Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-02-09
HEAD QUARTERS or TIE ARMY,
60. Lie

Sir: With all the records Of the army and eve
~ compulsory assistance at hand, you have by
II toll of more than weeks ,on what tn your nature
must have been labor of love, poured upon me
IN twenty seven compact foolsoap pages, tho full
measure of your spleen and vengeance. Its pre-
eot-ar savage aud scurrlous, bat the slowly
connected venom now vented is no doubt fondly
relied opun to kill at once.-The felonious intent
i eipT enough. Nevertheless, you may be for
ed to borrow the exclamation, Its not done,
a1# the attompt and not the deed confounds u.s.
Then follows at length much denuncation and
defence of the cause generally.
The Secretary OF War replies again Dcccm-
Der %, reviewing the matters in controversy ut
great l'ngth and exposing many of Gen SCOTS
money dealings withlthe government Referring to
one item the Secretary says:
The law did not allow you what YOU paid to
Yourself what meanness does il display What
could have been less consistent with the gener
o>itv aud maguanimity which should have graced
the first in rank among bandiof gallant soldiers
You awarded yourself tho whole per centagc of
thu money paid by the city of Mexico when sub
iugatod by our victorious arms
To this delicate nllusion To the old heros iinan-
ceriug qualities he comes back ut him i'll game
style, aud says, under date OF January 81, 1896 :
Such continued ecklossness of character could
only proceed from whose low ambition is
ilattered with the title of 1.-The Favorite."
liz is again lengthy, and referring to some un-
pleasant "reminiscences called up by Secretary
Davis. Gen. Scott says;-"For revenge, the
Islander respecting tho trial of 1910 was disn-
TERED by your letter of September, which being
rriuted in the same month is reproduced with va
rntons.
Who ,hamos seribnerl Ercak one cabweh through
He spins the slight sotrloasing thread anew
The creatures at his dirty work again.
This causiic epste, thus beautitied with po-
etcal extracts, was responded to by the Secreta-
~ in a letter beginning thus:-
WAR DEPARTMENT, Feb. 2S, 1856
SIR received your letter dated January 81
and proceed to notice its contents.
You have persisted in making your letters of
teial, and have thus forced upon me the obi.
CATION to receive them and reply, in such terms
as seem to me appropriate. to the baseloss accu-
sations which derive their only Importance from
the high standing you occupy.
Another instance of your capacity in the same
breath to beg for sympathy and utter Islander,
is your accusation that have endeavored to pro-
woke duel with an old soldier, known to be SO
lame i'll both arms as to wiitc with difficulty and
pain.
Those ignorant of the fact that the great disability
of which you complain the result of fall upon
tie pavement in New York, would naturally infer
from the Introduction of the phrase "old soldier
that you were lay wounds received in battle disquai-
lied for sc-deiyuce aud every generous heart that
believed YOUR assertion would visit with indignant
censurc the humanity attempt to involve II WOUNDED
veteran in personal combat. But no such purpose
WIS entertained lou had given notice TO the world
! thtt you would not act upon the sentiment which
! makes gentleman responsible to any one whom he
assails in the sigor of manhood. You pleaded 4
sense of religion aud patriotic Scraples, reasons
for not answering To the personal defiance of an ng-
griefed officer, General JackSon-your superior in
military rank, and infinitely above you in every other
respect-and it was not to lie supposed that you