Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-07

and mine from Augusta, on the same subject. Mould
cordinp to Major Kirhy's letter to General Irwin, dateo
June I'd, it was thought the first supplies might arrive
from that city by the 18th or 18Th. Gen; sesuP, mere
fore, could not have expected those 'supphes a. co""i
bus BY The 18th of june and he Knows IN ,act' US l
several times told him in my letters, that we both thought
it would be fortunate if they arrived by The go. by
rrea, enod luck, however, the first steamboat did aclu-
ally arrive al Fort Mitchell on the 18th or l9th, where
by the whole Army. WAS saved from Inc misfortune
which General Jrsnp's false movement would otherwise
have occasioned, viz: Of being reduced to halt or third
ralions for many days. (See, on this pnlat, the testnno-
nv of Major Kirby, Lieut.. Waite, and Lieut.. Belts; also:
the deposition of Major Huson)
la all this time, Mr.. President, from the 4th of June,
when he reached Tuskesgee, 10 the Eth, il, had never
once occurred 10 General Jesup that a movement from
the frontier settlements of Alabama, upon Fort Mitch.
ell. (al the opposite side Of the Creek country was Tie
way TO protect the women and children (whon he Ietl
far behipd) against The uplil,ed tomahawk and scalp.
inp:k ni!e or that he had none Of that courage mat
would enable him to look on such scenes. NO, Sir, &c
vaslations of, entire settlements, as well hs Women
children, the %lonahawk and calping.knlic, are cn'iTe'
" omitted d in all his letters-the two to the secretary
Of War. dated the 10Th and 1lth of June his letter t"
me of the 9Th the copy of that dated the I'm, put
handed TO me by his abide camp on me zo'n, ahu us
two other letters 10 lie dated the Iolil.ibth, ana on tile
morniuo of the Eth. But, after he had taken The war
out of nv hands, and found himself "comprlled TO tail
back on Fort MITCHELL for corn and subsistence; "hcn'
in short, he had, late on The Eth, received my leler me
day beture, quoted in great part above, Men, a"n not u'
then. did those moving topics occuI TO hlni-In Inc use
of which he has been as happy, as IN the invention. ore
his second letter 10 me, dated The 11th of June, IN which
thuse weapons are powerfully handled both io' defence
and offence, and which lettes clnses hs c"mmunicaaon
in Tile Globe of the Goth September. But, powerful as
that letter NAV seem, he did not dare to include my reply
to it, dated the 18th, and which, in all tulIness, ought to
have been Published at The same time. This, The Ccu'l
will perceive from the following extract:
"On nv return 10 Columbus, late last evening, re-
ceivcd your second of the 17th inst. This IS FULLY as
strange as any Of your previous communications. IN
it, YOU repeat nothing Of your previous intention oil
marching upon For, Mitchell, but you take care TO in
scrt Two or three topics which would furnish a good oa.
sis for q popular apped! against the hardship imposed
upon you of undertaking no system of offensive opera
tons without my previous concurrence and readiness 10
acl in concert with you. 1t would seem to be for TINS
purpose, | can imagine no other, that you tell me mat
your operations have been "cnmmenccd, anu have DeeH
continued for The pur pose of sta wing the touahawk and
the scalping.kniie, und preventing the devastation oil
entire settlements or neighborhoods on the frontier.
Nothing, cerluinly, could haze been more merltor!nus.
The direct protection Of the Alabama settlements wac
within your competency, and, indeed, among your para
mount duties. But why commence u grand system nl
uiir nSive operations, which has brought you out OH THIS
side Of The Creek nation at u point where did not want
YOU, without giving ME the slightest Intlnlatinn that you
were about To Commence, and, OF course, Without wall
ing for my Appreciation and cooperation: To have
waited for such CO. cooperation, and. TO have given mc no
lice of your intended movements, were, allow lie 10 say.
also. among your paramount duties.
