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D. I.CLINGD'H KF.I’LV To GOV. GAS; . Hi;ri!nß, Camdkx County tiro. May 13. 1837. I have seen in tin; Globe <>!' the 15th nil. n hind article over the signature ol I-own Cam purporting to boa defence ol that gentleman against corum imputations in regard to the operations in Florida while Secretary <>f War. in noticing Hue very plausible anil Ihytnmnlir appeal to the leoling-t of the jienpleof lint United Slates which 1 led iinpclled to do, Iruni a no line of justice lo myself os well «s to my follow countryi non, I .shall coliiie myself to Much pans of it ns relate lo my evidence before lb* Court of Inquiry, and the opera tions in Florida while I commanded m|iliat sec tion of country. To enable the public to form a fair and honest opinion on the subjects un der consideration, I shall exhibit a plain, un varnished statement of facts contained in let tors addressed to, and received from the differ ent bureaus of the Was Department, with a few bnel leinarksoii Ibenlost imported!evetils that occurred,from the dale of the order Us signing me to the command of the troops in Florida, up to the time I was relieved in that command by Major (Jencral Scott. The firm object ol Governor Cass appears to lie to en list the sympathies of the public, by trying lo make it appear that he had been attacked and injured by myself and others, expresses his unwillingness to remain under the imputations that I so cavalierly east on him—complains of hisbemg far from In me, of want of docu ments, <Cc. &c. I must here beg to state that ] was not an officious or volunteer «l ness be. fore tin; Court of Inquiry. The summons from that court found mu on my plantation, sur rounded by my family ami friends, ami faf from the noise and bustle of public life nr po litical excitement. And, if I know mysell, xv it hunt malice or hate against any one. Ami if I believed I had been wronged by those m authority, these wirings had not been obtruded j •on tho public, nor were they exhibited be- | tore the Court Nothing transpired wlnlo I was before the court that authorized Major General Scull to make the gratuitous remarks ho did, in relation to part of my evidence, when summing up Ins dulenco before that tri bunal, on which Governor Cass seized with such avidity, and which enabled him to make several sarcastic flourishes: but unfortunately .fur him, they were as impotent ami puiniloss .as his other efforts in that line. .My acquain tance with Governor Cass is entirely official. The opinion I expressed before the court in referrico to Ids want of energy anil military forecast inThe management ol tho War De partment, was elicited l>y a question from the Court, ami had been formed, oiler a close oh nervation of his official acts generally, and particularly on the occurrences that li.id taken place in Florida. This opinion, I believe, accords with that of nilio-tonllis o( the offi cers ol the army; and is strongly sustained by -the opinion of Hie Court in Hie case of Gen eral Scott, as well ns hy Governor Cuss’s own showing. If 1 have been mistaken os to the political dreams and aspirations of Governor Cass, and should have said any thing that in jured Ins feelings, 1 regret it, and freely ask Ins forgiveness; and il this is not satisfactory, will make any other repartition that an hon orable unin should ask of iinuilier. Having previously stated that 1 had no personal ac quaintance with Governor Cass I am not condemns of entertaining towards him any •unkind findings, nor would I willingly, if 1 could, take from linn the smallest, honor he lias already or he may hereafter acquire in his public career, nor throw a straw in hispollli •oal path. I have long held his high literary attainments in much respect, ami feel con scious of the many difficulties under which 1 labor in being forced before the public, by a gentleman ol such acquirements, and surroun ded as ho is by the glitter ot high official sta tion, and shielded us lie still appears to feel himself by the mantle of the late I’resldmit. I huvu full confidence, however, in the sound good sense and justice ni my countrymen,and will abide any decision they may think pro per lo make on tho facts which J shall en deavor to lay before them. For tho belter information of the reader, I will commence as fur buck ns October, 1834. On the first of that month there were three nominal companies of regular troops m Southeastern Florida, and stationed us fol lows ; one at Key West, one ul til Augustine, and one at Fort King. In the course of Hint month. Captains Russel and Graham, then at Fort King, nllcr witnessing a largo meeting ol'theseininoles, and their strong dislike ton compliance with tho stipulations of the treaty made at Payne's Landing, wrote to tho Adju tant General, from which tho following ex tract is taken : Camp Kino, (Florida,) Oct. 27,1834. , Sir: So far from giving any thing lilts u di rect, reasonable, or even respectful answer to the questions thus submitted hy the agent, a majority ol influential chiefs have openly dis played a temper and disposition In reference to their intended removal, that fully satisfies us that they are fixed m their determination to disregard the obligations imposed upon them by Hie said treaty. Believing them to be wilfully faithless, we feel it n solemn duty to suggest respectfully to the War Depart ment the obvious necessity of marshaling a force in and near the Indian border imuiedi ately, sufficiently impost ag to uwo these delu ded duels Into a.proper respect for and sub mission to their solemn treaty, and thus per haps prevent disastrous consequences which may otherwise result from their delusion.— We therefore respectfu ly submit for the con sidcralion of the honorable the Secretary of War, that this post be sirciigtltencd hy the ad dition ofdbur or five companies, and that as -many more be stationed at Cantonment Brooke, Tampa Hay, as early as possible.— Tins management will afford prelection to tins post, the while settlers around the Indian border, and awe liaise deluded people into a proper respect for iheir treaty with the United Stoles. J. 11. F. RIJSSKLL, ('iipi V. S Army. WM M GRAHAM. Cap/. Fourth Infantry. To Gon. R. Jones, Aft Gen, U. S Army, Washington. In the course of a month or two alter Hie | date of Hus letter, three nominal companies I were stmt to Fort Brooke, Tampa Bay. and j not one to Fort King- In N ovember, 1831, j order No. 72 was issued, one paragraph of which directed mo to take command el at! Hie j troops in Florida, as will be seen by the fol- I lownig extract: Order > Adjutant Gencrai/s Office, J No. “2, j M ashinjf/m, \mi 24, 1837. “Brevet Brigadier General Clinch, Colonel ol the 4th inlantry, is tor the present, assigned to Hie command of all the troops tfnliuncd in Florida, and will take post, &c. (Signed) R. JONES, Adjutant General. After having assumed the command, pur. pnant to order No. 72, 1 wrote on the 251 h December, 1834, to Hie Adjutant General, and remonstrated against small force placed under my command, and in reply, was mfannedjthat my services in,Florida were con sidered of importance, und that n was uncor tain to what amount the force might be in- i creased, which clearly implied Hmi whatever the number might he augmented to, 1 would 1 still retain tho command. On the 221 Jau. I nary, 1835 I addressed a letter to the Adjn tain General, from winch the following is ex- j traded: Fort Ki.no, 22J January, 1835. 