Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-11-05
Important Correspondents : ResIEnaIisn
OF General Walker.
The following correspondence appears in the
Richmond Waig Of the 3lst October:
Gen. Walker to Mr.. Benjamin.
HEADQUARTERS SRI BRIGADE,
o.. D..a..,-r, Oct Of gReI

Gen. Walker to Mr. Benjamin.
-Fy HEAIoUARFERs STH BRIGADE I
A Camp Reserve Oct q, 1861.
Sir: have the honor to resign my appOintms Mt,
as q Brigadier General in the Provisional Army,
which my self-respect as gentleman and prize a.
q soldier will not allow me any longer to hold.
was the first officer of the old army to resign and
offer my service TO the South. in the old ser-
vice oftsner wounded than any officer ia it and As
often brevetted for gallsnSry on the field of battle,
and left it without stain on my character as .
gentleman and soldier. | was honered by my native
State ,Georgia) with the commission of Msjor Cen
eral of the Provisional Army In order TO be in
active service, L have been on the Potomac several
months in command of brigade, and nearly every
mail recently has brought me intelligence of my
e being overslaughed by some young officer ranked
in the old service, and this in the face of the
nv Young men have been put over me here who
had not graduated at the West Point Academy IN
til after had been wounded several tunes in the
service, and recommended by no less SOL
der than General Taylor for high military pro-
motion. Net content with putting my own
countrunen over me- an Office boiler General
ID Lowell, from New York city, who was there under
pay of New York, when our countrymen were
calamity fighting Manassas and sewhere) has
been brought to the South, and made Ma General
over men TO the manor boTn;p and. 10 cap the
n climax, the brigade now Command, and which
have been months drilling snd putting IN proper
state of discipline to be taken from me and one
of my Junior Colonies put in command of it. !
name lolLl NE OTlJIQe. 1 Know
confidence. One would have supposed that an Ex-
ecutive, who had himself been a soldier, would
scorned to have wounded the sensibiities of old
and tried soldier
The sacred cause for which drew my sword.
will fight for in my natUe Slate, but will not
descend to submit any longer TO the insults and in
dignities of the Executive.
| have the honor to be, with high consideration,
your most humble servant, q gi--- E---
f'fr W. Il. T. WALKER,
Brig. Gen'l Comdg Brig.
TO Hon. J. P. BENJAMIN, Secretary of War, Rich
mend, Va.
Ar, Bsnjan,in's Reply.
- CoNFEDERATE STATES ANsFIcA,
.-- -.r ---. War Department,
Richmond 18th Oct 1851
SIR: Your letter of the 27th has been received.
In it you tender your resignation as Brgsdier-Gen
era in the Provisional Army. 1t is due to self re-
spect that should remark the improperly of
Your using this Department the channel tor con-
Hveyiug dsrespectul ana Insulting comments on the
action of the Commander ia-Chief of the Army and
Chief Magistrate OF the Coufederacy. His sole Of
fedce according to the statements of your letter,
consists in not selecting you to be Major General,
for there question OF promotion involved In the
appointment of General Officers. The law express
" vests him the power to choose officers to COM
and brigsdes and divisions, and it is no disparage
ulent TO any CfGeer, whatever may have been his
services that the President prefers another as di-
vision commander. Your statement, therefore,
that you have been Overslsugbed and that you have
thus been subjected the insults and indignlties
of the Executive, is based on total misapprehen-