The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-09-21
G6ans6ills 9ailp sonrnal.


GEN. PrLIow,s SECRET HISTORY OF
THE AMERICAN WAR.-Gen. Gideon j.
Pillow. the man who dug the famous
ditch in the Mexican war, being can
didate for the u. s. Senate, has address,
ed letter to the people Of, Tennessee,
setting forth his claims. They consist
manly of his efforts in, Mexico, and as
sumo all their value at the expense of
Gen. Scott process which seems 10
have been SC successful in masking half
dozen doubtful regulations, that. Gen.
Pillow may we'll deem it safer than any
other at his command. But so far as
the military conduct of Gen. Scott Is
concerned, he and his tame will take
care OF themselves in the future as inthe5
past Gen. Pillow, however, makes
some curious statements worth record
ing.
He claims that President Polk pri-
vatcly associated him with the embassy
Of n. z. Trist, to negotiate peace with
Mexico, should events SO result. His
first conference was at Pnebla with
T'rist and Gen. Scott, by whom he was
informed that negotiations had been
opened with Santa Anna, and peace pre-.
lminaries pretty well agreed upon. BY
these terms santa Anna was TO be paid,
cash in hand, as earnest money, 10000,
and our army was TO march 10 the valley
of Mexico and fight battle before the
city. five sC0i, an armistice was 10 tie
granted. and commissioners appointed to
treat for peace. When peace should be
concluded, Santa Anna was to receive
one million of dollars more. 'f9i'A
Gen. Pillow, at first. regarding such
an expenditure of pubic money as un-
authorized, objected to these conditions.
But Gen. Scott defended them as right
and consistent with the usages of gov
ernnents lie instanced such pay lnents
by our own, government, and further
said that lin the settlement Of the
north eastern boundary question, .fve h,ul-
dred thousand dollars had been paid-no
one knows how but the officers Of the
government, unless it was used to bribe
the Maine press" On. these representa-
tions, Gen.. Pillow suspended his oLjec-
tons for time, but on the next day lie
revived them, particularly on the policy
of granting an arrnistice. He tried to I'M
press his1views on Gen. Scott, but falling
he wrote to President Polk, who imme-
diateiy recalled MIR. Trist., The actual
effect of the a, .nistice Of fifteen days, he
says, was 10 allow Santa Anna to recruit
and re arrange bis movements, so that
our army lost 1872 men, killed and
wounded, by the illGmed indulgence. 90
Up to this period General Pillow says
he had been treated with great favor Iy
Gen. Scott, who had commended him
highly in several dispatches. But his
in the army, on account of
his opposition to the armistice, and Mr..
Trst's secret suggestions, infamed
Gen. Scotts feelings, and so ,maddened
his sense Of justice as to blind him in all
his after conduct" That is, Gen. Pillow
would have US believe that Gen. Scott
was jealous OF him and believed that he
was " endeayoring to supplant him in
The confidence and affections Of the army,
and to strip him of the honor to which
he was entitled rs its commandern-
Hence the charges. preferred against him
oy the commander n-chief. Having kept
hese events in his own mind for ten
rears, Gen. Pillow thinks he is now JUS
ifi.d in giving ihe tn the people or
tennessee and asking "a ir verdict upon
hese factS"- DostOs J0a,ndl. "a