The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-16
.-lnsnesn1pefense

nEnGraI dAiI6Ch ho9
Sno-st.tv of War relative to the state
tne 80 nv General sherman in q com
-Anjcatidn 10 General Grant chsrActerlZ-
- 1bsm as incorrect and entirely uI11sH-
A thle by the facts in the csse. with fesPscS
to the charge Of eDcrosching upon 1eneia
Sharmsn's military command, by directing J.
4 portion Q bis eHAiieeKs) RpPs 70 mSrch
upon Greensboro, in North Ssr0AhS 0
eral HalscE Aays&
The Instructions to Generals Mes9s
Sheidsn and Wright we're (usI sgcu otad
attractions as General Grant bHd olrec.eu
80 10 Give The of5nse, or whatever Else
ne msv choose to call ii II any there w.
- %s%obinv NV troops within territory
Claimed nv 1enetsf Sherman, was not mine
bnt General GhEntf,s nd al the abuse when
Sa no direc.ed upon me for that act must
GA 5n6as the General in. ChieI, General
sba+nlsn Charges thAt by marching my
t-oons into North Carolina 1 violsted ms
t.ncs which ne was bound 10 enforce even
lst4bsrc ost Of many lives, by a collision OF
nuf rAEoective armies. Sherman had never
| .ent ma his truce. l never seen it. and od
moi know its terms or conditions. l only
Fnew that his truce, or arrangement
vhstsver It was, had been d~isapproved by
tba President. and General Grant on or
deT,r y b movement of my troops, simply
Doti6 I'd me OF this fact and of the renew
Al Of hostiitles. Even if Shermsn's truce
hadlbeen binding on me, which 1t was NOT
TBsdn no knoWledgs of the clause relating
| 20 forty-eieht hours notice"
Rsferring 10 ShermsnS complaint tras
he (HalIscB pushed for ward against Jonn-
,toh,s army when it wss surrenderlng, ne
saws: lsH5 must have known that 4 dld
Y not bsye2l and could not possibly have hsq,
at-,bst time. any official Information OF
snvnAW srrar esmekts between MIN ana
Johnston for the surrender OF the lAtters
army.
slss could have sent me such official intor-
nation otherwise than by sea, which would
have REQUIRED several days. 1 only knew
from General Grant that Shermsn's ar
. Fspeements had been d~isspproyed, that Or
dsts had been given to resume hostilltles,
and that 1 was directed BY him to push
forward my further orders. All other IN
formation from North Carolina came from
rebel sources"
General Halleek also states that The
troops were sent from the direction OF
uIkesville and Danvilie by order of Cen
ersl Grant. and that the information rela-
; tive 10 the treasure of Davis was obtained
81 from q gentlemen of character, whose state
{ msnts were entitled to confederation
, He adds: rGenersl Grant neither dissp-
/ proyed nor countermsnded any orders of
a mine, nor wa there, at thst time, any
|. truce. It had ceased By General Grants
( nonders to resume hostililles, and the subse-
oasnt surrender of JOhnstOn's army, OF
, which be then notified me, and recalled 9
a p.rt of the troops which he had directed
: me to send to Danville and Greensboro.
! There wss but one other point in General
Shermsn's complaint that l deem necessary
Y 10 notice. g refer to ~thefuggestion made tc
= YOU in regsrd to the orders 70 Generals
9 Thomss and Wilsonf for preventing the es
< cape of Davis and his Cabinet. In sug
Resting the orders tO-be sent TO thee 9TH
csss directly and not through Gen Sher
,t man. 4 suggested no departure from vel
o establishedof1ci al channels, but even if
q had, the responsibility of adopting tina
d course must rfst upon the authority VIII
g. SAINT #. II this complaint is directed
II against the form of the suggestion, l Cal
/. only say that I was innocent OF any otfsnse
: NY telegram was hurredly written 70
( yourself-not the public-snd had refer
eence to the state of facts as reported to ms
It was reported that orders purportIng
!. come from Gen. Sherman had been receive
through the rebels, for Gen. Wilson to with
W draw from Macon and relesse his prisoDei
of and that Ill hostilities should cease Thes
"a orders threw open the door to-the escsp
A. of Davis and his party. This l ksew VS.
contrary TO the wishes and orders of ID
Il Government, but l had no means OF know
ing whether or not sherman had been
IA informed. 1 at the time had no commun
Ia cation with him or General Grant, and
~ was not aWsreths either could commun
Is cate with our officers in The West excel
Z. through the rebel sqth9GEitJJss' F4epvi
IN that the suggestion had reference only
of the facts and wishes of the governmel
n known to me at the time, and was intende
in no respect to reflect upon or be disI
I'd spedifdAto %. General Sherman. If L hs
ar been able to communicate with Gener
il Sherman, or had known st the time Il
condition of sfIirs in North Csrolin
DIS there would hsve been no necessity
Is. occasion for any suggestion TO you, al
"a. moot probably none would have been mad
nd ss With these remarks I respectfully Gu
NIT that Shermsn's report, SO far IS he 7
nd fsrs to me, is unjust unkind and contral
re TO military usage, and that his st4temen
tn are contrary to the real facts. l beg lea
further to remark that l have in no va
or shape or manner criticised or reflected u
{ on General Shermsn's course in North ca
cd DINA, or upon his truce, or as Gener
Grant styles it, arrangement with JOhnstC
IN. and Breckenridge, but have simply act
be- upon the orders and expressed the wishes
no my superiors, IS communicated to me- al
no IS 1 understand them.
X