1 “Sut; 1 w rote to yon a few days since, via Si. Augustine, but a? the letter may not reach you as soon as by Hie regular mail route, I have thought proper lo write you again on a : ! subject which funned part of my lust column-11 ucaiiou. In that communication, 1 staT-J Hut f i wav the intention el ilmj Government . Io remove the Seminole Indians weal in the I • spring, with or without their consent, it would ; i lie necessary, in my opinion, to send lour ad- t ditmnal companies to tins post,two to hirt I Brooke, end two mix pounders lo each post. I Tho morn I see of Hus tribe ol Indians, the j i more folly I am convinced, that they have; i not the least intention of fulfilling their treaty i stipulations, unless compelled lo do so by a stronger forte than mere icordt. Their minds have Keen go completely perverted by a set i i of interested designing men. Hut no argu . mcnl or reasoning will havelhe lea'll influence I with them, except the argument ol force; and if a sufficient nimlary force lo overcome them, | is not gent into the nation, they will not be] removed, and the whole frontier may bo laid waste hy a combination of the Indians, In dian negroes, and tho negroes dll tile planta tions. Il is useless lo rninee this question: it should he met. and met (irmly, if Hour treaty is to be carried into effect, - (Hid I do not hesi tate lo state, add I do so frbin sonic small knowledge of the Indian character, lhal a large majority of Hus nation have not the most distant idea of going weal, and that they will not do so, unless compelled by a strong military force. I have therefore felt it my rimy lo make known lo the Oeneral-iii-Ulnet my views on tins subject, and to call lor a suf ficient ntiiilnry forte completely equipped tor active field service, (and not with thirteen rounds Os cartridge per man,) so as to enable me lo assume any altitude nhal the govern moot may think proper to order me to take, in relation loiliis Willfully deluded tribe." From which it will be seen. Hint with a copy Os Ihe letter of Cnpl’s Russell mid Graham, j calling (or Inn companies, I urged the neces-1 Ally ol sending six additional companies into tho coilntry, only four of which were sent, amounting in all, to not more limn one hun dred ami sixly men fit for actual field ser vice—nine companies less than Imdb.en ae j (nally called (or between October, 1831, and i January, 1835. I do not mention these facts with the intention Os inducing the reader to heluive, that if (he first requisi tion bud have been folly complied with, that I should have required the full nnmhe r ol companies called for in my letter of the 22d January, bin to prove the unwillingness there was on (he part of the head of the War De partment, lo comply with Hie requisition made from Florida. But Governor (lass tells the public in the face of these (nets, and lliiilds much of Ins own defence on Ins own assufilfin that four companies were sent into Florida on my requisition of the 22d January, 1835, ami that I was authorized loculi to my indtlic company at Key V esl; which I have shown had been previously jilaccd under my command by virtue ot Order No. 72 leaving us he sta’es one company less than I called lor and nine less than had been actually called tor in Octo ber, 1831, and January 1835. I believe it is pretty 'rencrully known by Hie people of the UnileJ hintes, that Key West forms a part of Florida. That fact being conceded, and tlm fact of my having been placed in com murid of all I lie troops jn Florida, by virtue ol Order No. 72, being adn.iled, 1 think further comment on this part of Gov ‘Joss’ appeal is superfluous. Governor Cagg tells ns Hint, llio fui'nc in Florida, in the spring of 1835, was found by experience to be enough, us it accomplished its objects, and led to a mutual arrangement. Before Hie public can pass un honest and clear ( opinion on ibis subject, it will be nucessiiry to know the object Hie Government wished to t effect by sending troops into Florida. II it was , merely to make an arrangement with the In- , dmns lo comply with their Muleiim treaty slip- , illations nl a limn beyond that .»hicli had been j agreed on, I will admit, Unit nller the most , untiring zeal and exertions on Hie part of those i to whom the duty of making that arrangement hmi been assigned, Hint a number of the Sem inole Indians did agree lo comply with their lioiily ut a period moro distant than the one first agreed on. But if the object of the Gov ernment in sending a force into Florida was, us understood at tho time to induce the In dians to comply with their treaty, it lias been shown by sad experience, that it wag totally inademiato to effect that purpose. What es- 1 feet u larger lorec would have hud ut this im portant crisis in our Indian affairs, 1 will J leave to the decision of tho public. Tho following extract from (otters address- , ed to the/Tdjntant General dated on tlm Ist ; and 20lh April, previous to and alter the nr- i ruiigeni Jills above alluded lo had been enter- j ed into with tho Indians, will show the dispo- , silion made of tho mii hi 11 force under my com mand for the quiet and prelection of the coun try, and the latter paragraph of each letter shows most clearly what wore my views as to the necessity of nut weakening the force then 1 in Florida. Two vciy urgent requisitions for 1 troops to bo sont. to Florida bad only been partial y complied with. Would it not, then, 1 whatever I may have thought on tho subject, 1 have been folly lo have made another reqmsi- 1 lion for moro troops !” ! Extract of a letter, dated "Fort Kino, April 1,1835. “Should the chiefs come to tho conclusion to remove quietly, it will bo necessary to i keep the present force in Florida until they i remove, ns the only moans of compelling c them to comply with their engagements." Extract from aleller, dated “ Fort Kino, April 20,1835. 1 1 have tho honor further to state, for the \ information of tho General-in-chief, that I ( have made the following disposition of the , troops placed under my command: Lieut. Col. , Fanning, with four companies, will remain at , this post, and during the lew days I may be , absent from Florida, will be left in command , Brevet Major Zantzniger will continue with 1 his three companies, «l present, at Fort I ! Brooke, in command of the post, and charged with the protection of that section of country, , and with keeping tho Indians within their i southern boundary. Cnpt. Tlmiston, with Ins company, Is ordered lo lake post about twelve miles northwest from Hi s, and near i the boundary line, whore there are comforta ble quarter* lor himself and command, and is charged with keeping the Indians willun their | northwestern boundary, and with giving pro i lection to that section ot country. Brevet Ala j jor Dade will remain at Key West, mid is di j rertid to gvu protection to tho settlements I near (’ape Florida, and loorder within llieir i limits all the Indians that may be found in 1 i that quarter. Captain Drams is ordered to : | return with Ins company to Fort Marion, and 1 I is directed, to proceed, as soon after Ins ar- ' I rival at that post as practicable, as fur south as Indian or .Mosquito