Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1848-01-13
GENERAL ORDERS-No. 349.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY,
Mexico. Nov. ID lS47.

Mexico, Nov. II, lS4I.
The attention of certain officers of this army is re-
called TO the foregoing regulation which the general
in-chef is resolved 10 enforce far as it may be in
his power.
As vet but two echoes from home of the brilliant
operation of our this basin have reached Us
the first in a New Orleans, and the second through
Tampco papers.
1t requires not a little charity TO believe that the
principal heroes Of the scandalous letters alluded
did not write them, especially procure them to be
written, and the intelligent be loss in con-
occurring the authors, CHIEFS partZans, and pet ia
miliars. To the honor of the service, the disease
pruriency of fame, not earned-cannot have seized
upon half dozen officers (present) all of whom, il
is believed, belong to the same two coteries.
False credit may, doubt, be obtained at home, by
such despicable selfpufings and malignant exclusion
of others but at the expense Of the Just esteem and
consideration of all honorable officers who love their
country, their profession and the truth of history
The Indignation of the great number of the latter
class cannot fail. in the end to bring down the con-
cealed and the envious to their proper level.
BY command of Maj. Gen. Scott:
H. L. SCOTT; A. A. A. G..
The letters alluded TO by Gen. Scott 'the echoes
from home, are evidently the "Leondas'' letter, aud
the other letter which appeared first in the Pitts
burgh Post, was thence transferred to the Union,
whence we COPIED it on the 9Th October with some
Introductory remarks and the whole then appeared in
n Tampico paper, in which Gen. Scott first the
letter. Upon the publication of Gen. Scott's orders.
given above, Lieut.. Col. Duncan came out promptly
in the North American, with the following frank
avowal of his connection with the Tampico letter.
so called. According to the North American, the
''Tampico letter" compiled from two letters
written by officers of the army in Mexico a brother
officer in Pittsburgh, for his eye alone" But read
what Col. Duncan has to say of it
Mexico, Nov. l3, 1S47.
To The Editor of the North American-Sir
herewith present copy of the ''Tampco letter"
characterized scandalous, ''despcable,' ''malig-
nant" &c., in general orders Nc. 3i9 published in
the American Star this morning.
To the end that the true character of this letter may
be known, | desire that you republish it in your
paper and that of my brother officers may in
nocently suffer for republication obnoxious,
hereby publicly acknowledge myself TO be It's author
The substance of it L communicated from Tacubaya
soon after the battles, in private letter to friend in
Pittsburgh.
The statements in the letter known by many
officers Of the army 10 be true and can but think
that publication of truth less likely do
lence to individuals the service than the suppress
sion perverson oft.
Justice 10 Gen Worth (who is evidently one OF
the beroes" pointed at in order No. 349) requires
To state that he knew nothing whatever of my pur-
pose write the letter in question, that it had
been written till well on its way to its destination he
never saw did he know directly indirectly, even
the purport of line, word syllable of till he
it in print, and he is equally ignorant of my de-
sign to make this declaration, which do, as | wrote
the letter. unprompted and my responsibility.
Very respectfully, your obt serv't,
JAMES DUNCAN,
Brevet Lieut.. Col. u. S. A.
After the publication of this letter, Col. Duncan
was placed under arrest and subsequently Gen. Pill
low was arrested, and next Gen. Worth. The North
American is of opinion that Gen. Pillow not az
rested account of the "Leonidas' letter, but on
the following grounds
There has been another arrest, that of Gen. Pillow,
of the chiefs aforenamed, but not, as appears on
account of the letters of which he is the hero. We
hear, generally, that the cause was this Gen. Pill
low, having taken exceptions to the finding of court
of inquiry, which finding has been approved by Gen.
Scott, addressed paper relating to the matter to the
Secretary of War, through the commanders n-chief,
preserving a copy, which he avowed. in a letter
companyng, he had sent, (r would send) directly
| the Secretary at Washington This transaction is