Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-08-18

nights 10 writing fourteen hours Il day" in z
bureau, thus associated with an honorable Sec
retary Of War, who now could tell when our re-
evolutionary struggle would have ended2 Anc
II The war with Mexico IS Ia he conducted upor
The same principle which governed The Depart
ment OF War in the year 1886, when will thi.
war be brought TO a close? In The Seminole
war. Gen. Gaines had the proud satisfaction o.
raising regiment frbrave Louisiana volun
lecrs, flying with them 10 Tampa Bay, and, with
The addition Of few companies OF he tcsl OF re-
sulars, marching l40 miles through the Eas, Flo
rlda swamps ia search Of The enemy. meeting
them and beating ihein in six sharp conflicts, anc
forcing them 10 sue for peace, and making peace
with them all these movements having beer
accomplished in six weeks. For which efficient
service he was honored with volumes of abusive
epheis, which he has never deigned IN reiute-
his measures censurcd, without trial and with
out charge, as premature, notwithstanding The
frontier ut Florida was bleeding al every pore
He was ultimately brought before Court OF In
quiry, who acquitted him Of any crime OF i'm
proper condncl in Florida: but the Cour, lawless
ly leciured him for what The Court had the wis
dom TO denouEce as improper rtmGris in has de-
icncc comparing The conduct Of his accnser viii
Iha Of certain Major General BcGedict Arnolt
Of the revolutionary army. For this supposed
without giving him any notice Of ihcr intention
10 call in question his rcmarts The Court thus
violated the 18th Article Of War, v hich provides
tia; no officer shall be lfed, bu, by a General
Conf Martial
These things are mentioned here as facts moi
10 complain Of the Court, (wo distinguished
mem bers OF which are no more. and they were
ALL doubtless, under the impression that they were
aching correctly hut merely 10 suggest The posi-
biliiy oil Me example Of Mr.. Secretary Cas-, in the
commencement Of The Seminole war, being TOO
closely followed in our prcsen, war with Mexico.
terminated the Seminole War within forty days
after | heard Of The massacre of our gallant Dade,
his seven brave officers and near one hundred
men, with several respectable families and wor
Thy citizens. was rerrimanded without trial,
which invited. The war was recklessly renew
ed and continued for near ssYen years, and then
ended, mot by iron or lcaaen balls but by silver
dollars al an expense 81 some twenty-five mil.
lions Vi dollars and the loss Of officers and men,
with unoffending citizens acn, tron.cn and eiii-
drcn, Which we should have estimated at len
times more than twenty-five millions Of dollars
In The interim, was brought before a Court Of
Inquiry, and denounced in many ways b. The
uhta mn and ritra presses Of lbe Two great poll
teal parties OF lie county. | have, nevcrthc-
less, continued 10 act upon the same principle
which governed me in all the wars in which !
had participated during Ike last i6 years. lam
glad, however, 10 find M recent conduct approved
ny the most enlightened nen, and the most re-
spec,ablc presses OF ali parties throughout the
Union. And though brought before Cour. more
suddenly than upou he occasion Q! the Seminole
war, canno; bit tank my conduct will be better
understood an finally approved.
Regarding my supposed crime, committed a,
Mobile, might res; this matter upon the tesi-
inony Of M Ail-dc-Camp, Captain r. Calhoun.
But have been appri>ed % the startling fact,
that no less parsonage Than the senior Senator
from Texas, whose military qualities had often
approved, had considered Ibis Mobile affair as a
very serious offence. | mus, not, therefore, pass
il over without correcting The errors OF The Mill
tary advisers of The President o.lhe United States
The facts were concisely these: Two gallant
Regiments of 4lahamians had been regularly
called into the service If the United States, had
been at the city of Mobile for some days, impa-
ticrlr waiting Tor sea steamer or lwo, 10 trans.
port men 10 Point lsatel. They had been for
several days regularly mustered ia he service Of
the United States. On ly route !:ctn New Or
leans 10 Washington city, under orders relieving.
