Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-01-09

/ reached that city. The letter 10 the Cnio1 va
/ laudatory Of General Worth, and gave an accom-
Of Col DunCaus reconnaissance around Lake Chslc1
That in the Pic1guns, was Mandatory Of myself, an
( he forces under my command In the fret series Q
battles. From the character Of these letters, an
he peculiar pUaseoIogy OF this Order there vas "a
MISUNDERSTANDING the order, or its intended applga
lion. To was understood by the army as p0lutin.
I directly as General Worth and myself We so un
! Iers.o7t it. Language more offensive 90 che prid
and honor CT brave officer OF better clieulstei O.
bring cpurohrium Bpon aim and destroy hisindueuc
sJb his own proper command, aud TO stab his reVu
.atun with the wa0,e army; coming az 10 did in IN,
shane Of General Orders and issGiug from the CON
70 laIiGr General Of tine army; delivered 10 division
commanders and by them 80 brigade commanders
aud ay them GO re-inlntal commanders, and by
tlem read TO The rank and file Of the arey coUidH0
have been conceived
Attle lims this order wa Issued, YES already en-
ared in @ controversy with General scott about the
.oUi,1ay Euas and Eai quite enough to CO-PTos,ra-
ii as 1 Was--wlthout euaElug IN new controversy
with P0rsr-u lrcel7a ned bytEig or right But Worth
I'd dressed a respectful communication 20 Gen Scott
desiring % know If the order was intended TO iulj-
cafe him aS oBg Of the officers who had been writin
letters pufiug himself General Scott replied ia
distance: that the order named no ol5ser, but he
.eUsed to relieve Worth from its application, al
Enough lie confessed be h I'd no information Of the
authorship. regret that have not copies Of both
communications, that l might lay them before the
public: but ! have givel the substance Of boJh
Taereuugu. General Worth addressed the President,
through the Secretary of War, By way OF appeal IL
which, after stating the facts, as above given, he
charged General Scott, 80 with malice against hIm
and Q. with having acted in a manner Un5ecCmng
"a officer and gentleman toward him, and at
tempted 10 transmit this apPta; as required by
regulations, through General Scott, to the PcesI
lent For this appeal, General Scott arrested Worth
leziug that iJ was lIsrespec.tUl to hlm.
The General Order having been much talked of in
the army and General Worlh's arrest, and the cause
Of il becoming known, Col. Duncan Published "a
card Ia which ne ayOEed the auth TsLip oftha letter
In the Washington Union. Forthis Col. Duncan was
also arrested. These proceedings were followed by
charges being preferred ag.iusg both Worth aud
Duncan. Pending lheso proceedings, and before the
count reached the city Of Mexico, Major Bum "a
P4ym8sJer IN the army, from New Jersey, aTyTed
be authorship of the letter in The New Orleans
P.r7yEns, laudstOry Of myself
When General Nor,l's charges, in the way Of ap-
peal aud General Scots charges against him.
reached The President of the United States, he
through the Secretary Of War, addressed the follow
ing communication 10 General Scott, viz:
WAR DEPARTMENT, January 18Th, 1913.
SIR.-Siuce I addressed you on the l4th Of De
cCuber. the following communications have been
received, yIz yolr despltchcs, Nos. 80 &c, 81, So
and copy Of tie correspondence between yourself
ana Commodore ShubTiCk, MS letter of the 10th Of
November, and your reply Of the Pad Of December
and copies of charges aad specifications against
Major General Pillow, Breyet Major General Worth,
aud B-sv.l Lieutenant Colonel Duncan.
The perusaI @. these communications by the
President, has forced upon his mind the painful
conviction r3ut there exists state Of things at the
headquarters Of The army which is exceedingly
ierrmeu.a- 10 the public service, and imPerousy
rails upon him 20 Interfere in such way as will De
sincerely hopes, arrest and put an end 20 the teuds
l-J ulssegs.1rs which there prevail.
After Tie fullest consideration Of the subject the
Nre-d-ut bias not been able 10 give his approval 10
the course gau nave adopted towards E-:yet Major
General Worth; and for reasons which I Will briefly
state. be org-s, for the present 81 least, 10 order
s5urs martial for his taiai on the charge you have
presented a.4ius. hun. The documents show thai
General Worth felt deeply aggrieved by your ''geu-
...I order NJ. 545..
ImDu.lti0us OF q very serious character were, by
.aHt orIer cas upon some Of the officers under your
Immediate command, and, from its peculiar phrase
., d. was understood oy General orJh, or others,
indicating hIm as one of the officers obnoxious 60
.le severe ceusure and rePrOot therein contained
Ul.h bis view of Che import ami object Of the
ter his attempt, by all proper means, TO remove
from himself the IEuouI0y Of these iupu.at.0ns.
