Alexandria Gazette

The "Leonidas" Letter.

Major General Gideon J. Pillow! where does he stand before the Court of Inquiry, with Freaner's testimony standing out before him and before the world! If Gen'l. Scott stands forty feet high before that Court and the world, where stands Mr. Polk's General Pillow? How many feet below the earth surface?

It appears by Mr. Freaner's testimony, that two copies of the "Leonidas" communication were prepared, one for the New Orleans Delta and the other for the Washington Union—that Gen. Pillow gave one of them, first directed to the Washington Union, and then to the New Orleans Delta, to Mr. Freaner, after making some interlineations in his presence, for the latter to send early to the Delta for publication, or to send something of his own like it, so that the first impressions of the American people, respecting the battles of Contreras and Churubusco, would strongly attach to that wonderful hero of those battles, Maj. Gen. Gideon J. Pillow

But Mr. Freaner kept the manuscript, while the other copy of the same article, with a few slight alterations, was sent to New Orleans and published in the Delta. Every body remembers the stir it made in the United States as well as in the army in Mexico.

After a while, General Pillow found it necessary to make some publication on the subject. So an officer, a Capt. Burns, formerly of New Jersey, wrote a letter, which was published, avowing himself to be the sole author of the "Leonidas" communication, and declaring that Gen. Pillow had no hand in it, and knew nothing of it, until its publication. Burns' letter, General Pillow encloses to a friend, and writes himself a letter, complaining of the slanders heaped upon his innocent head in the matter, and boldly defies General Scott and every body else to show that he is guilty in the matter!

His letter is dated, "Mexico, January 26, 1848," and has been extensively published in the United States. It appeared in the Washington Union, of the 10th of March last, and from it I make the following extract:

"Among the shameless falsehoods published and reiterated in a portion of the home press, is the statement that I had written, or procured to be written, the letter signed "Leonidas." Shortly after the appearance of that letter, I caused to be published a written denial of the illiberal and unjust imputations cast upon me in connection with the authorship. But such is the pertinacity with which a portion of the press stick to this scandalous charge, that my denial is not deemed sufficient to induce its abandonment. Understanding that the charge has recently been reiterated—accompanied with the statement that General Scott had in his possession a copy of the original letter, with interlineations in my own hand-writing—I now pronounce the whole charge, as well the appendage as the original, absolutely false, and its authors slanderers, as destitute of truth as they are of honor!"

(Signed)
GIDEON J. PILLOW

After this and the proceedings of the Court of Inquiry, what is to be thought of the veracity and the assurance of General Pillow! His papers read before the Court, demanding that Gen. Scott should not withdraw his charges, and that his own trial should go on, in justice to his honor, and that he might be vindicated, all read very well, until Mr. Freaner's testimony was rendered! But after that, Gen. Pillow's tone underwent a change

It was cruel in Mr. Polk's man Trist, to expose the "Leonidas" epistle and its author, Mr. Polk's General Pillow, to the tender mercies of Gen. Scott! How singularly a bad politician's agents will sometimes play against each other, to the discomfiture of their master! Balt. Pat.