The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-03-03
Specimen of Testimony

| United States cavalry, and brevet major
general of the United States army. My
command is the Department Of Washing
ton.
@. How long have you been in the COM
mand Of this department A. l think
since the LIST of September, 1867.
@. During the month of February, 1868,
have you had any conversation with the
President of the United States in relation
to military affairs or movements 7 A. Only
one.
| O. When was that9 A. That was on
Saturday, ed February.
@. Was the interview at your request
or his A. It was at his request.
@. In what way was his request COM
municated to your A. have the note in
my pocket. It is a letter from Colonel
William G.. Moore, of the army, marked
"personal."
@. Read the letter.
Witness read as follows:
Executive MANSION,
WASHINGTON, D. c., February %, 1868. !
General THE President directs me to
say that he would be pleased to have you
call on him as early as practicable.
Very respectfully and truly yours,
VIM. G. MOORE, q. S. A.
@. Did you call in consequence of that
request? A. did.
Q. State fully and literally, as far as you
are able, what occurred at the interview.
A. There is nothing more difficult than to
repeat conversation.
Q. State the substance of it. A. The
| President asked me if recollected con-
versation had with him, when first took
commanded this department, in reference
to the strength of the garrison at Washing
ton and the general disposition of the troops
in this department. To which I replied
that did recollect it distinctly. He asked
me if there had been any changes. |
replied that there had been no material
change, but, such as there had been, |
could state at once. I then went on to
state that six companies of the Twenty
ninth infantry had been brought here to
winter, but that there had been an offset
by detaching four companies of the Twelfth
infantry to Charleston, on the requisition
of General Candy; that two companies of
the Fourth artillery, which had been de-
tached during General Canby's command
of the department, one of them to the
northern frontier, to assist in putting
down the Fenian difficulties, had been
returned to their regiment, stationed
at Fort McHenry, Baltimore; that though
the command had been increased in
the number of companies, I was under the
impression that the reduction in the nu-
merical strength of the command, growing
out of the order which reduced infantry
and artillery companies from the maxi
mum of the war establishment to the
minimum of the peace establishment,
more than Offset what was gained by the
additional companies. The President
said 81 refer to more recent changes" I
said did not know exactly what he re-
ferred to by recent changes; that none
had been made to my knowledge that if
he would give me some idea of who had
made the report to him, or what the re-
port was which he had received, ! could,
perhaps, give him more definite answer.
He said reports had reached him that within
the last day or two certain orders and new
arrangements of troops had been made.
I assured him that none had been made
with my knowledge, and that did not be-
lieve that any had been made without my
knowledge; that under the recent orders,
founded upon the laws of Congress, for the
government Of the armies of the United
States, approved by him, no order could
come to me except through General Grant,
and that, reasoning from analogy, it was
assumed in the army that no order could
be given to any one under my command
without coming through me; that il, by
any possibility, an order mad been given
without coming through me it was the
duty OF the officer receiving it Immediately
to notify me. He then asked me, "What
order do you refer to?" I stated that I
referred to Order No. Is or II, could not
recollect which, that had been published
to the army some time in May last. He
said |; 1" wish to see the order" I replied
to him that would send for it. He said,
"No, have al the orders about the
house,; and q messenger was sent
for it. at that time Colonel Cooper
came in, and occupied the Presi-
dents attention for some time upon another
subject, as supposed, for I withdrew to
the other end Of the room. While there
the messenger came and brought the order.
After Colonel Cooper had gone out I re-
turned to the President, with this order in
my hand, and said: "Mr. President, will
take it as great favorif you will allow me to
| SoA1 Jooi oelCutiou w ILLS VI GCUs IL
passed in an appropriation bill, and it is
possible you may never have seen it," He
took the order and read it, and observed:
"This is not in accordance with the Con-
stitution Of the United States, which
makes me commander-in-chief of the army
and navy, or with the language of the COM
mission which you hold" stated to him
that was not matter for officers to deter
mine; there was the order sent to us, ap-
proved by him, and We were all governed
by that order.
Q. Do You mean that the order or the
act was approved by the President? A.
mean the act; but as far as that was con-
cerned, the order and the act approved by
him are the same thing for the order con-
tanned nothing but the act. he said: "Am
l to understand that the President Of the
United States cannot give an order but
through the General-in- Chief or General
Grant," I replied: "Mr. President,
that is the order which you approved, and
which has been issued for the government
of the army, and I think it due to you to
say that when this order first came out it
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