Inc Of the command ofihe Western Division, ard
A;--c,',r ~6,,~i- i J'---..~@'-." "''a"'~
delay, without inlma;ing the object ofihis prompt
misunderstanding me- 10 infer that ] was 10 be
placed Oil some important duty al Washington,
or to receive The confidential views OF the De-
partment OF War, in reference to duties 10 be as
signed 10 me al the seat o. war; as the question
whether General Scott would, q. would not leave
his Bnfean duties and fly TO the seat Of war, had
not been Then settled or if it had been settled
The result was not Known 10 ne. had, however
promised myself the satisfaction III finding that
officer zen r0utc" for The Rio G!a ndc-and in this
case deemed il quite likely tina; | should be ho-
nored with an order 10 lake his place al the head
OF a Bureau al the War Deparlfaenl-an honor
which | never solicited, ami which should ac-
cepr most checrfll!y, whenever NY advanced age
in6rmities should render me unfit Ter field str
vice; which hops and trust may not b. during
The next len years or during my lifetime.
however determined 10 adhere to my long habi,
Of yielding prompt and ready obedience TO all
lawful orders. With these impressions, | en-
barked on board The mail boat near the city, on
the lllh Of June, The day after the receipt the
order ''rcrair 10 Washington mithoA delay" On
my arrival at Mobile, where was delayed only
while the mail boat was making ready for her
usual rapid movement, was notified by his Ex-
cellency, Gov. Chambers, that some disorder ex
listed in the two regiments o. volunteers which
he convinced me could be corrected b. my accept
ing the services of that mcrilorious and talented
officer Br5ader General w. Smith, with his
staff. felt that was on dntp, not in arrest and
hat by completing the organization AMI efiicien-
= OF fine brigade of Alabama volunteers
should be acting in accordance with my
cath OF Office, Ia surc dc UnHcd STATES ho-
rcsty and faithfully. | acted upon the same
principle which would have governed me had |
seen a fine, well built orct al any Of our public
works, wanting only Tor lis completion the Kcv
q, do han 4
was the only man within thousand miles OF The
arch who could secure it, by adding 10 the other
wise perfect work The requisite key Stone. was
aware tha, conli do the work, requiring only
en- minutes, withou, violating The orders given
ne, 10 repair 10 Washington ,rithont deiaV. (See
he History Of the Bane Of Vimcra, and the
Convention of C;nira, for ia!l eSempIifca,ion
If the principle upon which ac!ed)
|, will he seen from Tie account Of that battle,
hai the real here of that splendid victory, al the
mead OF len thousand British veterans, attacked
an army estimated 4, $4,000 experienced troops,
under Field Marsha Junot, and during the battle,
which lasted many hours, that real hero, now the
Duke of Wellington, then young General, was
vice notified of The actual arrival near him, in
sight of the field Of battle, that Two officers senior
% him, and who were authorised 10 take from
lin the communicable not see fit 10 do so, until
Man of operations. The first O. these senior
Generals was Sir Harry Eurratd Neale, who
arrived al Vimera two hours after the commence
mcnt of the battle. Sir Harry sent one Of his
TO notify Wellington 81 his arrival, but de-
sired him 10 complete the work ne was then en-
gagged in, according 10 his own plan Of operations.
The battle ragged Tor some hours after the receipt
81 This frs, message, when, 10 The establishment
Of the victor, (;oF his adversary was suffering
heavy losses, and beginning 10 tall back,l another
General, senior 10 both Sir Harry and Wellington,
arrived, and notified the latter tina, he had arriv
ID with orders 10 take The command. This Sc
,ond arrival proved 10 be Sir Hugh Dalrympe,
who, however, followed the example of Sir Har-
nv, and sent an Aid 10 Wellington, To notify him
Of The arrival of this atciiona! commander, bu,
notified Wellington that he was expected 10 go
on with the battle according 10 his own plan Of
operations But finding The enemy retreaiiug
rapidly, and Wellington in pursuit, and appre
bending ina, he wont &c drawn into cat de sqc,
changed his mind and ORDERED him 10 retrace his
steps. The victory was. however, Won By Wei
line,on. and Sir Hugh Dalrymplc censnred Tor
recalling him from the pursuit. Had Gen. Brooke
arrived at Mobile while was completing the or
ganiza,ion OF tina, gallant brigade Of volunteers
am sure he wou!l no! have made any effort 10
prevent nv doing SO, i he bad been senior to me.
:, L.