The Washington herald., 1915-06-10
HISTORY BUILDERS.
by DIR. r.. J. EDWARDS.
Why Gen. Scott Made His Trip to
EUROPE.

In the fall of 1861. about the time Gen.
Mcclellan was placed in command of
the Army of the Potomac. announcement
was made at Washington that Gen. Win
field Scott. who had been for years in
command of the armies of the United
States under the President, had been
appointed by President Lincoln a per-
sonal representative-with Archbishop
Hughes. of New York: Bishop McIlvaine
of Ohio, with Thurlow Weed-tO visit
England and France for the purpose of
persuading those in authority in those
countries to give support to President
Lincoln and the Union cause.
Gen. Scott did sail with Thurlow Weed
on the steamship Arago. and the country
accepted correct the report that he
and these three civilians We're provided
with letters introducing them as special
and personal representatives of the Pres
ident. Some years ago, I learned from
former Postmaster General Thomas l..
James that this report. so far as Gen.
Scott was concerned. was incorrect
In the fall of 1861" said Gen. James.
II was stationed at the pier from which
the steamship Arago sailed. At that
time. | was an officer in the custom
house at New York. / saw Gen. Scott
and. in fact. assisted him aboard the ves-
sell He seemed to me to be very infirm.
ne ndu Wltnlt1 Il lew years taken on so
much flesh that it was not easy for him
to move about. His eyes We're bright
and he spoke in such manner as to per-
suadc me that his mind was not at all
impaired by reason of his great age. He
was so stout that II was necessary for
the steamship officers to cause a berth
double the usual size to be built for him.
Il noticed that it was with the great
est difficulty that he used his legs. He
was supported by an attendant and even
then could hardly stand. 1t seemed to
me strange that man in his physical
condition should he sent abroad as
representative OF the President
Il learned confidentially that Gen
Scott was not making this trip to Europe
as representative of the President
Thurlow Weed had told me that Gen
Scott had been advised by {ome one in
Washington who was familiar with the
achievements Of n very able surgeon in
Paris that in all probability this surgeon
could treat him so that he would he able |
to recover the use of his legs The gen. |
eral made further inquiries and was per-
suadcd that the chances were excellent |
that treatment of the kind suggested |
would prove successful in his case. He, |
therefore, after consultation with Pres
ident Lincoln and the Secretary of |
State. William II. Seward. who approved !,
his purpose. decided to go to Paris and |
submit himself to surgical treatment. !
That was the reason why Gen. Scott |
went to France at that time. He did |
have some sort of communication with |
Seward which would justify /
him in talking in a semi-official way with |
the leading men OF Great Britain and |
France.
1T is my recollection now that the
treatment to which he submitted in p,r;s
was of no great benefit to him. although
he did live about five years after his re-
turn to the United States. He made his
home at West Point. and it was there
that he died.
Copyright. ISIS. by f. J. Edvris All rights re-
. Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell How
the Country Was Spared One HumiIia-
fion''