The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-19
THE DAILY DISPATCH
Thursday Morning. February IN. 1Ss1.
THk SCOTT AND DAVIS CORREsPON
DKNCR.

=
DKNCE.
The Washington Union, of Tuesday, contains ,
condemnation Of the correspondence between Gen
Winfield Scott and Secretary Davis, of the Wa,
Department. To explsia how the controversy W a,
brought on insert the first three letters in ful
The Secretary Of Harto Gen. Scott, july IL, 1855
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, July l2, 1855
SIR: Understanding that Brevet Brigadier Gen
eral Hitchcock, colonel second infantry, has re
Gently received from your headquarters leave OF
absence for four months have respectfully 10 in.
quire upon what grounds the indulgence WIS ac.
corded, as. under the circumstances of the case-
General Htchcock's regiment being on the eve Of
an active campaign, and the general himself as.
signed to tn. command of the most advanced and
important post-the reasons should be peculiarly
urgent to justify his exemption from duty, more
especially as the practice of the department has
been TO refuse leaves of absence TO officers serving
with troops in the field.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
JFFF'N DAVIS,
Secretary Of War
Brevet Lieut.. Gen. WINFIELD SCoTl Command
ing the Army, New York
Gen Soon TO The Secretary Of U'ar. Jaly Il. 1850
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY
New York, July II, 1855
SIR Your letter of the l2:h instant, demanding
why had given leave of absence to B-evet Bri.
eadier General Hitchcock, colonel of the second
Infantry. was received yesterday.
Your predecessors il the War Department have,
In their mandatory communications to the higher
army officers very generally, aud l believe al
ways, when they expected to be obeyed. conde.
scended to speak in the name of the President OF
the nited States; but 10 the very dogmatic letter
before me do not perceive the slightest allu siop
to the wishes or instructions of the constitutional
commander ia chief of the army and navy of the
United States
Nevertheless, l will assume for once that Won
have written by the proper authority, and accord.
ipgy have the honor to report fer the information
OF our common superior, that the leave of absence
was granted to Brevet Brigade General Hitcb-
cock to enable him to attend to some private bu
ness of great importance to him ard certain or
phans under his charge, and because his regiment
was likely TO be separated into many small det.ch
ments IN the impending campaign against the
Sioux Indians, and that such detachments might
be better commanded by the lieutenant colonel,
majors and senior captains respectively, than by
any brevet brigadier genera al colonel who would
necessarily be considered as superseding some iu-
nior in command, appropriate to the grade of the
latter
Very respectfully, your ohodia"t serv.nt.
WINFIELD SCOTT.
Hon. J DAVIS, Sec. of War, W washington, u c.
The Secretary Of War TO Gen. Scott, .Julv 25, 1855
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, Jdy 25 1855.
SIn Your letter of the 18th inst, in answ er TO
mine of the 18th, is before me
leave unnoticed the exhibition of peevish tenn
per in your reply to an inquiry from this depart.
ment in relation to matter of in portance to the
military service and as you have, though under
species of protest, furnished me the information
requested, have 10 acknowledge its receipt and
TO inform you that it is not satisfactory. You
will therefore revoke the leave Of alb ,ence to
Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General Hitchcock
and direct that officer to repair to the headquarters
of hia regiment by the first opportunity
In your statement ss to the practice of the
department you have been less than careful about
the facts.
You say that my predecessors in the War
Department have, in their mandatory commuui-
cations to the higher army officers, very generally
and you believe always, when they expected to be
obeyed, spoken in the name of the Presi ieut.-
Such has not been the pr actice, and reference to
your own correspondence with the department will
show that Is commanding general Of the army you
have received and executed directions from every
one OF my predecessors 10 office since you attained
that position, which contained not the slightest
aiusion to the wishes or instructions of the ICON
5titutional commander in chief of the army" bu.
which there can be no question were "expected to
be obeyed-" 1t is therefore, not only for once"
that you assume such a communications to be writ.
ten by "the proper authority" but you have
invariably acted upon the same assumption, or
rather upon that reasonable if not necessary con.
clusion.
The President speaks and acts through the heads
of the several departments in relation to subjects
which appertain to their respective duties; and
within the limits of those which are cnisined on
or entrusted to the Secretary of War by the Presi
dent of the United States the act of the Secretary
is In legal contemplation the act of the President
and as such claims to be respected and obeyed.-
The authority of the department extends to mill
tary commissions and to matters respecting the
military affairs of the country, and is not meas ured
by the grade of the officer concerned
BY asserting that 10 commuL Licarions to the high
or army officers my predecessors have observed q
certain form, you seem to propose for my observ-
nnce a rule in which the rank of the military
officer is to determine the manner in which the
secretary of War will communicate orders to
him.
Such rule could not rest on the supposiiion
that the Secretary of War has relative rank among
The officers of the army, which is too absurd for
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JEFFN DAVIS,
Secretary of War.
Lieut.. General WINFIELD SCOTT,
Commanding the Army, New York.
His reply to this last letter General Scott COM
nerees 80 follows:
HEADQUARTERS Of THE ARMY.
N YORK, July 30, 1855 5
SIR: TOUR letter of the 18th instant in reply to
n'ne of the l7ih, was received at this Office when
Glanced to be absent On account of the extreme
heat.
i" "Otiu oc Easy 10 suOS luhb TUE WnOi6 leit6E,
u which You charge me with exhibiting q pee
sh temper, is as fippant in its statements and To-
yic as in that of accusation
Certainly, as Secretary of War, you have done
enough to warrant more than suspicion that from
he first, you had considered 1t your special miss
ion, by repeated aggressons on my rights and
ceilings, to gosd me into some peIiious aIlilnde Of
'tiicia opposition. 1 prove my long forbearance
for at my time of life all angry discussions are
will now proceed 10 enumerate some of
he provocatons alluded to, without dilating, in
his place on your partisan hostility TO the brevet
lieutenant general aud to the coIupens alton that
congress intended to attach thereto.
On the receipt Of General Scotts letter of July
0, the Secretary, in an unofficial note, repeled
be Isonal attack and the imputstions cas-. upon
Is motives. This the General declined to consid-
II private, declaring his intention to treat the
ommuI icaton rs official, and, with some super
iliousness threatens 't shall not be my fault If
o not render your part of this correSp Sponderce a
honorable example TO be Stunned by your success
ors." BY this course on the part of bis opponent
be correspondence on the part of the Secretary |
cessariiy becomes officia'.
THE HITCHCOCK DIFFICULTY. |
The Secretary, on July 25 directed Gen. Scott |
0 revoke the leave, lp lsl,J which was done -
10 the llth of September General Hitchcock wrote |