Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-10-12
Battle Of Chippewa.

Viewed In the single light not Of the politics Of
war, tof which Scott showed so many examplesin
Mexico--those politics which men may have as
to the mhsn without knowing the hon battles are
to be fOught,) but the mere strategy Of the field,
the art Of seizng In the moment those dispositions
and those maneuvres which are fatal to your
adversary, Scotts first battle--the first in which
he really conmanded-was hismost beautiful one.
In II, we see the event at once accomplished in a
manner as sure as 1t was swift and brilliant, bya
single great movement of generalship. The
enemy exposed himself, In his approach, to the
dreadful but difficult manceuyre called en-poteace
(which have explained in the Life, y" and ex-
esuting that upon him, Scott destroyed him at
one blow, and swept a more numerous and highly
disciplined force from the field before Gen. Brown
could arrive to his assistance. It was perfect
piece of science, conceived at glance, and per-
formed with as much precision as IL it had been
mathematical problem, and merely done upon
paper Rather known'to the great artists of war
as one of the possibilities of pitched battle than o.
thing achieved by great captains, 1t had seldom,
from its nicely and complexity been attempted
and never by new upon veteran troops, as were
those Of Scott and Rail. Than Its accomplish
ment, under such circumstances, more consum-
mate proof Of soldiership could not well be. It
bespoke not merely the high qualities Of the
leader but those which he knew that he had in
fused into his men the sureness Of manoeuvre,
the exactness of discipline, the cool unhesitating
reliance on him and on themselves, which he had
taught, by his complete and masterly training, to
untried regiments Nor could anything be better
than his presence, at just the necessary moment,
in each critical part of the field. to prepare his
irrisistible blow first, to bring forward the gen.
eral movements to bear; then personally to show
hisartllery, on the extreme right where presently
their fire was to be poured for the effect in view
and, lastly, at the moment when the shock was to
be given his animating cali TO the infantry in the
centre Soldiers, the enemy say you are only
good at long shot and cannot stand the cold iron
call upon you to give the lie TO that slander
Charger At once came that last and terrible
touehstone of valor and the tough Englishman,
strong as he is st that game, was driven, almost
In moment, from the field, irretrieyably routed
before he knew the fatal piece Of art put in prac-
tice against him IL was then that Scott, seeing
how easily the flying enemy might be cut Of
from the bridge to their fortified camp raising
his hands to Heaven, burst out in that fine mil
hary exclamation "Ten years Of my life for a
baindred good dragoonsp ~ Had he bur bad
cavalry, he must have made prisoners ofnearly all
the enemy not already stretched on that bloody
plain.
One more curious fact remains to be mentioned.
am indebted for it to the interesting researches
soon, trust to see the hght.) of o very gallant
young officer, the grandson of the ablest and best
citizen that this country ever contained, except
one forever matchless speak of Capt. Schuyler
Hamilton, the grandson of him who more than
any other founded our government, made it
work and has ever since been held up to popular
hatred by those who labored to defeat the con
stitution, and to prevent the government from
becoming successful experiment.
The grey and black uniform Of West Point
was given in honor Of the battle Of Chippewa.
That was the dress in which Scott's brigade put
the bsyonst to the British that day This came
about as follows In fitting out the brigade for
the field, during the proceeding winter, Cad
wallsder Irving, the Commissary of Clothing, had
found that blue cloth enough to clothe them was
no longer TO be had he, therefore, took grey,
which was in plenty, and trimmed it with black.
And il seems las General Riall himself relate5I
that when Scotts division, in their new suits,
came marching up so stiff and square along the
fine level battle field to meet them, the British
took them las they said for "Buffalo militia" i
little bolder than usual who though they moved and
fought well for while, would never venture to
cross steel with them. So they set upon them
with the bsyoRet, without dreaming Of the in
Vulnerable quantity of Tsrtars they were about to
catch The brave old banner Of England has
seen many bloody day but seldom bloodier
than that, in proportion to the numbers engaged.
fro BIZ CONTINUED