Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-04
BONN i;sTbC.
DEFENCE OF MAJOR.GENERAL SCOTT.
~

LIE f..NSf. VI maJOR'u
continual
The point which has thus been rather more tul!y dis
cussed han had, until lately intended, was, however,
but the sccoRd cause Of the failure OF my operations 10
send out of Florida the great bGdy Of the Seminal" H.
dians, and there were many other causes, besides the
first in Importance, some Of which have already been
partially, though but incidentally, d%evrl"rrd. II is COW
my purpose TO bring rapidly the whole, IN the same con
ncXion, under the review IF the Court.
OF these causes, many: as will b" seen, arc ciIscIy
united, aud, in tho descending scale, consequent upon
each ullcr. For these reasons, Tie analysis ana the
enumeration will, in seine instances, be rather Gi!hcu!t.
| The iaieRcss IF my OrierS, IL o ciOch in tie night of
JnnumEy q. acih nOLce The day hJnc 10 hotd myscJ IN
readiness, md the SHIRT term IF scrricc If The great bcdy
Of The traps.
! do not mean to say, Mr. President, that any time was
lost by the Wur Department in putting me in nation
gher the news of CInch 5 affair ri December 81: which
| preceded al Washington the account of Dade lnrinn-
cLoly lalc on the 2-lh. Nor shall ! stop 10 discuss tile
question, Why had not stranger measures bee" taken
on the receipt Of CIiucI's warnings and calls ia: rein.
.nrccments. beginning in January, !S}3, and reiterated
October :, Octubcr II, December q, and D"cc"ibcr IL,
of the snInc year.
Well, sir, Tie Court has seen that | was promptly 1t
Augusta, where completed my calls Tor volunteers or
Graugh!ed men, two regiments from :"uiii Ear"!!':l. one
of horse and one Of foot, the same from Gcor:;a, a!a
one Of foot from Alabama, at 7I0 men pei regiment,
making Il total Of 300. y fine spirit vas abroad in
those States, and great cycrtipnS made in each 10 sap.
plY its quota. Yet, from many unavoidable ca'l~ti -i!:r
IlliiCUSt S!hStS " ht IiH'tIStu; a'u VIII - "i'~h : "i'
nol stop to cnumcraGc. but not one OF which can be- c!ar5-
ed 10 mc-instcad Of finding iAySrlt IN force, al PiCnta;i
and al Tampa Bay, us early rs the 2!';i OF February. as |
had originally ililtrrrd myself that might, arrived III
! Florida. on the 81. much in advance Of three ii!ths Of
those troops. Oaly Inc foot Of South Carolina and seven
companies If Georgia bad prcc",rd me-. The Georgia
IIoIsc began to arrive about the end oi The month, tI;'c
companies before mentioned: and another on the ION
Of March, under Capt. Nelson, who made an unparai!"!.
ed march from the northwest crracr Of Georgia. |
ought, ia rny pr vious narrative, 10 hay" stated, That THIS
fine company joined at Gary's ferry, and added about
20 men 10 so! Bankhrad'S little column, which sci out
with me for Font Dranc. The same day Colonel Good.
wins fire regiment of South Carolina mounted mrn
reached 81. Augustine over Il long road. through rain
and mud; and, like Nelson $ company, without tents,
and without a murnir. The Alabama regiment. under
Colonel Chisholm, and Major Reads battalion Of Fiorl-
dams, arrived al Tampa Bay, with Col. Lindsay, be-
| tween The LIST and 10th o. March. q; has been seen
HAT this battalion bad not been called for by me. aud
that it went to Tumr, Bay without my knowledge AZ
the time, and against my wishes; and that Lhc second
battalion Of Georgia foot was, in accordance with my
request. never furnished. Finally, six COMPANIES: in
stead Of four, to make up for the detection of the first
two, Of Georgia horse arrived al Gary ; ferry: ria Mid
dc Florida and Fort Dramr, about ilr iG:h I'll April,
whilst was at Tampa. These six companies were, ne
vcrllclcss, mustered into service III accordancc with IN
si1uctiuns | had left behind, and immediately afterwards
discharged: by The advice OF Ma" r. General MAcomb,
who then happened to be al PicrllLa)
All the volunteers called for by NE were mustered !n!p
service for only three months. according 10 tn" instruc.
tons Ind received from tie War Department.; aud |
suppose HAT the President OF 'lr tni'ed Stairs has II"
authority to require the services oi ln'Iitia b. ~dr""yk!-
ing for il longer period.
