Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-04
S.-Wnnk of an nuri; m LAdian ErcG.

lhat | caiitc Tor otD friendly Creek Indians, 10 pe COIL
mandrd by Gen. W~9iaTsaid, Majors Watson and Flour
nov. The f!st. two have kec: Summoned here, on tbs
and another important point, bat have not arrived. The
third early fell in The Greek wal. Col. Gsdsdea's de-
position shows Tie importance" of such i"'ce and my
Successors in Florida have haj the benefit Of the sugges-
lion. 1t was denied me 10y tie agent vi Government,
and thot dcnial not even rcbuked BY TIC Secretary OF
War. See Major logan 'ct:c. % Tia: !nnc!icnary. and
his reply, dated, respectively, March 2S and April ~
For The standing and qualifications Of the two majors,
named By me TO bring Oh the indians, see Governor Eas
tons lrlter 10 Inc, dated March :, and General Cl!ncls
mites us introduction. General Woodward is too highly\
| distinguished, both as i commander Of, and against, In
diana, to require a Wora u %Gppo!t II his Place ana
it viii be seen, in the agents iAlaoT Hoganis) let
ter To- me, dated the lst Of February, that he lhoagIIt he
could, . in ten days, raise [mcl 1000 warriors, and be Oh
5-Nen! Of guilds.
Eustis and Lindsay, as shown by their testimony, had
no competent guides, ami could obtain none. ClInch's
column was rather less badly provided in this respect
cacics Of Me COec-a CreLan labyrinth, held from the
knowledge Of the white man, rs the sacred groves al the
D:uiIs were inteTGictcd 30 al lut the initiated in snort,
,Hil the difficult parts OF Florida were, to Inc whole ARMY,
one icrra iac0gHta. Government gave me no Topographic
cal information. nDr had ANY Ia give; and the bookshelf.
crs' maps only afforded oa.!iIc, 5, Ellvd up with unIucky
m-?H. Eu.icd tire FAR ottrc ogtratonS.
From preceding causes, ana ieductiug the time una
voiLaoiy lost at Tampa, the columns Of Clinci and Eus.
lis were actually in. the fcid. beyond Fort Drane and
F5:uSin, Drty about tweniy.lwD daya.
The testimony oil aolil Ciinci and Intrusion shows that
auuId not have put The right wing ~ operation, from
Far, Drane, earlier than ! did Che 2Ull Of Mlsch3 and
Eisiis. wi!h the left wing, Crossed lie 81. johns, AT o.
lusia, aboat The SANE time. 70 &ppr"ach Tic C0rc, by the
way Of Pc.a!lckaIa. CtInc!. VA! his wing, was cDin-
pcilri 10 return 20 Fort Dralr on the 10Th Of April,
Tie term ef service O! 4 part Il his volun!=ers klYns
already expired, and: as he !rr"r;s - n.n, tic 9th
" Men and horses Enucli exhausted by stck nras and tie
heat "l' the weather. Ano,he: day > march would have
oacasiourd the abandoning OF 4 part Of the train. FL
scca horses and mules died or the road, and eight more
turned QUE th@t could no. be cot alonr by leading.
Elsiis, with the left wiGHy which / ac9rnpanicd rom
Taipra.) waS-in Ike manErr: and ve:y much in the same
condition. corIp"ilcd 10 tetl:i % Foiu$la on the same
day-Ap..i '!",i'.
Colonel Smith: who had, wish his regiment, the Lou.
isia,!a volunteers, been detached by the way Of Charlotte
Iiarbor up ltaa .t.:Gerh, about The l2lh of Ap!il, Return
cd 20 Tampa the 2jlh, ara @ii;&rted for Ne" Orleans,
according % orders, where TIT regiment ar!tEcl. I l..n.',
Il little after lis term OF service bud expired.
Jbc battalion Of %Flordiars sailed from Tampa, about
The 18th Of April, for the Wy!llacoocI:ce. on It's way 10
81. Marks, where it was ii charged. / do rci A;;ow
when this battalion was mustered ia!o service.
Tie c"ntGc coinIEE, a:Lrl Lp;oTel Lindsay, which at
lits, Included MAJOR Reads b.;laIon, arrived by steam
i:on Mobile, at Tampa, was the first Of the three Co,
ln:!!ns, under my orders, in tie field. On The 10Th o!
March lie put himself III movement: established The post
na liz. liiIstprDurLL. 23 unhS rom Tampa, called Font
~.,IaLann, as a place Of GrpoS:t", aud advanced towards
Lr C"re rs lar as Chiciiuciiattr: which he reached about
tm 2it-tlle letter, alvisin, him of the delay in the
l!uSpuIC hts III TIE ESQ Olticr cVIuilrS, Li"lH6 rciSGcl
Him subsequently.
This column, consisting principally Of the Alabama
regiment Of volunteers under Col. Chisholm: and seve.