#af &. --ruel 4s an e-ceuuoua5le course pl
#s part. As the stroke, which had az be Thought.
deeply wounded ms honor rs au officer and bis
Character as o man. came IRON your hands, mis- ag
es.Iua ln- redress was properly made TO you: but
az be a.r not receive such rei-ess a. be believed,
-uIsr ,Ge circumstances OF the case was due him.
b.. exercised o~ attempted 10 exercise the right OF
I'D -ll 90 sup r.or aulLoll-y. II be was actually
r-rlaseGi In tlls mailer, or believed himself 10 be
S.. ae bad uu1Be=9uaale right TO have the subject
.-au- 80. 90 cue consideration o. Lis and jour com
mon srrarIa--Iha President Of the United States.
preferred charges against you, for his letter OF
..a 18TH of November 20 The Secretary Of War can
We've. 10 no other ChGTaC.gr,) and euIcly0red To-
-... ...-I through y9u tine OILY channel he could
sa w...oa. violating ezis ing regulations, 90 this
...... superior. For the matter contained ia
..-a .anr-.s against yourself, you have made
...-a against hmm. forwarded BE- 10 the President
al3 asked for his trial by q court martial. If the
se W proceeding you propose IN this case is
STONED 4aL carried cut, y0I cannot but perceive
t.. me precedent viii be most fatal 20 The essen
.... rights of all sg5orijna.s officers. If General
Worth bias been guilty Of sn offence by preparing
and aueur ing 10 transmit charges against you TO
r.H President. for wrongs and injuries ALLEGED 10
have been inflicted by you On him, II seems to he
legu5sarg consequence, that, Whatever may be The
r.Ira-.ar oi The wrongs and injuries inflicted upon
I. .r-llata oagers by their sUperOrs, they cannot
sas redress ny appeal without being involved in a
.....r offence. Whatever may be the injustice
... suffer- .ae nope of remedy by appeal would be
."...-- and their rl-at TO appeal worse than val
.-- D.. .E the merg statement Of their complaint,
Easaer1H lag form o. charges or otherwise, Tor The
action ~ Ia common syIer.or, they would be liable
O. ra arrested aud tried before any investigation
.ri been made OF the truth or ialsIty Of the mat
-e therein ser tarh aud even before the appeal
. H raa--l. tie authority which alone could afford
~..a 0~ine.1, MS this would, in IT'S practice.
..-rs.gu- s.1ver. justice and withhold protection
ra. subordinate officers. If General Worth cannot
make 500 appeal go the President on account Of your
(. a-.a. towards him without committing military
.a-Ce, and certainly he cannot If The statement
matter ~ his complaint is offence, IL is difficult
% perceive how any officer Of inferior rank can
l~rr aH appeal o. you or any other common SUI
l.~Hr .sr injustice or injury done 10 MIN by an
.".er# . higher rank Than himself though 90 ap.
peal Isl OBJ. exercise 0l an unguesI0nabIe right
Lnr -ltiac-iug himself 20 a trial by court mar
pal. fog every appeal that IS not frivolous upon its
% .a. mus. 30 one .Drm or another ImUute TO the
.acsr complained Of some military ofeuce, and
consequently, Oh The principle OF your proceeding
rllusr General Worth, the appealing officer would
suarscI 90 arrest and trial for the matter con
a.usi in bis appeal
IA long az it is possible bata subordinate officer
may suffer wrong from superior, justice, sound
Icy. lDI rIe good of the service require and de-
Iaua ..-. the avenue TO redress should be OBJ
ruaej But 0b,.~uC,cd 10 would be, in a most Of /
a..~a, manner. by The course Of procedure which T.
ia have adopted IN the case of General Worth. ! /.
..a may -. urged nElins- allowing The unrestrict-
i 81. O.. ra subordinate officers 90 make complaints
ul prefer charges ta a common superior. sgfius. .
F.. .s. who base command over hem. The right may f.
PEP ."ae.'--s. may heT-~ortel 90 for the indulgence
malicious passions, 10 produce dissensious ia the
mg- and 10 impair he rrhtul authority Of com
.uanE officers. but lis liability 10 be perverted .
u..scHIeF.u. purposes. is not sufficient argument
prove that 10 should not be sustained, or IFS beue.
be destroyed hv The assumption in The arst place,
r.ga. proof, rha. ,he right has not been exercised
20 good llirn and with Unsuitable motives, and then
pom that assumption, tOinsutute proceedings for .
Military o-euce, against the appealing, and Il may
a much l0.gr d officer fairly seeking the redress
. winch he is entitled But this right Of appeal
40 rare = orr ever De abused with immunity, The
Nusa q II is aI offence which can, sud should be-
Grsled- butte Is quite important that the mode
d Furnishing The abuse should not be such as 90 de-
troy or impair the right. To illustrate my views
q roe very ease under consideration II 10 shall ap
aar that Genera. Worth has falsely and knowingly
argel You with "ualiCe against him" and Of
svlar acted il manner UuBFe0mir- an officer
.a a gentleman rawsriG him" he has in that com
...- aa offence for which he may, and should be, .
-a.l; lon. before investigation. it is no more 90
presumed that your charges against him are true,
han Hrs agaius. YOU are 50. Both law and natural