General Taylor was himself only a colonel, in real rank, at that time, and a brigadier-general by brevet.  He was assigned to duty, however, by the President, with the rank which his brevet gave him.  Worth was not so assigned, but by virtue of commanding a division he must, under the army regulations of that day, have drawn the pay of his brevet rank.  The question was submitted to Washington, and no response was received until after the army had reached the Rio Grande.  It was decided against General Worth, who at once tendered his resignation and left the army, going north, no doubt, by the same vessel that carried it.  This kept him out of the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma.  Either the resignation was not accepted, or General Worth withdrew it before action had been taken.  At all events he returned to the army in time to command his division in the battle of Monterey, and served with it to the end of the war.

The second occasion on which General Taylor was said to have donned his uniform, was in order to receive a visit from the Flag Officer of the naval squadron off the mouth of the Rio Grande.  While the army was on that river the Flag Officer sent word that he would call on the General to pay his respects on a certain day.  General Taylor, knowing that naval officers habitually wore all the uniform the “law allowed” on all occasions of ceremony, thought it would be only civil to receive his guest in the same style.  His uniform was therefore got out, brushed up, and put on, in advance of the visit.  The Flag Officer, knowing General Taylor’s aversion to the wearing of the uniform, and feeling that it would be regarded as a compliment should he meet him in civilian’s dress, left off his uniform for this occasion.  The meeting was said to have been embarrassing to both, and the conversation was principally apologetic.

The time was whiled away pleasantly enough at Matamoras, while we were waiting for volunteers.  It is probable that all the most important people of the territory occupied by our army left their homes before we got there, but with those remaining the best of relations apparently existed.  It was the policy of the Commanding General to allow no pillaging, no taking of private property for public or individual use without satisfactory compensation, so that a better market was afforded than the people had ever known before.

Among the troops that joined us at Matamoras was an Ohio regiment, of which Thomas L. Hamer, the Member of Congress who had given me my appointment to West Point, was major.  He told me then that he could have had the colonelcy, but that as he knew he was to be appointed a brigadier-general, he preferred at first to take the lower grade.  I have said before that Hamer was one of the ablest men Ohio ever produced.  At that time he was in the prime of life, being less than fifty years of age, and possessed an admirable physique, promising long life.