Your next popular flourish is in these words: 4 have
more of that courage that would enable ME IN remain
inactive when women and children are daily falling he
meath The blows Of The savage!' ] certainly believe that
you have not, and there was not the slightest objection,
in any quarter. to your protecting the women ana chill
drrn OF The frontier, with the defence oil which you were
directly charged. Again, nothing could have been more
praisewOrlhy; but how does This excuse your leaving
those women and children, and, instead OF marching
IrlpIut1n Wbpre uul Wnrr rPUlIrcG. maIcninn, III
hostile array, seeking battles, upon Fort Mitchell, where
you were neither expected nor wanted:
o the subject oil the Alabama frontier settlements,
! am happy 10 learn by your letter, that you made such
arrangements for their safety as to leave you assured on
that point.
1.-The last dead point you make, as if il were for future
use, against ne, is this 4 would have struck the enc.
my tonight but for your letter; if he is not struck TO-
morrow morning, he will escaPe for the present, but the
force have IN the field is sufficient 10 pursue and to reduce
him Here am made 10 deprive you and the country
Of Il great imaginary victory. say Imaginary, for l
AN inclined 10 think you are a little too ~sanguine on this
occasion in your calculations. But the true answer is
this: Who gave you authority to roam at pleasure
through the Creek nation, al the head of the A!aba'
mians and 4 body Of friendly Indians, without giving
notice to, and without CONCERT with, the Geo,gilns and
regulars brought 10 Ibis frontier for the same war, and
at an enormous expense 10 the Government Besides
from the position now occupied by you, you are forced
TO operate dozen The country, instead Of getting below
the enemy and operating up. This precisely inyerts
WHAT you KNEW l1 IT my piaH vi CdHlpdlBn-d pun luuy
developed in conversation with you, and to which you
did mol in the least object, although you were invited to
discuss il freely -
Here, sir, it will be SEGA that l distinctly predicted
that General Jesup's second letter, of the 18th, assum-
ing new and untounded reasons for his false and unau'
liIurised movements, was intended much more Tor the
public than his immediate commander. Hence those
topics of appeal, aud hence its appearance IN his com-
municaiion 10 The GtOGe, 1cith0ut my reply!
The Court has also seen in that reply, that discrrdlt-
ed The idle vaupt that he would have struck the enemy
o fatal blow on the l7lh or 18th, but for my letter of the
10TH. Now, sir, it is distinctly in evidence, notwilh'
stacding that gasconade, that ne not only dIsoheyed my
orders, but, in the attempt to strike The blow, e%gregious-
ly failed! See his third gbiciai Prirute letter addressed 10
Mr.. Secretary Cass, dated June 18th, and which SO un.
expectedly has been brought within my knowledge. it
point, that | wanted the testimony of General Wood
ward. My l4th intcrrogatory TO Governor Schley re-.
lates 10 the same matters.
have given above an extract of my letter to General
Jesup cfthe 18th Of June. The following is q continue
ton Of the same communications:
"Wlilst writing The above | received your letter Of this
date, written at Fort Mitchell You charge me with harsh.
ness. have certainly, in previous letters complained
heavily OF y"u, as in The beginning OF this, and have,
in every instance, | think, gwen The grounds of those
complaints. The facts stated by me, | think, bear tho
construction have placed upon them, and | have inf
nItrIy regretted the existence Of those facts.
you are mistaken in %supposing that upbraided you
for asking Tor snHll supplies Of ratiuns and forage for
your troops. | regretted The scarcity of our resources in
such supplies, and apprehendrd a scarcity bordering on
starvation, for a few days. Fortunately $4,000 rutions
have arrived. at Fort Mitchell, (and about 10000 hcre)
which yesterday were no, expected earlier than The 22d,
perhaps the 23d Instant and am coufdeu. that, when
HIRE, We both: by calculation, did not expect any thing
from n. Orleans before the 2lst or 22d: | am rejniced as
much on your account as my own, that we both have all
abundant supply Of rations Tor the present; and wc know
that l5O ,GuO more will suon follow" =
General, in haste, | have not intended 10 say any
thing 10 injure you. have shown in strong terms the
construction had a right to place upon your acts and
letters. This, know, may appear harsh. Butt on the
other hand, allow me 10 say, that l have the greatest,
and an undIninished confidence in your honor, your in
t%enigrnce, gallantry, and capacity for war. You use the
word tritndshiP. | have cherished for you for more than
twenty-five years u warm and sincere affection, which