The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-08-04

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captains" and to which only they were
properly eligible, there was vacancy in it Of
the rank Of captain. For this position you
recommended an officer in general WeOl's.
staff, then on the Chihuahua expedition
This officer was subsequently, appointed as
slstant adjutant general, with the rank Of
captain, as you desired, and has ever since
been at the headquarters of that general
Thus it will be perceived that your request.
so far as it was proper and reasonable, was
actually complied with.
The next specification in the catalogue Of
charges preferred against me is that a court
martial was not instituted by the President
for the trial of General Marshall and Captain
Montgomery on your charges against them
The offences imputed to them we're certainly
not of an aggravated character. The one,
rs was alleged, had been incautious in rcla-
ton to dep itch under circumstances that
might admit of its coming to the knowledge
of the enemy, and the other had not carried
Il despatch with as much expedition as you
thought he might have done. As one was
general officer, court tG try him must
have been composed of officers of high rank.
Before the order for assembling it could have
reached Mexico, it was foreSeen tha. your
command would be at Vera Cruz, and pro-,
badly engaged in active siege Of that city.
Officers could not, therefore, have been then
sent from your column to Monterey or the
Rio Grande. (where tie court must have
bren held, without great detriment to the
public service. Had you been deprived OF
several officers of high rank at that critical
period by the order OF the President, it would
have afforded better pretence Of complaint
than any one in your extended catalogue.
Had the court been composed Of officers Ia.
ken from General Taylor's command, it
would have still have further weakened hia
condHion, already weak in consequence Of
the very large force you had Withdrawn from
him. Subsequent events have proved that
i. was most fortunate the President did not
compI y with your request, for, had he done
SO, some Of the officers highest in rank. and
most conspicuous at Buena Vista, might at
that critical coniuncture. have been separa-
ted from thsir commands, and engaged en-
court at distance from that glorious scene
of action 1t is not fanciful to suppose that
their.absence might have changed the for
tune Of that eyentful day; and, that, instead
oil rejoicing, as We now do, in triumphant
victory--among the most brilliant in the
whole couse OF the war-we might have had
to lament "a most disastrous defeat, and .he
almost total loss of the whole force you had
left to sustain that fronties. No man has
more reason than yourself to rejoice that no
order emanated from Washington, though
requested by you, which would have further
impaired the efficiency of General Taylor's
command in the crisis that then awaited him.
My letter of the 22d of February, convey
lng the Presidents views in regard to your
order depriving Colonel lIarney of his ap.
proprlate command, is severely arraigned BY
you as offensive, both in manner and matter.
The facts in relat on To this case Of alleged
grievance are now before the public, and
brief aluson to them will place the trans
action in its true light. Under your orders
C0l Harvey had brought seven companies
OF his reyjment--the 2I dragoons---from
Monterey 10 the Brazos, to be under your
lmme Iiatc command; and two others--being
al! the regiment in Mexico-were expected
to follow withina few days. In the midst Q?
his III 81 hopes and ardent desire for active
service, you took from him the command 0f
his own regiment, dcyolved it on one Of his
junlor officers, and ordered him back to Gen.
IAylor's line to look for what was not inap-
prJpria;ely denominated "an imaginary conl-
mand." Outraged in his feelings and injured
in his rights, he respectfully demonstrated:
hIs appeal to your sense of justice was una-
vAilin5 Neither to this galant officer nor
70 the President cid YOU assign any sufficient
or plausible reason for this extraordinary
proceeding. The whole army, believe, and
the whole county, When the transaction be-
came known, entertained but one opinion on
the su5iect--and that was that you had in,
ttctcd an injury and an outrage upon q
! brave and meritorious officer. Such an act
--,lmostt the lilst on your assuming command
boiled disastrous consequences toFthe pub
JIG service, and devolvcd upon the President
the duty Of interposing to protest. an injured
officer. This interposition you have made
= grave matter OF accusation against thel cad
ot-tIn, War Department, and hav3 character
Ia It as a censure and Il rebuke. IL may
imply both, and still, being merited, may
leave You without a pretepce for complaint
The President, after; allnding to his duty to
slsaln the r. .shts Of the officers under your
command, as well As your own rights, in
formed you that he did not discover in the
case, as you had presented it. sufficient cause
for such an order; that, In his opinion, Col.
Harney had just cause to complain; and
that he hoped the matter had been reconsid-
cred By you, and the colonel restored to his
appropriate command. Your own subse-
qient cou rise in this case demonstrates the
unreasonableness of youreomplaint, and vim
dicates the correctness OF the Presidents
proceedings You had really rehuked and
censurcd yourown conduct; for even oeEors
| YOU, had received the President views. you
had, as he hoped you would, rccousiderea
! the matter, became convinced Of your error.
reversed your own order, ana restored Col
Harney to his commaaI; thus giving tho
strongest evidence in favor Of the propriety
and cJrrecmess Of all the President had done
in the case. give you too much credit for
steadiness Of purpose, to suspect that you
retraced your steps from mere caprice. or
I for any other cause than conviction that
you had fallen into error. After the matter
had thus terminated, il appears unaccoanta-
bic to me that you, who abo all others
should wish tito pass into oblivion, have
/ again called attention 10 il BIZ making ID al
I;t.., 4, .,,,,r ~ tts. NJ ~ n.,x.,s