New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-05-04
e.eneral arrnstrong.

-" ,ty IN NJ sl,ct Of mems to efe the CaPita Of
liz Ne,io8 afLr he had tT eefn5sliy s2hsi - t
- t-I United States Gszsste.
And il OUGHT to have heer the end Of bis pub
nc career; or rather, his public career ought to
have eaded nany years before. The disgrace
that the whole Nation suffered On account Of the
capture Of Washington City by small body OF
British toops, not exceeding three or four thou
sand can never be entirely effaced.-Weil has II
been observed. by the Editor Of the United States
Gazette that Gen. ARMSTRONG was charged
with total neglect of means 10 defend the Capital
OF the Nation, even after he had been earnestly
soiictted 10 supply those means The writer OF
tiig article uow the Senior Editor d the Steuben-
VILE Gazette was III position to Know something
about hor earnestly General ARMSTRONG had
bccn thus solicited, and how utterly nc distc-
garded those solicitations That position was
the editorial management OF the Phiadeiphla
Aurora = paper winch enjoyed to a 'ilgh oee'ee'
the confidence of The then Administration oi tiiC
General Government. and o. the en,ife Demo
cratic party The late C0j- Na DUANE was lis
n rot,r E,rit az that time and fora considerable
perioa previously. he held the Office OF Adjutani
{,eue53l m the g. s. Army for the Fourth Mill
tary District which District, we believe, en-
i,r.iccd Delaware, Pennsylvania and New-Jersey
The British were from tune to time, hoVcrlng oil
orr coast IN more OF lcss force, occasionally
making descents upon our territory. 1t became
oi course the duty Of Col Duane TO keep con-
slant and vigilant eye upon these movements, to
ascertain the strength Of the enemy, and the
points where he would most probably strike.
Some tl.nc, perhaps month before the attack
upon Washington, the Colonel observed 10 the
writer n, about these words - James, the
enemy is concentrating his forces toward the
South trey latc!y landed small corps at -,
1.-THE name of The place has escaped our memory
and after committing some deprcdatIons upon the
inhabitants, the officers, like FOOLS bused them
ee!gcs II irving to procure a map OF the District
oil Columbia and made inquiries as to the de-
fences about Washington city from this and
other evidence, am satisfied they mean 10 make
II dash at Washington city | shall start for The
city tomorrow morning 20 see Gen. ARMSTRONG.
Let 40 one know where | have gone, nor upon
~l.at business and write me every day, under
cover, to The AdIutant General u >. Army,
Washington city, Colonel DUANE started the
ensuing morning, and in a few days returned, ap-
parcntlv much mortified. he stated to the writer
hereof that, without even taking time to change
llis clothing he hastencd TO the War Office and
communicated the information he had received,
and his app-ehensions growing out OF it. 90 Gen.
X
upon the General to throw u corps Of rficmen into
the forest that skirtcd the Potomac between Wash
iilptoii city and It's mouth and TO concentrate all
the Infantry and Artillery, and every other arm
oil defence within reach, at Il suitable point, 10
sustain The rlilcinen III repolhng the enemy. The
General. az Col DUtNE stated, heard INN through,
and. IN snccrug manner, observed. that he never
knew II 10 have been part OF his (lllc ColoGcEs
character take counsel from his apprcIienslvns.
'lltcreupon, without another word, Ccl DUANE
lett the oihcc the Secretary elacuiailug, MS he
turned his back" Impossible! Impossible
and as before observed, returned home. Alter
detailing these circumstances to the writer, the
Colonel observed, III most emphatic manncc:-
Now James YOU may depend upon ii that IN
two weeks the British will have possession Of
Washington, and all through the fault OF the
l,ol-IlarCiy man At the head of the War Depart
incu,. And enough. in two weeks the
BRUSH were III possession of Washington. The
Colonel came INTO the Editors ROOM, AZ before,
with an open letter in his hand, his homes. and
intrepid conntcnancc presenting mixture oil IN
digaalion, ,nortiication and shame. Throwing
The letter on the table, he exclaimed - James
tins comes 6y Express W aslrngton Is take,i--
the Capitol buncd---tlc Government scattered 10
The winds. In FIVE minutes shall be oil upon
duty. Inkc care OF every thing. When shall
return, OF whether shall ever return, God only
knows
These facts never having before been made
public, ii is obvious that the earnest solicitation,
spoken Of by the United States Gazette. must
have come from other quarters
This renders Gen ARMSTRONG; conduct the
more incxcusublc Many persons, in their indig-
nation accused the General, in those days, of
having been bribcd by the enemy; but VIC never
had any idea OF that KIND
Had Col DIANE been Secretary of Wm--and
no man IN the nation MAS 80 competent to I'LL that
stu,ion--not one man of the enemy. had ten thou
sand landed would have returned to their shipping.
The writer deems 1t unnecessary TO follow up
the events OF the war any farther, as they are
matters of HISTORY. But justice 10 that dlstin-
gniShcd patriot and accomplished soldier, Col.
DpME, required that we should give this detail,
naslnuch as, from the circumstances attending
II and from The facts themselves, no one else,
now living, could do 50. Steubenvillo Gazette.
MIILsR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CAsE.--Ne
aotlced 4 few days since THAI stranger who was
raving III the streets on the subject OF Mlllensm
had been confined IN the jail for safety. lie WAS
lhcn completely ins;lltc and sad that the final
destruction, April 23d, he should seek safety IN
The waters ot the lake. We are gratilicd to learn
that quiet KIND treatment, and the safe transit of
the 2Sd, have entirely restored his reason, and
that he Is now clothed IN his nigh, mind The
tralSluou from mental chaos TO order was almost
instantaneous, and she first dawnng Of returning
reason was an INQUIRY BY him OF the day of the
month. When April 10Th was named, he ex,
CLAIMED" lis past --alillcrs doctrine is false ~
nud the relieved man has since appeared perfectly
sane on al SUBJECTS The account he gives Of
hlmsc!l presents most singular case OF ALBERTA
,ion OF mind. He appears TO be an intelligent
farmer. gives ms name John s. Rdgeley, Of
Adams township, Franklin County, Pa. and
states thai he has wife and three children, and