Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-08-18
From the; Nashville Union Of the 18th inst.
- Letter from General pillow. :

sa CoLuMBiA, (Tenn.. July 8, 1859.
as everything touching the characte
OF General Pierce, as well as the opinion
OF our public men, now interest the pub
lie, have thoughtit not improper to Civ,
you, for publication, an extract of pri
vate letter of the late ex.P President Polk
written to myself on the 18th day q
May. 1847, and delivered to me in the 81
~ OF Puebla, Mexico. The extract is a
follows, viz: pa 81
" Your two brigadier generals, Pierc,
and Cadwallader, who will be under your
Immediate command, are noble men,
General Pierce is now the first man IN
New England. He is man of fine tai
ents. He is my personal friend, and
you may fully contide in him. He was
with me in the House of Representatives
for several years, and was afterwards in
the Senate. General Cadwallader is a
gentleman of high character, and of de-
cided military reputation. You may we'll
be proud of two such officers under your
command"
OF General Cadwalader, who is not
before the country, it is not my purpose
to make any remark, His character for
gallant conduct and chivalric bearing has
never been, and never will be question
cd. Nor should deem it necessary to
add single remark to the paragraph so
fully expressive of the opinion OF the late
distinguished ex- President of the nation,
except for the very unjust, illiberal and
false reflections upon the conduct of Gen.
Pierce, while an officer of the army in
Mexico, by certain eastern presses, and by
0uI
nessee.
In the operations of tho army in the
valley of Mexico, that General Pierce full
ly sustained the exalted opinion of cx-
President Polk, will be seen by reference
t. the reports of Major Generals Sect,
and Worth, and those of my own. These
dispatches were all prepared with n per.
sonal knowledge Of the gallant bearing OF
General Pierce, and at q time, and undo
circumstances eXcmpting those officers
from any possible motive to ovcr-csti-
mate the Importance of his services or
the character of his conduct.
The reports of the first and last of these
officers agree in the statement of the fact
that General Pierce was severely injured
by the fall Of his horse on the rocks Of
the Pcdrigal while gallantly leading his
brigade in the battle of CUntrcraS. They
also bear full testimony to the fact, that
though so badly injured he might have
retired to the hospital as disabled for du.
~, and though barely able to keep his
saddle, yet he remained upon duty and
led his gallant brigade in o the bloody
battle Of Churubusco, and continued in
is command, until, overcome by exhaus-
ton and pain, he tainted, fell from his
horse, and WAS borne from tie field.
When it is known to the country that
the whole army, Including General Pierce,
had been upon duty from early in tho NOR
ming Of the 10th ill late in the day Of The
goth of August, without either rrfresh
mcnt or rcpoSc, and that General Pierce
Was so badly injured by tie fall of his
horse, that he lay upon the field and in
the midst of the Pctlrigal all light, and
tho next day he was barely able to K o.
his saddle, before this long and bloody
battle commenced, after u long and hol
pursuit Of the enemy; when these facts arr
known to the country rs they are to those
who shared in the glorics and suffering of
that field AMI persuaded that no one
will either feel or express surprise that
General Picrce's pyhsical strength, over
come with long continued suffering, pain,
and cxhaustation, should have given way,
and that he should have faiLt.d and fal.
len from his horse. But it is presuminy
great deal to suppose that those who
bore him from the field should not have
known the difference between an officer
whose physical strength was actually SO
ovcr.tasked, and in Il state of total help
lcsSncss and Inconsistencies, and one
who had from timidity affected this con-
di,ion.
But it is impossible for an Intelligent
people to believe that had an officer OF
General Pierce's rank and command so
acted, his Immediate division comman
der, and General Scott himself, and &C.
ncrals Worth and Shelds-tho former Of
these his associate on the field, the latter
commanding him in that part otit-would
all have concurrcd in making out false re-
ports to the government thus dishonOr-
ing themselves from merited cOndcmna-
ton and disgrace an officer who had base
ly and cowardly shrunk from duty
Those who entertain this opinion utterly
discrcdit and dishonor all those officers,
and among them General Scott himself ;
for upon no supposition can the character
and conduct OF General Pierce for cou-
rage and gallantry be called into ques'
ton.
Why not call into question that of
Gen. Scott himself? Because during the
battle Of Contreras he was, with tho ex-
ception of short period at San Angus
tine; while during that Of Churubusco he
was at Coyacan; and during the battle
of Moline del Rcy and during the storm
ing of Chcpultapec he was ut Tacubaya.
And yet who has ever done so? Gene
rnl Scott mint hnvn hnnn nnnrnr thnsn