Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-11-08
The Retirement of Gen. Scott.
Gen. Mcclellan Appointed to the Coma
mand OF the ARMY. a+ nj.

-
Gen. Mcclellan Appointed to the Com.
mand OF tine ARMY.
WASHINGTON, Nov. l.
The folio wing letter from Lieut.. Gen.
Scott, was received by the President on
Thursday afternoon:
HEADQUARTERs OF THE ARMY, !
WAsHINGroN, D. G., Oct. 81.
The Hon. Simon Cameron, Secretary Of Var:
SIR: For more than three years l
have Eeen unable, from hurt, to mount
q horse or walk more than few PAGES
at time, and that with much pain
Other and new infrmities, dropsy and
vertigo, admonish me that repose of
mind and body, with the appliance of
surgery and medicine, are necessary to
add little more to life already pro-
tracted much beyond the usual span of
man. 1t is under such circumstances,
made doubly painful by the unnatural
and unjust rebellion now raging in the
Southern States of our so late prosper
Gus and happy Union, that l am COM
PEELED to request that my name be
placed on the list of army officers re-
tired from active service
AS this request is founded on an alb
solute right granted by recent act Of
Congress, l am entirely at liberty to
say that it is with deep regret that l
withdraw myself in these momentous
times from the orders of President
who has treated me with distinguished
kindness and courtesy, whom l know,
upon much personal intercourse, to be
patriotic without sectional partialities
or prejudices, to be highly conscientious
in the performance of every duty and of
unrivalled activity and perseverance.
To you, Mr. Secretary, whom l now
officially address for the last time, beg
to acknowledge my many obligations
for the uniform high considerations l
have received at your hands, and have
the honor to remain, sir, with high re-
spect,
70 Your obedient servant,
WINFIELD SCOTT.
4 special Cabinet Council was con-
vened on Friday at clock to take the
subject into consideration. 1t was de-
cided that General Scots request, under
the circumstances Of his advanced age
and in6rmities, could not be declined -
Gen Mcclellan was thereupon, with the
unanimous agreement Of the Cabinet,
notified that the command of the army
would devolve upon him.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the Cab
met again waited on the President and
attended him to the residence Of Gen.
Scott On being seated the President
read to the General the following order:
On the 1st day of November, 1861,
upon his application to the President of
the United States, Brevet Lieutenant
General Winfield Scott is ordered to be
placed, and hereby is placed, upon the
list of retired officers of the army of the
United States, without reduction in his
current pay, subsistence or allowances.
The American people will hear with
sadness and deep emotion that General
Scott has withdrawn from the active
control Of the army, while the President
and the unanimous Cabinet express their
own and the nations sympathy in his
personal atfiiction, and their profound
sense of the important public services
rendered by him to his country during
his long and brilliant career, among
which will ever be gratefully dlstln-
guished his faithful devotion to tne Con-
stitution, the Union and the flag, WHEN
assailed by parricidal rebellion.
[Signed] ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Gen. Scott thereupon rose and ad
dressed the President and Cabinet, who
had also risen, as follows:
President, this honor overwhelms me.
1t nverpays all services | have attempted
to render my country. If 1 had any
claims before, they are all obliterated
by this expression of approval by the
President, with the unanimous support
of his Cabinet.
know the President and this Cabi-
net we'll know that the country has
placed its interests, in this trying crisis,
in safe keeping. Their councils are
wise; their labors are untiring as they
are loyal and their course is the right
one.
President, you must excuse me; / am
unable to stand longer to give utteranee
to the feelings of gratitude which op-
press me. In my retirement shall Of
fer up my prayer to God for this Ad-
ministration and for my country.
shall pray for it with confidence in its
success over its enemies, ,and that speedily
The President then took leave OF
General Scott, giving him his hand and
saying he hoped soon to write him pri,
vate letter-expressive of his gratitude
and affection.
The President added: General, you
will naturally feel solicitude about the
gentlemen Of your staff, who have rem
dered you and their country such faith
full services. | have taken that subject
into consideration.
understand that they go with you te
New York. | shall desire them at theil
earliest convenience after their return
to make their wishes known to me.
desire you, however, to be satisfied that
except the unavoidable privation of your
oornSal ond cooia+,Y which thew Sa lOno