New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-14
TrHE ARREST OF GEN. BENrrAm.

/
TSTE ARREST OF GEN. BENrrAw.
/ 10 me Editor Of TIE " y. Tribune
SIR: The numerous friends Of this deserving
officer, though they were surprised TO learn Of ms
arrest f,H not be surprised TO learn that the orders
under which he wGs compelled to act are most tri-
umphant vindicaiion of the course he was compelled
to pursue and that this his last effort in Western
/ Virginia though failing, in consequence of these
orders, in It's principal obiect-the capture Of the
arbitrator Floydis still not less meritorious than
his pursuit of Garnett, aud JoaCtold more triumph
than that nj CarHySr
Although Gen. Benham has felt unwilling to de-
scend to reply TO every abusive article in the news-
paper press, prefening that tue court of inquiry
which he has demanded to shoe rho 'rcre at JauH
! IN Fg0yds escape, and tcLich demand resulted IN
has (Beaham's) arrest, yet he has not refused to
I let bis private friends know of and examine the
abundant proofs for bis vindcaion fortunately found
in the crte record Of the orders and dspa ches be-
/ tween his commanders and himself. And further
though we are unwilling to attribute such motives to
these commanders we cannot but say that, had these
orders been framed with the full intention from the
first that Gen. Benham should have part in a sue
cessfu attack on Floyd, or that he should not capture
linn by pursuit. they could not have been more suit
ably worded.
The principal charges against Gen. Benbam are,
first in an article Of The Cincinnati Ga.ctfe of the
9th ul. which was written as would appear by the
Adiutant-G of Gen. Schenok-a man TO whose
calumnies a reply would never be needed by any
person familiar with his course and conduct as Secre-
tary Of our Legation at Paris in 1855.
The charges are, that Gen. Rosecrans had plan
to draw Gen. Floyd into trap, where he could be
surrounded and taken, in the angle of the rivers
New and kGuawha, by our forces crossing each
river in rear of lin; and that this plan was defeated,
and that Floyd escaped by the acts Of omission or
commission Of Gen. Benham.
Again, that Gen. Schenck lay one week waiting
for Benham who was all this time inactive at the
mouth of Loup Creek tabout II miles, by the rivers,
below Sehencs) and that Gen. b. did not send 300
men in rear of Floyd as he was ordered to do, by
tie Fayette road.
And lastly, that Gen. Benham requested his own
recall while Requirements were rapidly pushing
on to him.
A writer in The Neir. York Herald of the 29th
inst apparently under similar inspirations, adopts
the latter part Of the second charge against Gen.
Benham as the cause of Floyds escape, and Of the
non-termina,ion Of the war In Western Virgins.
But now for the facts-.tuAy prcrabh by the rrif-
ten records that cannot be dppted. And irt, as to
the plan for encing Floyd down 10 that position TO
cut him of by crossing troops Ia his rear: will any
one believe that Gen. Rosecraus ever had any such
plan and that at the time he nsgtc'ed for fre
or sir ueeks after bis retreat from Sewcll up 10
Floyds escape from Raleigh, to prepare and keep mp
the means of passing his troops over the New R,er
or that be would neglect Gen. Benhams repeated
proposals. t. Jet him have the means which he Rose
GRAMS had at Gaul'y of crossing this river near bic
lBenhams camp, who had cut road for that pur-
pose, especially az Benhams position was such that
he could have thrown his whole brigade over in a
night to point fully two miles in rear Of the place
where Floyd afterward pitched his large camp at
Cotton Hill Would any one believe, if such had
been proper maneuver, that not only was this neg
lected but that Gen. Schenck spent, as can be
proved, fully thirteen days after Foyds cutting on
our communications by way of Gauley Bridge, in IN
eiectuaI attempts TO cross this riverl SO much for
this "plan if there was one. Either it not pre-
pared for or it could not be carried out, and was
therefore not feasible.
As to the charge Of Schenck's being kept waiting
for one week for Benhan the records and orders prone
The recerse aud that BenhaIn, who had crossed hs bril-
eade in about hour the 9th, was kept waiting for
Schenck to CROSS above, until, Oh finding that Floyd
had moved his camp on the llth, Gen. Rosecrans at
length sent orders received by Benham at about II
D. N. of the llth and at | p. IN. Of the l2th), by
which Gen. Il. was permitted to move, which he did
with his 100 men, onyat early light Of the Eth
Moreover, these orders were only given when. in
reply to dispatch of Gen. Rosecrans, saying that
the enemy were breaking up their camp Gen.
Benharn had promptly aud Indignantly replied:
Ihaye doubt st the enemy have escaped as again by
my having been SLOWED to move, a. have been aLng
you the authority tor the last two days"
As many as six or eight preceding dispatches OF
Gen. Benham show that he had been suggesting and
urging for three or four days previous bis being per-
mitted to move against the enemy, as witness the
following; and, frst under the date Of November 3
3p. m.:
II YOU can throw 600 over and know Of II by O'Clock
MIMI od pei my except the guard woald order
to remain a. TIE ssP o. s 5Sye ,ss 70 1sGK
And again at p. IN. on the Sth Nov. same even
ipgl Benham dispatches 20 Rosecrans as follows:
believe pos able for MY brigade to wh into them be-
fore morning Uyou order and If they can be supported
At 1890 the same night (Noy. s., Gen. Roseerans
returns answer:
" Soherass boats u-n not b. ready foHight"
Two days afterward Gen. Benham writes to
Rosecrans: T.
Nov 10 II a. rn-lf The reports from Hines and Aiir.on
are sat.isctcry should be gsd 20 pif into hrm tHgd De
morning, especially you could give mo say Wofesi
meDts more"
Again. on the same afternoon Nov. 10, P. A.,
Benham writes to Gen. RosecTans:
II po ,rH rfrN.if me- viii advance my whole force eN
cept small camp guard and, # ind the Iosos prs,oe au
irdse Il safe tgiH Je mo By noyag ought to have