Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-01-31


cure copy, you shall have it. :,
After the reading of the letter General
Gaines addressed the Court again. aud re-
f:.rred to the military regulations upon the
subject, and in the course ct his r''nf'tAs
he quoted the 9th ar icle o. wal 20 prove III"
if he had abandoned his command at tint
time, while the Indians were committing a'is :.
of hos ility, he would have s0bjected iii!'Sc''
to the punishment of death
By Gen. Gaines--What were 'hc motives
which hindnccd Gen. Gaines 20 g" 10 fIor-
ida ,
Apswer-Inconseqncnce Of the alarm
;,r intelligence from FIofila and The news
ofDnde's mnssacre, Gen. Gaines 1t mobile
nm the l7th January. sent for n:a. and sa'd
that he had left his Head Quarters at Mem,
phis, but with no expectation 10 be required
TO take the field against an cnomy-that he
was withou. his staff and referring to the IN
,ellirencc above stated, he did me the honor
TO reouest me to join his military family tor
purposes connected with the protection OF
the people of Florida. The day following
(the 18th january farther Intelligence ar
rived from Florida, to the effect that Uen'
C1inch had had meeting with the enemy
had fought battle with them, had peen
abandoned by the voun:eersin consequence
of their .e,,n OF service having expired. ana
had been obliged to fall back on Fori kng;
where, as report said, he was invested oy
the enemy and in danger of being cut OH.
II
|, was in consequence ofthis new mtorma-
ton, as believe, that the order OF that date
(lsth) addressed TO Col. Twiggs at New
Orleans, was issued Gen. Gaines proceed
ed to Pensacola. with a view to solicit the
cooperation of the naval forces on that sa.
ton in the purpose he then contemplated IN
soing to Florida; his wishes had been an
ticipated, and he returned 10 New Orleans
about the 2Sth of JAM, when the most ac-
tive exer,ions were made 10 receive into
service and equip fora campaign the vo'un-
teers alluded TO inthe above mentioned Or
der.
The troops being in readiness 20 embark,
left New Orleans on the 4th of February.
During this period, aui for some time after,
the prevailing sentiment OF Gen. Gaines, as
discovered by the whole tenor of his remarks
and conduct, was a profound senslbIll'y to
the loss of our brave brothers in arms in
Florida. and to the exposed condition of
the people in that country. Previous to
leaving New Orleans, among o.her reports
circulated, it was stated that Tallahassee
had been taken, burnt and destroyed by the
enemy. This and other rumoss produced
SO general an excitement throughout that
section of Louisiana, that they induced ex-
traordinary exertion on the part of the Ex-
ecu;ive and Legislative authority of the
State, and suppose 1t would have been I'M
possible for any officer, situated as General
Gaines was at that time, and having, the
proper feelings and sense of his duly, to
have hesitated moment, but that he must
have gone on with the expedition TO Flori-
da.
The President announced that the indis.
position of one of the members the Court
(Gen. Atkinson) would render it indispen-
sable TO postpone further proceedings to-day,
and accordingly the Court was adjourned
until Tomorrow Saturday at II o'clock
A. NJ.
FREDERICK, ND. Jan. ii, 1887.
On the re.assembling OF the Court this
morning, Major Gen. Gaines observed that
he had few more questions to propose to
the witness, Captain Hitchcock in refer
epce to his, (Gen. G's.) course Of conduct
while II. Florida, and with permission of the
Court he would proceed. Assailed as he
bad been in such diversity Of ways, it
would be difficult 70 trace all the various
charges through the labyrinth Of testimony
before the Court, and he would rather risk
his reputation and honor upon the evidence
Of q few witnesses who were near at hand,
than wade through the may passages in
search of minor accusations. The Court
will, of course, in the rebuttal ofthc graver
charges, discover the improbability Of truth
in those Of less heinous character. "Thc
Court are well aware thai did not seek
this investigation-it was forced upon me,
and now that am before them, am de-
terMned to make such an exposition olthc
grievances under which my character has
been groaning for year past, as will forcv-
er set at rest the yiluperative and slandcring
tongues of my enemies. The only treasure
/ have to leave my children, is reputation
earned by many years Of hard experience
iii the service Of my country, and as shall
remain Int short time longer in tile Army,
| wish that name TO be transmitted TO them
untarnished.
By Gen. Gaines-"What reason was
there for..expecling Gen. Scott at Camp
lizard p
Answer-The. expectation was founded
upon information derived from Gen. Clinch
at Fort King.
By Gen. Gaines-Did Gen. Gaines en-
press any other reasons for his expecting
General Scott TO arrive at Camp IZard with