Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-05-31
DEATH or GENERAL SCOTT.
His life and Public Services.
(West Point Correspondence N. Y. HeraldJ
- RnrtS Unrr1 Wort Dn;.4 NJ nn 1occ

i p1n descending from the carriage he tottered
httle and had to pause upon every step as he mount
ed to the hotel After few days, however he raj
lied considerably, and as late as Saturday at half
past two, out to the library and the village riding
He appeared TO suffer from no specific ailment bn
rather general decline Of physical strength. Hi
mind was clear to the last So little expectation wa
M rs. O5t of New York, who had been staying witt
him for some days, left here for home yesterday
Last night the General was taken with chill anC
the assistant surgeon OF the post DR.. Marsh was i'm
mediately summoned. Even then there appeared
to be no danger, and at nine o'clock this morning DR.
Marsh assured General Culum that he had no an
prehension of immediate dissolution; but in shor
time it became evident that the eventful and usefu
me o1 sne pa p2tfoa @ so!d1sr was drawing to close.
In slumber the patriot whose life has been SO init
mately associated with the military history of BIZ
There wer1 present with him at tho last moment
General &. W. CulluIn, COmmandant of West Point
Head Assistant Surgeon Marsh Captsin Ffencbs s0f
the General faithful body servant. General CuIiun
Immediately tteegraphcd to Mrs. Hoyt who arrived
here at tye O'Clock this afternoon.
TIE PLACE OF BURIAL.
Al the desire Of the deceased Generals daugh ter
M Mrs. Hoyt-and i is thought the old, hero bimse
mad the same WIsh-the remains will be inferred In
the West Point Cemetery. .-a
LYING IN STATE. -., nl
lhe remains now lie in room No II of this hotel
whore be expired. They are placed in she'll lined
with zinc, and partially filed with ico The General
Is dressed in civilians suit of black and looks in
the repose of death almost as he did in life
Colonel IL. NJ. Black. Seventh United States In.
fantry, cOmmandant of Cadet Corps; Lieutenant
j. Mel Hldtt. Third Infntrs Major James e9iPfs Me
MILAN, Second Infantry; Captain f. A. Davies SIX
teenth Infantry, and Captain A. R. Arnold, Fifl
General Scott had ouly been confined to bed for
the last three das but during that time his strength
was gradually failing and he seemed to have pre-
sentiment that this his last visit to West Point
IN which institution ne took intense interest and
az winch ne spent every summer for the last forty
years. When coming from the boat on the 1Oth oI
ed N a ErInn hot In had J..
the old academy to Gie, and in conversation with
Captain Boynton few days ago, he replied to some
remark concerning his visit to West Point that be
came there to be buried. It seems appropriate that
the great military gcademy Of the nation should be
the dying place of the nations Oldest soldier.
THE FUNERAL
Will take place at one O'Clock Friday, with such
military p9mp as the post can afford. 1t is expected
ncnt personages from Washington and elsewhere
have heard that President johnson expressed 4
desire to visit General Scott before his DEATH but the
suddennesS OF MS demise OF course prevented.
ARRIVAL OF THE GENERALS DAUGHTER.
Upon the arrival Of Mrs. Hoyt is egening she
was conducted by General Culum 10 the room where
the renal. s of her honored father lay. heoIicers
en- guard all INN ediatey w.tharew with uncovered
heads. and the living and The dead were left to-
gether in that solemn communion whereof no eye OF
witnesses. .ar ...... ....
70 THE LAST WORDS or GEN SCOTT
ARE are T9Eh Tfa len About twgntyfve min
saying, james. how is the horse?" HE is we'll
General. Take care of him, James," said the
dying hero and these the last Ineligible words
he uttered In less than half an hour all was over
and General Scott had become immortal. 4
i.'-r From the New York Evening Post.lf
The death Of Lieutenant General Winfield Scott
will excite painful sensation in the hearts of all
Americans. career unusually protracted and full
ofhonors, has closed, and with the announcement of
the event all minds will revert to the period when
the General won the grateful regards, and received
the unfeigncd plaudits of our people. - ..-.
Tho daot Cf rboso
the past with the present that Of the late Lieut.
General, affords fitting occasion to allude to the
events which form glorious episodes in national
history and IN which he conspicuously figured. Born
IN Petersburg, Virginia, June 3th 1856 he entered
the army corporal of cavalry July ID 1857 and
made captain OF light artillery May Sd, lS08 During
the latter year he WIS suspended for remarks deroga-
tory to General Wilkinson. his superior officer but
employed his years absence from duty in laborious
study of his profession His recognized ability and
personal worth gained for him the promotion to the
rank OF heutenant-colonel in July, 1872 when he
was ordered to the Canada frontier.
lie at once Won distinction by his gallantry in the
affair OF Queenstown Heights. where from lack of
proper support both he and his nand were taken
prisoners. Lieutenant Colonel Scott's heroic firm
ness IN standing for the rights of nsturalzed Aner-
can soldiers who were captives with them, and his
Subsequent Jealous and finally successfully labors in
their BEHALF VIII De remembered by all whose recOl-
ieotIonS run back to that period. In the combined
land and naval attack upon Fort George Nav N
1873 while acting as General Dearborn's Adjutant
General, with the rank of colonel he was in COM
mand OF the advance line of suri-bOats was in tho
down the British nag and received somewhat Sc
we're wound.
