Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-10-02

low, as declared to Mr. lrist, had no c'uil-
dcnce. The plan succeeded, and tontr'ra7
fell easily into the possession OF our iorea''
thougI, occupied by 5000 choice troops,
with some twenty pieces of artillery, unI'r
command Of Gen Naentia, one Of the most
distinguished Of Mexico = Generals Here
were taken a number of McXloan officers OF
high rank, both civil and military, and here,
too, were recovered two siX-rounder5 SD
nobly defended, though honOraby lost, ut
Bucna Vista, in the preceding February
In the official report Of this battle, t'n.
Pillow, though actually in bed at San Au-
gustine, three or four miles from the scene
Cf action when the battle came off, and
after the secret caution to Mr. lri-t to re
member his di7approval of the plan for the
assault actually claimed that the battle was
fought after his plan. defending this mon
strous assertion subsequently 10y referring
to some ncrcr- yci-tcriiGd So0tcthHg alleged
to have been said to Gen. Riley the day be-
FORE which came to nothing, whatever it
was
Now, tho reader will please mark what
followed.
After the American army had entered the
capital, and General Scott had undertaken
the difficult and dcllCit5 task Of making
general report of the operations OF the army
IN the valley of Mexico, for which purpose
he was obliged to read very carefully the re
ports Of the various commanders who had
respectively reported upon their own ope-
rations, he fell upon the report of Con raj
Pillow upon the taking Of c ontreras. lie
could not fail to ncticH thc absurdly and
grossly false claim therein set up OF having
planned the metuod oI assault ny WAtrn
that place WAS tlkcn-havInS certain
knowed, ,e that the plan had been pr'poS'l
by General Smith, under circumstances all
ready stated. 1t became necessary Tor
Gen Scott to assign the honor to u neral
Smith to whom it was due, and thinking
or hoping that General Pillows sense OF
justice needed nothing but hint, to in
duca him to modify his report, he wrote u
private note to him, calling his attcntlJ IN u
an inAdvertency by which, if unchanged an
injury might be done to General Smith,
and asked HIM to reconsider his report.
To Gen. ScOtt's great surprise, General I.
declined to change his report, and reiteru-
ted his pretension that the battle had ha'n
fought in accordance with his plan. In This
state of things, Gen. Scott determined to
make another effort, and addressed another
priraIe note to Gen. Pillow, and reasoned
the point with him, urging him tD SO mod
iiy his report as not to interfere with iI'
lust claims Of Gnn. Smith, and here 1t WAS
that Gen. Scott in a spirit Of kindness and
Cancellation. condesceuied to appeal To
Gen Pillows better feelings, ii he hld any,
and rrotcsscd his earnest wish to maintain
friendly relations with him. .u any rms
cgHSstcai irita JvSir, Ga9 hln1y--as ID he
had SAID You are basely attempting o. dee
priye Gen. Smith Of honors justly belonging
to him. and it Is my duty to see JU-tic.
done to all Of the officers Of the army ae
to yourself, | honor your good qualities,
and desire to maintain friendly rotations
with you, but mlrt, only on terms COM
sistent with justice and honor Who toes
not see that this is the true spirit OF cun
earnest desire so fraudulently plradeI, OF
Gen. Scott, to secure the friendship OF has
second in command
10 any eye but one blcarod by vanity or
blinded by moral obiquity, the note from
Gen. Scott was one oil the most insulting
that could have been penued. 1t cXpress.da
condition for the maintenance OF friendly re-
lations which, to a consciously rlght-mnI-
ed man, would have gone to the heart With
the effect of two-cd 1cd sword. 1t contain
ed a plain Implication that General Pillow
might be dishonest mun-that he Uyg"
BE- c1pq5ic Of rob Hg 4 bro'hr S0II'cr Of ms
yuSfly acyur,d hoa0rS.
The end sufficiently illustrates the charAc-
ters Of the two men. General Pillow per-
sisted in his pretensions and Genera.
Scott, as he could not maintain friendly re-
lations with him consistently with justice
and honor, droppei these relItonS, ana
now, whole years having interviewed, ,Gau'r4l
Pillow would have his readers believe that
, General Scott sought most anxIJusiy his
friendship.
But must desist from further comments
upon this discreditable addre IS, filled as it
is with artiully-stated h.Ii.truths, which
are often Il species Of most detcstable false.
hoods and leave to others the task, if any
one thinks 1t worth while, to show how pre-
posterous It Is in Gen. Pillow to cri,lcise
the operations of the army under Gcuer..
Scott, making his comments upon circum-
Stances olly brought to nght after the ac-
I conn r.lshment OF lie events referred to-
J i no does EJt know what sort Of capacity
it requires to plan operations after the fact
and show how much better things might
have been done Thus General Pillow find.
fault with the armistice granted by General
Scott to the MeXcans while their govern
ment was yet intact within the city, and
had the highest motives for making a peace
to prevent having the streets OF the capital
ulSuOhOTcu ny luc lTciu VI II lOI%l1u army
Gen. Scott knew that the city was virtually
in his possession on the evening OF the bat
tie of ChurubuscO; and heard him tell tl,
Mexican Commissioners so at the moment
they presented the eapplicauon Of Santa Ana
for an armistice. Gen. Scott knew that h.
could enter the city, but he knew also that
his doing 50 would dIspersc the Govern.
ment, and that it might require whole
months afterwards to find Il Government, u
condition to make peace, as proved t. o..
the case when, fna ly, he did enter the city
There was reasonable hope OF avoiding
that delay by accedlng to the proposed ar
mi,tice. That it was not avoided G.u'r.
Pillow has had the Wit to see, o't,r tte t4H
and now comments upon it.
ltls proper for me t. SAY that some tay
years since | resigned my commission In e.,
army in which | had served nearly forty
years, and have sought a scll-impo,ed o..
trement to pursue a course OF study u-
together private and personal, with De-, Lo
sire or intention of mlugiuG in any pYAti-
cal or other controversies but meeting
with this attempt, a- | consider 1t, OF t,nu.
Pillow, to throw dscrcdit upon the one
soldier OF our country whom the c1uu ny
delights to honor, whose " Conquest OF
Mexico will be read in after days with
that Of COrtez, could not help placing ,u
record some few facts known tJ myself lIr
the benefit Of history. ~ for the immc-
diate object Of General Pillows address.
that of securing seat in the Senate OF tu,
United States, have nothing to say, but {.
express my hope that tennessee hI,
wUrthicr sons, more entitled to that honor.
L. y. lllr'lICGtN,
Acting Inspector General Of the American
al la .Hf.