Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-10-23
NUMBER 80.

General or TO the country The consequences Of
this omission was deeply but silently felt by the
officers of SCOTS brigade. Gen. Mcneil howev-
err, having hobbled down to an advanced aQet
with his whole limb from the hip to the foot, con
verted into but little better than stick of timber.
felt authorized by his necessities, to apply to Con-
gress for PENSION, doing SO however, most relue4
family. There no official report setting forth
his service and suffering to justify his appeal. To
supply the want he induced The Committee on
Pensions to call out testimony in 1915, by letter
IRON Gen. Jesup, of the few surviving field
officers of the Brigade The reply of Gen. Jesup
to the chairman Of the Committee, with the letter
enclosing it to Gen. Mcneil, saves the trouble IF
all comment on the injustice and ngratitude of
Gen. Scott.
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY,
January 18th, 1916.
Ny DEAR GRsERAt-
Agreably to my promise, l enclose you copy
ofa letter | addressed to the Hon. Mr. Phelps.
of the Committee on Pensions of the Senate, in
answer to letter from him making inquiries as to
Jour services in the late war. also enclose you,
in the form Of a memoir, abstract from my Jour
nal kept during the campaign on the Niagara in
1914; which. though not SO full as l could have
made it, from the abundance of my notes. had [
been able to devote more time to the subject, I
fatter myself will be satisfactory to you, from tie
fact that it notices your admirable maneuvre at
Chippewa, in the precise language in which / re-
corded it at the time. And now proceed in COM
pllance with your request, to give you, in few
words as possible, an account of what occurred
between our late friend LeavenwoFth and myself,
when it was ascertained that General Scott he'd
left for Europe, without having reported the move
ments and operations of his brigade at Lu dy's
Lane, or taken any measures TO cause justice to be
done to those who commanded the regiments which
he OfC fho h
ject of rewarding the several officers who were ac
knowledged by the government and the country to
have distinguished themselves, when known to us,
was extremely Notifying to US all. felt perhaps
the more keenly the course adopted by Congress
towards US, from the fact that General Brown had,
in his report of the battle at Lundys Lane, class
ed me with Generals Scott and Porter and Col:
Miller. On all of whom, Medals and the thanks
of the nation had been conferred. In the autumn
of 1915, Leavenworth wrote me in relation to the
neglect and injustice with which we had, in his
opinion, been treated and urged the necessity of
immediate measures to have ourselves righteG.-
He insisted that were all entitled to as much as
any, except General Brown, who had received the
high rewards of the nation. You had, on your
own responsibility and without orders from any
one, made decided movement at Chippewa, and
had rallied the portion of the brigade that first
broke at Lundy's Lane. Leavenworth had, at the
latter place, rallied the fragments of the brigade,
formed and brought it back into action, when hav
ing been placed, by the headlong, but indiscreet,
valor of General Scott, under the fire of our own
line as we'll as that of the enemy, it had broken
and fled. l had made decisive and effective
movement at Chippewa and had adopted and
carried out, on my own respons bility, series of
movements and manoevres at Lundy's Lane, by
which l succeeded in turning General Rail- made
him and several of his officers prisoners and
checked the movements of General Drummond's
division, and kept it out of action until General
Brown had reached the field with Porter's and
Ripley's brgades, by which Gen. Scott was saved
from disastrousdefeat. Whatyou and Leavcnworth
had done was not noticed at all. But Gen. Brown
having witnessed my closing operations, noticed
them IN his report. So far as concerned US all,
Leavenworth blamed General Scott; and so far as
related to all but me, he blamed General Brown.
When Leavenworth wrote to me- General Scott
was in Europe-his omission to report the opera
tons of his brigade, ascribed to accident inal
vertence, not to design; and l assured Leayen-
worth ofmy belief that he would voluntarily do US
full justice on his return. declined when called
upon by Leavenworth, to unite with you and him
in asking justice at the hands of General Scot af
ter his return or in taking any measures to bring
the matter TO the notice of Congress because
felt that had contributed fully much as General
Scott had to the brilliant victories achieved on the
Niagara frontier; and much more than some of
those on whom the Legislature had lavished the
highest honors of the coun ry and could nos
consistently with proper self-respect be a sup
plant for that which | had fairly won-neither did
believe that either of you could Besides, be-
lieved (as expressed myselfin my letter to Leav
enworth at the time that no national distinction
worth possessing which was not spontaneously be-
slowed, in accordance with the public voice. Gen.
Scott was bound, as a man of honor, to place US
all fairly before the government and the country.
had entire confidence that he would do so. Y GU
and Leavenworth doubled--time, that tests all
things, has shown which was right. No report,
believe, has yet been made by General Scott
Gen. Brown, about week before his death, de-
cared to me that General Scott had not up to that
time, furnished him with any account OF the oper-
atoms of his brigade at Lundy's Lane and as
signed that as reason for not mentioning you,
Brady, and Leavenworth-he added that he
reported nothing in relation to me but what pass
ed under his own eye have made inquiry
of the representatives Of General Brown, and also
OF the Adiutant General of the Army, and from
both the answer is, that report of General Scott
in relation to the operations of his brigade at lun-
4 dy's Lane is TO be found / takeit for granted he
made none, and it will be for him to explain how,
owing, as does, his brilliant reputation to or ex-
ertions more than to his own, he has committed
4 the injustice Of remaining so long silent.
Il Pressed for time, and separated from most Of
Inv papers, have not been able to answer your
.enou;res as fully, perhaps, as you expected. and
q as desired. Should live to return to Wash
Einoton, win answer more in detail. In the mean
j time. remain. most cordially, yours,
(Sgned. T. S. JESUP.