Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-09-24
LETTER OF COZ. HITCHCoCK.

We copy into our paper of this morning, as mat
ter of general interest the letter Of Col Hitchcock
reviewing the recent publication of Gen. Pillow,
made through the UNION AND AMERICAN some weeks
since, touching certain matters connected with the
Mexican campaign.
Those who viii read the letter Of Col. Hitchcock
carefully cannot fail to detect the deepseated and
long standing personal hostility that prompted it
and thus understanding the motUs they can better
appreciate the character of credit to which its
statements are entitled. This is not the first pub
lication that has emanated from the same source
maligning the reputation of Gen. p. If the latter
should be as successful in managing his oldadyersary
in this instance as he was in the former his friends
will have no occasion to regret the attack. Turning
to the published defence of Gen. P, before the
Court of Inquiry, at Frederick Maryland, in 184S
we find the following extract, that our readers may
better understand who Col. Hitchcock is, and with
what claim to fairness he comes forward in this
instance:
It is whiting the recollection Of the Court and all
ersous present at the time that when the infamous
IN false. and SCanddlOUs letter of Col Hitchcock,
written while under arrest, under charges,
awaiting the appointment Of Court formy trial, and
discussing the very matter with which was charged
mind and cause it to PREJUDICE the very questions on
which was TO be tried-published in the New 7 rk
Cgurier and Enquirer, and tdses almost every pari
oular) when this letter was produced before this
Court and was about 10 be fixed upon its shaae'es,
0tl,for, and through him upon Gen. ScOtt-the LAT.
ter, after carefully examining The letter, rose and
said. land repeated the asseyeration more than
once) ''that he had never seen that letter before
and had never known that such a letter Was
written:"-yet Col Hitchcock, in a few minutes
afterwards swore that he had shown this very let
ter to Gen Scott and had read parts Of to him be
fore he sent it off from the city of Mexico.
Again: II will also be remembered by the COur
that when Gen. Scott was thus confronted and con
fradieted By his own witness-and it was PROVED
that he had both seen and had reBd to him parts o.
the letter-that Gen. Scott again and said, -
have never heard but very few words Of that letter
read. so help me God and several times repeate,
that solemn asseveration: yet this same witness at
terwards proved that he had read nearly all of th
Saat1mous production to Gen Scott.
/ have no remark TO make in this place abOu
these inaccurate and contradictory statements un
der oath. and these solemn reservations proved &
be so by his own witness. only speak Of the fact
as they appear on the record and are known 10 exs
by the Court
After reading the foregoing, our readers can readi
" account for the eagerness with which Col Hitch
cock makes himself the first TO engage in cOntro
vsrsy about matters to which he was not a party
but mere spectator.
But ii is not our purpose to review or answer th
charges Of Col Hitchcock We have every reaso
to believe that Gen Pillow is fully able to defen
himself and that he viii do so in due time.