Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1862-12-25
From the Richmond Dispatl b


We choose to call this defunct straegist by the name
his parents bestowed upo1 him, not by bis affected
substitution His parents highly est mable PEG
pie, and named him after an old and respected Virginia
family, to which probably be related He substi-
tuted name perfectly unique, such man, devil nOr
beast, bore before him. suspect-a full
of aft ction the feathers which go far TO the max
ing up OF his tout ensemble However, let not quar-
rel with
At the commencement Of this war the Yankees be-
leved they had secured mighty prize in winning
old Fuss" When Col. Harcourt, in the midst of a
snow storm, galIoped into the village of Baskinridge
and carried of Gen Charles Lee, the British boosted
that they had gotten possession OF the Palladium of
America" Even so the Yankees thought when Scott
sold himself-body and bones, and honor, fuss,
feathers aft citation, rattesnake stories and all to the
Northern despotism. They made great mistake but
it natural mistake. There probably never exist
ed so rated Even the very officers that had
taken up the OF the Confederate States had high
opinion and great dread OF the They had the
same awe of him that a school boy entertains of his
teacher. He had taught them, and knowing nothing
else but what they had learned from him, they presum
ed, matter of COURSE that be must know every hing
There had never been war a grand scale in the
country and they had had opportunity Of see
| ing grand scale abroad.
We look at the exploits of Gen, Scott
through the medium of the mighty military transac-
tons that have taken place within the last year. and
truly they very diminutive. 10 the of 1912
|
and Lundys Lane-hard. fought engagements between
eight ten regiment the total of the forces
both sids-on neither occasion reaching ten thOus-
and men. 1t docs rot appear from any account we
have read that trere was any mannuvering- thing
calculated to bring out any other quality of General
than stubborn courage. Yet his services 10 these little
affairs made him, 10 the eyes Of people unused to
upon large scale, great General and entitled him. in
his own, to make exhibition of himself at Paris
when it occupied by the allied armies 10 the midst
90 SNAll;ro
the Archduke Charles, and all the Generals that haI
been engaged in the against Napo!eon and whose
names resOundd thr3ug the earth like the sound of
trumpet The modification which be experienced on
finding that his had been heard in Europe is
described by Vincent Noe in bis work. and is amusir
enough. But 10 :his country his pigmy exploits COL
tinued to be regarded miracles of generaIship, al
though ne but second IN command and caused him
to be still looked upon as great actican Ills Mex
campaign, undertaken after Gen. Taylor had already
destroyed all the best troops of the Republic, and was
ready, with only half the troops required by Scott II
march to the city OF Mexico further increased his fame
Yet what it after ali? One of the most powerful
nations in the " rld, with iuexhaustible supplies Of
money and munitions, was engaged in with
feeble ard degenerate race, haltarmed, halfcad anG
halt fed, with money to pay soldiers and officers
to discipline them Scott waited until Taylor had ex
plored the way. He found that Taylor had beaten
them in four great battls in each CT which they out
numbered him in The proportion of two to one, and ir
at least one OF which they were i've to his one. liz
discovered plainly that advantage of numbers couc
enable them to beat the American troops. lie saw
that victory SIRE, under any circumstances and h
thought the oppor unity excellent for adding to bis repu
tation without r1uD!ng any risk of impairing it. |
Taylor had been reinforced after the battle of Buena
Vista, he would have entered Mexico 10 two months
But, instead of reinforcing him, Scott bad taken away
nearly all his regulars before that battle to contribute
to bis own individual glory lie beat the Mexicans il
every battle. How could he do otherwise. He hac
one Of the finest armies in the world they were an IN
warl}ke rebble He had everything in the shape {
arms that the improvements of science had created
Thew had old tnnr rnrc'' condemned and sold a
aso has the flag of the l0enever they were fired
and honeycombed cannon that had been LIT there b.
the Spanards. lie had the best educated officers il
the world they had officers that had received eve
the rudments of a military education His soldier
were, by large majority Ango-Saxons they degeu
crate race, half Indian and half Spanard. 1t w0ul
have been miracle had he failed. Yet for succeeding
ne was cried up as the great General Of his day, W
never could believe this Every person who ever col
versed with him. represented him the greatest fool
conversation they had seen, and could not COZ
. ceve it possible that fool in conversation could be
. great man in any respect.
GEN HOWELL CCBB The Lake City Columbian
O of the 18th, says: This distinguished gentleman
rived at Tallahassee on Monday ast and upon speci
request addressed both branches of the General Assem-
bly,, in the Hall of the House of Representatives, at
M on Tuesday His remarks were eloquent and to Il
o nout and trust will tend materially enconrac