rivers, whore it. is re- 1 ported there are a large number of Indians, and lo compel them, and all others he may 1 find between said rivers and a noted trading ! place on S’. Johns called Volusia, to return within their limits, and is charged with the ' protecti m oftlin country east, ot the St. Johns ] nvur. The four companies at this post will act as circumstances may require, and can he ] made comfortable at very little, or no expense i to the Government. I cannot close this has-1 s ty communication, without giving it as my i i decided opinion that not a soldier should bell ordered from Florida until after tho removal! \ of the Indians, as the least move towards di-1 i ininishmgtlie present lofce would ruin every 1 < thing. I would also respectfully suggest the i> necessity ol tilling up the companies in Florida t bv Hid firs! November. The recruits intend ed for the live companies here, and the com-; ’ I puny at Fort Marion should be sent direct to j 1 i tlm St. Johns, ami landed a: Piculala, where ' ! they could be marched to their respective posis." i Governor Cass says, in another part of his J ’ appeal, that there is still higher authority, if, ] possible, tor his justification. “It is the an. thorily ot General Clinch himself: he ask-dj I ’ as 11.0 maximum of the lore** which could be t Mauled, e'a.ou c unpaniea, or five hundred t and liliy in n. Ho received nine companies, i or lour hundred and liny men, and authority I loonier the company from Key IV eat, making ' five hundred men.” Now what are the lacU, as previously shown by me! II has been 1 shown that on the requisition for ten com pa- ' lues, or fl»o hundred men, I hat three reduced companion, amounting m all to no* more than one hundred itlen til fur act!vo advice, were I sent to Tamps. Hay; and op the requisition fir six bumpanier.or three hundred men, lour companies, not exceeding one hundred and sixty then lit for duty, were rent to Fort Kuig; live hundred and forty less than was asked tor m October, 1831, ami January, 1835. and one hundred and forty less than 1 asked (or on the 2Ai January, 1835, agreea bly to Governor Cass' own estimate of the strength of companies. I think comment here is also unnecessary. He says that Gen. Clinch's ustimaie was lor companies, i ad mit the lad; hut in estimating tor companies, had I nut aright to expect that ilie vigilant and untiring head of the War Department won d have caused these companies to have been filled to their maximum strength! That they were not so tilled, no person had a better opportunity of knowing ilian himself. As Governor Cass seems to think the company at Key West of such importance, and refers to n woollen, I hope I will he pardoned for again noticing this part ut his appeal. He says that General Clinch himself considered a less force than that lie named, or even a less force than that placed at tils disposal by tiie Govern ment, adequate to the objects lie had to attain. ; He did not call to Ins aid the company train I Key West; and it is very important in this inquiry lo remark, that while Gen. Clinch now accuses the Government of neglecting Ins application for a proper force during the whole season, the company at Key West, placed under tils command (he preceding Feh nary, almost in sight ot Florida, and nut more than one day's sa I Irani its shores, was left by him on that island, and never reached the sphere of his command until the 31st of December. The order authorizing General Clinch lo call it to his aid, must have reached Intfi the beginning at March. During nine mOiilha, then, deducting the few days neces sary to communicate his orders to Major Dade, and for that officer to cross Over to the main land of Florid*, Gen. Clinch considered Ins force sufficient, or he was guilty of that neglect which ho now charges to the Govern ment. Jtut (still further: Gen. Clinch, in his letter of the Ist April; 1835, otter stating his hchcl that an arrangement would be made which vvhuld ijmet the Indians, and would be satlsfacWfy to the Government, Says Unit should the duel's come to the conclusion to remove quietly, it would hi still necessary to keep the present force itt Florida. The cliitTs did consent lo and the then present force was kept in Florida; nothing inure then did Gen. Clinch demand.” I have made this long quotation trt show to what miserable subterfuges a gentleman of Gov. Gass’s reputation, ami one tilling the high station lie now fills, has been compelled lo resort to in Ins attempt to sustain himself against the opinion of a private individual,given in evidence before a Court of Inquiry. I think I have clearly shown by the extract from General Order No. 72, that the company at s' oy West was placed under my command by that order ; and by tiro extract from my let ter of ti.e VJlkh April, what disposition was thus curly of that company and lire ar duous ami reS(.’ n,, sible duties assigned to it ; and it is also wet, known that only part oftlie chiefs consented F’ remove. With these, facts on file m the Adj.'itunt General’s Office and, no doubt at the time when bo wrote, at the control ot Gov. Cass, bow could ho write and publish to the world, over his nwn signa ture, an article so much at variant w > l '' facts, and showing such a want of ini'brtna tiun as to the relation in which Key Vv r e. s t stands to Florida,and of the operations car ried on in that Territory in 1836 1 Gov. Cass says, in October, General Clinch was authorized to call for two more compa nies, one from Pensacola, and one from Mo bile, it lie thought them necessary. The De partment would have seen by my letters, &c. that this force would be deemed necessary by me, and why not at once have given the ne ci usury orders 1 On the first September, 18- 35, 1 reported the murder of private Dalton. On the Uth October, 1835,1 wrote a letter lo the Department from which the following is extracted. Extractfrom a teller dated. St. Auoiistixk, Oct, 9, 1835. Sin: Tiie time will soon arrive when a large number of the Seminole Indians have agreed to remove lo the West. There are still, however a large number that are unwilling to remove, and from recent indications I am induced to believe that force will have to be used to compel (hem to comply with their treaty stipulations. When the peculiar nature, extern and exposed stale of the Indian frontier is taken into consideration, it will, 1 think, he readily ad mitted dial the force placed under my command is inadequate to enforce a compliance with this treaty, and to give such protection to the frontier settlements as their apprehension from the In dians and from another species of population, induce them lo expect from the Government. Under this view of the subject, I am induced re spectfully lo submit a few remarks for the con sideration of the General-in-chief, and if approved by him, fir that of the proper department, I consider the force already in Florida sufficient lo meet mid control the whole oftlie refaclory Semi notes if they could be concentrated. Hut when scattered over a large extent of country, compos ed of marshes and swamps that are almost im penetrable to the white man, it is entirely inadc qualo to give that protection and quiet to the frontier inhabitants which they export. •; Frequent applications have already been made from different sections of