The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-09-06

were frmer Cotton was weaker, and 70 lower mid
ding grades. Petroleum decidedly higher the sup
ply not being equal TO the demand. On Change flour
and wheat advanced Corn aud oats heavy. Pork
was excited and mess So barrel higher Whiskey was
heavy
The Great Centre Movement-General
Shermnn's Credit 70 General HaIteck
Disputed by General Buell..
It is very common in the history of human
achievements for the world to be assured that
it has given the praise to the wrong man. There
ia a common human desire to keep an equili-
brium in fame by detracting from those likely
to become over illustrious, and bestowing what
forever obscure Mediocrity thus keeps nearer
to the general surface, and is not so utterly be-
Titled as it otherwise would be. In this spirit
attempts have been made to withdraw some
portion of the credit for bis victories from
every great soldier. Alexander was not with
out critics, who declared that he was not the
real head of the Greeks in Persia, and all the
victories of Napoleon have been attributed to
an aid-de-camp. We shall hear some day that
1t was not Sheridan who restored the lost battle
in the Shenandoah valley. 1t was some subor-
dinate who rode at his heels, or part of the
credit is due to somebody who happened to be
at Winchester and told the General he had bet
ter 90 to the 'front.' and perhaps even SUBJ
mitted "plan" by which he could ride up the
turnpike.
One of these discussions is now in progress
in relation to certain of the achievements of
General Grant General Grant was the first
man of the war in the West He captured
Forts Henry and Donelson, and by that means
the city of Nashville. He won the battle of
Shiloh, that any other man in the West would
have lost. He destroyed the immense rebel
stronghold on the Mississippi, and gave the re-
bellion its coup de grace so far as its existence
on that river went. He achieved in front OF
Chattanooga the magnificent success that
eventually enabled Sherman to go to Atlanta
and to promenade thence to the sea coast
This is the list of our successes in the West
the whole record in which we can take any
especial pride-and General Grant is the man
who accomplished all. He commanded the
troops and fought the battles. We consider it
of exceedingly little consequence who may
have talked over any "plans' of these move
ments in cities distant hundreds of miles from
the scene; and we consider that claim to
share the credit of these successes merely
based upon such gable about plans, hundreds
of miles away, is piece of preposterous impu-
dence; and this impudence is all the worse
when the plan in question is, as it is in the
present case, one that it requires no genius to
originate-one that flows inevitably from the
situation, and onethat would be obvious to the
merest tyro in strategy.
But General Sherman Is Of opinion that to
talk over plans In this way may entitle man
70 some OF the credit Of victory, though the man
may never win battle nor be near one and
he therefore sets up the claim of General Hal
leck as the originator of "the great centre
movement which terminated the war;" He de-
clares that General Halleck was "the author"
that he "began" that movement, and says, IL
give him credit for it with pleasure" Accept
ing General Sherman's estimate of the import
ance of such an agency as he claims for General
Halleck, and examining the evidence, it looks
very much as If General Sherman had in this
credit given something that was not his to give,
and as if he had publicly spoken on subject
that he was not fully acquainted with. His
statement has drawn letter on the subject
from General Buell., who commanded in Ken
lucky at the time when General Grant won the
first of the series of battles that made the centre
movement success. General Buell's letter
must certainly shake General Sherman's faith
as to Halleck's formation of the plan, and ought
o1a 10 r~s,, 10 ,b< G,c
suggested and urged that very beginning with
which he credits that General.
General Sherman repeats the substance of u
conversation with General Halleck in st.
Louis in which there was apparently an
examination of the line then held by the rebels
conclusion that the Tennessee river was the
perpendicular of the line held by the rebels,
and was the line that must be taken by us in
offensive operations. This conversation is the
whole basis upon which General Sherman gives
his liberal credit to General Halleck. He does
not give us date, but the conversation seems
to have been held Immediately before Grants
movement against Fort Henry-that is, when
Halleck was considering all the possibilities of
that movement General Buell's letter shows
that Halleck did not consider that movement
at all until after the middle Of January, 1862,
and that weeks before the whole plan had been
sketched out by Buell. and laid before Generals
Mcclellan and Halleck. Thus, in that very
conversation, Halleck, in all probability, used
Buell's thunder.
Hslleck assumed command in Missouri
November 20, 1861, and was very busy with
the troubles in his own department, SO that he
naturally gave no thought to movements in the
department of neighboring commander. Buell.
assumed command in Kentucky rather earlier,
and at the end of November submitted to Gen.