memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第120章

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y　collected　and　published　to　supply　a　vast　army　with　a　new　edition。

I　contend　that　all　parts　of　these　regulations　inconsistent　with　the　law　of　July　28；　1866；　are　repealed。

I　surely　do　not　ask　for　any　power　myself；　but　I　hope　and　trust；　now　when　we　have　a　military　President　and　a　military　Secretary　of　War；　that　in　the　new　regulations　to　be　laid　before　Congress　next　session　the　functions　and　duties　of　the　commander…in…chief　will　be　so　clearly　marked　out　and　defined　that　they　may　be　understood　by　himself　and　the　army　at　large。

I　am；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　General。

＇Inclosure。＇

WASHINGTON；　January　29；　1866。

Hon。　E。　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War：

》From　the　period　of　the　difficulties　between　Major…General　（now　Lieutenant…General）　Scott　with　Secretary　Marcy；　during　the　administration　of　President　Polk；　the　command　of　the　army　virtually　passed　into　the　hands　of　the　Secretary　of　War。

》From　that　day　to　the　breaking　out　of　the　rebellion　the　general…　in…chief　never　kept　his　headquarters　in　Washington；　and　could　not；　consequently；　with　propriety　resume　his　proper　functions。　　To　administer　the　affairs　of　the　army　properly；　headquarters　and　the　adjutant…general's　office　must　be　in　the　same　place。

During　the　war；　while　in　the　field；　my　functions　as　commander　of　all　the　armies　was　never　impaired；　but　were　facilitated　in　all　essential　matters　by　the　Administration　and　by　the　War　Department。　Now；　however；　that　the　war　is　over；　and　I　have　brought　my　head…　quarters　to　the　city；　I　find　my　present　position　embarrassing　and；　I　think；　out　of　place。　　I　have　been　intending；　or　did　intend；　to　make　the　beginning　of　the　New　Year　the　time　to　bring　this　matter　before　you；　with　the　view　of　asking　to　have　the　old　condition　of　affairs　restored；　but　from　diffidence　about　mentioning　the　matter　have　delayed。　　In　a　few　words　I　will　state　what　I　conceive　to　be　my　duties　and　my　place；　and　ask　respectfully　to　be　restored　to　them　and　it。

The　entire　adjutant…general's　office　should　be　under　the　entire　control　of　the　general…in…chief　of　the　army。　　No　orders　should　go　to　the　army；　or　the　adjutant…general；　except　through　the　general…　in…chief。　　Such　as　require　the　action　of　the　President　would　be　laid　before　the　Secretary　of　War；　whose　actions　would　be　regarded　as　those　of　the　President。　　In　short；　in　my　opinion；　the　general…　in…chief　stands　between　the　President　and　the　army　in　all　official　matters；　and　the　Secretary　of　War　is　between　the　army　（through　the　general…in…chief）　and　the　President。

I　can　very　well　conceive　that　a　rule　so　long　disregarded　could　not；　or　would　not；　be　restored　without　the　subject　being　presented；　and　I　now　do　so　respectfully　for　your　consideration。

U。　S。　GRANT；　Lieutenant…General。


General　Belknap　never　answered　that　letter。

In　August；　1870；　was　held　at　Des　Moines；　Iowa；　an　encampment　of　old　soldiers　which　I　attended；　en　route　to　the　Pacific；　and　at　Omaha　received　this　letter：


LONG　BRANCH；　New　Jersey；　August　18；1870。

General　W。　T。　SHERMAN。

DEAR　GENERAL：　Your　letter　of　the　7th　inst。　did　not　reach　Long　Branch　until　after　I　had　left　for　St。　Louis；　and　consequently　is　just　before　me　for　the　first　time。　　I　do　not　know　what　changes　recent　laws；　particularly　the　last　army　bill　passed；　make　in　the　relations　between　the　general　of　the　army　and　the　Secretary　of　War。

Not　having　this　law　or　other　statutes　here；　I　cannot　examine　the　subject　now；　nor　would　I　want　to　without　consultation　with　the　Secretary　of　War。　　On　our　return　to　Washington　I　have　no　doubt　but　that　the　relations　between　the　Secretary　and　yourself　can　be　made　pleasant；　and　the　duties　of　each　be　so　clearly　defined　as　to　leave　no　doubt　where　the　authority　of　one　leaves　off　and　the　other　commences。

My　own　views；　when　commanding　the　army；　were　that　orders　to　the　army　should　go　through　the　general。　　No　changes　should　be　made；　however；　either　of　the　location　of　troops　or　officers；　without　the　knowledge　of　the　Secretary　of　War。

In　peace；　the　general　commanded　them　without　reporting　to　the　Secretary　farther　than　he　chose　the　specific　orders　he　gave　from　time　to　time；　but　subjected　himself　to　orders　from　the　Secretary；　the　latter　deriving　his　authority　to　give　orders　from　the　President。　　As　Congress　has　the　right；　however；　to　make　rules　and　regalations　for　the　government　of　the　army；　rules　made　by　them　whether　they　are　as　they　should　be　or　not；　will　have　to　govern。　　As　before　stated；　I　have　not　examined　the　recent　law。

