The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-08-29
GEN. GAINES AND THE COURT OF
III

In fulfilling the promise heretofore made. to
examine more fully the " Opinion of the Cour,
OF Inquiry, and It's final result, we feel it due to
the Department and the Government to state
what we have repeatedly said before. that il is
our urn conviction that they were led into error
by trusting to evil counsel, To whom was entrust
ed the preparation and statement of Gen. Gaines's
ease, and on which showing, without oivinu il =
careful and critical revision, was Instituted the
Court of Inquiry, which has resulted in the total
acquital from all blame being attached to Gen.
Halnes, and which has raised him higher i'm the
estimation of every gentleman with whom we
have conversed.
IL is a sing uIar fact, that the Court have sus-
tanned and justified every act of Gen. Gaines
previous to the Nth of MAY, with the execution
OF his call for mounted gun-men, as is known to
those who have read the Facts and Opinion of
the Court, and for the nformatio of those who
have not we quote from the . Opinion" as fol-
lows:-
SIN regard to the other calls made by General
Gaines. before the Eth of May to raise troops far
iaylorS army. the court are of opinion, that.
under the previous Instructions of the War De.
partment, and in the situation of TayIor's army
and upon ascertalning the slow progress of the
enrolment OF The Louisiana Volunteers, and npon
ascertainIng further that General TAYLOR conld
not receive more than a small portion of the force
which he had called from TeXas-fhat under
these circumstances General Gaines was justified
IN endeavorlng 10 supply General Taylor In The
amount of the auxiliary force which he himself
had called for and if such force could not be oh.
tanned from the States to which General Tavlor
had applied, then General Gaines was justified in
applying TO other Slates.''
But before proceeding further it is necessary to
place Gen. Gaines in his true position. He was in
command of the Western Division, clothed with
all the authority that is delegated to the Presi-
dent, by the Constitution, and it was his duty tr
"suPPress instruction and repeI INVASION and
TO do this, he was of course empowered to do all
things which the President himself could do. and
that he did nothing but what that high functiona.
~ would have done, first and last, even to the
requisllion for mounted gun men, we are convinc
ed every sensible man in the country believes
had that distinguished officer been on the theatre
occupied by Gen. Gaines at that critical period.
The orders from the War Department were for
him not to interfere with Gen. Taylor's command
as it was independent. See Instructions. dated
Sept. IS, 1915. Again on the 3O,R Of the same
month, he is told that the power he exercised
could only be done in cases IF ertrcme publ,
peru. wei, a case of . extreme public peril
had arisen in May 1916. Gen. Taylor had taker
up a position on the banks of the Rio Grande witt
a small force, and he was invested by an enemy
of more than three times his number, with =
capacity to call TO their assistance many fhousand
experienced horsemen. The whole country was
in a state of alarm, from Washington to it's ex.
tremest bounds, and all feared that Gen. TAYLOR
would be cut off. lie had called mum Gen
Gaines to hasten troops to the Rio Grande. which
that General took pains to do cTectualIv. Hinder
expectation that Mexico would be aided by Euro.
pean powers, and the Gulf of Mexico would be
guarded with vessels that would prevent troops
from reaching the Brasos Santiago bv water
mounted gun-men'' were called for to 90 over
land in order to meet and succor Gen. Taylor
should he be driven from his position on the Rio
Grande. This, then, was a wise measure, ant
surely deserved no reprimond.
The objection urged by the Court to Genera
Gaines paying a small sum Of money TO Maio
Gally's Battalion Tor ammunition, we consider 0
no force, whatever, the article was wanted imme
diately, and the concentration Of stores at fbc
point Of embarkation was a prudent forethouobt.
and the purchase Of those in the immediate vicini.
ty kept the Government stock complete.
An equally weak objection is made TO his re-.
ceiving The two regiments at Mobile, and orpani.
zlng their General and Staff into the service. a
the request Of the Governor Of Alabama, while he
was travelling On to Washington, not under ar
arrest, but by an order to appear there withop