the country for protec tion in ease we should have any difficulty in re moving the Sominoles; and some of the most res portable planters fear that there is already a secret and improper communication carried on between Ilie refractory Indians, Indian negroes, and some of the plantation negroes. For the better pro tection of the frontier settlements, and to stop all intercourse between the Indians and plantations, in case any difficulty should aiise in removing tho Indians, 1 strongly and respectfully urge and recommend the calling into the service of the United Slates, lor tho term of two or throe mouths one hundred and fifty mounted volunteers to bo stationed at such points as the commanding offi cers may think best to effect the object in view, and not to be ordered within the Indian boundary unless in case of absolute necessity. This force to be held ready, hut not to called into actual ser vice until required, and lo be disbanded as soon as their services could be dispensed with. This species of force would, in my opinion, owing to tho nature of the country, be tho most efficient, I and least expensive, under all the circumstances of the case, that could lie employed. Ueing well mounted, ami all of them good Woods-men and good riders, and well acquainted with every part ol the country, and many of them deeply interes ted in its protection, would, give them a decided advantage over any other species of troops, for the kind of service they would be required to per form; and I have no doubt they could be raised without any drtfiiculty. 1 have the honor further to request, that one of the revenue cutlers station ed on the Gull ol Mexico, may bo ordered to cruise along the coast from Charlotte's Harbor lo I ampa Hay. between tho Ist es Uecemlterand Is* ot January next, and lo co-opeiate with Bre vet Major Dade’s command, in ordering in, •nd securing if necessary, all the Indians they may find on that coast, and on their arrival at Tamp i Ray lo remain subject to the orders of the officer commanding the troops in Florida. A small armed vessel of that class would, in my opinion, aid our operations much, and could be placed on that kind of duly for a short time, without the least injury to the revenue.” On the ‘“-'d October, General Jones writes me that the one bundled and fitly mounted men, called for in my letter of Ibefilh October, could not lie complied with, fur reason* that are already before the public; but 1 was, in lieu thereof, autli- is onzed lo order two companies, vix: those at Forts 2 Pike and Wood, (La.) to join roe; which, in ad dition to tho two previously ordered from Pcnsa- a cola and Mobile, would make four. In the ah- o •■■nee of the official reports of those companies, I * think I may safely say they did net amount to h one hundred efficient men for duly at that lime, a I Still Governor Gass tells the public that instead of one hundred and fifty mounted men, 1 had f four companies of regulars, amounting to two I: hundred men, placed undermy orders. So much li lor the accuracy of this part of the Governors ap- a peal; but as he has labored very hard to convince the public, that lie liclievcd in the correctness of r it himself, it may be as well lo explain lo the rea- 1 dcr, the very circuitous direction given to these t orders. They were first sent to moot Fort King, 1 (interior of Florida,) between which place ami < New Orleans Ilie mall was carried once in two c weeks. On the receipt of the order by me, it was t aent by the first mail to Forts Pike and Wood ; but it appears from a report made by Lieutenant I Grayson, who stands deservedly high for prompt- f nets, integrity, and talents, that it did not reach t Fort Wood, before the 4tli of December, and I r presume the copy sent to Fort Pike was received c there about the same lime, and that the two com- 1 panics did not arrive at Tampa Hay, until to- I wards tho last of the month. Here it will bb t seen that an order issued at the V/ar Department a on tiie 23d of October, did nut, owing to the cii- t cuitous direction given lo it, roach its proper des tination until the 3th of December; whereas, if t two or six companies, had llilke been promptly 1 ordered from the posts on the Atlantic, they could c have joined mo in the course of eight or ten days, v 0a the I 7ih of October, 1835,1 wrote A letter to I the Adjutant General, which was received in u Washington, Jamlary 31st, (arid the application tl not granted) front which the following extract is a takort : * tCxlracl from a teller, dated. OcrdilErt 17, 1833. | “Sin; My first wish is lo carry out tho humane i and benevolent views of the Government, in rcla- ( ■ lion to the Seminole Indians, in the way most f conductive to their happiness and comfort and | least expensive lo the nation With these objects , constantly in view, I may have rather under cs- ( tiulsited the means necessary lo carry into effect j tho views and plans of tho Government. By lerring, however to my letter oftlie 18tb of Jan- ’ nary last you will perceieve that I requested that , six companies might be added lo the command ( in Florida, four of whfcli 6'nly were ordered to ( Fort King. In my communication of the Blh , instant 1 state, I consider the force already in j Florida sufficient lo meet ami control the whole Os the refractory Sominoles if they could he con centrated, But when scattered over a largo ex tent of country, composed ol marshes and swamps that are almost impenetrable lo the while man, it is entirely inadequate lo give that protection and quiet to the frontier inhabitants which they ex pect. Since writing the foregoing 1 have becH informed by Assistant Surgeon Archer that dear ly d hundred of thb command now at Fort King have been more or less sick with n thb last two or Hired idunths; and although (nany of them are fit for garrisdn duty, & most of the others are conva lescent, they cannot bo relied on for active and . efficient service; I have, therefore, flic honor res- ' pectfully to Request that three additional compa nies be ordered to Foil King Willi as little dela'y as practicable, with an ample supply of ball and buck shot cartridges.” On tho fifth December I requested four addi tional companies sent to mo with the least pjs s'hlu delay, Pot in lieu of the companies ordered from the Gulf, as asserted by Governor Gass, but four additional companies completely prepared to take tho field, &c, us will apjiear by the follow ing extract; Extract from a letter, ilHted Fobt Defiance, (Micanopt,) Dec. U, 1^35. “ The loss of tho vessel with our supplies has caused much inconvenience, as it takes a donsid etable part of our small force to protect the boats i and wagons engaged in transporting provis , ions. “The uncertainty ns lo the lime when the companies ordered from Louisiana will reach I Tampa, and tlie'distanec they will have to march thro ugh a hostile country before they can join my com man‘ k induces me to request that four addi tional co.ap.to.m* be ordered to join me with the least possible delay/ completely prepared to take tlio field, with a gopd supply of ball and buck shot cartridges. “All the information! receive in relation lothe movements of tho Indians, represent them as be ing in considerable force, and rau.nifbsltt'ff a de termination to engage in murder a.?d plunder. It appears also