Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-04-13

BUELL's LETTER TO GEN. GRANT.
Sharp Personalities.


To LIEUT.. GEN. u S. GRANT, U. s.
ARMY.-As long ago as last August saw
in the New York Herald a paragraph
purpcrting to give some expressions OF
yours concerning me, during your tour
through the Northern States and Canada.
1t was as followsi ba ,.
General Grant, while in Springfield,
Massachusetts, conversed very freely
upon topics Of general interest connected
with the army. He said that Gen. Buell.
was thoroughly versed in the theory OF
war, but knew nothing of handling men
in an emergency, ana that his heart was
never in the war from the first. He said
that Buell. might have reached Pittsburg
Landing several days earlier than he did,
in which ease Gen. Grant would have
been the attacking party.
Immediately called your attention to
this paragr aph and requested You to
avow or disavow the remarks imputed to
you and again on the 27th ofDecember
/ did the same thing. On the 4th of Jan
uary / received your. reply, dated the 29th
of December In that you say you have
no recollection of the reported converse
ton; and if any such oecurred, you
know that your remarks could not have
been quoted correctly. For instance,
you say in regard to my want of ability
to command in the presence of an enc
my, or in battle, you have always
thought and expressed yourself different
ly and on the subject of my heart
never having been in the cause, you
must. you say, certainly have been mis-
understood. You supposed me to be
earnest while in command, etc. Iouadd,
however, that my letters published since
have rather given the idea that wanted
the Union saved in particular way and
that way different from the one which
was being pursued Your impression.
would have been more accurate if you
had understood that | desired that the
Union should be preserved or restoredT
not destroyed But without going into
definitions, or drawing the line OF. differ
ence, | must say here, that the conclu-
sion which You have drawn from my ex-
pressions is substantially correct.
In regard to the battle of Shiloh, your
explanation, which shall quote further
on, qualities somewhat the statement in
the newspaper report referred toi but
allowing for the zeal Of partisans, there
is enough in it to confirm the ruraors |
have heard, tha. the reflections which at
various times have been actively and eX-
tensively circulated relative to my move
ments prior to the battle drew their in
spiration from yonr headquarters. You
may, therefore, fairly be regarded as re-
sponsible for them, and shall take them
up in the form in which they have been
circulated.
And first, who ever asserted that l
could not have reached Pittsburg Land
Jug earlier than I did2 Not /, nor any
one in my name Undoubtedly, | could
have moved by. forced marches before
you were attacked on the 9th of April,
as did afterward, and,s so have reached
Savannah in fine TO avert the disaster
Of that dav; but in stating barely that !
could have done so, as in the paragraph
which / have quoted, the allegation is
implied that | was remiss in not doing
so. ! shall show that the facts do not
warrant any such Imputation.
After giving number of official dis1
patches, General Buell. proceeds;
From these facts it results that my
movement llhu lho bhltNi1 hth " 10
cue you from impending destruction, but
to form ajunction with you for delib-
crate campaign under our common SUI
perior; and all statements to the elect
that 1 knew you were in peril ana yet
failed TO hasten TO your sqccOr, are
without foundation. Had / acted on
your dispatch to General Nelson, or on
General Hallecks authority 20 halt at
Waynesboro, the time yoa designated
for me 70 commence crossing the river
would have found the remnant Of your
army prisoners in the camps of the
enemy; though, in point of fact as far
as numbers were concerned, you were in
no need Of assistance. for you had ser-.
eral Thousand more men than your as.
sailant, and the simplest disposition Of
your troops for battle ought 10 have Sc
cured to you the victory.