/ has been seen thai was not in force to commence
combined aud efficient opcrationa earlier than the i0ti OF
March, aud by this date the mass OF volunteers, owing
10 the different periods Of arrival at the several pii-
ccc %: rendezvous, and consequent accrptanccs by mus.
ter, had only about 60 days 10 serve. This WAS the sa!Ic
thing neatly in a system VI cuIibiucd operations, rrqulr-
ing the services OF the whole, as If none had had L long
or time ~ serve; and all had bcCa from h0lAe: with
s!iT!: differences, equity lDig.
But let not those movements Of the volunteers excite
a SMILE TO their prejudice. The delay in their arrival on
the 81. Johns, as have said: was Unavoidable and there
was even 4 greater delay in the approach q. three cou:.
r'"ics Of regulars which were ordered lnem5arE at pLl-
. t!'"p 1Irr NJ ,e r. several ,Ii'GGt cgrressss G bei E%H z i9S %'ni Da II"
talon WAS delayed By ice IN the Chesapeake, know
not how many weeks, and finally reached Pico!a;a "i
the 9Th OF March. With all the lights o! the Quarter
master general: len wagons were ordered to b. purchased
and si,jrr"d from Baltimore ah"nt the same lime. SIX
cau.e to Florida as Ialc as the 18th of March, two earlier,
and two in May Now, If were expected 10 make
long marches through Il savage country, without roads
or bridges. why could not these three companies have
been marched to Norfolk, or even |" Wilmington, AND
thence ciiharked Time would have been saved IN
either case. And why were not the wagons siiIPpgd
from sorie port not obstructcd by ice: Again: a de-
uucimcnl of United States dragoons, under | arta:n
Wharton, that received orders Tor FLORIDA at Nc" ! DIRK
abou, the 9Th Of January, was delayed several weeks
! in that harbor, waiting for lis arms and horse furniture,
! and Joined ,lr at Fort Dranr, Caller Il short Passage L"
SavannahJ Say days from the reception Of iii'ac or
drr>! 1Irr- was no delay, from the want Of h"7N'a-
TlIcy had been purchased by my orders, and placed al
! Savannah as early rs the l2th of February.
Let it be remembered. MIR. President, That these ship
, raenls and movements were not made under my H'r"c-
lions; vet was advised Of them, aud suffered enoar-
rossu,rnt from not earlier receiving the troops and way
CONS. -, rn .r
i;ciynl force to commence operations: and that the mass
of The volunteers had then about 81 days to scrTr-a part
mare and 4 Fart less. This period was rather more Than
Was necessary for the marches and operations actually
r,odc under my orders, but wholly lnsuihclenl |" enable
us 10 secure the country South aud East of ffas creek,
! uhc Eyrrgladas) even il the lhleness OF The season Tic
SsirkIinrss of The climate in these regions, as earl "a the
end of April. and other causes, winch VIII be noticed,
had not ,ntrrposed iusurnountable obstacles. ought,
therefore. TO have given ne any prospect "i SUCCESS, To
nav, been ordered ~ Florida several months earlier, ana
with 4 Force of d much longer term OF service. lie who
,o,r directs Ike war in that quarter. besides other adran-
iaocs, has had more time for preparation, a better season
for operenuns, more regular t!o"ps, and volunteers OF Il
lon,nr period of servic".
- in respect TO volunteers for ninety days, the testimony
Of General EuSlis and Colonel Lindsay is strOngl in
support OF what | urge on this point.
2-Tac unexpected intrusion Of General Gaincs.
This was the second cause of my failure, both in point
VI t.me and Importance.
Nov, Though considered myself in strength on the
OIL 'olhs snd ut st. Augustine, to commence forward
movements As early as lie lUtl OF MILL, tho C"urt will
! please remember, that my general plan oil operations wa,
to move at the sunrc time rs nearly as practicable. from
Fort Drane, Voiusia, and Tampa, upon The great b"dy
Of the enemy supposed 10 be about the core oil The Wyth'
lac"ochse: 10 march, in person, with ClinclI, ana give In
structiDns To Euslis and Lindsay so far TO deyiatc from that
approximation of the three columns as To pursue any COM
siderable body Of The enemy, or any considerable fresh
trail that might be discovered. Hearing of General
Guinness intrusion, and seeing that 4 consequent delay
was inc vIable, called back a detachment, already IN
march 10 join C!inch. and through the latter caused
Lindsay to be advised Of that delay, lest he should make
an isolated movement. And General Clinc! has teSti-
fed. that a inrward movement could not have been made,
from Fort Drune, earlier than the 2jLh OF March, 1.-THE
] dau IN ruL;sL liz % nal LIZ ,unrrI \ cr lun reaa IL