
and is situated opposite of Brownsville, Texas.
It was the scene of bitter fighting in the
Mexican War and was occupied by U.S. troops under
Zachary Taylor in 1846. It is now one of Mexico's
chief ports of entry for tourists and for the
import and export of goods.
Camargo
was founded in 1749 and was the first settlement
on the lower Rio Grande. Located west of Reynosa,
east of Cerralvo, and southeast of Mier. Most of
its settlers came from Cerralvo, Cadereyta,
Monterrey and those surrounding townships. On 14
July 1846, the U.S. forces occupied Camargo and
Taylor established it as another depot. Situated
three hundred miles up the shallow Rio Grande, it
could be supplied only by steamboat.
Brassos*
as mentioned in letter is most probably is Brazos
Island where Zachary Taylor had established a
supply depot and where several of the regiments
were camped before moving to the camp on the Rio
Grande.
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