Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-05-18
Political.
SCOTT AND THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
GENERAL sCOTT'S LETTER.

issued the general order No. 50 "a copy en-
closely, devolving the command of the ar
my in Mexico, upon Major General Butler.
As the officers detailed for the court of
inquiry, before which | am ordered to APP
pear as a criminal, are not known to have
arrived in the country, | avail myself of a
moments leisure to recall some of the ueg-
lects, disappointment, injuries, and rebukes
which havesbeen inflicted upon me by the
War Department, since my departure from
Washington, November %, lii6.
To me, the business of Termination
however provoked, has ever been painful.
In this summary i shall, therefore, indulge
in no wantonness of language, but confine
myself to naked historical facts-leaving
conclusions to men of sense and candor
In the hurry of preparation for Mexico,
(only four days were allowed me at WASH
ington, when twenty might have been most
advantageously employed in the great bu-
reau-those of the chief engineers, chief of
ordnance, chief quartermaster and chief
commissary of subsstence) handed to you
written request, that one of three of our
accomplished captains, therein named, might
be appointed assistant adjutant general, with
the rank of major, for duty with me in the
field; and there mas vacancy at the time,
for one. My request has never been atten-
ded to, and thus have had no officer of the
Adjutant Generals Department with me in
the campaign. Can another instance be
cited of denying to a general-in-chief, in
the field, at the head of large army--or
even a small one--the selection of his chief
of his staf-that is, the chief in the depart
ment of orders and correspondence
Early in the following January, asked
that general court martial might be APP
pointed on the part of the President for
the trial of two officers, (named by me, for
conduct each had committed that endanger-
ed, in high degree, the success of the i'm
pending campaign and | specially referred
to the anomalous and fatal act of Congress,
MAY 30, 1S30,) which prohibited me, as
the "accuser or prosecutor" from ordering
the court for the trial of the cases. MY ap.
plication has never been noticed. This
neglect alone ought early to have admonish-
ed me that | had no hope of support at
Washington, in any attempt might make
(against certain officers) to maintain neces-
sary discipline in the army was about to
lead into the field. ! left Washington highly
flattered with the confidence and kindness
the President had Just shown me, in many
long personal interviews on, military mat
tiers. For more titan Two .fIcT1tils my ex-
pressions of gratitude were daily and fer
vent, nor were they less emphatic towards
the head of the War Department. Proceed
ing with zeal and confidence in my most
hazardous duties, l learned, January o. at
the Brazos San Jago, that an attempt was
on foot to create lieutenant general to take
command in the field over me. Shocked
and distressed, | allowed of no relaxation
in my efforts to serve my country, resolved
that for the short time was likely to remain
in commission to be
"True as the dial to the sun,
Although he is not shiHed upon"
A yet greater outrage soon followed
failing to obtain an act from the citizen lieu.
tenant general, a bill was pressed upon Con
gress to authorize the placing junior ma
jor general just appointed (the same indi
viduaD in command over all the old major
generals then in front of the enemy!
will not here trust myself to add sol
dier's comment upon these attempts; but
may thank God that He did not allow them
or subsequent injuries, to break down en-
tirely the spirit and abilities (such as they
are) with which He had endowed me.
Foreseeing, at Washington, that, from
the great demands of commerce at the mo-
ment. it would be difficult, if not impossible
to take up, perhaps at any price, a sufficen
number of vessels at New Orleans and Mo
bile to transport the regiments of my expe
dition from the Rio Grande frontier to Verj
Cruz, | endeavored to impress upon tn,
War Department the necessity of sending
out, from the northern and eastern ports,
certain number of large ships in ballast, il
order that the expedition might not be de
layed, and in view of " the fixed fact"--th
return of the vomito at Vera Cruz in tn
spring of the year-a delay of few week
was likely to prove a total defeat.
In a paper transmitted to me, heade
Memorandum from the Quartermaste
General" marked War Department, De
cember Is, lS46," and signed by the Sec
rotary, which / received Jan. g, it is said ::
independently of this number of tran
sports for troops and ordnance stores, fror
the north, there will be required, say, iv
ships for the transportation of the surf
boats now being prepared, besides whic
ten vessels must be taken up and sent on
in ballast for troops, unless stores can b
put on board, to make up the number (4O
required by the commanding general"
The date of this memorandum is Decen
Der Is, more than three weeks after my re
QUESTION and departure from Washington
! OF not one of the " ten vessels" in ballas
or with stores, Qeaving room for troops
have | heard, up to this day. Relying upo
them, confidently, the embarcation was dt
layed in whole or in part, at the Brazos an
4 Tampico, from the 18th of January to tn
9th of March; leaving, it was feared, nc
half the time needed for the reduction {
Vera Cruz and its castle before the retur
of the yellow fever. But half the surf-boai
came at all and of the siege-train and ore
nance stores, only about one half had arr
we'd when the Mexican flags were replace
by those of the United States on those 70
midable places. We succeeded at last,
reaching the point of attack, in the mid
of frightiu northers, by means, in grei
part, of trading craft small and hazardou
picked up accidentally at the Brazos an
Tampico; and when the army got ashor
its science and valor had to supply all del