tions against Major-General Pillow before this
preliminary court, without its special orders, or further orders from
the President of the United States."

In total disregard of the charges preferred against General Worth by
the commanding general, the President ordered him to be released from
arrest and restored to his command. General Worth, considering that
the President had done him "full and ample justice," withdrew his
charges against General Scott; to which the latter said that he "felt
strong in conscious rectitude, strong in all the means of defense,
defied his accusers, and would not plead the letter withdrawing the
accusations against him in bar of trial; that he challenged the writer
of that letter to come forward and do his worst."

Colonel Duncan having admitted that he had written the "Tampico
letter," thus pleading guilty to violating the army regulations, and
the President having ordered a court of inquiry and not a
court-martial, General Scott declined to prosecute him before this
court or a court-martial without express orders from the President.
General Scott considered that it was not for him to attempt to uphold
a regulation which the President had revived and then disregarded.
While Colonel Duncan no doubt believed all he had written to be true,
the evidence of Colonel H.L. Scott, assistant adjutant general of the
army, Colonel Hitchcock, and Captain Lee shows that the direct attack,
or that by Mexicalcingo, was never decided upon.

General Scott was informed that the court of inquiry would probably
adjourn to await further orders from the Government. To prevent this
delay, he [Scott] consented to prosecute the case of General Pillow.
With a probability of peace and the disbanding of the army, it was
almost certain that there never would be a trial by court-martial
should such a court be recommended.

On March 21st the investigation before the court of inquiry commenced
in the City of Mexico and continued until April 21st, when the court,
as General Scott had predicted, adjourned to the United States for the
purpose of obtaining further testimony, and reassembled in Frederick,
Md., May 29, 1848. General Pillow did not appear until June 5th, when
General Scott was also present. The latter had been detained by
sickness, and General Pillow had stopped in Tennessee to visit his
family.

On July 1st General Scott submitted the following paper to the court,
and withdrew the charges against Colonel