The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1836-06-04
Head Qnartrrs, Array Of The South, !
Ar meta Mar 2H 1k3S.

Dear Sir: am very greatly Obliged to
you for your Kind and manly letter Of this
date. II gives me direct opportunity Of
doing justice to the brave men, generally,
whom have recently had the houor TO
command, as we'll rs myself
The letter TO The G"rerameni which, by
m easy mistake. has given 70 much Of
fence, was written q, Pirolata. under the
sound Of the bell, that hastencd the 6ne
battalion Of Augusta Volunteers, under
your command. on board the steamer
which VAS 10 take them To- their homes.
Writing by thu, opportunity, and in the
mids, of o.hcr occupations. ] had not cvep
..,sc to read what I had wrote. Hence
the very careless, aud insccuraie phrase
quoted by you.
Al that moment, the Volunteers who
were Ihen, n, who bad recently been in
Florida were scarcely in my though
Nv mind was intensely fixed on plan
and the means Of renewed operations
aguins, The Seminole fndians-mcdifird
according TO my then better knowledge Of
,hcm and their country. Hasing become
satisfied illa, ii wou.d continue. as we had
foun 10 bc the policy Of tha, enemy 10
remain scattered in small parties and 10
avoid general batic-thcreby proirac-
,,ing the war almost indefinitely: that il,
would be extremely liiEiculi. errn with
three thousand veteran troops. in coun.
,rv sbounding in Businesses. 10 put an end
In the war in single scason;-lcarnipg
tha, bill was before Congress raising a
large body OF foiun,crrs-U knew not
Cor uha, t,mcI-anl fcciius confident tina,
in such was. three months men. six
months mru. ar cvrn incn engaged for
twelve months. wpnld no, suffice. I was
in haste 10 give INV suggestions. to the Sc.
crr,ary of War, in order that. II ifapprovcd.
'hc necessary bills might be asked Tor Of
Congress al once.
Following out the idea that old troops,
or troops with long :crm Of service.
were Indispensable. I added. in ,hc mex,
paragraph ,ha, regiments Of recruits. al-
though rcsu'ars. would no, do: but thsti IL
recruits, in suthr;cn, aunbcrs. were mixed
xiih old sni,;icrs in juno OF July. thcy
would become cticicni by tic following
December.
{ caa truly say :ha, j, was strongly on
nv :n;rd. when in tho n, Of writing the
unfortunate letter. that it would be unrea
ssaahlc 1" call on the gallant dnd patriotic
IL volunteer Tor another campaign in Flo.
,ida; whcro nothing but hardship aud sui.
crine can be expected, unrci;evcd BY the
ho ,e of baulc and The glory consequent
upon victory.
Tho latter is .hc only inecntivc thar can
long cheer and animate volunteers in a war
no, Immediately connected wih the defence
Of their ho,nes and liberties
Also to The general proposition whether
disciplined OF nnd,seiplined troops be The
best for var in general. ii Was no, purposcd
at iha, morncn, either to discuss or state
A body Of volunteers kcp, long in tho camp
and field will sc better disciplined and there
fore mole valuable sor any kind Of wsr. than
rcg,u en,s Of regular recruits. Fo, cxau,-
pie. that Is. in general. the corps, whether re-
eular or volunteer, will always DO found the
bcs, instructed or the best disciplined; and
Of course The bcs, prepared tor the ordinary
purposes OF war.-The exceptions arc only
found in wars which pu, homes and liberties
in danger; aud in these, militia, suddenly en-
bodied, and cscn regiments OF recruits, has
lilly raised. have in very grca' number Of
cases, been found an orcsmasch for scicncc
aud disciplined ralor.
In conclusion, allow mo 70 rcpca, from
the hcar,, wha, have substantially said to
The War Department; no man can have for
,hc Volunteers from South Carolina, Gear-
qua. Alabama. and LOUISIANA. whom have
la,.l, had ,hc honor 10 command. a moro
cordial c.,ccm than I entertain. There arc
hundreds, and hundreds. OF them. whom
should be mos. happy 10 call friends; Tor
know lhcu, 10 bc centrally. nen oi high hon
or, patriotism. Intelligence and individual
courage.
Such arc my honest sentiments, and |
have g,ca, pleasure in communicating them
TO one whose conduct III tho field aud whosc
cout,rsic. to me OIL tho present occasion
alike command the high rcspcc. and esteem.
With which | am sir.
\ our oh, scrrl
WINFIELD SCOTT.
To Capt. F. 81. Ronr>soN,
I,.r comm an,lrr of the Augusta