Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-07
Dsef2 SiS'a'aG.

DEFENCE OF MAI..GEM. SCOTT.
REPORTED FOR The Rational. ISTELLiGENcER.
.~HGj0r- General WISrIxLD SCOTT, -Esiore the Conrt q
Inquiry at Frederick City. FRIDAY. JASUARr ~.
ll.-DELAY IN OPENING AND PROSECUTING THE CEEEH
CAMrAiGN.
Mr.. PREsInmNT: Through much lahnr and severn
weeks OF indisPositiou, i have 1T lrnTtII reached IL ;hi=
summary the second general head ii inquiry directed
against me, and here again The evidence in my favor is
ample and overwhelming. The whulc Of This anxious
y desire 10 Compress and cunhndy Y; br. fear lint my di
unfinished strength will prove unequal 10 the task. The
records, however, nre before the Court: and. IN liz re-
s"arch"s, as well as lis intelligence and justice, | conf,
IDENTIFY rely.
On Tie 18th of a pril, Mr.. Secretary Cass wrote 10 me
10 say that, as soon IS the state of affairs in Florida
would, in ny Judgment, permit, !e wished me to direct
NY attention to The Creek ln!iams, and to adop. sucl
measures as might 'fnd necessary UT~ prcscrve or re-
store tranquility To that pa,t Of the county" BY az
c!Grnt t!:s letter was not rccri"cd before the 2S:h u
Nay, rs Is shown by ID tjor Kilhy's endorsement
In The Secretary next letter, dated Aiy l;I!. ny at
trnti"n was again strongly called 10 The Creek country,
with power To require trnnpst from Aiapana.
From The same source received Il third letter, dated
the 18th OF May, transmitting " 10: [Grl in!"ri'iHti"a j
copy Of a letter [lhatl day addr. sseh t" brrvri Maior-
General JrsIp, II which cop? y Is said ! Should Ma
j"r-GcnrFai Scott, under The Instructions lie has 'e:cio.
fore received. proceed 10 he li.eat:c nF operations, he
will Of COURSE b. entitled 10 the command, and yen will
serve under Kim.
On The 18th Of May it was known at Washimgtnn that
| Was, abG"t the beginning OF The month, sick 4! ST Au-
CUISINE, ana hence HE dnubt Whether had procrit"d
10 Ihc Greek country. The l!hh was two days prior 10
the receipt cf my letter OF the liuI aniinadyeriing on
Major Read, and nine before The dale nj MIR. White S
letter Ia The President OF iHn United Sialrs.
On The l2ih Ui June. q fortnight after | had reached
tic CLallaiioocIce, received amber letter from The
acting Secretary, OR. lIarris.) tai"d the first, ana III.
reclrn to me AT Fort Mitchell, III which was enclosed a
copy Ui MIR. Whites, without the Presidents eHii"rse-
mrnt. ard without tie slightest a!iHs!nn 10 it. Arrr
! aIvrri,rr ia q rrrvinIS lrIirr- Of III !. Nth. rurlnSInr
rae II copy of the full instructions I" Gov. Gail. 10 as-
sumo, in Il certain event, lh" command against the Sc
n;nues: hf. Harris concludes: IL am instructed 10 ia
!nrm you ,iat, under these circumstances. the President
deems IL unnecessary t.: YOU - return 10 The coMu:ai:d
in FlnriGa.'
Now, the both Of May, Immediately m the receipt Of
the letter OF Tie 18th April, had charged Brigad:er-Ge-
neral Eustis with The fall coinnand III F;ortAa; and had
personally SGT cut for the Creek country.
Behold me. then, AIR. President, from the alst OF hlay
TO The G!l .: July, (lhe day On which the letter ii re-
cali rraci, d me- in The larger. and al the m9ncnl the
moTe in ?u'tant command. against the Creeks, without
having heard that my conduct in Flur!ha, even rr l"t-
Ter Ic$pccting Ml1ior TT ad, or Mr.. Whites TO til" Prr@i-
cent. had led t. The expression o. one syllable oil Official
dIsi!rasmrr at Nasiing!nn. On lhr contrary. SIR. the
letter from Tie Adjutan! General: (i May 11n) written
hy comiland Of tie President. on the receipt OF ~ re-
POI! from Tampa Bay, contained expressions Of GcciIrl
! appreciation, and the SecrcIary's letters "i lh" ib'l and
18th. written after The receipt OF Ilinr u hET:l 3h'I:
reporting that active operations ~ fl'r:ia had tcrH:!hi-
q ISI Tic S'ISDn, tIldl b''tHil VI liz itH.h VI
consideration aad respect. The rlrlnrn!a c! Gisc'nIrHt.
il sevnis. began 10 lower aud Iuuttrr b"tTCcl tht 2!st
and 18th: although heard them not; but Wien 4 crie-
DRAFTED letter reached Dir. Blair, the sIcrin ~li!lck"nct,
The clouds were reul, and was struck by the winged
bolt on the distant banks o! the Challahouclee. Unjust
not, however, sir. anticipate.
| Before leaving st. Augustine, as reported rem Sa-
yannah, May I'D, " ordered the new inu-k't acc1,l-
tremcnts. fgDnrt ] 500. the new arms, IJG OF Jan 5
patent rifles and the rev tents from P!coIata aud St.
