Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-10-07
GEN. PILLOw'sREPLY TO HITCHCOCK
MArRY COrSTY Sent o5. 1857.

utScoc. giving the secret history OF lD0 fucDia
Negotiations, with the relations L bore to the
Government, and to the - Trist Mission ard
tho part performed in defeating those negOti
atiOns, L Was careful to avoid everything Of a
personal or party character.
L made a simple statement of facts and re-
ferred to the War Office at Washington, where
the proof of those facts would be found
4 anticipated that these disclosures woBld
start up afresh the whole pack Of EIood-honnds,
who have pursued me with SO much fereeness
ever since / entered the army
b. A Hitchcock, who signs himsely " Acting
Inspector General of the Army in Mexico, and
late Brevet Brigadier General" is the first to
open the cry upon the new scent; and forthwith
the editorial paek-Prentice, Greeley, & Co
chime in and cry on.
he cry OF these last is an old yell, quite ia
miliar TO the public ear. and without terror
even to the taiRt-hsart,d. But this man Hitch
cock, who thinks TO give himself character and
Consequence before the country by setting forth
the position he occupied, and the length of time
he had been in the army, is not so we'll known;
and therefore 1t may not be improper to give
him some further notice
When the war with Mexico broke out. he was
Northumberland in tho line and i'm command
of the 81 lnfantry-as fine q regiment as the
army could boast of While this regiment was
in the field, marching against the enemy. 10 cut
It's way TO honor and glory, its commander. Col
Hitchcock, gave up the command and crpysnlv
SSHLAed from the post Of danger and honor for
the HomiRa! position Of acting inspector general
In General ScOtts staff, where all his associates
were HeateHaEtS, and where no was far re-
moved from danger. With the soldier, the post
Of danger Is the post of honor.
To understand how far he COMPROMISED his
honor as a soldier by this step, we have but 10
examine the catalogue of the gallant dead
where we find the names OF Mcintosh, Scott
Ransom, Graham, Butler, Dickinson, and host
OF other regImental commanders to SEQ how
tearfuily their ranks were thInned in the bloody
battles fought from Vera Cruz 10 the CITY of
Mexico, and then TO contemplate how rom fort
dbie 1t was TO be in the staff of the Commanding
General, wIthOHt ereT being HHder fire.
1t was by this species of strategy that this
gallant veteran of nearly forty years service in
the army has passed through series of so many
years, srIthoHf a scar HyE his person. witbon,
seeing an enemy IN the war with Mexico, ex-
cept from the safe stand-pOi Of his chief and
without ever having faced an enemy of his
country, unless he was in some Of the skirmishes
with the Indians In the Florida war While
upon the subject Of the Florida war, we invite
MIN, IN his next epistle, to tell what Gen Scott
IN his reports, said of his gqiItMfyy in that war
then To furnish the country with what he said
OF ten Scott In his anonymous communion
tiOns 10 Certain newspapers
A knowledge of the achievements of this SON
OF Mas IN that war, with the opinion of the
oil the . great soldier written for the informa-
ton of the public, would interest the peOple of
Tennessee quite "a much as bis dshOnOrablc ro-
hecuOns upon the memory of the great man
whose fame constitutes the pride and honor Of
this State
To understand why he was 5rereted. it is only
necessary 10 say that thGt was honor reflected
from Cen Scott, his chief upon whose reports
the Government acted in cOnferring brevets
Such Is brief sketch Of the brilliant achieve
ments Of this veteran warrior. who, with the
breTst rank of brigadier general, resigned his
commission and abandoned the army, rather
than obey the orders Of mis- Government and
90 on duty with his regiment to our frontiers
where, by possibility. he might have to III ght the
Indians.
In regard TO his character as man Of LOHOr
and truth. the country will remember him as d
co-eOHsY5 .1atOT and GSSOci1ts t~iiJleSS of Mr.. n
r 1rist, who, by their falsehOOds. Matched the
difficulties and provoked the rupture between
myself and Gen. Scott, and acted as his pi inlys
IN getting up the falsehOOds embodied in the
foul charges against ms. and then appeared be-
fore the Courts of Inquiry and swOre against me-
with malice 50 tHdIScrest as to discredit them
selves, and to cause the court To set aside their
tesnmony-thus bTThding them as coHrtcts of
Wlllful |aISe sIccaTIHg.
While l will be ready at all times TO make
good the statements in my address, if any gem
HemaH will take issue with Inc upon them. yet,
proper self-respect fOrbids that | should do
more than notice the misrepresentation and
asPeJTOHS OF Hitchcock or 1rist. vino are par
dO6iie tTafrbEDs in crime. This much L will
do, inasmuch as some persons may see hls dirty
efusions who have had an opportunity Of ex-
anining my address. 1 shall point out and
correct two palpable falsetOody in his letter,
% that the public may see that he is still en-
gagged in his old vocation of willful misrepfe-
sentation.
In waIl Y l.. 81. ~
ment, viz:
''In appointing mission to travel with the ar
nv and treat for peace, Of an opportunity should
ohrr,) the grade Of diplomatic duty to be per-
tfmsd- and the emOluments thereto attached,
m,de il impossible for the President to find a
StaisssIsH who would accept the place The
man seieeted for that position was MI y p Trist
But, either distrusting his ability, Judgment,
or prudence, or all OF these, President Polk was
not satisfied to place the honor Of the country.
and his Administration, in his hands alone
by his con fieAfidi letters, now IN nv posses
sion, he 80 far associated myself with Nj Trist
as To place me in scDIi-oGtctd! relations with him
as a COHIHIIs5JOHrT. The duty was eulOined upon
Ar. TrIst OF taking me into all his conferences.
and 10 cORsalt me in all his negotiations. Tne
dHty was iInPOEsd upon me n patriot, and the
devoted fiend Of the President, to guard and
p act the honor # the eOHaf'y and OF his Ad-
1t'HtSfSdffOH against any and eve. ythIn1 which
thought wOuld fdTHISh the one OF the other It
will LeBcs be seen, that while Mr.. TIist was the
OsfsHSttIs commissioner was, in fact, the conf
II
President relied 10 guafd and protect the honor
Of The country IN the important negotiations in
vo!ving the peace Of the country
1t will be sesn from the above statement,
that L represent myself as having been placed
by the President In semi-Oficial relations with
Mr.. Trist as a commissioner, and that sccu-
pied the position Of a confidential officer Of the
Government in connection with this mission, OF
which fact Mr Trist had full knowledge But
L had no duty to perform as such civil officer
with Gen. Scott, ard there is not one word said
upon that subject; and yet this swift witness
in his letter 10 the St Louis Repu blcan, nak %
the following reckless statement, viz:
"This very remarkable paper stands alone, IL is
prerumrd as an instance wherein a canditiate for
once before our people bases his claims, or bis
Pfnci pal claim, upon an open confession OF hav-
Ing occupied ths low and dishOnorable position
OF spy upon the conduct OF his command ng
yensral Gen. Pillow unbusbingly tells us tina
he Joined General Scott in Mexico "a the conf
dental oricer Of the Government, upon whom
NJ lis1 tn and nd