WASHINGTON, _June 8, 1846_.
_To the Senate of the United States_:
I communicate herewith a report from the Secretary of War, transmitting
the correspondence called for by the resolution of the Senate of the 5th
instant with General Edmund P. Gaines and General Winfield Scott, of the
Army of the United States.
The report of the Secretary of War and the accompanying correspondence
with General Gaines contain all the information in my possession in
relation to calls for "volunteers or militia into the service of the
United States" "by any officer of the Army" without legal "authority
therefor," and of the "measures which have been adopted" "in relation
to such officer or troops so called into service."
In addition to the information contained in the report of the Secretary
of War and the accompanying correspondence with "Major-General Scott, of
the United States Army, upon the subject of his taking the command of
the army of occupation on the frontier of Texas," I state that on the
same day on which I approved and signed the act of the 13th of May,
1846, entitled "An act providing for the prosecution of the existing war
between the United States and the Republic of Mexico," I communicated to
General Scott, through the Secretary of War, and also in a personal
interview with that officer, my desire that he should take command of
the Army on the Rio Grande and of the volunteer forces which I informed
him it was my intention forthwith to call out to march to that frontier
to be employed in the prosecution of the war against Mexico. The tender
of the command to General Scott was voluntary on my part, and was made
without any request or intimation on the subject from him. It was made
in consideration of his rank as Commander in Chief of the Army. My
communications with General Scott assigning him the command were verbal,
first through the Secretary of War and afterwards in person. No written
order was deemed to be necessary. General Scott assented to assume the
command, and on the following day I had another interview with him and
the Secretary of War, in relation to the number and apportionment among
the several States of the volunteer forces to be called out for
immediate service, the forces which were to be organized and held in
readiness subject to a future call should it become necessary, and other
military preparations and movements to be made with a view to the
vigorous prosecution of the war. It was distinctly settled, and was well
understood by General Scott, that he was to command the Army in the war
against Mexico, and so continued to be settled and understood without
any other intention on my part until the Secretary of War submitted to
me the letter of General Scott addressed to him under date of the 21st
of May, 1846, a copy of which is herewith communicated. The character of
that letter made it proper, in my judgment, to change my determination
in regard to the command of the Army, and the Secretary of War, by my
direction, in his letter of the 25th of May, 1846, a copy of which is
also herewith communicated, for the reasons therein assigned, informed
General Scott that he was relieved from the command of the Army destined
to prosecute the war against Mexico, and that he would remain in the
discharge of his duties at Washington. The command of the Army on the
frontier of Mexico has since been assigned to General Taylor, with his
brevet rank of major-general recently conferred upon him.