that they arejoined by the .negroes, and if they are not promptly put down n't® spirit may extend lo tho plantations. | “D. L. CLINCH, Jlvt. lirig Generrl. “To Bvt. Brig. Gen.lt. Jovr.s, .drift Gen." It will lie seen by referring back to the extract from my letter of the 20lli April, the disposition made oftlie small force under my command, to give quiet and protection to tho country; and I now take great pleasure in saying that no part of tho American army ever had more arduous and trying duties assigned than were assigned to this gallant little command, and no part of it ever ac quitted themselves more to the honor oflhcirjcoun try than they did during tho whole of that service. The company at Key West, instead of remain ing idle, as stated by Governor Gass, was entire ly employed in watching over the interest of a very exposed and important part of Florida. It ha* been shown that when 1 assumed the com mand of all the troops in Florida, pursuant lo Or der No. 72, that there wore six companies in that Territory; and that previous to that lime ten com panies had been required, and only three sent. That immediately alter resuming the command, that is, on the 32d January, 1833,1 strongly re commended the sending into Florida six compan ies; only four of which were sent. In my letters oftlie Island 12th of April, I show tho disposi tion made of the troops, and urge that not a man be withdrawn from Florida. That on the 9th October, 1835,1 strongly recommended the rais ing of one hundred and fifty mounted volunteers, the placing a revenue cutter at my disposal, and called for three companies of regulat troops. The two first recommendations were not compli ed with, but I was authorized in that month to order four companies from the posts on the Gulf and that two of these did not arrive at Tampa Bay until towards the last of December, 1835; [ and when there the four companies did not ex ceed one hundred efficient men for duty. That i on the filh December I requested four additional c companies should bo promptly sent to me, which i was refused. If the President had not the au i thority to raise one hundred and fifty mounted i volunteers, why were not three hundred regulars i promptly sent from the posts on the Atlantic, in ; somplianco with the calls made in October, us i also the four companies, or two hundred men I culled for on the 9th of December! If prompt and i energetic measures had licen taken on me part of I the Secretary of War, the whole number requir- i eJ (on my own requisitions) could have reached I me by tho last of December, and would have | given me a disposable lorce of seven hundred I i and forly|regulars, instead of two hundred, on the I 31st December, 1835. Still, in the face of these < tacu, Governor Gun* comes forward and slates, I “as a matter offset, that General Clinch had a tar i greater force under his command than he ever I required,” But here the diplomatist again shows I his true character. Finding that he had gone t too for, for the most credulous reader, he qualities i what he had just asserted as a mutter of fact, by ) saying, “I do not mean that he called them to- s gether—with that I had no concern; I have only t lo show that proper measures fdr that purpose t were taken by the War Department, and I have t shown that these measures ought to have given t General Clinch the full complement of regular I troop* asked for.” But has the Head of the War ( Department nothing to do but to issue his man- i dates at Washington, whethet practicable or not, 1 and fold his arms, lei the consequences to his 1 country he ever *o disastrous, without holding e himself at all responsible! I hardly think the c American people are yet perpared for this itre- t sponsible doctrine. I will here request the at- I tention of the reader to the following extract from « a letter I addressed lo the Adjutant General on I o 36th of December, 1835. ' s Exteacl from rl teller, dated fuiir Duane, December 26, 1833. i Uugtdier General Gall, commanding the Flor- i ula volunteers, formed a junction with mo on the 21st instant. 11 “ Every military man who knows any thing j c about this section of country, will agree in the j opinion that ‘.here is no part of the United Stales ; »o bard to protect ot defend as the one we shall \ have lo operate in, and my means of every kind : are on the most counseled and limited scale. 1 “The troops ordered Irom the West, not heard I from yet ; nor not a word from Commodore Dal las in relation to the armed vessel. The wagons, i hospital, and other tents required last fall, not Jet arrived. “ I also regret lo say that many of the officers arc still absent from their compahies, nor havo I heard any thing from the Assistant Quartermas ter I requested lo be ordered lo join the troops in Florida ; and it is of the very first importance in operating in a country like this, lo have the servi ces of an experienced, dclive, and efficient quar termaster. 1 “From the general defection and determined i hostile altitude of the Seminole nation, I am now i fully of the opinion thdt there should be at least ' twelve huridred regular troops, and five hundred ' mounted itien, in Florida, so as to enable the < commanding officer to have one thousand regu- ' lars and five hundred mounted volunteers in the i field, as we cannot rtdy, for any great length of i time, on the services of the volunteers, composed t as they are, in many instances, of the most wbal- i thy add respectable gentlemen in the country.” < About the 2d December, I found it necessary I to appeal to tho patriotsism of the people of East ] Florida, to rally in defence of the wives, the | children, and firesides of their fellow-citizens, i who wire most exposed lo the scalping knife of , the incbiidiary Indians, which met with a prompt and gcrierous response. In the course of a few : days it was considered necessary to extend the i appeal to other sections of Florida which was al so promptly and generously met; and in the course of a short lime one huridred volunteers were raised and placed under the immediate commatid of Brig. Gen. Gall, by order of Mr. Walker the then efficient Secretary and acting Governor of Flotilla. It will be seen, from tho extract of my letter of the 26th of December, 1835, that this force joined me on the 21st of that month. These volunteers had been called out on the spur of the moment and for one month only. It will also be borne in mind, that at this time I had received flo authority front the War Department, lo raise (or to receive volun teers into the service of the UnitcdjStates, Gov. Gass’s statement to the contrary notwithstanding; and their not having been mustered into the ser vice of the General Government, I could have no legal or lawful authority over them. Thbir junc tion with, and placing themselves under my or ders, were voluntary acts on their part, and my right to exercise authority over them ceased with their willing obedience to that authority. It will he seen that I had no reason lo 6x,<ect a reinforcement of regulars before the expiration ol the terrii for which the volunteers had agreed to serve. Thus sitiiated, I determined to seek the enemy, and met him on the 31st December. On arriving at the Outhlacoochie river, about day light on the morning of the 31st December, in stead ol finding it