Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/511

Rh be understood (and who shall gainsay his significant acquiescence), that all rewards and punishments in this army were from the first to follow his recommendations. This, the more powerful of the pronunciados against No. 349 well knew at the time, as I soon knew that he was justly obnoxious, not only to the animadversion of that order, but to other censures of yet a much graver character.

In respect to this General the letter of recall observes parenthetically, but with an acumen worthy of more than a hasty notice, that some of my specifications of his misconduct are hardly consistent with your official reports and commendations.

Seemingly, this is a most just rebuke; but, while waiting for the trials, I will here briefly state that, unfortunately, I followed that General's own reports, written and oral; that my confidence, lent him in advance, had been but very slightly shaken, as early as the first week in October, 1847; that up to that time, from our entrance into this city, I had been at the desk, shut out from personal intercourse with my brother officers, and that it was not till after that confinement that facts, conducts and motives began to pour in on me.

A word, as to the fifth article of war, I can truly say that, in this and other communications, I have not designed the slightest disrespect to the Commander-in-Chief of the army and navy of the United States. No doubt he, like myself, and all others, may fall into mistakes as to particular men; and I cannot, having myself been behind the curtain, admit the legal fiction that all acts of a Secretary are the acts of the President; yet, in my defensive statements, I have offered no wanton discourtesy to the head of the War Department; although that functionary is not in the enumeration of the above mentioned article.

Closing my correspondence with the Department, until after the approaching trial, I have the honor to remain, respectfully, your most obedient servant,

3em

Secretary of War.