Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1852-07-01
Life and Services of Gen. Scott.

burg, in Virginia, on the 18th of June
in the year 1856. He finished his stud
les at the College of William and Mary
and was admitted to the bar in 1906
After practising law in Virginia about &
year, he emigrated to S. Carolina.
Our difficulties with England caused
Congress to pass an act in April 1908 tc
to increase the army. Scott applied i'm
mediately for commission in one of the
regiments about to be raised, and in May,
1908, was appointed captain of Light Ar
tillery.
War was not actually declared until
June, 1912. The interval between 1905
and the declaration of war was one OF
great political excitement. Scott sided
with the Democratic party, supported the
election of President Madison, and ap-
proved, advocated and wrote in favor of
war measures.
: In July, 1912, Scott was commissioned
Lieut. Col. in the I'd Artillery, and pro-
ceeded to the Niagara Frontier. In Oc-
tober of that year Lieut.. Elliot applied to
Scott for assistance in men, to capture the
Adams and Caledonia, two British yes
sells of war then lying under the protec-
ton of the guns of Fort Erie. The YES
sells were both captured: but Elliot was
compelled to abandon the Adams. She
got aground, and the British attempted
to re-take her, but were repnlSed by the
galantry of Col. Winfield Scott. This
was the first time he had met the enemy
and here, as at every subsequent en-
gagement where he was first in command
he was victorious
a few days after, was fought the mem
orable battle of Queenstown Heights
Scott was the hero of the day and covered
himself with glory. The battle lasted for
many hours, and was fought on the part
of the Americans with most fearful odds
against them. The British army having
been reinforced numbered not less than
thirteen hundred men, while the Ameri-
cans were reduced to less than three hun
dred. Finding that the militia on the
opposite shore refused, or were unable to
cross to their aid, and that succor was
hopeless, Scott sheroic band were at length
compelled to surrender. But their gallant
deeds upon that day carried inspiration
to every American heart The disgrace
of HuI's surrender was wiped of-the
taunts Of the enemy checked-the char
acter Of the American army redeemed.
Scott was carried prisoner to Quebec.
While he was there, an incident occurred
which had most important bearing upon
the future conduct of the war, and is de-
serving Of particular mention.
At the time Great Britain denied the
right Of expatriation. In other words, she
denied the right Of any of her subjects to
become citizens of another country, con-
tending that they owed to her perpetual
allegiance According to this doctrine,
q native of Ireland, Scotland or England,
who had emigrated to the United States
and become a naturalized American citi-
zen, remained still subject of the Brit
ish government, and forfeited his life for
treason if found in arms against her.
The L. States denied this doctrine-her
naturalization laws being founded upon
the opposite theory.
While Scott was a prisoner at Quebec,
the British attempted to enforce their doc
trine Of perpetual allegiance in regard to
certain Irish prisoners found in the ranks
of the American army at Queenstown
The following is a description of the
scene:
"Scott being in the cabin of the trans
port heard hustle upon deck and has
tened up, There he found a party of
British officers in the act of mastering the
prisoners, and separating from the rest
such as by confession or the accent of the
voice, were judged to be Irishmen. The
object was to send them in frigate, then
alongside, to England, to be tried and ex-
ecuted for the crime of high treason, they
being taken in arms against their native
allegiance Twenty-three had been thus
set apart when Scott reached the deck \.
The moment Scott ascertained the object
Of the British officers, he commanded his
men to answer no more questions, in Or