Ta! times changed III lis other parts, was also the latest
in the !rld. by I few days. By my utuers No. j., OF
the 10Th Of April: Col. Lindsay was instructed, Oh his
return 10 Tampa, after ny Dc ,a-ture, to make any .uT.
lE:s tn"~iarnry within Tie compass OF his forces, III lie
prosecution 81 TIE campaign, t.:at might be deemed 49,
lul. aud then 10 cause The volunteers viii! him (thc Ala
tan,a rrgimnsn, and an independent company q Loui-
sianlans, Ea!eG Eiplein Mari" 10 b" embarked for the!:
respective homes. ,Tnat EN-! !rkation WAS commenced
by h4n. according 10 bis report, May the !d-'tl'e rainy
scas.,a having sct in and Il 3ring GreTcd . imposai-
bic ~ kC sp The field. with bndio; OF troops: without great
and tYr any o~hjecrtlat could b. aceompilshcd, q w""t'n
waste ~. he
Thus terminated, w.. p~"s;.iani. active nrsratie"- IN.
h, IVY cnmu,ant and if from The causes assigned, with
All IL c1i:e results, at least without drtsat Or check, as
SilEpH. GiShonor.
In my report Of the l?!h of April, from Tampa, SPOKE
IN terms OF high commentator of the three principal
commanders under ~mc-Ci!ncL, Eusts, and Lindsay.
Each continued 10 the last IL deserve greater praise than
4 i. ia liz, po wcr oc ous, undo my present circunIs:an-
".s, 10 brAow. LaAo had the 5c:c'i. Of Colonel GaGs-
Lrm ; a&-is;u1ce, the CHEF Of ny staff, II v"'na,srT III the
nar, a suidirr and IA patriot, wlp, independent Of his pH:.
lic@!a' E"nw!el;e G! The en"n'y aud the peninsula, q
his services With me and Oh prlor ucca.inn., IS endowed
with talents and virtues winch give HIM high cia!ns up
OH the Government and country. The handstrll Of F%-
n.!a7s who were with INC ia the field ever fafc red IN
difficulty or danger; and ii, row and then, they yielded
he post OF h0Nu5, II WAS purely in compliance 10 l.tIr
counlrynIcn !.ssI from civil lie, who were cherished
and a. sisted on.erery occasion. Those patrio'ic voI"n::
lccrs Of South Ca:u!!na, G.a: 5ia: A&;,li.,a. LpulsIana,
and Florida, wee no aulL {ulany oi thrm) sometimes
inefficient from the mes. awkwardness Of inexprrlencc;
hu! they Vriy generally brought with them 20 TIE wac
hlga chIralry, which always inspires the wish OF pcTso.
nal dIstincIon-and this was frequently and uobiy ub-
tanned by individuals and dctachmeuts.
Ga llr principal coma.naa,:s aud the troops which
YeEe rnaer me, | have then Unly tn invoke the approba-
aoa os their cOuniry. Let its ccusure Through this Court,
TALL on Inc, und ne alone, Of tina! army: If all were lone
Ir-I- = ,.. .-.sI1. t~ ,n..rI ,,I-. ,I, ,,,1r,,,
Stances.
Some 3ie:lin1s, Sir. President, were put 20 as many
witnesses Of the higher ranks who have appeared before
This Court, 10 ascertain whether had failed IL aay par
,iculur as Il commander in tlGr!ia, in point o! Judgment,
zral, or personal conduct. The answers were direct III
every instance, bat too complimentary TO be here repro
duccd. Let them sleep on Jour records. They may,
hereafter, perhaps be read b. those who w!4 not be mace
to blush Tor their parent.
a word, sir, as TO my pLan of campaign. I believe
that this has been sufficiently developed in the evidence,
and embodied in This summary. 1t has been censufcd
by Z writer, himself an Old oii!cer, and who delights to
see himself in print, as being somewhat European, as II
il, were criminal to import professional knowledge, all"
who seemed TO think that Generals ought 10 make war
without plans OF any sort. This ruigar error has been
Incidentally but too signally rebuked by an eminen, nm
ltaty critic and political iunctlonary, TO be turther no.
| ticed in this place. / shall, therefore, here simply quote
ihe opinions Of two younger, but better soldiers, on Tie
particular plan OF operations by me laid down and Paf-
! sued.
h'teF "Hp"t'nH Couuht ~ q Si"t
learning much that was new Of 1t, and the enemy, zen.
CInch says to me in his repor, april I7tl) OF his ope-
ralions returning from Tampa Bay, " that NE true pi1E
Of operations against them tine lndIansJ VIII be that
first designed by you, tina, is: 5y a force from Pe!ah!e-
kaha, a force ascending by my [intel route and a cores
p~onding one on the north side, bis hESt route: This,
the Court will perceive, was IL" precise pan iaio down
by me for our first operations
Capt. Thruston, rho, knew. in March, at Fort Drane,
did not altogether approve Of tie plan of campaign was
about to follow, and with whom did not again converse
-. .-, ,-bs,,I ufnt,I hto T,,t 49,. ,t.r
asked By me this question:
al. The witness became acquainted with the general