720 



UNITED STATES. 



other was growing weaker by the overstrained 

 effort to maintain a position which it finally 

 yielded without a single blow. A foothold was 

 obtained on the coast of North Carolina, and 

 another at Port Eoyal, in the waters of South 

 Carolina, and adjacent to Georgia. Preparations 

 were commenced for an expedition designed to 

 attack New Orleans. (/See EXPEDITIONS.) The 

 eifect of these movements was to cut off all 

 hope of foreign aid, either military or commer- 

 cial, from the people of the Confederate States. 

 Meantime a powerful expedition was organized 

 in the West. It consisted of two branches, one 

 of which was prepared in Kentucky under 

 Gen. Buell, and the other at St. Louis. In con- 

 nection with the military force, a large number 

 of light draft steam gunboats were built, many 

 of which were clad with iron, and designed to 

 cooperate on the rivers with the armed force 

 on land. At the same time a sort of skirmish- 

 ing warfare was conducted in Western Vir- 

 ginia, Kentucky, and Missouri, which resulted 

 in the complete withdrawal of the Confederate 

 forces from those States and that portion of 

 Virginia. In this section of the country the 

 people were so evenly divided in their sym- 

 pathies between the North and South, that 

 whichever had the largest force for the time, 

 controlled the greatest portion of territory. A 

 list of the skirmishes is embraced in the state- 

 ments respecting those States. In the efforts 

 for the war even Nebraska furnished two regi- 

 ments, and the loyal people of New Mexico 

 took the field, determined to defend their own, 

 if no assistance came from the " States." 



On the 31st, of October, Gen. Winfield Scott, 

 the lieutenant-general of the army of the United 

 States, or the executive officer under the Presi- 

 dent, who is the commander-in-chief, deter- 

 mined to resign his position. Age and its in- 

 firmities had imposed this step upon him. This 

 office was created and tendered to General Scott 

 after the close of the Mexican war, in which he 

 conducted the American arms with so much 

 glory into the very halls of the Montezutnas. 



Born near Petersburg, in Virginia, June 13, 

 1785, he entered the army as captain of light 

 artillery May 3, 1808, and served his country 

 with unvarying success for more than half a 

 century. In that time he proved his right 

 to rank with the first commanders of the age. 

 He was twice honored with a gold medal from 

 Congress for distinguished services, and now 

 retired from active duty with the reputation, 

 after fifty years of command, of never having 

 lost a battle when he was present in person. 



To accomplish his purpose, he addressed the 

 following letter to the Secretary of War : 



HEAD-QUARTERS OP THE ARMY, 

 WASHINGTON , October 31, 1861. j 

 The Hon. S. CAMERON, Secretary of War : 



SIR : For more than three years I have been unable, 

 from a hurt, to mount a horse, or to walk more than a 

 few paces at, a time, and that with much pain. Other 

 and new infirmities dropsy and vertigo admonish me 

 that repose of mind and body, with the appliances of 

 &urgery aud medicine, are necessary to add a little 



more to a life already protracted much beyond the 

 usual span of man. 



It is under such circumstances made doubly pain- 

 ful by the unnatural and unjust rebellion now raging 

 in the Southern States of our (so late) prosperous and 

 happy Union that I am compelled to request that my 

 name be placed on the list of army officers retired from 

 active service. 



As this request is founded on an absolute right, 

 granted by a recent act of Congress, I am entirely at 

 liberty to say it is with deep regret that I withdraw 

 myself, in these momentous times from the orders of a 

 President who has treated me with distinguished kind- 

 ness and courtesy ; whom I know, upon much personal 

 intercourse, to be patriotic, without sectional partiali- 

 ties or prejudices ; to be highly conscientious in the 

 performance of every duty, aud of unrivalled activity 

 and perseverance. 



And to you, Mr. Secretary, whom I now officially ad- 

 dress for the last time, I beg to acknowledge my many 

 obligations, for the uniform high consideration I have 

 received at your hands; and have the honor to remain, 

 sir, with high respect, your obedient servant, 



WINFiELD SCOTT. 



This letter was laid before a Cabinet meet- 

 ing called for the purpose of considering it, 

 and it was concluded, under the authority of a 

 recent act of Congress, to place Gen. Scott on 

 the retired list of the army, with the full pay 

 and allowances of his rank. At 4 o'clock on 

 the afternoon of the same day the President, 

 accompanied by the Cabinet, proceeded to the 

 residence of General Scott, and read to him the 

 official order carrying out this decision. 



The venerable general, oppressed by infirmity 

 and emotion, rose, with difficulty to make to 

 the President his acknowledgments, which he 

 did in touching terms, concluding with the dec- 

 laration that the kindness manifested towards 

 him on this occasion he felt to be the crowning 

 reward of a long life spent in the service of his 

 country, and his deep conviction of the ultimate 

 triumph of the national arms and the happy 

 termination of the unnatural war. 



The President responded, expressing the 

 profound sentiment of regret with which the 

 country, as well as himself, would part with a 

 public servant so venerable in years, and so 

 illustrious for the services he had rendered. 



The following was the official order : 



On the first day of November, A. D. 1801, upon his 

 own application to the President of the United States, 

 Brevet Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott is ordered 

 to be placed, and hereby is placed, upon the list of re- 

 tired officers of the army of the United States, without 

 reduction of his current pay, subsistence, or allowances. 



The American people will hear with sadness and 

 deep emotion that Gen. Scott has withdrawn from the 

 active control of the army, while the President and 

 unanimous Cabinet express their own and the nation's 

 sympathy in his personal affliction, and their profound 

 sense of the important public services rendered by him 

 to his country during his long and brilliant career, 

 among which will ever be gratefully distinguished his 

 faithful devotion to the Constitution, the Union, and 

 the Flag, when assailed by parricidal rebellion. 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 



On the same day the following order was is- 

 sued by the President : 



WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 1S61. 



GENERAL OKDKI'.S, NO. 'J4. 



The President is pleased to direct that Major-Gen- 

 eral George B. McClellan assume the command of the 



