The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-07-01
The Gilmore and Butler Dimculsy.

BERMUDA HUNDREDS, VA, June 10, 1864.
MAJOR GENERAL GILMORE RELIEVED At HIS
OWN REQUEST. 7s-i"
Major General Gilmore, with his per-
sonal staf-Major Brooks and Captains
Bragg and Frothingham-left last ght
Tor Washington, where he is to report to
the Adjutant General of the army, in pur-
suance OF the following order: .a545
SPECIAL oRpERs-No. 3d.; NJ
dEADoRs, ARMIES OF THE UNITED STArEs,l
go CITY POINT Va, June IL. 1864.
Major General @. A. Gilmore. United States
volunteers is, at his own request. hereby re-
lleved from the command of the Tenth army
corps serving in the Department of Virginia
and North Carolina, to take effect and date
from June Ia, instant and will proceed to
Washington, d. c., and report to the Adutant
General Of tie Army for orders. His peSonal
staff has permission to accompany him.
By command of Lieutenant Gen GRANT.
T. s. BowERs, Assistant Adjt. General.
The reasons that induced Gen. Gilmore
to request Gen. Grant to relieve him are
such as will justify him in the mind of any
candid, just man. % 9! ii .sdgob On go
IL the first place Gen Gilmore has been
accused by the commanding general I'm
der whom he has been serving Of ,disobe-
dience of orders, and of having failed to
! perform his part in the recent attack on
Petersburg, whereby the operation Of cap
turing the place failed. So Gen. Butler
reported to the Secretary of War, and
| threw the entire blame of the failure on
Gen. Gilmore. Gen Gilmore, in COM
| munication to Gen. Butter in reply to a
letter from him, suggested that he should
probably apply for court of inquiry to
investigate his conduct while serving
in this department. Gen. Butler imme-
diately relieved General Gilmore OF
his command, and ordered him down to
Fortress Monroe until the court of INQUIRY
| could meet. As the ninety second article
of war expressly gives the power ST order
ing court Of inquiry to the President
alone, to whom application is made, and
| as General Gilmore had asked for no such
cOart, it YVES considered as stretch of
| power on General Buffers part, to relieve
General Gilmore and attempt to send him
| to another point to await a contingency
that might never arise. 1t is questionable
| whether department commander can re-
,heve corps commander that the President
has assigned. But it was do e, and Gen.
| eral Gilmore left without command. On
General Grants arrival General Buffers
order sending General Gilmore to Fort
ress Monroe was practically annulled, and,
at General GilmOre's request Gen Grant
relieved him from the corps command and
sent him to Washington, where the whole
affair will be examined into. .,..iiDI
Impartial and truthful history will
record that the campaign on the Pc
ninsula has not failed through the inca
paoity of General Gilmore-that he has
obeyed orders, has fought his corps with
skill and success, and that the failure to
take Petersburg was because the rebel
works were too strong and too we'll de-
Tended for the small force sent against
them to meet with anything but defeat
had the attack been made. 1t has been
reported that Kautz' cavalry had been in
the city itself They crossed the outer
line of rife pits, but were conrr0Eted by
an inner strong line of intrenchments,
from which they fell back, unable to carry
them, and their advance under Col. Spear
was not within the corporation limits at
least mile and half from the city. The
enemy had force nearly as stong as ours,
and were behind strong works. -,
Gen. Gilmore leaves with the regrets of
the entire Tenth corps, the officers and
men of which have the most implicit con-
fidence in his abilities and skill as soldier
and leader, and no ouch unjust attacks as
have been made upon his character will
impair that confidence. We wish him all
the snccess that he could desire.