Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-04-21
AMERICAN TELEGRAPH
LIFE, AND SERVICES
ohL63s& E4AAkAyoR KR @&@
GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT.
ny souTHERN WIG.
LRrom ths Baltimore patriot.l

and Mary, and was admitted to the bar in 1906
After practising law in Virginia about year. he
emgrated to South Carolina.
Our difficulties with England caused Congress
to pass an act in April, 1903, to increase the
army. Scott applied Immediately for commits
sion in one of the regiments about to be raised,
and in May, 1908, was appointed captain OF
light artillery.
War was not actually declared until june
1912. The interval between 1908 ana the decla-
ration of war was of great pohucal eAoi.e-
ment. Scott sided with the Demoorauc purity,
supported the election of President hiaalson, anu
approved advocated, and wrote IN FAVOR OF war
measures. -
Tn .Tnly, 1912, Scott was commissioned lieuten-
ant-colonel in the I'd artillery, and proceeded to
tbe Niagara frontier. In October of that year
lieutenant Elliott applied to Scott for assistance
in men to capture the Adams and Caledonia,
two British vessels of war then lying under the
protection of the guns Of Fort Erie The vessels
were both captured; but Elliott was compelled
to abandon the Adams. She got aground, and
the British attempted to retake her, but were
repused by the gallantry of Colonel Winfield
Scott. This was the first time he had met the
enemy, and here, as every subsequent engage
ment where he was first in command, he was vic
torious.
A few days after was fought the memorable
battle of Queenstown Heights. Scott was the
",
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 Americans were reduced
to less than three hundred. Finding that the
militia on the opposite shore refused, or was IN
able to cross to their aid and that succor was
hopeless, SCOTS heroic band were at length COM
PEELED to surrender. But their gallant deeds
hot o ad I'M 10 Arpo nj
can heart. The disgrace Of Hull's surrender
was wiped off-the taunts of the enemy checked
the character 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 deserving Of particular men
tion.la3 as4lgh@ t@i
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, contending that they owed to
her perpetual allegiance. According to this doc
trine q native of ireland, Scotland, or England,
who had emigrated to the United States and be-
come naturalized American citizen, remained
still subject of the British government, and
forfeited his life for treason if found in arms
against her. The United States denied this
doctrine her naturalization laws being founded
upon the opposite theory.
While Scott was prisoner at Quebec, the
British attempted TO enforce their doctrine of
perpetual allegiance in regard to certain Irish
prisoners found in the ranks of the American
army at Queenstown. The following is de-
scriptiou of the scene:
tScott, being in the cabin Of the transport,
heard hustle upon deck and fastened up.
There he found party of British officers in the
act of mastering the prisoners, and separating
from the rest such by confession, or the accent
of the voice, were judged to be Irishmen. The
object was to send them in frigate, then along
side to England, to be tried and executed 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 order tina. no other selec-
tions should be made by the test Of speech. He
commanded them to remain silent, and they
strictly obeyed. This was done in spite Of the
threats of the British officers, and not another man
was separated from his companions. Scott was re-
peatedly commanded to go below, and high alter
cations ensued. He addressed the party selected,
and explained to them fully the reciprocal obliga-
tons of allegiance and protection, assuring them
that the United States would not fail to avenge
their gallant and faithful soldiers; and, finally,
pledged himself in the most solemn manner that
retaliation, and if necessary, a refusal to give
quarter in battle, should follow the execution Of
any one Of the party. In the midst Of this ami
mated harangue, he was frequently interrupted
by the British officers, but, though unarmed,
could not be silenced."
The Irishmen thus selected were sent to Eng
land AS soon as Scott was exchanged he pro-
ceeded to Washington and reported the whole
affair to the Secretary of War by written COM
munication. This report was transmitted to
Congress- and Scott in personal interviews
pressed the subject upon the attention of mem
bers. An act was accordingly passed on the Be
of March, 1918, vesting the President with the
power of retaliation. In an engagement soor
after Scott captured number of prisoners
True to his pledge given at Quebec, he imme
diately selected twenty-three of the number t
be confined in the interior Of the country, there
to abide the fate of the twenty three Irishmer
taken at Queenstown and sent to England for
trial.
The result Of this firm resolution on the part
of Scott, and of the legislation consequent upon
his efforts, was, not only to the lives of the
twenty-three Irish prisoners, but to compel Eng
land, throughout the remainder Of the war, TO re-
spect the rights of our naturalized citizens, by
virtually abandoning her claim to perpetual ALE
glance.
Just after the close Of the war, as Gen. Scott
was walking along one Of the wharves Of New
York, he was hailed by his old Irish friends for
whom he had interfered Mt Quebec. They had
just been released from the English prisons, and
now rushed to embrace him az their deliverer
At the capture Of Fort George, on the 9th Of
NAV, 1918, Scott led the advanced guard He
landed on the Canada shore Of Lake Ontario
formed his command on the beach, and scaled tht
banks behind which the British forces we're drawn
up, fifteen hundred strong. The action was shor
and desperate, but ended in the total rout Of thu
enemy Scott was the first man to enter tn
fort and hauled down the British flag with hi
own hands. t,t
On the 10th and 18th Of November, 1878