Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-05-18
VOL. XIII, NO. 27.---wHOLE NO. 2l7o.


on credit, at great disadvantages. The chief
quarter master Captain Irwin) has received
perhaps $50 900, and labors under like in
cumbrances. Both have sold drafts to small
amounts, and borrowed largely of the pay
department, which has received about half
of the money estimated for. Consequently,
the troops have some four months pay due
them. Our poverty, or the neglect of the
disbursing departments at home, has
been made known, to our shame, in the
papers of the capital here, through letter
from Lieut. Col. Hunt, that was found on
the person of the special messenger from
The army is also suffering
greatly from the want of necessary clothing
including blankets and great coats. The
new troops, (those who have jast arrived,)
as destitute as the others, were first told that
that they would find abundant supplies at
Now Orleans next at Vera Cruz, and final
ly here; whereas, we now have, perhaps,
thousand hands engaged in making shoes
tout of bad materials, and at high rates)
These articles, about 5000 pairs of each, are
absolutely necessary to cover the nakedness
of the troops. February Is, off Lobos, I
wrote to Brigadier General Brooks to direct
to me large supplies of clothing. March
1913, General Brooke replied that the
quarter-master at New Orleans had neither
clothing nor shoes > and that he was fear
full that, unless they have been sent out to
you direct, you will be much disappointed
Some small quantity of clothing, perhaps
one fifth of our wants, came to Vera Cruz
from some quarter, and followed us to Jala-
pa and this place"
must here especially remark, that this
report, No. 80, though forwarded the night
of its date, July 25, seems to have mis-
carried. Perceiving, about November 81,
that it was not acknowledged by the depart
ment, / caused duplicate to be made, sign
ed it, and sent it off by the same convey
ance with my despatch No, 80, and the char.
ges against Brevet Major General Worth,
Major General Pillow, and Brevet Lieut..
Col, Duncan, together with the appeal a.
gainst me of the former, All these are ac-
knowledged by the department in the same
letter (Jan. l3) that recalls me.
1t was that budget of papers that caused
the blow of power, so long suspended, to
fall on devoted head. The three arrested
officers, aud he who had endeavored to en-
force necessary discipline against them,
are all to be placed together before the same
court the innocent and the guilty, the ac-
cuser and the accused, the Judge and his
prisoners are dealt with alike Most impair
tial justice But there is a discrimination
with vengeance! While the parties are
on trial-if the appealer is to be tried at all,
which seems doubtiul-two are restored to
their corps-one of them with his brevet
rank-and | am deprived of my command
There can be but one step more in the same
direction throw the rules and articles of
war into the fire, and leave all ranks in the
army free to engage in denunciations and
general scramble for precedence, authority,
and executive favors. The prOnuncidmen-
to, on the part of my factious juniors, is
most triumphant.
My recall-under the circumstances,
severe punishment before trial-but to be
followed by a trial here, that may run into
the autumn-and on matters l am but par
tally permitted to know by the department
and my accusers-is very ingeniously pla-
ced on two grounds |. My own request,
meaning that of June A, Quoted above, and
there was no other before the Department.
which had been previously (July 10y ac-
knowledged and rebukingly declined. g
The arrest of Brevet Major General Worth,
for writing to the department "under the
pretext and form of an appeal" an open let
ter, to be sent through me, in which | was
grossly and falsely accused of malice" and
conduct unbecoming an officer and gen.
tleman," in the matter of the general order
No 349 on the subject of putting letters
for the newspapers at home.
On that second point, the letter from the
department of January ID is more than in
genous; it is elaborate, subtle, and pro-
found-a professional dissertation, with the
rare merit of teaching principles until now
wholly unknown to military codes and trea-
tises, and of course to all mere soldiers,
however great their experience in the field.
I have not in this place time to do more
than hint at the fatal consequences of the
novel doctrine in question. According to
the department, any factious junior may, at
his pleasure, in the midst of the enemy
using ''the pretext and form of an appeal"
against his commander, insult and outrage
him to the grossest extent-though he be
the general-in-chief, and charged with the
conduct of the most critical operations and
that commander may not arrest the incipi-
ent mutineer, until he shall have first laid
down his own authority, and submitted him
self to trial, or wait at least until a dis
tant period of leisure for a Judicial examin-
alton of the appeal And this is precisely
the case under consideration. The depart
ment, in its eagerness to condemn me, could
not take time to learn of the experienced,
4 that the general-in-chief who once submits
to an outrage, from junior, mast lay his ac-
count to suffer the like from all the vicious
under him-at least down to a rank that
may be supposed without influence, in high
quarters, beyond the army. But this would
not be the whole mischief to the public SER
vice. Even the great mass of the spirited,
Intelligent, and well affected, among his
brothers in arms, would soon reduce such
commander to utter imbecility, by holding
him in Just scorn and contempt for his re-
creancy to himself and country. And are
discipline aud efficiency Of no oafue IN the
field?
But it was not my request OF June a, nor
report No 30, (of July 25) so largely quo
ted from above nor yet the appeal of one
pronunciado that has at length brought down
unon me this visitation so clearly predicted