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

Il Is therefore clear, that Gen Worth would never
have made the Chalco route in time to have cOOpe-
rated with the front sssaulting force Of the other
/ three di is,ons Santa Anna finding this division so
far detached, (entirely beyond support from the
main army, would doubtless have fallen upon it with
q force sufi;ie 10 have cut them to pieces, and
tlus have destroyed one-foUrth of the whole army.
But in addition this, when we entered the city aud
had an opportunity Of examining the works Of Mexi
caizngo, It's strength the narrow approach and the
imprsctlesble character Of the ground for the move
ment Of troops and the use Of artillery, leach diyi-
sion being eucumbered with its baggage train all
intelligent officers were satisfied that if we had at
tackled MeKicalzIngo, we're under orders at one
time to do that our repU'se was inevitable, and our
! ultimate defeat most pr, b Ibls.
Under such circumstances and in'such an emer.
geney, the public can see the importance Of Colonel
Duncan reconnaissance, and the yalne of the SER
vices ne thus rendered the army. But in none Of
| General Scotts reports to the Government, did he
mention this reconnaissance. If it was ever alu-
ded to in any official paper, the undersigned never
saw it.
The disclosure Of these facts in the letter in the
Washington Union, ami awarding the credit of the
movement to General Worth, was the offence for
which Colonel Duncan was arrested. It was proven
IN the Investigation which took place in nv case that
nearly all OF GeneralScOtt's staff officers had written
letters, giving account of the operations of the
army, many Of which were Published, among them
vas General Hitchcocks letter TO the Courier and
~
Inquirer, which so shamed the truth and which was
read TO General Scott before it was sent off These
officers ere as mnch guilty Of violation of repu
IAllons' as was Colonel Duncan, and yet they were
not arrested.
But when the court ordered by the President to
investigate all these cases, the charges against
Worth, Duncan and myself, and Worlds and NV
chFrSas against General Scott, reached The CITY of
Mexico, ana when SCOTS charges aganstW orth we're
called VI, General Scott abandoned the case and
dismissed the charges. So likewise when the case
against Col Duncan vas called-gith Eigh compliments
10 Col. DuHcaHs gGiiaHay-General Scott dismissed
the charges against him. In a short and spirit
written reply, Col Duncan said, he prepared TO
yr0Us all he had lOrieH true. So terminated the
charges against these two gallant officers.
When The case against myself was called, General
Scot, proposed also 10 abandon his charges against
me, and refused TO prosecute the case, until applied
for, and obtained order Of the court, compelling
him TO prosecute the charges publicly to ackuOWI
edge that they were false. They we're investigated
and by the court we're found untrue.
Thepubiic will hence see that the real offence COM
mi ted by Col. Duncan was, his disclosure of his
Important reconnaissance, aud the Il imminent peril
from which he relieved the army; aud the effect Of
these, upon General SCOTS force and the credit ne
gave to Worth for the movement which General
Scott regarded as Gsiraettag from his own rsnoun
Here was seen Jealousy Of the honor awarded to the
gallant and chiyalric Worth, and it begot, hatred
Tor Duncan. This is proved by the facts that Gen
eval Scott never alluded to Worth or Duncan in
connection with this reconnaissance aud in his effort
20 smother all the facts by dlsgraCing them BOTH for
making the facts known 10 the country What else
did the charge of 'pruriency of fame not earned
and Of writing letters putting himself" in Gsnearl
Order BAG, mean? II General Scott felt no such
cInJuOn-that Of JealOUsy-againt General Worth
why did be not promptly relieve Worth Of the appli
cation TO him, of that order when Worth applied 10
him: And why did ne not do Worth Justice
Union letter!
From the above history of the rupture between
Generals Scott and Worth, and Coloael Duncan il
will be seen how utterly untrue is the charge made
in General Scotts second card, that these officers
engaged IN a conspiracy against him lis painful
60 behold man occupying General SCOTS exalted
position before the country, from Jealousy of an
officer under his command and for the purpose of
conceaing his own blunders, using such means to
stab the reputatiOnO Of brave aud gallsuto while
living; and still more So 10 find MIN slandering his
memory, by false and calumniOus charges when dead
IonOrs thus Obtalnel-but on the Just claims Of
others-might well be denominoted, s.pruriency Of
gms not learned" and if followed by "a BreTet Lieu
tenant Generally" cannot ripe out the stigma Of
Jal5eh90d and injustice
History will viudicste the memory AMI services
and regulations Of these gallant officers and it will
weigh him in the balance Of truth, who traduced
them when living, and illuminated their memories
when dead.
Gen. Scott quarrelled with Gen. Ripley, Gen. Nc
Combs, Gen. Brown, Gen. Gaines, Gen Jackson,
Gen. Wilkinson Gen. Jesup, and arrested General
Worth and myself. lie was extremely unjust and
harsh TO Gen. TWiggs, at Cero Gordo, and was IN
just TO Gen QIIlman in regard 10 his command in
the war with Mexico He stripped Gen. Taylor OF
his efficient forces, in the enemy's country, 10 an
extent greatly to endanger his command at Buena
Njsts-lin order to fl out a command for himself)
He qusTreCd with Col. Hitchcock-quarrelle Witn
. q ~
Duncan. lie quarrelled with Presidents JOnn q
Adams, Jackson, Van Buren,, Polk, and Pierce, and
with Secretaries Of War, Marcy and Davis. He
quarrelIed with Gov. Clinton and Gov Mccall. He
quaTrelled with Mr.. Trist, and compared him with
Daut d, Marat and ST. Just-the three blood
hounds of the French Revolution.
lie has recently charged with corruption, mill
tary court, composed Of three distinguished officers
of the army-one Of them his old companion in
arms iu the war of 1872, and Paymaster General f
the army; another was greatly distinguished on
the Rio Granie line OF operations; aud the third
the late distinguished Attorney General Of he
United States and be charged as corrupt lale
President Of the United Staes, who would not lend
himself to his tyranniCal purposes.
To quarrel, therefore, would seem to be more his |
profession than to fight With such a disposition, /
the public need not be surprised that he should |
Islander the dead as well as the living.
General Worth and Col. Duncan committed a great |
error in not requiring linn to prosecute his charges
against them before the court Of inquiry where they
would have had a chance Of perpetuating the evi-
dence Of the facts above detailed upon the records of
the government and Of exposing public shame the
author Of the wrongs they have sustained.
Having thus performed q duty l owed alike to |
and the reputation Of deceased brother
officers am content to submit the case to the judg
nsut Of impartial public, confident that It's find
ing will vindcate them against the charge Of "con-
81 Tracy" now made.
With great respect,
pTTTOW