fordable, as had been represent ed by the guide, of the small insignificant stream Kcptcsftrfted by Gov. Gass; it was found lo bo iold arid deep. Orders were, however, immedi ately given to cross it, when two brave soldiers of the then gallant, hut now lamented, Captain Mellon’s company (whose names I regret I do not now recollect) swam the rivet, and brought over an old canoe, in which the regulars com menced crossing, and after some inelVuclual at tempts to construct a bridge, a few of the volun teers commenced swimming I licit horses, prepar ing rafts, &c. Lt. Col. Fanning Was ordered, on Crossing, to select the most eligible position, and to form his command as fast as they crossed. I somotimC' after ctd'ased myself, arid while superin finding (hosC Who were engaged in swimming horses, bidding rafts, &c. the ride of the enemy Was hcaf J, which was the first signal of the com mencement of tho hard fought, hut victorious, battle oftlie 3let December, 1835, a brief and plain account of Which, based on the most accu rate information then inf my possession,' was given lo the public through the channel of tho War Department. During tho hottest part! of the en gagement, discovering that the volunteers did not come up ns 1 expected, I despatched Got. Reid with orders lo Gen. Call to bring tip his volun teers ns soon as possible. Soon after the. last charge hadj been made by the gallant regulars, tnd tho small band of brave volunteers who nobly aided them, and the enemy routed and silenced, Col. Retd returned to tiie field accompanied by Gen. Gall; and on their approaching near to where 1 was, I put my horse in motion, and on meeting them, and not seeing any of the volun teers with Gen. Gall, I asked him where were his I volunteers, to which lie replied “at their posts.” /ift.’r a few other remarks not now recollected, Gen. flail observed, that in riding from the river, he had passed near to where the killed and wounded rot;! been taken; that the number was very great, anJ that it would be impossible to fol low up the success already obtained, without sac rificing those noble fellows; that it was getting late, and that a good ma.'iy ®f the volunteers were still on the opposite side ol Ike river. After a moment’s rellection, and a short .consultation, I determined at every hazard to protect the wound ed, and have the dead hurled, and gave orders lo remove them across the river. Having kept pos session oftlie field for more than two hours a tier the fight, the troops were ordered to rccross, willed they did in the most perfect order. It is impossible for a commanding general to observe every thing that occuis on a field of battle. His reports arc made out from his own observations and the best information he can obtain from others. Many circumstances must necessarily happen which he can know nothing of at the time. The official repot of the battle of the 31st was made out in much haste, in tho midst of tho wounded, in the hurry and hustle of the departure ot the volun teers, (whose term of service had expired) and no doubt contains some unintentional inaccura cies. I will here briefly answer the question so often asked, and which is repeated by Gov. Cass, why was not the whole volunteer force in the en gagement! When I made my official report, I was under the impression, Irom a conversation held with Gen. Gall a short lime previous lo my crossing the river, m which he slated that a small number ol the volunteers from Middle Florida had expressed an unwillingness lo cross, on ac- i count ol tho shortness of the time they had to serve; that many others acting under the same i views and feelings, had refused to cross, I have , since been informed by many of the volunteer officers and men, that Gen. Gall gave a positive i order to the volunteers that no man should cross, i and actually formed those on the north side, to i receive the attack of the enemy, should one bo' i made. Now it this statement bo true, and I pre- | sumc there can be but little doubt on the subject, ■ what does it prove! Nothing more or less than 1 that General Gall committed an error of judgment i in beingover cautious in protecting the rear,when I the front and advance of the army were engaged, i in a death struggle for victory, with a savage and I ferocious enemy of three times their number, i protected, 100, by a dense cypress swamp, and I that the volunteers were not lo blame for obeying i the order. Some of these volunteers did, howev- i er, cross the river after the fight commenced, (al- , though not in time to’join in the conflict,) and rendered important service by forming on the flanks, which gave strength and security lo the Irani, while the killed and wounded were being reconveyed ovet the river. When Gen. Call told me on the field that the volunteers were at their posts, I had a light lo expect, from his previous standing as an officer, that he had disposed of them to the best of his judgment, 1 certainly owed Gen. Call nothing, and could have had no motive or object in wishing to conceal either his acts or my own, on that day, from public scrutiny, i In the course of a long military life, I defy any one to say that I ever attempted to raise myself, 1 by detracting from the meri;s of others, nor have I ever cast unnecessary censure on any one. I I have thought it necessary to say thus much, in i explanation of my official report of the 31st De cember, not to gratify Governor Cass, but in jus- j lice to the generous and abused volunteers and ■ people of Florida. But where this new-born zeal I on the part of the late Secretary for the character 1 ami honor of our gallant little army, a few venrs i since the just pride of a grateful country? What ( war. Jone for those brave and gallant spirits who so nobly sustained the honor of the array ami glo ry of their country on the 3lsl December, 18351 Were any of them promptly breveted for their gallant bearing on that occasion l And how many of them were promoted into the new regiment that was raised last winter? Those t! on eyed and flattering encomiums of that gallant neglected lit tle band come too late to ellect the object the wri ter had in view. But if Governor Cass believed that my otlicial report was not sufficiently full and clear on all the subjects touched on,a(id that I had not done justice to the brave men who cov ered themselves with glory, and who so nobly sustained me oh that trying occasion, was it not his duly, as the proper organ of the army, to Have sent the report back to me, with instructions for further explanations? Did he do so? Was not that report published by order of Governor Cass, then Secretary of War. and my conduct approv ed by the President and himself! If so, why docs he now, some eighteen months since those occut rency took place, come forward and say that I owe to the army, the country, &c. a more clear and full explanation of the affair to the 31st De cember? Again: if the conduct of the volunteers was so reprehensible as he now seems to think it was, in filling to cross the little stream, as he designates the Outthlacoochic, on logs and rafts, why was the officer in the immediate command of those troops made Governor of Florida, and soon after placed in command of e'll the troops in that Territory, over the heads of the officers of our gallant little army? Has Governor