The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-06-02
DISPATCH TO GENERAL GRANT.
HEADo'Rs MIL'Y DIv'N OF THE !
MISSISSIPPI, IN THE FIELD,
RALEIGH, NC, April %, 1865.

MISSISSIPPI, IN THE FIELD,
RALEIGH, NC, April %, 1865.
GENERAL-Since you left me Yesterday, !
have seen the New York Times of the oath, |
containing a budget Of military news anthem |
ticated by the signature of the secretary of |
war, which is grouped in such a way as to
give very erroneous Impressions. 1t embra- |
ces a copy of the basis of agreement between
myself and General Johnston, of April Is,
with commentaries which il will be time
enough to discuss two or three years hence, |
after the government has experimental lit
tie more in the machinery by which power
reaches the scattered people of the vast area
of country known as the south. But in the
meantime, do think that my rank, if not
past service, entitled me at least to the res
pect of keeping ssoret what was known to
none but the cabinet until further inquiry
could have been made, instead of giving pub
licity to documents ] never saw and drawing
differences wide of the truth. / never saw or
had furnished me a copy of President Lin
coins dispatch to you of the 9th of March,
until after the agreement, nor did Mr.. Stan
ton, or any human being ever convey to me
its substance or anything like it; but. on the
contrary, Il had seen General Wei,zels iovita-
ton to the Virginia legislature, made in Mr..
| Lincoln's very presence, and had failed TO
discover any other official notice of the plan
| of reconstruction, or any idea calculated to
alay the fears Of the people of the south, that
| after the destruction of the armies and civil
authorities, they would be left without any
government at all. We should not drive a
| people into anarchy. and il is simply impos-
sible for our military power to reach all the
resources of their unhappy country. l con.
| TESS | did not wish to break General john
ston's army into bands of armed men, moving
about without purpose, and capable only Of
infinite mischief. But you saw, on your ar
rival, that had my army so disposed that
| his escape was only possible IN disorgan-
| Ized shape, and as you did not choose TO d.
rect military operations in this quarter, in.
fer you were satisfied with the military stu
alton. At all events, the instant learned.
what was proper enough the disapproval of
the president, acted in such q manner to
compel the surrender of General Johnston's
whole army on The same terms you pre-
scribed 20 General Lees army, when you
had it surrounded and in your absolute pow
Per.
! Mr.. Stanton, in stating that my orders to
General SLOVENIAN were likely to result in
the escape of Mr.. Davis to Mexico or Europe,
is in deep error. StOneman was not at Sal
Isbury then, but had gone back to States
Vile Davis was beyond him. By turning
towards me he was approaching Davis, and
had a mounted force, greatly needed for that
and other purposes; but even now | don't
know that Mr.. Stanton wants Davis caught,
and as my official papers, deemed sacred, are
hastily pu blished TO the world, it will be i'm
prudent for me to state what has been done
in that respect, as the editor of the Times
has 1t may be logically and fairly drawn
from this singular document the conclusion
that | am insubordinate-I can only deny
the intention. | have never in my life ques-
toned or disobeyed an order, though many
and many a time have l risked my life, and
health, aud reputation, in obeying orders or
even hints to execute plans or purposes not
, to my liking. 1t is not tair to withhold from
me plans and policies, if any there be. and
expect me to guess at them as facts, and even
appear quite different from different stand
points.
For four years l have been in camp. deal
ing with soldiers and | can assure you that
the conclusion at which the cabinet arrived
with such singular unanimity, differs from
mine. | conferred freely with the best Off
GERS in this army as to the points involved in
this controversy, and, strange to say, they
were singularly unanimous IN the other con-
clu sion, and they will learn with pain and
amazement that / am deemed insu unfortunate
and wanting in common sense-that |, who,
| in the complications of last year, worked day
and night, summer and winter, for the cause
and the administration, and who have
brought an army of &c, 900 men in magnih
cent style, across a country deemed impassa.
BILE, and placed it just where it was wanted
almost ON the day appointed have brought
discredit on government. do not wish
to boast of this, but / do say that il
entitled me o the courtesy of being consult
= ed before publishing to the world PROPOSE
tion rightfully submitted TO higher authori.
ties for jurisdiction, and then accompanied
by other statements which invited the press
to be let loose upon me.
| 1t is true that n-combatants-men who
sleep in comfort and security while we watch
on the distant lines-are better able to Judge
} than we poor soldiers, who rarely see q news
paper, hardly can hear from our families, or
stop long enough to get our pay,
! envy not the task of reconstruction, and
am delighted that the secretary has relieved
me of it, As YOU did not undertake to as
sumo the management of the affairs of the
army, infer, on personal inspection, your
mind arrived at different conclusion from
that of the secretary of war. L will there
fore go on and execute your orders to their
conclusion, and when done will, with intense
satisfaction, leave to the civil authorities the
execution of the task of which they seem to
me so jealous but as an honest man and
soldier, invite them to follow in the path, for
they may see something and hear mething
that may disturb their philosophy. With
sincere respect,
W.T. SHERMAN,
Major General Commanding.
To Lieut. Gen. U. S. Grant, General in Chief,
, Washington, D, c.:
, P. S. As Mr.. Stanton's singular paper
has been published. / demand that this also
be made public, though / am In no manner
| h 10 ha h.,k no lnr.