The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-07-26
Ia al

III uls strong testimony which he bears TO my GOOD
conduct be false then he justly subjects himself to thus
charge Ii that testimony be true, then his arges
me are wholly false II will not do for HIM to say thal
when he wrote those letters he thought them true, but
that he afterwards ascertsned he was mistaken because
he had received all the official reports OF the battles OF
Contreras and Churubusco and made out ms own pased
upon them, nearly forty days before In regard 70 my
conduct at Chapuepec he distinctly says he spoke from
what he personally saV.
There is therefore room for mistake-he could nave
received no hght-he did receive none;s II so,
what il VAST II his letters be true, his charge is
self TO the very charge which he makes against me,
viz: That he bore false testimony in my favor, and
offered high praise of me, to induce me, through
the said Scott and Pillow, to make false report in his
favor There escaping from this position He may
take his choice of positions
In either must be seen that he is overwhelmed by
the power OF truth Ii anything could give additional
force to the view here taken, would be found in the
fact that original reports proven to have been
In support OF this position refer the the proof of
the six witnesses, establishing the orders to Morgans
regiment; TO the testimony of Gen. Shields and Lieut..
Antonio; and to that of Lieut. Ripley the orders for
my own command to advance upon the capital after
the fall of Chapultepec had, by the alterations in my
official reports conceded the orders in these three i'm
portant points to General Scott The effect of these
alterations was to state that he upon the battle
field OF Contreras giving orders and making disposition
off that he present at San Angel directing the
ments of the army in turning San Antonio, while he
three miles in the rear and giving me orders that he
was at Chapultepec and gave orders for the advance
OF my command, when, in point of fact, he upon
the top Of house in Tacubaya, mile and half from
my position All these changes he desired me to make
affecting himself, and did make them but because
accompanied the alterations with official letter, in the
nature Of protest. (Which tried to make decately
says. in reply, that "snce | have made the alterations
to obge him than from any conviction of error in
the reports. he would send the whole correspondence to
the Secretary OF War" 1t cannot escape observation
from the reply that this protest the real cause of his
offence He does not say one word in his reply as the
will perceive by an examination of his letter dated
4h October about my effort (now charged) to get him TO
sanction my pretended false claim the order of battle
but places his reply on the ground apparent the above
the alterations he desired and accompanied them with
my official protest. he would have been perfectly satisfied
and would never have seen the effort to corrupt him,
which constitutes conspicuous place in this specif
cation 1t is therefore manifest that this unjust mputa
ton upon my honor a deliberate invention and after
thought of his, which must reco upon him with force
proportOned to the malgnity of his assault upon nv
honor fO" ''
In regard to the fourth specification of this charge,
unexpected loss of the sth of September at Moline del
Rey, that his energies seemed paraiysed In the follow
ing statement Of facts, which in proof will be seen
that was justified, think, in this opinion On the
night of the It'll September, 10 O'clock left nv quar-
tiers and went the distance of two miles to Tacubaya to
inform him that had information, in which placed full
reliance, that the machinery for casting and boring can
non removed from the foundry on the 2lst August
to the city of Mexico and that at that time there We're
D
dered to be attacked next morning. further informed
him that the water power by which the machinery was
worked could be cut off by ten minutes labor; and told
him the position (Which had seen) ct which it could be
done.
This information felt it my duty to give, as had un
derstood from him that his object in the movement was
machinery there, he would destroy and it was not
there he would know it, and that he would not lose more
than twenty men The movement was made At the
cost OF upwards of 700 men, killed and rounded he got
possession OF the deserted foundry and found that all the
machinery and cannon had been removed and after we
entered the city, it was there found
As as the killed and wounded could be removed
from the held the empty houses (Which cost much
blood and field Of battle were given up and the forces
This slaughter and useless waste of lfe SO unexpec
ed, threw gloom over the whole army knew it was
TO no one more unexpected than 10 Gen. Scott
On the morning OF the 9th September under orders
from Gen. Scott pushed forward my command seized
Pedad drove IN the enemys piquets, occupied this vii
forward the position the had oMa aa%
full view Of his main force upon this front of the civ
there saw that the enemy had large force actively
the city, that he had then but tao guns in position, and
saw if that work was attacked at that time it could be
carried with little comparative loss All this was report
ed to Gen. Scott In reply, he ordered me to maintain
my position, but not to engage the enemy
While occupied this position, day after day, / saw
guns placed IN battery until the afternoon Of the 18th,
had eleven guns in position, of which commanded
my approach, and four were in fanking works to the
On the afternoon of that day General Scott came to
Piedad, held conference, and after much talk deter
mined to attack Chapultepec 1t this extraordinary
ac'uay and apparent sup,eness, the cost of time 80
precious to us and 80 important to the enemy which in
duced the belief which did express but in perfect re-
spect and in kindness General Scot that he seemed
shocked and parayzed by that disastrous loss of the sh
of September
This opinion entertained thinking it was justified BY
the circumstances upon which it was based and learn,
for the first tme that the expression of such an opinion
IN private conversation violation of the rules of
military propriety If it be an offence to entertain and
express such opinion, ready to abide the conse
guences; but before am condemned for Il should he
glad to be informed whether, in the nineteenth century
ohcers are required to subscribe TO the doctrine in refer
rnce 10 the -chienever applicable except TO
the king, viz: "That he can do no wrong"
that be the law by which officers of the American ar
q duty engafted into the rules and artcles of war
or into regulations that they may know how to shape
Their OPINIONS, far the generalin chief is concerned
IS also true, charged, that had originally very
iecdeu preference Tor attacking the city on the south
'front.' as oeng ITS weakest APPROACH but after the gene
fa-inchei haa allowed the enemy from the 9th to the
evening OF the I'm OF September forty this approach
line OF Notifications it became in nv Judgment matter
OF much doubt and uncertainty which front was most
assaabehs the tcest but regarding the formidable
work OF Chapultepec and its armament and the inner
dences on that approach, presenting obstacles of
greater resistance than the south 'front.' still entertained
preference for the assault in that direction thou0h
did not clearly express myself 1t is aso trne that
the fatal error OF the General chief in granting the
armlstce, when the city in our power from the
useless waste OF the blood of more than 100 men IN Tho
sh OF September, and from his apparent supneness from