Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-10-23

hind with heavy reserve. Sensible that under
these circumstances of the case it would be follv
to attempt to carry his Intentions into effect. and
that the safety of the army depended upon keeping
Drummond in check, and keeping him out Of ar
ton until General Brown should arrive with Rim
ley's and Porter's biigads, he seized the Niagara
road, took position to attack advantageously,
every force that might advance, and detached
Capt Ketchum with his company to make prison
ers all who should attempt to pass, either to the
front or the rear. General Rial and ten or fifteen
other officers; and among them General Drum
mond's ald-de-camp, were captured, with from
200 to 800 men,
"The General with seven or eight officers was
sent to the rear of our line, but several officers
and nearly all the private soldiers escaped. We
had, however, deprived them of their arms. 1t
had now become quite dark, and the firing had
partly ceased, when about twenty minutes after
Rial had been sent off the field, General SCOTS
command gave three cheers, which drew heavy
IRE from the enemy. Major Jesup moved with bis
command slowly and silently towards the rear,
keeping fence between his line and the Niagara
road. He had proceeded but short distance,
when he was informed that troops were advancing,
and he soon met Captain Biddle, of the artillery,
from whom he received the pleasing intelligence
that General Brown had arrived with his whole
knowing where to find General Brown or General
Scott, or where to apply for orders, Major Jesup
decided to resume his former position in the rear,
and he had nearly attained it, when he met part of
the enemy's force advancing, which he attacked
and routed with great slaughter. A few moments
previously, heavy firing on and near the heights
announced that our troops had attacked the enemy
there. General Brown then approached Major
Jesup and informed him that Colonel Miller had
carried the heights with the bayonet, and had ia
ken the enemy's artillery. By his order the Ma
jer fell back and joined Gen. Ripley, the heights
by whom he was posted with his command on the
right of the line which was then forming. The
enemy gave US but little time to rest he advanc-
ed in line, supported by heavy reserve, evident
" with the intention of charging; his left was al
most in contact with the 25th before the firing COM
menced. Our troops took deliberate aim, and our
fire was so terrible, that in few minutes his line
Irecoiled-then broke, and officers and men fed
from the field. Our line was adjusted, and the
cartridges taken from the soldiers who had been
killed and.wounded, and distributed among those
who remained unhurt. In about half an hour, the
enemy approached again in great force, and in
good ORDER and after severe conflict which last
ed fifteen or twenty minutes, he broke and again
fed from the field Major Jesup, who about the
time General Rail was taken, had received a
wound by ball passing through the right shoul-
DER, received slight wound in the neck, and shot
through the right hand. In short time the enc
my was again seen to be advancing apparently
with undiminished force. To preserve the 18th,
Major Jesup was obliged to form his men in a sin
gle rank, and to put all the files in closer order in
to that rank. The contest was now more obsti-
nate than any of the previous attacks of the enemy;
for half an hour the blaze from the muskets of the
two lines mingled but ours was so well directed,
md docfr f1of fbo
PEELED to retire. During this contest, Gen. Scott
joined the 25th, and whilst conversing with Major
Jesup received wound in the left shoulder which
compelled him to leave the field. General Brown
soon after approached, and enquired for General
Scott, wishing to devolve on him the command,
as he was severely wounded but being informed
that General Scott was wounded also, he retired.
Major Jesup soon after received confusion on the
breast by apiece of shell, or perhaps the stock
of a rocket, which brought him to the ground in
few minutes however he rose and resumed his
command, which had temporarily devolved on
Captain Murdoch. In this attack, Captain Kin
ney and Ensign Hunter of the 25th, were killed,
and Lieutenants Sholer, McChard and Dewitt,
were severely wounded. So sanguinary had the
fast conflict been, that, when it terminated Major
Jesup found a considerable interval between his
corps and the troops on the left of him."
I The reader of these narratives, especially the
testimony before the court, by which the whole
affair of Rpley's case was investigated, will find
Jesup's statements verified at all points, which in
deed are not contradicted. But it will be per-
eeived that Scott appropriates all Jesup's indepen-
dent action consummate skill which availed
itself of circumstances of which Scott knew moth
/ ing, which captured General Rail, defeated the
provincial miIitia-of all of which ''the quick eye
of Scott saw nothing, and could not, therefore,
have discovered the opportunity of attacking
which held Drummond in check, although Scott
had no knowledge of his approach-all this i'm.
portant service which Jesup rendered, preventing
Scett's brigade from being overwhelmed before
Brown brought up the other two brigades, Gen
Scott assumesw was the work of "his osOD quick ey
discovering an opportunity. .
This arrogatlon of all the honors of the field b.
General Scott was not confined to General Jesup
Although it was his (Scott's) duty to report o
the conduct of the officers of the several corps
der his command, that they might be rewarded
according to their merit, he eyaded what would
have been the most grateful function to a man o
| generous heart, where those supporting him hat
exhibited ability and heroism of which Cesar him
self might have been proud to make boast. Blu
Scott wished to engross all, and would do nothing
} therefore to make anybody conspicuous but him
self Instead of deyoting himsefto what was hi
official, and oughtto have been most grateful dnt
making a report of the conduct of the men an
: officers who had fought and won the battle, b
went from city to city making an exhibition OF him
self like the Irish giant, as though heroes were
be measured by feet and inches.
e The Pictorial History produces him in one
s its wood cut prints as appearing on this tour, Q
the stage at Princeton College. playing the part