The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-06-18
General Gideon j. Pillow.

officers OF the "a tennessee regiment nave made upon
General Pillow, has excited much discussion in the
newspapers We deem it duty to lay both sides be-
e our readers viz; the letter of Colonel Haskell
a. and the reply of General Pillow That readers
nav be able to form correct opinion of the gen.
erals conduct the campaign under General Scott, and
the battle of Ceuo Gordo, also republish ex
tracts from the official papers which have been published
the people
These disputes between officers of the same army and
pecay from the State, most deeply to be re-
,reted, and most seriously to be deprecated Nothing
can excuse grave attack upon superior officer but
some extreme wrong and crying injustice; and far bet
,r course would TO be to prefer charges and
,pn the officer at once before court-martial This is
eary and decidedly the fairer and more manly
sause in that case, the subjects himself to the
necessity OF exhibiting his proofs, if he has any, to the
uuper tribunal TO investigate them and because, too,
that course he exposes himself to all the responsibility
H. answering for his own statements and msrepresenta
ons il any, instead of throwing his charges before the
nbc tribunal where he is under necessity OF exhibit
NJ his proofs and of sharing the proper responsibility
md undergoing trial for his own ransgressons.. But
what does Colonel Haskell He waits until General
Pillow, badly wounded, is permitted to return home,
nd until he himself, having laid down his military
,ommission and consequently escaped all official
,,m,bity, and then makes his attack on his COM
handing general!
We do not profess much acquaintance with military
affairs but does to us that the conduct of Gen.
Pillow was distinguished by great gallany in the action,
land that there is not the slightest evidence of any want
o skill or Judgment in his operations. He had recon-
oe the position of the enemy great risk and hazard
lon one occasion, Colonel Haskell was with him. The
enemy might have moved artillery to the point after
his reconnaissance. At all events, was SO well con-
eaed by the character of the ground that it mpos-
ble to see the strength of the Notifications Captain
Hughes, whose judgment Typographical engineer,
and whose intelligence and truth 80 highly appre-
ated by every who knows him, (and who does not
how know him p writes, Immediately after the battle,
las follows:
attack against the strong forts the river. The Tennes-
eean under Haskell, led the column, and the other voun-
beer regiments followed. This column pectedy en-
ountered heavy fire from masked battery, by which
kes regiment was nearly cnt TO pieces, and the other
volunteer regiments severely handled. Gen. Pillow
withdrew his men, and was preparing for another attack,
when the operations the other points having proved
kessiul, the enemy concluded to surrender"
Without pretending to analyze infinitely the charge
nd the Defence we cannot but agree with the "New Or
cans Courier in the opinion which itexpresses in the
following article:
1--WE publish to- day reply Of Cen Pillow to the article
ling Gen p certain in the formation of the assault
ling parties in the attack upon the front othe eneys line
@ woksn the battle of Cero Gordo twill be recolected
that expressed the opinion the appearance of that
ARTICLE that the attack upon the military character of Gen
+ was without amy Just foundation 10 iaot and that in
In this opinion, thus expressed we were fully justified
the event has proven.
ellis defence is clear and cogen blowing the roiads
every position assumed by his assalan and leaving Col
Haskell not one inch OF ground to stand upon, and scarcely
one particle of character military man for he shows
ra that Col Haskell was wholly ignorant of the number
and position Of the enemys batteries and of the work
uay assaulted secondly that the order of march the
underground the only by which the different regi-
nents could pass through the pathway and get
their respective positions. He shows further that the Or
der given by him for the formation Of the line OF battle
iaskes command right and proper and that the en-
under which that regiment abored in making
the charge the enemys works. with rings and ranks
'persed was in violation of the order ofthe general and
colonel himself, who did not understand how TO form his
regiment agreeably TO the ORDER but did, in point of fact
ms enort 10 execute ie ORDER actually rse the move
apparent that Col Haskell does understand
should have placed his regiment in executing this order.
" not necessary to be military and under
stand this order, and askels buder and ignorance when
he attention is called to the subject When the order is
eaddrectng him to place the right of the regiment
the right Of the road and to extend the left square Oft to
W parallel with the enemys works, il is selfevident
be reversed the ranks changed vet the charge
this, as bunder upon Gen Pillow, bnt which resulted
gross degree of Ignorance his parD is the grapaet
his assault upon Gen r. and the confusion In which he
found his regiment proceeded alone from his violation of
the general order, and this exclusively his own
Hence the assault upon the general recos with
The general further shows that four entire days were
devoted exclusively to the perilous labor OF recommending
dangerously wounded and the second engineer and the
general himself were repeatedly shot and holly pursued