In the fall Of 1913 Colonel Scott commanded in the
advance Of Wilkins0ns descent Of the st. Lawrenoe
In the spring Of 1914 he was made brigadier Gem
eral, and established camp of instruction at Bufa-
To- and drilled three brigades and a battalion of ar
tillery IN the French tactics, with thoroug hness
that told In subsequent operations, in which General
scott was leading actor, commencing at the battle
Of ChlppeWa, wheie the victory vas handsomely won
BY the skllful adoption of double obiGue order of
eattle, the timely cooperation of infantry and ar
ulIery, and the ACTUAL shock of the bayonet
Twenty days after this memorable victory that of
LundyS Lane was achleved-July 23d, 1Sl4-in which
ScottS personal daring was again as conspicuous as
his military skill. ii had two horses shot under him
at this engagement, and was twice severely wounded
these two victories won oyer the best British troops
on thelr own soil, established the prestige of our
arms, and inspired the whole country with confidence
and pride. In these days we are likely to under
estimate the importance and value OF these victories
at that tune. ana OF the military skill to which they
were mainly due. ...,
After the conclusion of treaty of peace Scott was
offered seat in the Cabinet Secretary of War; but
declined, and promoted to q Major Generalship
IL asssted In the redus ton Of the army to peace
footing, and then visited Europe, in military and
diplomatic capacity arriving there just after the
battle OF Waterloo, and enjoying the advantage OF
consultations with the ablest Of Napoleons Gen
erals. ..
In the peaceful interval that ensued he was by no
means idle He had, Of all the officers in our army,
felt the inadequacy of the discipline. instruction
and regulations existing in 1872. He had, By his
own personal efforts done much to remedy the owls
arising theretrom, and to make the men under his
command soldiers in fact as well as in name After
the var he made several contributions to the meagIe
military literature OF the country, and in 1928, pub
lished his General Regulations for the Army, y
which supplied universally felt defcency-and, in
1883, published his Infantry Tactics. which was
until lateS-th2 basis of all instruction in that line
of our service.
In the interval between the war of 1872 and that
with Mexico, the first event of event of military i'm
portance tha occurred was the Black Hawk war of
1882. Gen. Scott had personal share in this save
in the general direction of operations but his name
fha hXvaG ha
for the heroic spirit aud almost fatherly sohctude
shown by him in his care of the soldiers under his
command. while the rayages of the cholera wefe
daily thinning their ranks. .'
In the year his services were required by the
government in South Carolina, when the first out,
break of the rebellious spirit was manifested and
when the utmost discretion, decacy and frnness
were needed in the commander o. the United States
forces. Atterward, in 1852 began the long, tedious
resultiess seminole war; for whose conduct General
Scott was called to account, but triumphantly
acquitted. In the subsequent troubles with the
Cherokees, ending IN their removal west of the Mis-
sissippi. his personal influence and good manages
ment had much to do in bringing about the final re-
suit. .-' ~. ...,..
The services of General Scott during the Canadian
patriot war" of 1887, distinct in the popu-
lar remembrance. BY the exercise of the greatest
vigilance in preventing needless collisions and the
violation of treaties, and unusual degree of tact
and prudence, foolish and pensive war was avoid
ed, his personal negotiations with the lieutenant
governor of New Brunswick having been especially
effective for this purpose. u r,s.s
In l84l, by the death of General Macomb, General
OCUlt DtGdut Ol Ile Army OF
the United States. The Mexican war began on the
8th and 9Th of May, 1916. which days the battles
Of Palo Alto and Reseca dc la Palma were fought
General Taylor. After the capture of Monterey
when the policy of conquestw was definitely deter
mined on General Scott was assigned the chief COM
mand Of the army in Mexico. and Immediately began
the organization of his forces with view to cam
paign from Vera Cruz
The history of that brilliant campaign is familiar
GERS, who took part IL this campaign and have bsen
honorably identified with the infinitely grander war
just passed, who still regard It as modelin its plan
and method of execution. From the magnificent
landing at Vera Cruz to the storming at Chaputepec
the record of this campaign is full of instances oi
splendid strategy and of the most heroic valor.
Having conquered peace, General Scott so ad-
mlnstered the affairs that the conquered people
garded him as benefactor, and would gladly have
accepted him as President or Emperor, but he re-
fused the honor. Subjected to the humiliation of
Court of Inquiry, his conduct in the campaign was
indicated, and the only result of the attempted
degradation was that he was the more hOnored BY
\ the people. .t slt
Unfortunately for himself he became the Whis
candidate for the Presidency, in 1852 and was nju
dicous enough to attempt vocation for which ht
was never called-that OF speech-making. In 1855
the grade Of Brevet Lieutenant General was created
by Congress- and he was promoted to that rank Will
the condition that it should not survive hn-aI
honor that was cheerfuly accorded him by men al
parties .s-.7 -.
In 1859 he was sent to the extreme northwest o
Oregon, to settle the boundary difficulties that haC
arsen under General Harneyss administration o
military affairs.
Itwas General SCOTS misfortune and not his fault
that he fingered on the stage long enough to Wtnes
the beginning of the great rebellion. We choose nov
to remember, however, how much the old and feeb