Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-08-28
BIOGRAPHICAL.
WINFIELD SCOTT,
HIS life AS A COMMANDER.
,ti,rled from Yesterdays Peper.l
scoTps SLOW RECOVERY FROM HIS
NDS.-PROMOTl0N. b =. 4

Law between Life and DEATH first at Buffalo, then at
Wlliamsyilleand ncxty at Batavia, in the house oil
Mr.. Brisbane, Inder the gentle care OF whose fam
lily he at last recovered just enough TO bear the be-
ing of carried N litter on mems shoulders. In this
manner, he WIS slowly and laboriously borne along
from town to town, in search of medical relief upon
the voluntary shoulders of those who loved him for
his exploits until ct last they brought him to the
house of his friend, John Nicholas, at Geneva.
Thence, after recovering little further under the
nursing of that household, he slowly made his way
towards Philadelphia, that he might obtain the aid
of the Celebrated Drs. Physick, Chapman and Glib
son. Every where, as he passed. he was greeted by
all the public ilonors and private attentions he
could bear. Princeton, in particular, met the suf-
fering hero with the literary compliment of an
academic reception and a diploma, made more
grateful to the solder by the revolutionary memo
res of that scene of battle. AT Philadelphia, Gov.
Snyder and the citizens welcomed him with military
and civic parade; thence he proceeded to Balt-
more to direct MEASURES for the defence of which
and of hila0elpha against an expected British at
tack he had, disabled as he was received request
from the Government and the Congressional Repre-
sentatives of p ennylvania and Maryland. Arriving
in Washington in October, he was, being now again
fit for duty, place. in command of that military
district and emplo,ed to plan the expected cam
paigns of the next spring, in which, of course, he
would have leading part and have won new
laurels ifpeace hat not been meantime concluded
at Client, on the 2fh of December, 1914, and rati-
neu ny our oeHhle III tne 1otn OIL FEBRUARY, 1910
After this event, there being no further need of
him if the field, NJ. Madison Offered him the post
of Secretary at War; but he declined it, considering
himself too young, for he was YET only twenty
eight. Meanwhile, he had hecn brevetted, for the
battle of Chippewa and Niagara, 20 the highest
existing rank in our strvice-that ofNaior- General
1t is known that at e'ery previous step Of his rapid
promotion, Presdeni Madison, though knowing
him well and persuaded of his extraordinary military
merits, had always objected that, although he de-
served it, he was too Young. He had thus thought
that Scott was made eutenant- Colonel too young,
Adjudant- to young, Colonel Of a double
regiment too young and Brigadier- General quite
too yOnng; but when, after his late leroic battles
it was proposed to him by his Cabinet to advance
the youth to our highest military grade he laughngly
answered: "Put him down MAJOR General; l
have done with obieeing to his youth. Two
years before he had Looked on hin as only old
enough to be a Major now he thought him ripe
enough TO be Secretary Al War! Wlie1, MS we have
said, Scott declined tina dignity, he endeavored to
induce him at least to become acting Secretary
keeping his army rank, If coursc-rntil VIM. H.
Crawford, then in France, could return to take the
post; but this also Scott declined on. of delicacy
towards his seniors in late, Gen. Brown and
JackSons
is SENT TO EUROPE; MISSION PARTLY
= MILITARY; PARTLY POLITICAL.
The enfeebled state of his health. and the de-
trip to Europe, the Government nov gave him q
double commission abroad first, to ook into the
improvements of military science thIe; and next:
to cODduct certain secret negotiations as to the
views of foreign courts inEegard to he lndepen
dence of Spanish America and the supposed de
signs of Britain upon the Island of Cu1a. Ofthest
latter objects he acquitted himself much to tht
satisfa cton of our Executive. To accomplish thu
| former, he examined the chef military establish
ments of Western Europe, e)nversed With its mos
lures of the Schools of Tactfs; bringing home witt
him, in 1916, whatever couldimprove cur own, an
| fit him for drawing up thosl systems Of discipline
and instruction for our Army and Militia to whic
we have since owed our Mexican victories. Oh
| his return, he placed in command of the militar
| division of the seaboard, with New York for hi
| headquarters. In 1917, he naIried Mss Mayo o
Richmond. 1919 ~ 81 ~
THANKS VOTED HIM; SWORDS, MEDAL;
CONDUCT OF ROBBERS.
Meantime, Virginia and New York hid present
ed him votes of thanks, rich swords, +@.or his uni
| form good conduct in sustaining themiltary repu
iation of the United States, in ever; connfic
where he was present, during tie late war with En-
gland, but more especially in the successive en-
gagements of Chippewe and Niagara" Congres
also voted him, in the same high terms, (confenet
by it on no other,) large gold medal, inscribed
with the names Of Chippewa and Niagara, ant
| bearing his image upon it With this medal tw
| singular incidents are connectef. 1t was place
for safe keeping in the vault of The City Bank o
| New York. A noted robber,' Afterwards detecte,
| and punished, breaking into the safe, carried OF
from thence every thing else vail able, but spared
| in evident respect for the brare soldiers onl
wealth, this token of public hoh,r-his medal
Its case was found lying there open, but wit
its large mass ofpure gold safe. Not even awhol
life of crime had been able to eitinguish in tina
poor ielon lingering feeling of putrotsn, of prid
in his country's best soldier. Alas! if ever tn
eneral admiration of his country should bring tina
soldier fcrw ard as its nominee for the PRESIDENCY
it is but too easy to foresee that thee will be men
called not thieves, but politicians, wlo will d
their best TO rifle him of all his Lard-won fame
which the robber respected! But agan: long of
forwards, in travelling by stea mboa. from Alban,
down to New York, Gen. Scott had his poke
picked of n purse containg some eight hundred
dollars i'll gold. On arriving, he Advertised hi
loss. His money was sent back to him, Sby tn,
head thief of the city, with respectful assuranc,
that none of his people would have touched the
Generals purse, if they had known lis person.
QUARREL WITH GEN. JACKSON; THEIR
RECON CILIATION.
In 1917, there occurred a very UNNECESSARY diff
Guilty between Gems. Scott and Jackson. TIL,
latter had issued general order, grossly insubor
dinate towards the War Department.. At Dime
party in New York, Gov. Clinton asked Scott,
opinion of it. He answered that it vas mutInou.
The conversation was conveyed to Gen. Jackson
by some anonymous tale bearer. The General, al
ways ready to fight any. body who veltured to dis
approve one of his violent acts wrote to General
Scott from Nashville, requesting TO kDw if his an
onymous correspondent reported the ruth? Gen
Scott replied by telling how far; and the circuln
stancesi disavowing any i'll will towgds him, a.
influencing his opinion. Gen. Jackon reioinef
quite angriy, and with an offer of pcsonal salts
faction. TO this, in his answer, Gen Scott, who
though Gen. Jackson had no right to e offended,
and who (besides that he had no iced to give
proof of his having courage enough tomeet Gen,
Jackson or any body,) had no taste Dr shedding
blood any where but on the battlefield paid nc
attention. And SO for the time, the airir dropped
In 1928, however, they were both in Washington
at once, and it being currently reported that Gen
Jack son meant to insult him wheneyr they met
Gen. Scott sent him note, referring't their fal.
ling out to the fact oftheir being nowfor the frs
time within reach of each other, and tn possible
ty that Gen. Jackson did not know of /, nor thai
Ia,, MI vat ~, ,,,U goc1 e.,