Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-02-24
A Reminiscence of General Scott.
BY THURLOW WEED.
From Harper's Magazine for March.


One evening after our rubber /
said to the General, "Therc is one
question | have often wished to ask
you, but have been restrained by
the fear that it might be improper"
The General drew himself up, and
said in his emphatic manner, "Sir,
you are incapable of asking an i'm
proper question" l said, "Y ou are
very kind; but if my inquiry is in
discreet | am sure you will allow it
to pass unanswered" 81 hear you,
Sir" he replied. "Well, then, Gen
eral, did any thing remarkable hap
pen to YOU on the morning of the
battle of Chippewa?" After brief
but impressive silence he said, ayes,
Sir; something did happen to me
something very remarkable. / will
now for the third time in my life re-
late the story:
"The 4th day of July, 1914, was
one of extreme heat. On that day
my brigade skirmished with a Brit
ish force commanded by General
Riall from an early hour in the
morning till late in the afternoon.
We had driven the enemy down the
river some twelve miles to Streets
Greek, near Chippewa, where we
encamped for the night, our army
occupying the west, while that of
the enemy was encamped on the
east side Of the creek. After our
tents had been pitched observed a
flag, borne by a man in PEASANTS
dress, approaching my marquee.
He brought letter from lady who
occupied large mansion on the OPP
posilc side of the creek, informing
me that she was the wife of a mem
Der of Parliament, who was then at
Quebec; that her children, servants,
and a young lady friend were alone
with her in the house; that General
Rial had placed sentinel before
her door; and that she vcnturcd,
with great doubts of the propriety
of the request, to ask that | would
place a sentinel upon the bridge to
protect her against stragglers from
our camp. | assured the mcsscn-
ger that the lady's request should
be complied with. Early the next
morning the same messenger, bear
ing white flag, rc-appeared with a
note from the same lady, thanking
me for the protection she had enjoy
ed, adding that, in acknowledge
ment of my civilities, she begged
that l would, with such members of
my staff as | chose to bring with
me, accept the hospitalities of her
Louise at a breakfast which had been
prepared with considerable atten-
ton, and was quite ready. Acting
upon an impulse which have new
er been able to analyze or compre-
hend, I called two Of my aids, Lieu
tenant Worth and Watts, and re-
turned with the messenger to the
mansion already indicated. We
met our hostess at the door, who
ushered us into the dining room,
where breakfast awaited us, and
where the young lady previously re-
ferred to was already seated by the
coffee-urn. Our hostess, asking to
be excused for few minutes, retir-
ed, and the young lady Immediately
served our coffee. Before we had
broken our fast Lieutenant Watts
rose from the table to get his ban
dana THAT being before the days of
napkins,) which he had left in his
cap on side-table by the window,
glancing through which he saw In
dians approaching the house on one
side, and red-coats approaching it
on the other, with an evident pur-
pose of surrounding it and us, and
instantly exclaimed, "General, we
are betrayed" Springing from the
table and clearing the house, l saw
our danger, and remembering Lord
Chesterfield had said, sWhatever It
is proper to do, it is proper to do
well,' and as we had to run, and my
legs were longer than those Of my