The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1852-09-09
LOcOfOcO sIander against 0elfcrni
scott,
ScorcHED, ny LIvISe WITSEss.
READ. Read!


80 ScoTcHED, ny LrvIN0 WITHEss.
READ. ttEADl
Testimony Of an Oh Soldier!-Coi. james 8.
Sioedrilgen on he Stand.
In their mad desperation, the Locofoco
slanderers Of Gen. Scott garble the truth Of
history, in order to malign that faithful old
servant of his country, and prejudice the
people against him. The blush o. shame,
long since, has ceased TO mantle their bra
zen countenance. The emercenary souls are
prompted to belle the proudest incidents in
their country's history for base party pur-
poses. An evil day will it be for the Peo-
,nle when such counsellors are listened to!
One of the stories trumped up, by these
desperate demagogues, we find copied, as an
.'historical item," from the Winchester(Vu.)
Platform, "Pierce" paper. 1t purports TO
be the testimony Of the "ofiicers, musicians
and privates of Capt. Winfield SCOTS COM
pany, Regiment of Light Artillery" charg-
ling General (then Captain) Scott Nth Nth
holding the pay of The soldiers in his command.
The malignant libelers of the old hero go
back nearly fifty years-when heir candi-
date for the Presidency was scarcely out OF
bibs and tuckers-to rake upincidents which
they hope may be used against venerable
chieftain who was then serving his country
as commander of her regular troops! We
rejoice that we have it in our power, by evil
dence, clear and unimpeachable, OF scotch
ing the lie most effectually, and proving that
young captain Scott, then as ever since
was the friend of the poor common soldier
and always contended for the rights and in
terests of his men. His message to the
British commander in Canada, that'Ior every
Irish prisoner you shoot, British prisoner
within my power, shall be made to bite the
dust,'' was but the outspoken sentiment of O
constant principle. We beg our readers tc
note show plain tale will show the theme 9
| lie."
Col. JAMES S. SwEARINeEN, of this city
(Chillicothe, O.)-A gentleman Of the high
est responsibility, who resides here an ole
man, but active in mind and body, whose
commission in the U. S. army, is probably
4 of an older date than that of any other living
man whose perfect credibility no one who
knows him will disputes our authority
for pronouncng the story of Captain (now
GeneraD Scott OBTAINING money from his
soldiers as utterly untrue.
Col. Swearingen was, at the time mon
Itoned-September and October, l8cS-Dis
trict Paymastcr in the U. S. Army. He
held that post for the years lS08,'9 and 10
having been in the Army, in one or another
capacity, eight years. His district included
ali the States of New York, Now Jersey
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Vir'
ginia. At first, it was his wont to pay OF
all the troops stationed in those States once
in two months. Making his headquarters
in Baltimore, he their awaited the slow pro
cess of the mails-as the best that could be
done in those early times--from the Pitts
burgh, Niagara and other frontiers OF hh
district, for the receipt of pay-rolls IRON
commanders ofposts and captains OF compa
MICS. If found correct, he would enclose, by
mail amounts in bank notes sufficient to pay
off the soldiers, soliciting the commanders
and captains to act as his agents in paying
their sub-ofhcers, musicians and privntes.
No loss ever followed or attended th
system, or difficulty, until the creation, by
law of Congress, of six new regiments o
1000 men each, in the year l807-'S. Thi
law provided for Regimental Paymasters--
but those officers were not appointed durin!
the wear 1903. Consequently, the Distric
Paymasters of the old peace establishment
we're obliged to act the paying of OF the new
regiments as well as of the old. No Pay
masters clerks we're authorized by the law
and their duties were treblcd. twas impos
sible to make the proper examination OF tn
rolls, at the Paymaster's oitice, ana forwar
the money to the commanders and captains
with promptncss satisfactory to the men
Do as we'll us he could, by the hardest kin
of lpbor. Colonel-thcn District Paymastc
I--Swearingen could not prevent vast ac
cumulation of business in his office. NOV
; mark
The first captains commission issued t
WINFIELD ScoTT was under this law of 1870
-'S. in the Virginia Regiment of Light Al
tillery. In "September aud October {
thut year, Capt, Scott was recruiting hi
company III III Southern ;i;'rn Virginia. He, Car
tain Scott, forwarded his rolls to Paymr ste
Swearingen, in the city of Baltlmore-p'
they had to lie by in the Paymaster's office
for their turn. "Ths circumstance, say
the Colonel ''was excessively annoying
f the Young Captain, who addressed to me se'
: cral sharp and angry letters, 'ohich have 81
berating me most soundly, for what he WI
> pleased to consider as my procrastlnatlol
and, at length, answered him in the san
Q spirit. and a serious rupture occurred betwet
r us in consequence" During The time spoF
, Of in the pretended "historical item," Cc
Swearingen assures us that Capt. Winnie
Scott had no money in his hands with which
h discharge the pay of his officers, musicia
d ard privates; and confirms the assurance
Q stating that in October, 1908. Capt. Sec
@ left his command, to visit him, (Paymast
4 Swearin rem y in Baltimore, to remonstra
G with him against the detention OF the pay
Q A personal collision would doubtless ha
occurred, between these 'young bloods
had not Gen. Eustis, the Secretary OF WI
G Ito whom the captain reported himself, as
S passed through Washington city, accord
: to standing orders,) arrested his progre
: showed him copies Of his own correspor
= encc with Paymaster s., with the replies
!. the latter, gave him some fatherly adrnol
Is tion and ordered him back to his command
e Such are the facts--the Court of lnqui
1t which wilkinson says was held, in Ne'o {
J. leans, nearly two years afterwards, (lol
IT and its verdict, nevertheless. OF that cou
of Col. Swearingen--though then acting
Ie Paymaster, and necessary leading wltnt
R, in the case, from his very position7-ne'
Is heard of, before it's ridiculous decision "
y produced in the Locofoco newspapers, viii
III are now engaged in the dirty employment
y endeavoring to heap reproach ana rldlc'
n ON the war-worn person fGen. WINFIE
* ScoTT. Thus met and refuted, how ma
- m n