Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-08-28
Electors at Large.
WILLIAM B. PRESTON.
T0TNT NJ DnTTG
THE sUsPENsrON OF SCOTT.

THE SUSPENSION OF SCOTT.
In answer to the question ''Who is scott7" somU
of the Dmoratic papers answer "that he is the mai
who was turned out of the army for withholding
two months pay from his soldiers and for threatening
to assassinate Gen. Wilkinson" For the purpoS
of showing how unfair and untruthful is thi
answer, wegive below full statement ofthe entin
transaction, from which the falsity of the aboyt'
statement will fully appear. In 1908, Gen. Scot,
was on the recruiting service in Virginia, flling'
company for the Louisiana service. Asst wasim
possible for the usual financial officers of the arm
to attend suchs service the department placedin tn
hands of Captain Scott S400, for the purpose O.
meeting the incidental expenses of equipement
&c. Itiswell known that the department has fixeai
and FORMAL vouchers for every expenditure ant,
that credit is allowed any officer, ofthe disbus
ing department, whose vouchers do not conform
strictly to the formula prescribed by the heads OF
the war department. Gen. Scott discussed tn
whole of the funds committed to him, but failed
have the proper vouchers for portion of it, a
mounting to about iftydollars. When he quarrel
led with Gen. Wilkinson, as we shall hereafte;
state, Wilkinson brought this matter up and mad
it the ground of separate charge against Scott
which constituted the first specification under tn
first charge before the Court Martial. The fin,
charge was in these words: "Conduct unbecom
ing an officer and gentleman and the first spe
ciication under this charge was as follows: "1;.
With gliding at sundry times mems money place
in his possession, for their payment for the month
of September and October.'' The second specif
cation under the first charge, and the second charg
and its specifications needs not be given, as he wa
fully acquitted of them. The third charge is
follows: "Ungentlemanly and unoficer-like con
duct'' First specification: 'In saying, betwee
the list of December and 1st Of January, 1s09-1C
at public table, in Washington mississippi ter
rtory) that he never saw but two traitors, Genera
Wilkinson and Bun, and that Gen. Wilkinson wa
liar and scoundrel." Finding and sentenc
ofthe Court:
'1st. Guilty of the first specification of the frs
charge ,and pronounce his conduct uneFeer- Ike.
''2d. The Court acquit the prisoner of tn
second charge and specifications.
's3d. The Court find the prisoner guilty of tn /.
first specification of the the third charge, but moi
guilty of the second, and pronounce his conducl
uno6feer-ike, and sentence him to be suspende4
from all rank pay and emoluments for the space Of
twelve months; but the Court had no hesitation u
aequtting the prisoner Of all fraudulent intsntiO4
IN detdfnflg Lhe Poy ~ AtS "teN'
The Court adjourned.
The Court met pursuant to adjournment
and recommended to the General theremsssion o!
nine months of Captain SCOTS suspension.
Signed, H. Russell, President,
WILLIAM KING, Judge AdVoe0te.',
We COPY above the proceedings and finding OF
the Court Martial in the case, from which, it is ap,
parent to all, that, whatever indiseretiOn Captain
Scott may have been guilty, the Court fully acqut,
ted him of all charge of having acted tngentiemGn
IL in any respect. The Court were obliged tq
find his conduct "unof4eer. like" on the frs1
charge, because, according to the strict rules OF
war, an officer should know and attend to every
thing connected with his duties, even IN form; and
failure to do this constitutes the offence for
which the Court found his conduct ''unoficer-
like" ON the first specification. So much for the
charge of Withholding pay from his soldiers, from
which capitals now sought to be made against the
noble General who has devoted his life to the de-
fence of his country; charge which Gen. Scott.
Indignantly denied, Of which the Court substGn-
tally acquitted him, of which his brothenofhcers,
who gave him Immediately complimentary din
ner, believed him innocent; charge which his
entire public career brands as base; charge
which the constant and continuing confidence of
all the Administrations, both Wing and Demo-
cratic, stamps as unfonuded and calumnious.
We now pass to the third charge, on which tn
court find his conduct s'unofieeF- like" finding
which was correct, according to the rules of war,
which are in the 9Th article of War, as follows
"Any officer, who shall bshGUe himself with con-
tempt and disrespect towards his commanding Off
Ger, shall be punished according to the nature of
,t,,Ea
Scott was at this time about 2syears ofage. The
celebrated trial of Aaron Bun, charged with tea-
son and conspiracy, had just terminated at Rich
mond, and true lovers of their country, were fred
with Indignation, at the daring plots and deep in
trigueS, of which the public believed BUR- and
his accompices guilty. Scott had witnessed this
trial. Wilkinson was not tried, but the deyelope-
ments on the trial of BUR were such, as to impli
cate him to considerable extent, as an accom-
plice in the nefarious scheme of oyerturning, and
rnonarchising the finest portion of our then young
Union. The bare fact that the charges could not
bekgGlly proved, made the public more suspicious,
and excited to higher pitch the indignation of pa
triots against the foul consprators. Scott was in
the vigor of youth, his noble impulses fred with
indignation, at the bare thought of such an end as
that proposed by the conspiTatofsi and without
fear, and boldly did he utter the honest conyic-
tons of his heart. wilkinson had been supercee-
ded by Gen. Hampton, and ordered to Washington,
to undergo an investigation into his conduct on the
southern border; though he had not left the south,
The burning spirit of the gallant ViIginiap; think
ing himself no longer fettered by the 9Th article Of
war, as he did not think Wilkinson thsa his COM
manding officer, burst forth, freed from the shack
les of military rules, and gave bold and manly ut
terence to the sincere convictions Of his heart
patrief bimself,, heeould not brook traitor.
Honorable himself hecould not tolerate dishonors
and without feaft did he charge Wilkinson with be-
ing traitor, a'liSr and a scOundrel. swhen9he