It was shown that General Pillow had given a written account of the battles of Contreras and Churubusco to the correspondent of a newspaper about August 25th, expressing a desire that it should go off with first impressions and form a part of the correspondent’s letter.  The general told the correspondent he had prepared it for him.  The latter examined the paper submitted by the general, found it incorrect in many details, and did not send it as requested.  When, however, the mail from New Orleans brought the newspaper with the “Leonidas letter,” the correspondent compared the letter with the memorandum or statement given him by Pillow and pronounced them almost identical.

The arrest of General Pillow was ordered.  He was charged:  1.  With a violation of a general regulation or standing order of the army. 2.  With conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.

The specification to the first charge was, that he [Pillow] wrote or caused to be written an account of military operations between the United States forces and those of the Republic of Mexico, August 19, 1847, in and about Contreras and Churubusco, in which operations said Pillow bore a part, and which account was designed by said Pillow and in due time, over the signature of “Leonidas,” partially printed and published in the New Orleans Delta of September 10, 1847, and reprinted entire in the Bulletin and the Daily Picayune of the 15th and 16th of the same month, all this pending the campaign between the forces before mentioned.  There were eight different specifications to the second charge, and under the first there were eight different items or headings.  The specifications cover eleven printed pages.  Their substance and effect was that General Pillow’s account was not correct in the very many particulars specified.[B]

Colonel Duncan was charged:  1.  With violation of the 650th paragraph (revised), General Regulations of the Army; and the specification cited the “Tampico letter,” which he confessed to have written.  The second charge had relation solely to matters of fact set forth in the “Tampico letter.”

On January 13, 1848, the Secretary of War addressed a communication to General Scott in which he said:  “The President has determined to relieve you from further duty as commanding general in Mexico.  You are therefore ordered by him to turn over the command of the army to Major-General Butler, or, in his absence, to the officer highest in rank with the column under you, together with all instructions you have received in relation to your operations and duties as general in chief command, and all records and papers properly belonging or appertaining to general headquarters.

[Footnote B:  See Ex.  Doc.  No. 65, Thirtieth Congress, first session.]