Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-04-04

'ucll Us ,iic law consiuerSa prctermtted child and
Hutcrnincd 70 do that for his men which the gov
eminent had. il appeared, forgotten to DO. In n
letter 20 the Governor of Tennessee, under whose
aGthority the order of the Secretary had replaced
tiin, he says, 81 have, however, from the necessi
~ OF the case determined 20 keep some Of the
tents, and 10 march the men back in as good order
af possible: and will make every sacrifice 10 add
- their comfort have required of the contractor
mere twenty days rations which will take my men
10 Colbert>; anu must trust in providence and
rOur eXertions TO furnish them with supplies from
There to Nashville" To Gen. Wilkinson who had
enclosed the order hc says have had the honor
ri receiving your letter Of the Sth inst. with its
enclosures, containing directions for me 10 deliver
over the public property TO you, which is in the |
possession OF my detachment. The order will be |
complied with, except small reservation of tents
Tor The sick, and some other Indispensable articles
acknowledge the order was uneX expected; but CO.
incide with YOU in sentiment, that those who
ire bound must obey" Let the reader recol-
iect that the law under which the services of
TINS corps had been accepted, made the arms
and accoutrements of the soldier his private
property at his discharge-ope.ating like boan-
- on enlistSments--t that of course General Jack
soa had right TO apply il TO this species of
military property and that nc only suspended ITS
execution so lar as to retain few tents and other
Articles indispensable 10 the care of his sick until
lac could set his corps through the wilderness
which was already the scene of those Indian muir
derS that soon brought on the Creek War. That TO
effect this patriotic and honorable purpose he bor-
iowcd 3000dollars on his own private account
and That the government; itself sanctioned his pro-
ceedings andt determined the degree OF credit
% ws,ich Alr. Johnsons charge is entitled. Let
10 also remembered TINT this Chi Uric coyps con-
tanned the Co3ecs and the CAROLS who fought
wherever they could find foe, and the Lauder
Galcs and the Donelsons who fell with SO much
glory; and that had General jackson, through fear
OF 'ndignity,' diSbdRded his troops and left them
uncovered, unfcd, unattended, victims to disease
10 want aud 10 murder, the patriots of Tennessee
would have been justly disguised with service,
which, when inspired with gratitude and affection
Tor their faithful leader, they adhered 10 with
such signal zeal and triumphant efficiency.
1t appears then, that SO far from deserving
ccusure for the modified execution Of the order in
question, he merits the praise Of prudence & gene
~slty; and is entitled to the gratitude of his coun-
try for that scaSonable and enlightened indepen-
dencc. which had the effect ofattaching TO him and
70 her the materials of future safety and honor AS
TO the 'ndiSnify offered to the Secretary OF War;
which our modern Macsycophant is so busting g.
50oitS 1t is probable that the Secretary, who, was
by no means dull OF apprehension, did not perceive
IT, But if he did, he could only consider it pri-
Yatc injury, as, by his own act, General Jackson
was no longer under his authority; and was, there
lore out OF the rule of obedience upon which Mr.
johnson POUNDS the right 70 command. His letter
after representing the discrepancy between the
date othe order, 18th JAM and the official notifi-
cation OF Gen. Armstrong entrance into the War
Department, I'D Feb.) assures the Secretary of
his determination ''to obey the order and to dev-
er over to the quartcr-master of the department all
public property in my hands, that can be spared
from the convenience s. health fmy men, ON their
return TO Nashville; il being the place at which
they were rendezYoused by the orders of the Pre-
silent of the United States; and to which place [
shall march them as soon the necessary sup
plies can be had for the purpose" He then ex-
pa!iatcs the loss of public spirit and of patriotic
lives, and on the great distress which would attend
the dispersion of his men-expresses his conviction
that their belonged to them, and his surprise
that an order neglccu of their feelings and in
eSts should have been traced by the hand '' of
an old revolutionary soldier, who knows the priva-
tons OF "a soldiers iie) who excrci I'd his talents
mot alta very prudent momenO i'll their behalf; at
the close the last war" Now this, so far from of
teiing an indigniy. really conveyed delicate al =
fusion to the Newberg letters. Gen. Armstrong
had not the folly to consider it an indignity, and
Gen. Jackson being out Of service, not the right
TO consider it an offence He was no doubt graft
ned at his prudence in not putting that
Interpretation on his laconic order, which might
have been a natural one in situations so safe,
near and plentiful Niagara and Norfolk, but
WHICH would have been incidentally dis
tressing to the Tennesseeaus at Natciez.-
When it is taken into consideration too, that the
tender of tins corps had been accepted in August
that they had been assembled in December, had en-
barked or the Cumberland in january, that after
yOyaging, often through floating ice and stormy
weather, more than 1000 miles, they had eucamp-
ed near Naichez ON the 2lst February and had
then been dismissed without ceremony or accom-
mediation on the 18th March-the reader will be
APT 10 lnOlefatiOn on the part
OF Jackson, would have been mean spirited, would
hHve betrayed want of that sensibility 10 the
claims of friendship and negiborhood and fellow
ship, which he so heroically felt-which did him
so much honor as a man, and were SO fortunate in
the event TO his country
Tse winding course of Mr.. Johnson's defama-
ton, brings next into view, the charge Of DISC
beaicnce to the war Department, in the shape of
e general order;" and if a man can lose reuuta-
lion by making njust attacks upon the fame of
another, it will tend as little 10 his honor as those
which have already been rciuted The circum.
stances explaining the case are the following:
while Cen Jackson was in the service Of the T..
nted it occurred several times, al seasons of the
greatest pressucr, that officers to whom he had as
signed important duties, were silently with
drawn from their post by orders from some subal-
tern in the line, stationed as deputy in the adiu-
tant and inspector generals Office, at Washington
On the first Of October, 1914, for example, lust
fortnight after the first attack on Fort BOWER, e.
while the whole British armament was lowering
between Mobile and New OIleans,f an order was
issued from the war department, signed John r.
Bell, deputy inspector general, directing Col
Sparks and the officers OF the I'd regiment inclu-
ding the gallant Major Lawrence to proceed
forthwith on the recruiting seTvicel This order
was received while Gen. Jackson was eHecfinp The
timely expulsion Of the British from Pensacola
aud Lad left Mobile in charge OF Col Sparks aud
Fort Bowyer IN that Of Maj. Lawrence With
Comnendable prudence these officers declined o.
Incidence and remained at their posts. Cen Jackson
complained Of it 70 the government, pointed out
the serious consequences that might have been
produced by II and suggested the propriety Of
communicating IN future all orders to his subordi-
mates through him inasmuch as his capacity TO dc.
md the extensive and deenccess line Of terri.
tory committed 20 lis charge, would be DESTROYED
1i the officers on whose vigilance and evarf;o,s h.