Cdss re ceived any new light on these matters since he has been in France, that he should at this late peridd consider it necessary that I should trouble the public with any futther explanations respect ing the conduct of the volunteers on life 31st December, 1835? With due deference toGovernof Cass, I think I have answered and refuted all his ingenious statements arid gratuitous assertions, by a plain statement of facts up to the year 1835, I believe I have also shown by the same facts that, at the close of the year, I was eight bundled and nincly men short of the requisitions made on the War Department from the Ist of October to the 31st of December, 1835 ; and five hundred and forty on my owri requisitions on the Department of War withih that lime ; and my letter of the 261 h of December will show whether or not the re quisitions for supplies, fee. had been complied with. The same loiter will also show that, on that day, I gave it as illy decided opinion that twelve hundred regulars and live hundred mount, ed men should he in Florida, so as to enable the commanding officer to have one thousand regu lars and five hundred mounted men in the field. I Have also shown that the five hundred volun teers who were with me on the 3lst of December, were not there under any authority from the Wat Department, and of course should not be taken into the estimated force furnished by authority from that department; and if that force had been so fortunate as to have closed the war, that Gov ernor Cass could have claimed no credit for ener gy or military forecast in ordering them into the field. Now, iftho deficit of five hundred and forty men on my own estimates had been with me on the close of 1835, they certainly would have been of much service early in 1836. Gov. Cass has to resort to the same mystifying system to sustain himself in 1836 as he used in 1835, and commences his new year by supposing that fhcSlh of January will be considered “early” ill the year 1836. I must be permitted here to ex press my surprise that the Governor should have peimilled so line an opportunity to have escaped 1 him, without paying a high eulogy orl the hero . of that day ; hut perhaps he was afraid of ad • ministering an over dose to the old General. He here commences with a long list of elders issued and authorities given, on the Bth, 17th, • And 21st January, and ask's" if this is not ca'ily m 1836, It will be seen that before the first two of these orders could be carried into execution, General .Scott was assigned to the command in Florida. Os course my responsibilities, as far as ; they were Connected with their accomplishment ceased. But why did not Governor Cass ' come out plainly, and tell the public that Major . Gcneial Scott, with these orders, &c. in his pock- I et, ami with his zeal and energy, also aided by his ■ (Gov. C’sj'iK ige counsel iulvice in the further i ance of these grand military plans—which broke ' in upon part of a night s vest —did not com • mence his campaign uu’lil the 26th March ? ■ Will Gov. Cuss pletcnd to tell the public that the 26th of March, in latitude 29 s * 28’, is"early to - commence n campaign in such a country as the ■ southeastern parts of Flolidp was known to he, , and against such an enemy ? Instead of sending the orders, &c„ mentioned above, to the, "isola , ted” in the inferior of Florida, as he says I was, hail he promptly pushed, the, requisite military 1 force, supplies, &c, into Florida, they might have arrived ’‘early” in 1836’, when, in all probability, • the results would have been very different, and 1 the Government might’ have established some claim to energy and military forecast, and some millions of dollars might have been saved to the nation. Governor Cass, after paying General Scott a few compliments, coip’plains that he was not sufficiently explicit in telling the public that their rests were broken on a certain night, while discussing the plans that were to ho carried out’ in Florida. Gen. Scott was certainly very wrong in not communicating this important fact to the world; but I will presume he will be able to de fend himself against this serious charge, as well as against other insinuations contained in the same appeal. Governor Cass tells the public that he owes General Clinch no explanation, speaks of morbid sensibility, &c. I have never asked Governor Cass for an explanation of his motives in super seding me in the command of Florida. I be lieved nt the time, and still believe, that I under stood them, although differing a little from those assigned by hiiJ. iftho reasons assigned by Go vernor Cass for superseding me in the command were such as he states, them to he, did they not exist to the same, or even to a much greater ex tent, when, after his granil experiment in Flo rida had not succeeded to his expectations, lie, in a complimentary manner, by the direction of the President,Jagain tendered me the command in Florida? I have already trespassed too long on the patience of the reader, and will close with a few remarks on the last paragraph of Governor Cass’s appeal, in which he speaks of the inca pacity, or misfortunes, or dissensions, of the mil itary commanders. I hero lake pleasure in as suring Governor Cass that I take that no part of these complimentary epithets to myself having too much confidence in his sincerity to believe that after the compliments previously paid me in his official letters, and more especially in ten dering me the command of the troops in Florida (by which he shows that both the President and himself had full confidence in my capacity, experience, &c.) he could not have intended to apply any part of that paragraph to myself. In closing this long appeal, Governor Cass tells the public that he has received, during the last thirty years of his life, many favors he nether expected nor merited. He certainly should be considered a good witness as respects his own merits; hut the fact of his having held important and lucra tive offices during the last four or five adminis trations, add that he so managed as to bo always in the ascendant, form part of the history of the times, and must have been known to every per son who would take the trouble to inform him self on such matters. Although I cannot boast of having received many favors from those filling high places, I can say that some twenty-eight years of my life were spent in the service of my country—not in splendid parlors, nor on beds of down, but on the hot and sultry banks of the Mis sissippi; on the cold and frozen shores of the Niagara ! on the frontiers of Georgia, Alabama, and ‘‘isolated ’ in the swamps and wilds of unfor tunate Florida, and now ask from my fellow-citi zens nothing but Justice. D. L. CLINCH. The editors that have published Governor Cass’s appeal, are requested to give the above an inser {ion. Dr. Chabert the great fire king has got married—fairly crawled into the oven of mat rimony. The New-York Herald says : “This bridal ceremony Ims occasioned a greater sensation in Netv-York, than the suspension of specie payments. The happy bride is the daughter of the late Bishop Pro vest. She is connected on both male and fe male side, with all cur old noblesse. The Clintons, the Guldens, liio Stuyvesants, ilie Livingston’s, the Rapcljics, and all the old Dutch, English and