The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-01-11
GENERAL ORDERS-No. $40.
headquarters Of The -i1my,
lf.ricn. Nor. l2. ISI7

Jicrico, Nor. u, 1917.
The attention of certain officers of this army
is recalled to the foregoing resolution, which
the Gcneral-in-C Chief is resolved to enforce 50
far Us it may lie in his power.
As yet but two echoes from home of the
brilliant operations OF cur arms in this basin
have reached us: the first i'll a New Orleans
newspaper, and the second through Tamplco
paper
1t requires not little charity to believe that
the principal heroes of the scandalous letters
alluded TO did not write them, or specially pro-
cure them to be written, and the intelligent
can be at no loss in conjeoturing the authors
chiefs, rartizans. ard pet f:miliars. To the
honor Of the service, the discase-pruriency OF
fame, not carned-cannot have seized upon
half dozen officers (prcsent,) all Of whom Ii
is believed, belong to the slime two coeteries.
False credit may. no doubt, be obtained at
home, by such dcspicable self-pullings end ma
lignant exclusion ofothers: but at the expense
Of the just esteem and consideration of all hon
durable officers who love their country, their
profession, and the truth of history. The in
dignation of the great number of the latter
class cannot fail, in the end, to bring down
the conccited and the enyious to their proper
level.
BY command of Maj. Gen. Scott:
ii. l.. SCOTT,
Assistant Acting Adj. General.
The letters alluded to by Gen Scott as "the
echoes from home" are evidently the "Leoni-
das" letter, and the other a letter which ap-
peared in the Pittsburgh Post, was thence
transferred to the Union. and the whole then
appeared in Tampico paper, in which Gen.
Scott first saw the letter. Upon the publica-
ton of Gen. SCOTS orders given above, Lieut..
Col. Duncan came ont promptly in the North
American with the following frank avowal of
his connexion with the 'Tampico letter." so
called. According to the North American the
'Tampico letter was compiled from two letters
written by officers of the army in Mexico to a
brother officer in Pittsburgh, for his eye a
lone But read what Col, Duncan has to say
of it -
MEXICO, Nov. 10, lS47.
Totie Editor of he North american. Sir:
i herewith present 4 copy of the "Tampico
letter., characterized rs 'scandalous,' despisa-
Bile, &C., in general orders No. $40, published
In The American Star of the morning.
To the end that the true character of this
letter may be known, desire that YOU rcpub-
lish 1t in youT paper. and. that none of my
brother officers may innocently suffer for
publication so obnoxious. hereby publicly ac-
knowledge myself to be It's author. The sub
stance Of it communicated from Tacubava
soon after the battles, in private letter to
friend in Pittsburgh.
The statements in the letter are known hv
very many officers of this army TO be true. and
cannot think that the publication of truth is
less likely 10 do Violence to individuals or the
service than the suppression or per,ersion
of it.
Justice to Gen. Worth (who is evidently one
ofihe heroes pointed at in order No. $40 re-
quircs me to state that he knew nothing of NV
purpose 10 write the letter in question, nor that
it had been written till well on its way to it,
destination: he never saw, nor did he knew.
directly or indil ccily. even the purrort of one
lire. word or syllable Of Ii Il he slw it in print
and he is equally ignorant of nv design to
make this declaration, which do, as wrote
he letter, unprompted and on my own respon-
sibiiity.
Very Respectfully,
Your obedsent servant.
JAMES DUNCAN,
Brew. 1t. Col L. S \.