The government then stepped in. Scott had no doubt given it offence during the campaign, for his letters had plainly enough revealed a conviction that Polk had broken faith with him, and purposely thrown difficulties and annoyances across his path; but the circumstances had appeared to warrant his complaints, and Marcy had at least "got even" by administering liberal censures in reply. The balance in fact--aside, perhaps, from a mere acerbity of language--was against the administration. Besides, having served the country well and saved the government from disaster, Scott was entitled to some indulgence for irritation caused by the peculiarly trying circumstances that surrounded him. He was a large man, had done a large work and merited large treatment. But there was nothing large about the administration. The confines of mediocrity hemmed it in. Pillow and Duncan were therefore by its orders relieved of arrest; Worth was not only released, but assigned to duty according to his highest brevet rank; and "in view of the present state of things in the army," chiefly or entirely caused by Polk's agent and Marcy's friend, Scott was deposed. He had performed his task, said Robert E. Lee, and now was "turned out as an old horse to die." April 22, 1848, amidst the lamentations, cheers and blessings of the army as a whole--trembling himself with emotion--he took his leave, and Major General Butler, who was a Democrat and looked well on a horse, bore sway at headquarters.[29.32] XXX THE NAVAL OPERATIONS OF THE WAR 1845-1848 In January, 1846, the United States had available for naval hostilities one ship-of-the-line, seven frigates and razees, fifteen sloops-of-war, six brigs, one schooner and three steamers--that is to say, thirty-three war craft. As ships-of-the-line carried more than seventy guns, frigates about forty-four to fifty, sloops twenty, brigs ten and other vessels in proportion, this fleet had 1155 cannon. Two of the vessels, under Commodore James Biddle, were on the coast of Asia; several occupied the Brazil station; and five cruised in African waters to check the trade in slaves. The Pacific squadron, commanded by Commodore John D. Sloat, comprised on July 1, 1846, the frigate _Savannah_, the sloops _Portsmouth_, _Levant_, _Warren_ and _Cyane_, the schooner _Shark_ and the storeship _Erie_, to which the frigate _Congress_, the razee _Independence_ and the sloops _Dale_, _Saratoga_ and _Preble_ were added later in the year, while the _Levant_ went home; and substantially all the rest of the fleet, known as the Home Squadron, attended to the West Indies and Gulf service, under Commodore David Conner.[30.1]