Scutch, settlers, back to the colonial limes, are counted among her ancestry and relations. By her former hus band the eccentric George Kapeljic, she wan left a dowry of $20,000 per annum. After his lamented death Count de Roccn, a celebrated Italian nobleman, set up pretensions to her hand and heart—the gallant polished Dr. Ju. iian Xavier Chabert, king of fire, and the kino of hearts, however, soon carried of the prize. The Italian could not survive the defeat—go he very quietly blew out his brains one morn ing before breakfast. The field being now clear the Doctor renewed Ins suit, routed all € competitors, and has carried oft The lady in the face of ail the whole gaping world.” Tuesday Evening, June 27, 1837. Messrs. Richards and Stay have laid on oi>r ta ble a couple of volumes entitled “Crichton,” l.y W. H. Ainsworth, author of Rockwood. It is a Story of the sixteenth century, the scene of which is laid in Franee, written in a very elegant style and well worthy the perusal of those who are fond of reading novels. We are constantly receiving marriage notices by mail, without any responsible vouchar, and we must say, once for all, that such cannot be published in this paper, THETHEATRE. We called last evening to witness the perform ances of Mr. Hart’s company and were very much pleased; Both pieces were performed exceed, iiigly well and were very well received indeed. In consequence of the weather the house was thin, btil we doubt not that the amusement af folded by the company will draw such a number ,r in future us will yield a compensation for theft trouble, Ij 1.7 Mrs. Hart has always been si favorite in the Southern States, and deserves to be so froin the uniform success with which she always performs her parts. We scarcely treed call the attention of our rea ders to the address of Gen. Clinch, the publica tion of which wc commence to-day and will con clude tomorrow. He establishes beyond all man ner of doubt the main and most important fact in controversy, viz: that although the Government had notice far a twelve month of the probable hostilities of the Scminoles, yet at the breaking out of the war there 4 was comparatively but a handful of men to protect the country and suhduo the savages. He proves tnat if the want of a sufficient force immediately at the scene of dan ger, was any inducement to the Indians to com mence hostilities, that he himself is exonerated from all censure. But the repeated failures of repeated campaigns has rendered it necessary that blame should attach to somebody, and our immaculate rulers at Washington have deter mined to sacrifice the most deserving officer that ever commanded in Florida, because ho has dared to express the opinion that the Secretary at War had failed to perform his duty,and because he docs not belong to their corrupt dynasty. Gen. Clinch* stands more deservedly high in the estimation of i| the soldiers and people of the South—those who ■ mingled with him in the first struggles—than alt the other U. S. officers who ever in that unfortunate war; and the Government and its pensioned scribblers might as well attempt to pluck the moon from its sphere as to destroy that confidence. We might say a great deal about the mean ness of the admits! ration'in regard to the treat- I merit of Gen. Clinch, hut if is i J r? perfect character with their whose conduct.' By their ignorance and corruption they have rimed the currency nod finances of the country, and with an impudence unparalleled in the annals of history, they are ; attempting to cast the blame of it upon the only |H parly and’ the only men in the Union, who warn ed them of the fata'l efror of their ways, and pre-r dieted the very consequences which have follow ed, By their indolence, and the impotence of j their measures, they? have suffered a handful of savages to wage a bloody and destructive war for' nearly two years,'within our very limits, and are jH now attempting 1 to sacrifice (he very man who j ! forewarned them of the approaching in order to screen their own guilty heads. The two harks built for the uso of the Explor- j log Exdcdition ( are to he taken into dock tor further | examination. They will probably be condemned' I and sold. The objection to them is, (or at least jj the accusation, j that' they’ are dull sailcrs.--[Jeur jH of Coin.] From the N. Y. Duili/ Express,' June 83. TWO DAYS LATER FROM ENGLAND, The ship Victoria, Cap). Chandler atViWd'last evening. Wc are indebted to Capt. C.' for Lon- rai don papers of the evening of the 24th, and Liver- ■ pool of the 25th. The Victoria sailed early on' the morning of the 26th, Iml brought no papers of the date. Wc subjoin the following items of news. £.l The Commercial intelligence docs not seem to he of much importance. From the Morning Chronii le. Money Maiiket, May 24.—T0-morrow being I settling day in the Consul Market, the chief at- | tendon of the brokers and jobbers is directed to the v adjustment of their accounts, and scarcely any thing else has been done. The quotation for money at the termination of business, was 'Jig and 91J to J for the July account, being g per cent, lower j, than yesterday Exchequer hills remain 325. to | 345. premium; and India Bonds at 355. to 375.. premium. The total want of news from Spain has occa sioned the greatest uneasiness in the Foreign fm ß Market, and a further depression has taken place j in the securities of that country, while all the other French Stocks which arc usually most dealt | in have more or less suffered. The rates of exchange to-day present no alter- SPAIN. Behomia, May 17,4 P. M.—lran has at length | fallen. At leu o’clock this morning the fort stir- gjflg rendered to the Queen’s troops, and immediately | the town, or rather the part ofit which was not rj already in possession, was taken by assault. At day break this morning three batteries were S opened upon the fort, & one upon a large fortified ml house at the upper part of the town. From this 9j| the fire was returned with great spirit, hut the lire I was throughout the morning languid. ’The Ri- Wj lies, who wore quartered in the church, kept up a sharp lire on the fortified house in the town, 'Vfflj while on the far side of the fort about 160 of the -1 same regiment rendered very dangerous work the 1 service of the guns in the fort. Until ten o’clock the fire continued very brisk; ik but at this hour the fort surrendered. Fontarabia Ki; was entered by the Queen’s troops on the 18tb I; ■ ult, and garrisoned accordingly. FRANCE. The French papers of the 83d, received by the Victoria, contain no news.j PORTUGAL. The Portuguese ministry have resigned. The A.. . cause of their determining to lake this step wasjß(|>' the decision of the Cortes, after a debate ot near ly three days, not to allow the Minisicrs Under- I Secretaries of State. The Ministers having been left in a minority of eight on this question, ten dered their resignations to the Queen, who then applied to M. Dias de Oliveira, the President of -M the Cortes, to form a new Administration. The M President accepted the office, but he had not been J| able to find colleagues to join himin undertaking to conduct the government at the time the packet sailed on the I4lh of May. A later date from Lisbon mentions it as probable that the old rain- 1| Ltry would continue in office for the present.