The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-07-27

command to Gen Scott, and that ingatitude was not
trait OF my character
! Every word of this proof has PLAIN obvious. an,
harmless meaning and if | were to admit used til,
language attributed to me, the most scrupuously honor
able and censorons could not find fault with t-unless
like the prosecutor he tortured the language and mscon
The very expression of confidence that he would d,
me justice should have awakened in the bosom of an
honorable and Just man of decency, which h,
had been before was then and still is, utter stranger
How could ! expect to procure by such means
editorial pts from man who had shown himself ,ny
assaults were malignant? How could hope to change
his hostility into friendship, and TO his press agans
the poerfa influence of The iucratirc patronage Which
II was receiving as the price of It's adhesion power?
did hope, by considerations of justice, awaken in his
bosom some faint perception of right but the result has
shown, that in this most reasonable expectation was
Mistaken for though under arrest and under charges
ne continued his abuse OF me, under the eye of my
ser, circulating his dirty sheet in the army, from which
1t was far to suppose my Judges would be selected
deem any further remark upon this groundless charge
against me unnecessary
! One word the subject of letter writing in general
After the most sitting investigation of my conduct both
official and priuae during the whole of my service
in the army, in which my military family have been
called and after the examination by the prosecutor of my
most intimate friends he has wholly failed in bringing to
hgh one word OF proof connecting me with any letter or
article other than my official reports,
80 much Tor my conduct But how is il with him
SELF My object in calling upon the stand certain wit
nesses members of Gen Scotfs staff make them dis
gorge the fact that they had written letters and articles
that had found their way into the public prints" was
to illustrate what done by members of Gen SCOTS
own military family, and ought not to be too strongly
have succeeded; for il is in testimony upon the record
that letters written, not only descriptive of the ope
IauoDs pending the campaign, but highly Mandatory Of
Gen. Scott, by different members of his stafom Cant
f.. Lee of high gallantry, honor, and purity OF
character, dorm TO Lieut. Col E. A. Hitchcock, who has
sho,pn himself destitute Of all these quates-and that
public prints within month after the termination
of The campaign to which they related, and therefore
no disposition to call public attention further this
prominent fact; but, as the prosecutor, by his shutting
and struggling, has endeavored to up the truth il
is proper to notice the testimony on the subject.
The prohibtory regulation the subject of let
writing is the mandate of the President of the Uni
ted States; other authority can set it aside, or
give the permission 10 publish therein required The
Secretary of War, who is the legal representative
of the President in such cases. estliies that such
Talcot says Of the published letters from an officer
cal letter and that he co faieoi the chief Of the bu
Totten, chief engineer testifes that another from an
officer of his corps Capt Lee) private letter to
female FRIEND and that the Engineer Bureau as SUCH had
nothing whatever do with its publication that he con
sdered the agency of the bureau in the entirely
accidental He further tastdes that Major Smith, and
Capt Lee the senior engineer officer present with
Gen SCOTS army at the time the letter written and
that il the duty OF the senior officer to make the
monthly reports to the department required by regulations
Hence the prosecutors ground has slipped entirely from
under him. and it is believed the officers themselves
would have preferred to have any particular attention
drawn to subject that will not bear minute investigation
But no excuse is pretended be offered by the prose
cutor for Col Hitchcocks laudatory introduction to
the intercepted letters, and be given, for his
false and UNANIMOUSLY -caumnious article, written with
Gen SCOTS knowledge and appreciation, and published
in the Courier and Enquirer, copy of which forms
part of the record of this court.
Having thus considered the charges, and examined the
proof in the case, will glance rapidly at the results
evolved
Rurn ia
out my knowledge, and of without my procure
ment 1t explains the analogy between the paper No.
and this letter in manner perfectly consistent with my
innocence.
The paper No containing interlineations in my
hand writing is shown to be copy of my original re-
port so far its statement of facts cpncerned-Pay
master Burns having, without my knowledge taken a
copy of the same report, and from wrote the Leonidas
letter. Hence the analogy OF these two papers 10 each
other, and of both to my official report.
As the first specification under second charge is based
upon the assumption that the Leondas letter written
by or by my procurement, the charge falls TO the
ground when this assumption is proven to be false.
The second specification, second charge, alleges that
the Fe,h ns b ass auha a
true Those parts not controverted are, OF course, ad
mitted TO be true.
The third specification assumes that | claim to have |
given precise orders for the particular plan of attack
red into successful execution the morning OF the goth
August at Contreras; and that claim is false, and is
deliberate invention and aferthought" | have shown
that myrepor does authorize the construction placed
upon it in this specification But do claim to have
given the orders under which the battle was fought
upon the 10th and that the positions secured that day
determined the victory of the goth, proved by the prose
cutor himself. | claim that the successful assault
next morning in conformity with my original plan
Of battle have never claimed anything more: conce
ding Gen Cadwaader the high credit due to his saga
city, gaantry and generalship, promptly seizing and
holding the village of Ansalda, and confronting Santa
Anna with force of $4,000 men; and to Gen Smith the
distinguished honor of having disposed the forces across
the pednga at daylight next morning. and directing the
assaulting forces with Judgment prudence gaantry and
Ak |:
daring in directing and commanding in person the ad
vanced assautng forces on the entrenched camp
have proven this original report of mine to be true,
in all its parts. have proven my orders Tor battle and
the disposition OF the forces by many witnesses.
AS to the fourth specification, have admitted that |
said thought Gen Scott seemed parayzed IN his ener-
ges by his fatal in granting the armstce and the
unexpected and disastrous loss OF the Sh September
that entertained that opinion, and Thought then, and
still think, it well founded but did not say that
'but for my interposton, Gen Scott would not have as
sition and waiting tor reinforcements. There proof
to sustain this part of the specification except that OF MT
s which the testimony of the prosecutor himself tby
proving that was not at his quarters between the Sh
and 1lh September, at Tacubaya) shows was false
In regard the fifth specification have shown, BY
comparison of the language OF my official report with that
of the charges, that my report entirely msconsrued
and does authorize the construction placed upon 1t by
this charge have shown that my DIVISION, and the
storning party under my command were the only troops
who actually participated storming and carrying that
work. and are entitled to the credit OF 1t, and that was
in advance of my command in the assault until was
wounded have proved by the official reports and let
tiers of Gen Scott well by many witnesses, that
my official report is and have disproved the motives