Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-11-12
From the Pittsburgh Gazette.
skc<cbes Of the Public Men OF the U. s
BY ERAsrUs BROoEs.-No. XIV,
WINFIELD SCOTT.

There are ames Ct ea found among men omi'
nou5y significant OF profession and success
Among The Hebrews OF old, and the Greeks Of
later time With whom names wers significant oil
events, there was a reason for this, and well
Wauli u have been We think had the custom been
psrpeiUalcd 20 later times. There is no more
pleasing or instructive study than that Of tracing
out lht origin Of names and oi oil forms of phIio-
logca teaching this perhaps is the most ogreea'
bic 10 IN. student. We pretend not 10 ialhom
Snn' presence il was which prompted the bap-
usual name Of WINFIELD Scott. II is too uni.
cee Eog to have been chosen without reason,
a. christian names often are, and al the same
time sufficiently expressive 10 indicate q career
Of brilliant military success.
Winfield Scott did not spring from military
family Of our own country, nor from a military
family Of any o,her. His father was a Scolch.
nan and Low lander, who with an elder brother,
had been engaged in the rebellion ofl745. The
con WINS born near Petersburg, Va, on the 9Th
OF June, I7G6. We know bot llte Of his pary
advantages, or education, beyond the inclination
O young Scott TO improve his limo and to secure
whatever advantages were offered. lie was al.
tGna'oIv 4 student Of the high school Of Rich.
mond, ths recipient Of private instruction from
competent teachers, ard finally a voluntary stu.
den, within the venClaied walls of William and
Mary where he read law. Al the age Of q, he
was "A volunteer in troop Of horse called out
from his nelghborhoOd under a proclamation
from the President in consequence Of the attack
On Ihe Chesapeake. One year after, at The hands
o Mr.. Jefferson he received The commission Of
Captain Of L gh Artillery in the Army Of the
Unrci Sm'ct. Four years after, Mr.. Madison
Co,arrpd upon hun the honorable commission Of
'illui c, lorel Of tho 2d Artillery" with an ar.
OR TO proceed to the Lake frontier, where he
very soon found employment fer his sk.ll and
Ci-u Cui,hcd himself US q brave and ublc COM
mara-r.
Some incidents in the liz, Of General scor
will Illustrate various chapters Of his whole pub
i history, ard, as the head Of the uuny, and
Nc,th.,y aconGpIcuous man, shall content my.
b-lfwl,h Ctrg these. As there is no man living
Who is worth viilifca,iun, who has not been cal.
umunad, so Gen. Scou hns had his full share
uf C,.auIt esteem him most for tho manner
~ viii b ho haA born Iheso auuts, and above
al, Tor, rerhups the crowuing incident Of his
li.a--ha raiusaI to accept the chaIIcngoscnt him
hv Gen. Jackson, and greatly wish could fair.
" om,, from the record the fact that he once sent
challenge to De Wiu Clinton of New York.
NAea famous British General, who had done
ha country good service, received chocngs
f,um a brother officer, his answer was: 81 have
proved my courage to face the enemies Of my
country, but be iying, as do, in tho religion of
hr Bible, have nol the courage to seek in cold
blood, Tho lte OF a fellow mun' Scott thought
n, wisely, ard acted as brHvcly,whcn he refused
70 receive the challenge scut him by General
Jackson. But this is not the incident designed
10 record, but ono that occurred long since, when
Scott was On the frontier. 1t is equally honcra.
be 10 the country and to the subject Of these re.
marks. The reader has heard often orlho battle
e, Quacnsown and Lundys Lane, and therefore
Vhni am about orcIute may not be new. In
ths month of October 1919 after the un(or,u.
nate batls Of Queenstown, the incident occurred.
S'pu was one Of the heroes, and Branl, the IA.
nous Indian chefnin the other. We had beon
dayracod as country, by the surrender of Hull
At Detroit, and the ambition Of every man on tho
border country was 10 recover The honor lost by
III III timed, aud as was believed, dishonorlbe
surrender. Gen. Brock, brave officer, was in
command Of the Brush forces in Caua!n, aud
Solomon Van Ransolaer was instructed, taided
cny by 700 good troops, aud f.w hundred mi.
tia,) to get possession oi the heights Of Queens.
Iwn. scou was NJ Schlosscr, hul went to Lew.
iowu TO d. what service no could with his ar.
tI,ry. H1 was ordered, howov r, rot to cross
the rIy,r.
The somng Of QleonstoVn was effected, md
ihe British troops were driven from the field, but
iAo best Of Ihs officer, Of the American forces,
from the commander to his LculcnanIs, was
wound i. Tho effect Of this disaster was to
place 6 neral scou nj tho post Of dungr r. Ile
fund upon crossing the river, that the Amer.
Il -. L.. -.
ven 70 the brink Of the descent. Il was a strug.
Go he~ron Captain Wool who had gallandy
l2d the american charge and Brock, tho Brush
oonmander, who shou,d obtain the victory
Gen. kfack made last, terco and desperate
s,racg's and was killed IN the effort, The Anne
r,cans wcro beset on al sides, bat were for the
moment victorious Scott then came TO moo,
iae odds against him, and to gather the scattered
h;i fal'rrng forces under his command. The
number, 10 all was not mora than $50 rcgulur,
nai 2G7 volunteers, and even this small body o
men waro surrounded by hostile Indians az wei
a, By veteran British soldiers. But for tn.
promplness and inlr,pidiiy Of Scott, all would
have been caitored aud d@srr,y,d. john Bran
was tho leader Of his hostile Indian force, ant
h" va, a"chp Of Ia, old block, the successor
liu youngest son Of JOS ph Brant, the uuconque
rible Indian ally Of the English in the war Of The
R-yolutiol. Ia the meantime, iha English. un
Ger neN General, had been gathering then
cans. They came, picked men, mud iuII cigh
hundred sr5ug
Rensselaer,. with his militia, now saw them il
the Jlsaace. and with all lho cIolnence ofa pat
r.o,. exaau1l his soldiers not to abandon Scot
anita bundll Of soldiers, evl TO 50 largo bod,
OF voop7. Words, however, were vaa, Rul
Ecoua sl 10 hraast the Storm alone. Retreat, TOO
was cat of FOR foss were IN front aud rear. ]
was no, uatl this gsIlans band was ds.odgcd