Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-12-30

(Signed) WIN. g. FREEMAN,
Asst Adj. General,
GENERAL ORDERS, No. $40.
HEApaUARTERs OF THE ARMY,
Mexico, Nov. l2, lS41.
The attention of certain officers of this
army is recalled to the foregoing regula-
ton, which the general in chief is resolv-
ed to enforce so far as it may be in his
power.
/ AS yet but two echoes from home Of
the brilliant operations of our arms in
this basin have reached us the first in a
New Orleans, and the second through a
ITampico news paper.
/ 1t requires not little charity to be-
ieve that the principal heroes Of the
scandalous letters alluded to did not write
them, or specially procure them to be
written, and the intelligent can be at no
loss in conjecturng the authors-chiefs,
partizans and pet familiars. To the hon
or Of the service, the disease-pruriency
| Of fame not earned-cannot have seized
upon half dozen officers (present) all of
whom, it is believed, belong TO the same
| two coteries.
| False credit may, no doubt, be obtain
ed at home, by such despicable self-puff-
ings and malignant exclusion Of others,
but at the expense Of the just esteem and
consideration Of all honorable officers
who love their country, their profession
and the truth Of history. The indigna-
ton of the great number of the latter
class cannot fail, in the end, to bring
down the conceited and envious to their
proper level.
BY command of Mai. Gen. Scott.
| ii. l.. SCOTT, A. A. A. G.
The letters alluded to by Gen. Scott
as "the echoes from home" are evident
ly the Leonidas' letter, and the other
letter which appeared first in the Pitts
burg Post, was thence transferred TO the
Union, whence we copied it on the 9Th
October, with some Introductory remarks,
and the whole then appeared in Tam
pico paper. When Gen. SCOTS orders
were published, Lieut. Col. Duncan came
out promptly in the North American with
the following frank avowal Of his con-
nection with the 'Tampico letter. so
called.
According to the North American the
Tampico letter was compiled from
two letters written by officers of the army
in Mexico to a brother officer in Pitts
burgh for his eye alone But read what
Col Duncan has to say to it:
Mexico, Nov. I3, IS47.
To the Editor Of the North American.
Sir--l herewith present a copy Of the
'Tampco letter. characterized as scan
dalous' desplcable' malignant, &c, in
general orders No, $40, published in the
American Star Of this morning.
To the end that the true character Of
this letter may be known. / desire that
you rcpublish it in your paper, and that
some ofmy brother officers may innocent
ly suffer for publication so obnoxious,
hereby publicly acknowledge myself to
be its author. The substance of it ]
communicated from Tacubaya, soon af-
ter the battles, in private letter to
friend in Pittsburgh.
The statements in the letter are known
by very many officers of this army to be
true, and can but think that the publi-
cation of truth is less likely to do vio-
lence to individuals or the service. than
the suppression or perversion Of it.
/ Justice to Gen. Worth, (who is evil
dently one of the heroes pointed at in
order No. 3i9) requires me to state that
he knew nothing whatever Of my purpose
to write the letter in question, nor that it
had been written till well on its way to
its destination he never saw, nor did he
know, directly or indirectly, even the
purport of one line, word or syllable Of it
till he saw it in print, and he is equally
ignorant of my design to make this decla-
ration, which do, as | wrote the letter,
unprompted aud on my own responsible
ity. Very respectfully, your obedient
servant, JAMES DUNCAN,
Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, U. s A.
After the publication Of this letter,
Col. Duncan was placed under arrest,
and subsequently Gen. Pillow was arrest
ed and neyt Gen Worth