Smyrna times., 1866-06-06
Lieut.. -Gen. Scott.

pS
Point a little after | O'Clock Tuesday morning
Few Americans will hear without emotion Ri,
announcement of the death of one who in year
past has deserved so well of his country: nj
though, intirm as he had been for long while
the news does not come upon us with the shocl
OF a surprise.
Winfield Scott was born in PETERSBURG Va
June 49, 1856, and consequently at the f;mo q
his death lacked only two weeks of the ACE n
So He was the grandson of an adherent ot
the Pretender, who fled to America from III,
field OF CullOden, and the son of CAPTAIN VII
ham Scott, an officer of the army of the Revo
luton He was educated at William and Mar,
College, and after having devoted a short time
TO legal studies, removed to Charleston, witt
the intention OF practising there as a LAWYER
But the war with Great Britain was then i'm
mlnent and when hOstilities seemed ON the eve
OF breaking out, young Scott who once before
ON similar alarm had ridden % miles bv nigh
as soon as he heard a cry for volunteers. anc
appeared on parade the next morning in bor.
rOwed uniform in the ranks of dra9oon reri.
ment, threw down his books and hastened tc
Washington to ask for commission. In
April, lSOS, a bill passed Congress authoriZino
the increase of the Regular Army by the addi-
ton OF eight new regiments, and on the Sd o1
the next month Scott was appointed a Captain
In one OF them-the light artillery. He re-
crulted his company in Petersburg and Rich
mOnd, and was sent with it to New Orleans to
JOIN the army on the Mississippi, then comman.
ued by Gen. w wilkinson, who was shortly after
ward relieved by Wade Hampton, the grandfa-
ther OF the notorious Rebel cavalry leader.
scott cordially detested Wilkinson, whom he
regarded as a coward and an accomplice in the
A nl al, Il, loA
ed contempt for consequences which always
distinguished him, he expressed his opinion of
nj ms commander very freely at a public table.
Inc consequence was court of inquiry, partly
into tins matter, and partly into Il technical ir-
regularity In his accounts, involving, however.
no personal dlshOnOr. He was sentenced to be
suspended for year. This time he emploved
at home IN studying law, and, to subordinate
degree, IN reading works on military science
Should war come at last" he wrote during
this interval, who knows but that NAV vet
write nv history with my sword?' Very soon
after rejolning his command, he was assigned
position on Gen. Hampton's staff. But it is
curious to mark how unsettled he seemed to
be about his future career for he continued to
review Coke and Blackstone as energetically as
he reviewed the troops, and thought as much
about admission to the bar Of New Orleans as
he did about glory in the field. The war came
at last, IN 1872, and Capt Scott was promoted
to the rank OF Northumberland, and ordered
to the Niagara frontier. Here he witnessed
hls hrst battle the affair of Queenstown
Hlghts-where he commanded on the field du-
ring the latter part of the day, and greatly dis
tlnguished himself. In consequence of the
cOwardice of the American reserves, he was ta-
ken prisoner with his whole command. but was
soon exchanged. The British, acting up to
their doctrine of perpetual allegiance, which
had been principal cause of the war, selected
the Irish and Brltish-born prisoners to be sent
10 England and tried for treason; but Colonel
Scott induced our Government to adopt such
vigorous retallatlve measures that the men were
released. In the Spring of 1913 he returned
to the frontier, with the rank of colonel and the
position of chief Of staff to General Dearborn
lie commanded the American forces which
captured Fort George, on the 9th of Nav
when he was severely wounded. lie shared in
the abOrtlve frontier campaign of that unprin-
ciped imbecile'' las he used to call him), Will
klnsOn, and when that was over, was sent. with
the rank Of brigadier- general, to command a
camp of instruction at Buffalo. The value of
his labOrs In this place was strikingly displayed
at the battle of Chippewa, July I, 1914, when,
after long series of disasters, the American
arms gained victory, small in itself but most
important in its moral effect. In this engage
ment, as well as in the well-fOught battle of
Lundy Lane, about three weeks afterward
scott had gallant and prominent share. In
Che latter action he was twice wounded He
was Immediately brevetted Major General. and
congress ordered gold medal to be presented
TO him IN testimony of their appreciation of his
distinguished services, 'and Of his uniform gal
lantry and good conduct in sustaining the rem
utatlon OF the arms of the United States" " lie
was offered the post of Secretary of War. but
declined it. The peace which soon ensued
gave HIM an opportunity to visit Europe, where
he saw Paris during the allied occupation. and
made many distinguished acquaintances. With
the exception of the publication of his Gene
raj Regulations for the Army" in 1925, and
one or two personal quarrels with Gen. Jack
son and others, which fortunately did not lead
to hostile meetings, he did nothing to bring
himself much before the public until the out
break OF the Black Hawk war in 1882, when he
was sent to the West in command Of an army
but had no opportunity of fighting. During
the notification troubles he commanded in
Charleston. The hostilities with the Seminole
Indians in Florida began in 1875, and Scott
was ordered to the theater Of war, but was soon
recalled and sent to the Greek country His
campaign lOO DIlcl1 anu WAS ClOScu
by court of inquiry, which decided fully in
his favor. He attributed the summOnng of
this court to the personal enmity of Gen. Jack
son. In lS4l he became General in Chief, on
the death Of Gen. Macomb.
Passing over the difficulties arising from the
Canadian Rebellion in 1887, the North Eastern
boundary disputes in 1889, and the removal of
Cherokeess from Georgia, in all which General
Scott rendered important services to the Gov
ernment, we come to the war in which he was
to reap his greatest harvest ofrenown, and es-
tablish reputation as one of the best of living
soldiers. The Mexican war opened in NAV,
l846, with the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca
de la Palma, followed by those of Monterey
and Buena Vista in September and February
all won by Gen. Taylor. 1t was evident, af-
ter the storming of Monterey, that hostilities,
to be effective, must be carried into the interior
of Mexico, and a new line of operations chosen,
having the capital for its objective The army
for this task was placed under the command Of
Scott, who landed at Vera Cruz with I2. 600
men, March 9, lS47; captured the city after a
bombardment of fifteen days; and on the 8th
of April began his march toward Mexico. The
I