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Report No. 43.
HEADQUARTERS OP THE ARMY, MEXICO, January 13, 1848. SIR: I have not had a line from any public office at WASHINGTON of a date later than October 26. The spy company has returned from VERA CRUZ; but it seeins that despatches for me had been intrusted to a special messenger (I suppose from WASHINGTON), who, after a delay of many days at Perote, came up with the company to Puebla, where he again stopped and retained all my letters. Brigadier-General Cadwallader has quietly occupied Toluca and Lerma. As was known, the State Govern ment had retired (thirteen leagues) to Sultepec. The general has invited that Government to provide for the payment of the assessment upon the State ; but there has not been yet time to receive a reply. Some days since, Colonel Wynkoop, of the 1st Pennsylvania Yolunteers, tendered his services to go, with a few men, to seize the guerilla priest, Jarauta, at the head of a small band that has long been the terror of all peaceable Mexicans within his reach, and who has frequently had skirmishes with our detachments. The colonel having missed that object, heard that General Valencia and staff were at a distant hacienda, and by hard riding in the night, succeeded in capturing that general and a colonel of his staff. I consider this handsome service worthy of being re corded. Colonel Hays, with a detachment of Texan Hangers, returned last night from a distant expedition in search of the robber priest. In a skirmish, without loss on his part, he killed some eight of Jarauta s men, and thinks that the priest was carried off among the many wounded. The spy company, coming up from VERA CRUZ, had also a very successful affair with a large party of the enemy, and captured some forty prisoners, including three generals. The second train, now out from VERA CRUZ eleven- days, was, as I learn by the enclosed correspondence, attacked by a numerous body of the enemy, and suffered a loss that looks like a disaster the first that we have sustained ; but further details are needed. I have the honor, etc., etc., WINFIELD SCOTT. HON. WM. L. MARCY, SECRETARY OF WAR.