Yours　truly；

U。　S。　GRANT。


To　which　I　replied：

OMAHA；　NEBRASKA；　September　2；1870。

General　U。　S。　GRANT；　Washington；　D。　　C。

DEAR　GENERAL：　I　have　received　your　most　acceptable　letter　of　August　18th；　and　assure　you　that　I　am　perfectly　willing　to　abide　by　any　decision　you　may　make。　　We　had　a　most　enthusiastic　meeting　at　Des　Moines；　and　General　Bellknap　gave　us　a　fine；　finished　address。　　I　have　concluded　to　go　over　to　San　Francisco　to　attend　the　annual　celebration　of　the　Pioneers；　to　be　held　on　the　9th　instant；　from　there　I　will　make　a　short　tour；　aiming　to　get　back　to　St。　Louis　by　the　1st　of　October；　and　so　on　to　Washington　without　unnecessary　delay。

Conscious　of　the　heavy　burdens　already　on　you；　I　should　refrain　from　adding　one　ounce　to　your　load　of　care；　but　it　seems　to　me　now　is　the　time　to　fix　clearly　and　plainly　the　field　of　duty　for　the　Secretary　of　War　and　the　commanding　general　of　the　army；　so　that　we　may　escape　the　unpleasant　controversy　that　gave　so　much　scandal　in　General　Scott's　time；　and　leave　to　our　successors　a　clear　field。

No　matter　what　the　result；　I　promise　to　submit　to　whatever　decision　you　may　make。　　I　also　feel　certain　that　General　Belknap　thinks　he　is　simply　executing　the　law　as　it　now　stands；　but　I　am　equally　certain　that　he　does　not　interpret　the　law　reviving　the　grade　of　general；　and　that　fixing　the　〃peace　establishment〃　of　1868；　as　I　construe　them。

For　instance；　I　am　supposed　to　control　the　discipline　of　the　Military　Academy　as　a　part　of　the　army；　whereas　General　Belknap　ordered　a　court　of　inquiry　in　the　case　of　the　colored　cadet；　made　the　detail；　reviewed　the　proceedings；　and　made　his　order；　without　my　knowing　a　word　of　it；　except　through　the　newspapers；　and　more　recently；　when　I　went　to　Chicago　to　attend　to　some　division　business；　I　found　the　inspector…general　（Hardie）　under　orders　from　the　Secretary　of　War　to　go　to　Montana　on　some　claim　business。

All　I　ask　is　that　such　orders　should　go　through　me。　　If　all　the　staff…officers　are　subject　to　receive　orders　direct　from　the　Secretary　of　War　it　will　surely　clash　with　the　orders　they　may　be　in　the　act　of　executing　from　me；　or　from　their　immediate　commanders。

I　ask　that　General　Belknap　draw　up　some　clear；　well…defined　rules　for　my　action；　that　he　show　them　to　me　before　publication；　that　I　make　on　them　my　remarks；　and　then　that　you　make　a　final　decision。　I　promise　faithfully　to　abide　by　it；　or　give　up　my　commission。

Please　show　this　to　General　Belknap；　and　I　will　be　back　early　in　October。　　With　great　respect；　your　friend；

W。　T。　SHERMAN

I　did　return　about　October　15th；　saw　President　Grant；　who　said　nothing　had　been　done　in　the　premises；　but　that　he　would　bring　General　Belknap　and　me　together　and　settle　this　matter。　　Matters　went　along　pretty　mach　as　usual　till　the　month　of　August；　1871；　when　I　dined　at　the　Arlington　with　Admiral　Alder　and　General　Belknap。　　The　former　said　he　had　been　promoted　to　rear…admiral　and　appointed　to　command　the　European　squadron；　then　at　Villa　Franca；　near　Nice；　and　that　he　was　going　out　in　the　frigate　Wabash；　inviting　me　to　go　along。　　I　had　never　been　to　Europe；　and　the　opportunity　was　too　tempting　to　refuse。　　After　some　preliminaries　I　agreed　to　go　along；　taking　with　me　as　aides…de…camp　Colonel　Audenried　and　Lieutenant　Fred　Grant。　　The　Wabash　was　being　overhauled　at　the　Navy…Yard　at　Boston；　and　was　not　ready　to　sail　till　November；　when　she　came　to　New…York；　where　we　all　embarked　Saturday；　November　11th。

I　have　very　full　notes　of　the　whole　trip；　and　here　need　only　state　that　we　went　out　to　the　Island　of　Madeira；　and　thence　to　Cadiz　and　Gibraltar。　　Here　my　party　landed；　and　the　Wabash　went　on　to　Villa　Franca。　　From　Gibraltar　we　made　the　general　tour　of　Spain　to　Bo