Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-09-30
Cen. Pillow shown Up.

Gen. Pillow Shown Up. -
The notorious Gen. Pillow, of Tennessee, is o.
candidate for the United States Senate, and, to
establish his claims to the office and elevate
himself ID public estimation. has published a
long address to fhepeope ofTeanessee, recount
ing his exploits and sufferings in the Mexican
war. A large portion of the address is taken
up with an account of certain negotiations with
Santa Anna in connection with bride of slo,-
900, about which there has been so much tmys-
terry. Gen. Pillow states that President Folk,
having no confidence in N. P. .Trist, the Com
missioner sent out with the army to conclude
treaty. OF peace on the first opportunity, appoint
ed him to act in concert with Trist-that he, in
fact was the secret agent of the President
When he reached the headquarters of the army
at Puebla, Mr.. Trist invited him to q conference
with himself and Gen. Scott, and informed him
that he had opened negotiations with Santa An
ma and partially agreed upon treaty. Santa
Anna was to be paid $4,000 in hand as earnest
money, and battle was to be fought before the
city of Mexico. five won in this battle, an arm
istice was to be granted, peace concluded, and
Santa Anna was then to receive one million OF
dollars more The General represents himself
as protesting against all these proceedings, as
derogatory to the honor Of the country, and
Scott and Trist agreed to abandon the scheme;
but he charges that twas afterwards carried out
in every particular. The armistice, he says, on
ly afforded Santa Anna an opportunity to recruit
his forces, and several more battles, which in
volved the loss of 1872 men, were the conse-
quences.
Gen. Pillows address has called forth reply
from Gen. Hitchcock, late of the army, but now
private citizen, residing at st. Louis. Such an
exooriation as he gives Pillow has never before
appeared in print. Gen. P, he says, unblush-
ingly tells us that he Joined Gen. Scott, in Mex
leo, as ''the confidential officer Of the Govern
ment." In this secret position, having, er ctaca0
the enmee to the presence of the commander at
all times, and frequently having a seat at his
private table, he accumulated materials for de-
flaming his confding commanding officer in con-
fidential letters to his old companion in a law
office, then the President of the United States,
and now reveals this astonishing fact, and claims
from the people of his State high office as
reward for his secret service in that capacity.
Gen. Hitchcock characteristics the address as
"hlled with artfully stated half-truths, which
are often aspecies of most detestable fasehoods.
So far from Pillows having protested against
the payment of money to Santa Anna, as brlbe,
General H., who was present at council OF
general officers to whom the matter was refer
red, and took notes of the proceedings, says that
he ''came out gerry fully in support OF the mea-
sure, only STIMULATING, as condition, that the
United States should have such treaty as was
desired" The measure was never execpted.
| In allusion to the armistice which General
Pillow condemns so strongly, he says:
General Scott knew that he could enter the
city, but he knew, also, that his doing SO would
disperse the government, and that 1t might re-
ouire whole months afterwards to lind govern
ment in condition to make peace, as proved to
be the case when, finally, he did enter the city.
There was reasonable hope of avoiding that
delay by acceding to the proposed armlstlce.-
That il was not avoided General Pillow has had
the wit to see, after the fact, and now comments
upon it."
Gen. Pillow has always claimed the credit OF
the battle of Contreras, which was fought by a
portion of his division of the army. Upon this
point Gen. Hitchcock gives the following in
teresting facts
NJ was present at the headquarters of Gen.
Scott, at San Augustine, the evening or night OF
the 10th of August, 1S47, when Capt. Lee came
| in from the advanced post of Gen. Smith, and
reported to Gen. Scott a plan for taking Contre-
ras by assault the next morning, as suggested by
Gen. Smith In the course of the examination
of the plan by Gen. Scott, Gems. Pillows ana
Twiggs came in. The divisions of these two
Generals were both in the field before Contreras
two or three miles from San Augustine. Gen.
Scott modified the plan in one not very essential
point, and directed Capt. Lee to carry his APP
proval to Gen, Smith, with instructions to exc
cute it. A movement was then made towards
the door by Generals Twiggs and Pillow, when
Gen. Scott remarked that as the night was dark
and rainy they might as well remain until the
next morning. Upon which Gen. Twiggs OBJ,
served that his division was in the field, and
that his place was with it, but Gen. Pillow a.
lowed himself very easily to he persuaded to
take a bed in Gen. Scott's quarters, and ~as act
ually in bed tie merit morning achen tie assault
,cas made upon Oontreras which was taken in
seventeen minutes by the watch, in accordance
with the suggestions or plan of Gen. Smith
Before retiring to bed, Gen. Pillow, to be pre-
pared for disaster or failure, expressly, but
privately, warned Mr.. Trist with whom he was
then on intimate terms, that he had no conf
denoe in the plan, and desired him to remember
that he had so declared himself. This fact |
had from Mr. Trist himself"