Weekly national intelligencer., 1857-10-10
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE PILLOW CONTROVERSY.

been sprung upon the country by Gen. PnLow''
!" Address to the People Of Tennessee" in offering
himself as candidate for election to the United
States Senate. This additional letter of Gen
HITCHCOCK appears to find its motive in some COM
ments made in journal in this city, imputlng to
him motives of personal animosty against Gen.
PILLOW, arising from former relations between
them while connected with the Army of the United
States in Mexico After making reference to the
article in question Gen. Fl. proceeds as follows:
1t viii be seen at glance that attempt has been
made to reflte single statement In my Reply, but the
writer has resored the usual shift of those who
destitute of facts and assailed my motives in writing
the reply. While ask attention to this point very
significant win call attention to this popularity in the
case that Gen. Pillows violent abuse of me In his de-
fence, which il is pretended has awakened my
spleen itself made in view of preceding letter
of mine published in the New York Courier and Enoui-
rer, while the army in Mexico have now to say
that the letter in the Courier and Enquirer was similar
in its character in all material respects the late Reply
and made of facts clearly and distinctly stated
and which have never been rebutted to this day. bearing
as heavily upon Gen P the reply itself Every one
win at that there is consistency in appealing
to Gen. Pillows abuse of me for writing the Courier let
ter as reason for the alleged asperiy of late reply
while the letter in the Courier the same sort as any
one may see by reference it IN Gen. Pillows trial.
remains unaccounted for
ne truth Is that the severity OF the letter and that of
the reply does not at all lie in the language used in either
OF them but in the clearly stated facts brought light
lbotn papers Gen. Pillow, on the contrary in his
fence before the eourt, has relied wholly upon the
abusive language which then evelled at the Cou
letter, and is now quoted for my writing
& reply.
IT, then, spleen be chargeable in this matter my
reply is not accounted for by Gen. Pillows language
when on his defence, while that language his own
principles is fully accounted for by the Courier letter
This argument is plain and simple and may be easily
apprehended by any one. had written letter, pub
hshed in the Courier and Enquirer which touched Gen
Pillow to the quick. The statements in that letter. like
those in my late reply, stand unrefuted and Gen. Pill
low, using the cence of defendants abused me for writ
ing it. having other defence make 1t is pre-
tended that this abuse has been the inducing my
late reply merely turn the tables and charge that my
Courier letter stung Gen. Pillow into his abusive lam
guage on his defence.
But there is still another letter in eonnexion with this
business which 1t IS my purpose to furnish in this art
Gle, and which will greatly add to the difficulty of ac
counting, after Gen. Pillows manner, for my remarks
upon his conduct.
now ask attention to the following statement as
preface to the third letter. though the first in order of
time, written by me in relation to Gen. Pillow.
As already stated in my reply, and also stated
IN the Courier letter, the entrenched camp of Gen. Va
ientla, at Contreras taken the morning of the
10Th Of August, 1847 in accordance with plan sug-
gested by Gen. Persifer F. Smith. Gen. Pillow was the
nominal commander of the troops before Contreras but
LEFT the field and appeared at Gen. Scots headquarters
where ne remained over night and he was at Gen.
Scots headquarters the morning of the 2Oth when
the light came Of As also stated, Gen. Pillow heard
the details of Gen. Smiths PLAN and declared his obiec
lions to 1t to Mr. n p Tris this gentleman has GER
hhed and then in his report of the battle claimed that
the camp was taken in accordance with his plan.
The next point to consider is this There with the
army IN Mexico intelligent and clever correspondent
of the New Orleans Delta who was anxious to obtain
authentic Information of the proceedings of the army
1or which purpose ne was in the habit of making nqui
ries Of ofcers IN position to furnish and
ortan facts, and when they bore the marks of truth
be used them for his patrons of the Delta After the
contreras and Churubusco battles Mr. Freanor the gem
eman referred to- applied for information to Gen. Pill
low, who promised to write for him statement of
the services of his division At appointed hour Mr.
Freanor called upon Gen. Pillow and received from his
own hands paper which Gen. Pillow read aloud max
ing IN the presence of Mr. Freanor This
paper Gen. Pillow intended that Mr. Freanor should use
In his correspondence with the Delta but Mr. saw at
once that the paper wholly unsued to his purpose
esntaning mis-srafsmsntz known TO Mr. F~Sa
nor himself, and being besides fusomely audatory of
Gen. Pillow.
In this state Of things Mr. Freanor did not destroy the
paper but fortunately retained possession of it. though
he made of in his public correspondence At
few weeks the whole army in Mexico was astound-
ed by appearance of New Orleans paper containing
an extraordinary letter signed Leonidas purporng
give account of army operations in the valley of Mexi
CO. full of known falsehoods and laudatory in the
treme Of Gen. Pillow.
BY this time Gen. Pillows character had fallen under
suspicion and there query every wb suggested
to whether Gen. Pillow not himself the author of
the Leonidas letter This suspicion finally
nicated to Gen. Pillow, who felt called upon to dsclaim
all connexion with the published letter, which he did
his signature, in two notes published in
each Of the two American newspapers circulated in the
city.
This disclaimer was received in good faith by the
army, one at that time imagined that Gen. Pillow
could deliberately fasify fact But very soon it began
to be whispered about FIRST gently and then loudly that
notwithstanding Gen. Pillows disclaimer he had mach
to do With the Leonidas letter.
At length Mr. Freanor one day into my quarters
and stated to personally all of the particulars above
connected with his name and added that the paper which
Gen Pillow had furnished for his made up the body
Of the Leondas letter, the said paper having had few
lines added at the commencement and the end by
one who had sent it for publication in New Orleans.
told that the paper then in the hands of Mr.
Trs who also had the Leondas printed letter. and that
by calling Mr. Trist might see and compare the pa
pers for myself
accordingly called on Mr. Trist and compared the
two papers-that furnished by Gen. Pillow and the Le
onidas letter-and found that Gen. Pillows prepared
paper was contained entire in the Leonidas letter
Does the reader now need any other than this
statement dlscloses for feeling of indignation srug
ghng for uterance, not only with myself but with all
who were brought to the knowledge of this transaction
Up to this time there had been difficulty between
Gen Pillow and myself none whatever; and had
motive Tor taxing steps regard to the matter other
han those IN which every honest mind must have shared
One evening soon after knowledge of the facts above
reelted had reached me, mentioned the circumstance
in cluster of officers at my quarters and stated that
Mr. Freanor the principal witness in the matter, had
been selected as bearer of dispatches to Washington
elty and that ne left the army without being called
pon to testify under oah in relation to said matters
would be greatly to the prejudice of Gen. Pillow, who
would then De deprived of the opportunity of
questioning the witness 1t was Immediately suggested
ought TO be informed of the state of
things that he might have opportunity of defending
himself which it thought could only be done by his
of ab ehpd
usage in such cases.
Without declaring my purpose withdrew into a pri-
vate room and prepared the first letter touching Gen. Pill
low which had the honor to write concerning his
conduct.
This first letter note was addressed to Gen. Pillow
himself but it contains reference to the proceedings
of eertaif court of inquiry, it is proper should add
rrith louui viii