Augustine, To Augusta, ard also some spare fixed ain!nu-
EltIun from The former place. The route UI these arli-
cits was Immediately changed, after writing this !ritcr,
from Savannah rM AHgustI, &c, 10 from Savannah, BY
the way II DaT:cn, The Allau:a!a and p&hIiI, gee, 10
lia"kinsvi!!eo or Macon, distant from Columbus, ia~-
kinsrii!c a3"ut 10 miles. and Macon about IS. This
rhaIgc ci route was mace npon The information al tie
Hon. Mr.. Justice Wayne, and the assurance Of tic agent
ci HE navigation company then in Savannah. thai The
h!lar,aha and Ocilnn! zee would remain n~av!gahi' for
COMMON. II not for steamboats,: many weeks longer: AID
and Is h;ch assurance, aided bv il long Succession al heavy
! showers, was more than verified. The Court i!s seen
that In" r:iics, accOu,rrnicnIs. Nc, took this BETTER route
irs.rad o! ascending the Savannah! ri"er 10 Augusta, aud
ti:rHce Ey iand 220 miles To Columbus
Iiav;"T Transacted other business in Savannah: the
Court has srrn that was at Augusta an the 21;I nf Say.
licrc, learned that: by ort1rS from Washington, Il
idr re quantity Of subsistence iIad been purchased in
! Charleston, 10 be transported thence By land carriage,
VA Augusta. to Columbus. and Immediately directed
! Li"utenun; D:mnock, the 9uar;ef-GiaS:rt at Augusta, 10
write To tla!lrston 10 cause that Subsistence t" ~ ny
The way Of Darien, Cor the re8suns already r>cniion"d.
! This letter. however, u!d not arrive III ADiTisaton III
tame, which produced at Augusta 4 part Of The emhar.
rasslnc:it rx prIicncrd there III obtaining wagons. (Ste
Lieut.. D:iuG!ock to no, May PM Subsequent ln:!:rc-
! liuas were given by me in respect" all tic o!her Ee:vy
articles, which, By orders !roSi Washington, were To
take the route from Charleston via Augusta.
According 10 the testimony Of Major Kirby, ! called,
when at Augusta, for Il return Of property r.lhc United
| States Arsenal near that city; mnrhcd upon tHH Te;ii!n
the arms (including the only six Po"ndrr fitted :"r The
| ic!ay and ordnance stores which thnnght might !r
| wanted. and ordered that the arii:|c 81 marked Should
be forwarded To Columbus. The arsenal canla!n"d 10
acc0n!:.mcnls, and few or M caTirld9es Tor nlnskrts' II
contained, however, several Thousand o! muskris.
But tbs, sir, was my position in respect 10 arms: J. |
had already ordered, from Florida, 13J rifles. complete,
ard 800 musket accnutrcInents, because l il"d learn
ed, by recent experience. as IS IN evidence, thai the
United S!a!es Southern arsena!s contained but IT," or
nunr of these articles, ard | wanted them IL m"EH mp
d,fc;:ueics. =. did not know, nor could | tell, um:il |
could see Gnrrrnor Schcy, at M!tledgcril!e, what NUS.
kets he might want TO arm The troops ne i'ad oraeicu
to the Creek country. ) confidently relied. as Il lar.
Their resource. should it be Necessary, on the United
States arsenal at Mount Vernon, from which, by steam,
arms, &c, might be ubtulrcd more promptly than ny
wngnns f:r!a Augusta, and | had then IN my Pnsscs'
sio;, transmitted By the Adjulun!.C General. a letter from
Captain Harding to Governor Clay, dated February .,
i-:;G, which. showed lha! there were: a. that date, II: The
Ainual Vernon arsenal, " ! O,Gn0 superior new ~rausaets,
VIII buck shpt and ball cartridges, and ten pieces OF
fcL. artillery, completely eqnIrped.' 4. arrived al
| hi!!raacyi!ic The 18Th Of May, when ! learned That Tie
State aTscra! being deficient in arms the GoTcrGo! had
TIE day before required from the arsenal at Augusta
500 ~n'askc's, &c, which his EScr!iency llougAt
would b" enough 10 make up Gr!icIencies; even peln-e
he knew liza | had ordered to Columbus the loh r'lrs
(msntirnct aJore) for ii like purpose. See Major ba'
deus letter to lie, dated May 81, enclosing the rrql'-
si!icn CT lis ExcriIency: dated the 9Th. MaJ"T DIden
said to ne in that letter, 81 have this day turned over 10
tie Assistant QuariefInas er here for transportation to
Columbus, 's'' one thousand muskets,' bot nOt the &C.
cou,rc,nenls (also rcqaired) because there was none in
! The arsenal.
Well, sir, | reached Columbus on Tie 30lh Of May
MANY cunpauies of the Georgia line. ordered out ny
the Governor. had preceded me. and others were com.
ing up duly. 1t was sron asceFtained BY Maj. kiThy'
Tie mastering officer. that those troops had brought with
| Ihcm Z smaller nuirip.r of arms. and those Of q more in