The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-08-04
CORRESPONDENTS
Between Gen. SCOTT and Hon.
w. L. MARCY, Secretary of
War under President Polk.

from tne 0inclal records. 1t proves, more
than any other argument could establish,
the marked un6tness of General Scorr sol
the duties Of the presidency. and fully con.
frrs the declarations many of these yhC
now support him, that he has neitke er tn,
temper. the capacity nor tho experience fol
that highest of all civil sts.tions;
Gen. Sco.ps letter.
a - .u. Mexico. February "a, l84s
SSIS' VA the 18th received your two let
ters Of the 18th ullimo, and Immediately is
sued thu General order No. SO "a copy en-
closed deyolving the command of the army
an Mexico upon Major General Butler.
As the officers detailed for the court o
inquiry, before which am to appear as a
criminal, are not known to have arrived ii
the country, l avail myself of moment:
leisure to recall some of the neglects, dissap'
pointments. injuries, and rebukes which
have been inflicted upon me by the war de-
partment, Since my departure from Wash
ington, November 80, 1916. ....
10 me the business Of recrimination,
however provoked, has been painful. In
this su mmary shall, therefore, indnlge in
no waatoRness of language, but contine my
selfto naked historical aIfacts-'eaying conclus
ionsto men of sense and candor
In the hurry OF preparation tor Mexico,
SoRly four days were allowed me at Wash
ington, Nhen twenty might have been most
adVahtageoasly employed in the great bu-
Teaux-those of the chief engineeIs, chief
of ordance, chief quartcrmaster, and chief
tcoRanissary of subsistence | handed to
you writbeR request, that one of three Of
our accompGs shed captains therein named,
naight be appoiated Adjutant General, with
the rank Of nsjer, for duty with me in the
diead; and there was vacancy at the time
for cRe- Ny requested has never been at
tended to, and thus have had no officer Of
Hhe Adjutant Generals Department with me
i'm the easaasGgn- Can another instance be
cited Of deaying to general chief, in the
aSel&s atthe head ofA large army-or even a
smas--the selectioa of his chief OF his staff
that is the chief in the department of or
ders and correspondence?
llarly an the following January, | asked
that general oaurt-martial might be ap-
g,oated on the part Of the President, for the
trial Of t%o officers, manned by me- foE the
conduct each had committed that cndaAger-
ed, ia u high degree, the success of the I'M
pending campaign; and / specially referred
10 TIE anomalous and fatal act of Congress,
9hay 90, $780, (which prohibited me, as
the ''accuser or prosecutor, from ordering
the court for the trial of the cases. My
application has neysr been noticed. This
neglect alone ought early to have admonish'
e. ne hat had no hope ofsupport at Wash
iagton in any one attempt | might make (a'
gainst certain ofticers) to maintain necessary
discipline in the armyI was about to lead
into the field. | left Washington highly
hatterd with the confidence and kindness
tile President had just shown me, in many
long personal interviews on military matters.
For more than two months my expressions
of gratitude were daily and fervent, nor
were they less emphatic towards the head of
the war department. Proceeding with zeal
and confidence in my most hazardous duties
! llearned, (Ja1uary 27, at the Brazos San
Jago, that an attempt was on foot TO create
a acknowledgement to take command in
the field over me. Shocked and distr essed
allowed for no relaxation in my efforts to
serve my country, resolved for the short
time was likely to remain in the commits
S ion to be-
"True as the dial to the sun,
Although it be not shined upon"
4 yet greater outrage soon followed fail
ing to obtain an act for ctizeo Ii eutenant
general, bill was pressed upon Congress
to authorise the placing Junior major
general just appointed (thc same individual)
in command over all the old majar generals
then in front Of the enemy!
will not here trust myself to add SOL
dier's comment upon those attempts; but |
may thank God that He d d not allow them,
or subsequent injuries, to break down en-
tirely the spirit and abilities (sucii as they
arel with which He had endowed me.
Foreseeing, at Washington, that, from
the great demands Of commerce at that mo-
ment, 1t would be difficult. if not impossible,
to take up, perhaps at any price, a sufficient
number of vessels at New Orleans and Mo-
bile to transport the regiments Of my expe-
dition from the Rio Grande frontier to Vera
Cruz, / endeavored to impress upon the
War department She necessity of sending
out, t,from the nothren and eastern ports, a
certain number Of large ships in ballast, in
order that the expedition might not be de-
layed. and in view of "thc fixed facts
the retain Of the sOaatto at Vera Crnz in the
spging Of the yesr.--a delay ofa few weeks
gas lkely to prove a total defeat.
In q paper transmitted to me, headed
.'MemOrandam for the QuaItermaster Gen
eral. marked "War Department, December
IS, is46," and signed by the Secretary
wticb I received January 0, it is said. !
"Independently ofthis number Of trans
ports for troops AMI ordnance stores, from
the North, there will be required, say, five
ships for the transportation ofthe[ surf boats
now being prepared, besides which ten yes
aels must Be taken up and sent out in bal
lasts for troops, unless stores can DO put
On beard, to make up the number( 4O) re-
qpreaby the commanding general"
lI The date Of this memorandum is Dscem.
her as. moee than three weeks after my
lEaquisition and departure from Washington
OF not one c0f the "ten vessels" in ballast,
or aSah atores. leaving room for troops ]
heye,I heard. mp tothis day. Relying ups
!on thems confidently, the embarcation was
delayed, ~ whdle or in part, at the Brazos
and Tampico. frsm the I 9th Of January. TO
,ahe 9th Of Marchs leaving it was feared, not
a 4 a. IL ~. n