The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-01-22


the district OF Frenchmans Bay, Maine.
A Sensation Story Corrected-The Facts in
Regard 10 the vicksburg Campaign.
correspondent Of New York morning paper
whose communication published yesterday in
regard to the orders OF Banks to supersede Grant be-
fore the fall OF Vicksburg Is sngularly msed in his
statements The simple facts are these:-The Presi
dent, Secretary Stanton, Halleck and Grant all
agreed that the armies OF Grant and Banks should
be combined the more efficiently to operate against
Vicksburg and Port Hudson. Banks was the senior
oficer. For that reason, when the armies
were combined the command would neces
sarily have devolved upon Banks. On the
I'd Of April, 1863, Halleck telegraphed to
Grant, "What is most desired and your attention is
again called to this object 49, that your forces and
those Of General Banks shall be brought into CO.
operation as early as possible. II he cannot get up
to cooperate with you on vcksburg. cannot you get
troops down to help him on Port Hudsonfn On the
18th OF May, after Grant had captured Grand Gulf
and Port Gibson, Halleck telegraphed him as fol-
iows"If possible, the forces OF yourself and Banks
should be united between vicksburg and Port Hud-
son, 80 as to attack these places separately with
the combined forces. The same thing has been urged
on Banks" On the 18th Of May Grant teegraphed to
Halleck from Jackson, Miss. as follows:-sT sent q
special messenger to Banks, giving him the sub
stance Of the information had and asking him to
join me as soon as possible" This message was
sent on the 10th. On the ID OF June Haleck tele-
graphed to Grant as folows:-"I have sent despatch
after despatch to Banks to join you. Why he does
not do not understand. His separate operating on
Port Hudson is in direct violation of his instruc-
lions. II possible send him this despatch.n on
the same day President Lincoln telegraphed to
Grant az f0llows:-''Are you in communica-
ton with General BanksP Is he coming
towards you or going further orr Is there or has
there been, anything to hinder his coming directly
to you by waterS' On the 9Th Of June Grant tele-
graphed to President Lincoln:-sI send by mail a
letter from General Banks.n This letter from GEN.
eral Banks stated his reasons for not proceeding
with his army to combine 1t with Grants army and
assume the command to which his rank entitled
him. When Banks demonstrated against the orders
from Washington and Grants own request that he
(Banks) should join hing Grant, which neces-
sarily would give Banks the command, 'un-
less there was express designation by the
President to the contrary Grant sent
member Of his staff to urge upon Banks to bring his
army up the river Grant further instructed this
staff officer to say to Banks that he hoped no feeling
OF delicacy in regard to the matter OF rank would
deter him. that he Grant. lwould cheerfully surren-
der the command. Both Generals acted nobly in the
matter-Grant in sinking all personal considerations
for the supposed good OF the service and Banks IN
declining to step in and take the fruit which Grant
had shaken until it was ready to fall. You viii see,
therefore, that the correspondent is grossly mistaken
in supposing that General Grant has received any
new light this subject within the past month. am
assured by gentle who was there with General
Grant that it waswell understood at Grants head
quarters, not that Banks was specially ordered to
relieve Grant, but to unite the two armies, which
would have resulted in his superseding Grant, be-
cause he (Banksl was the senior ofhcer. am fur
ther assured by the same authority that there was
time during the siege Of vicksburg when General
Grant did not possess the entire confidence and
ceive the earnest cooperation OF the President,
the Secretary OF War and the General-in- Chief
Mr.. Dana, the Assistant Secretary OF war,
was with Grant, and was fully advised OF all
his plans and operations during the entire siege
OF vicksburg. he made full and frequent reports to
Stanton, and approved and applauded Grants con-
duct The fact that this matter il not discussed in
the text OF Bsrsau's book ID probably because he
was not aware hat Banks. at that time, ranked
Grant, and therefore dd not appreciate the effect Of
the orders and 4 grams which are published in
the appendix TO 4 book, Badeau was not, till long
afterward, men. OF Grants STAFF and had roper
sons knowief-, IA Is most interesting per'od NJ
Grants history. Grants whole conduct during this
period displays the remarkable fact that In
oil his campaigns and in all hts reports he never
seemed to do anything for his personal distnc-
ton He was ready to yield command on the eve OF
apparent victory to make the success OF the cause
more certain.
Reconstruction Of Virginia.
vigorous effort is being made by both the
radicals and the conservatives OF Virginia to have
the Old Dominion admitted to representation in Con-
gress. The leaders Of both parties have been here
each party trying to impress upon them the import.
ance OF admitting the State under the regulations
prescribed by their peculiar political creed. To-day
the radical delegation had another hearing before
the Reconstruction Committee Governor Wells
as on yesterday, being the chief sp0kes-
man. He stated that the republican party
OF the state wanted to go on and organize
State government under the constitution
adopted by the Alexandria convention ana that
they were OF opinion that 1t would be to the interest
OF all parties II Congress would pass bill provid-
ing for the holding Of election to ratfy the con-
stitution at once. The conservative element he
said was also willing TO accept this constitution
provided the section which DISTINGUISHES those who
participated In the rebellion stricken ont. The
republicans or as Governor Wells terms them, sfhe
loyal element could not afford to do this because
he con essed they could not carry the elections or
ratify the constitution that portion OF the peo-
pie which the constitution DISTINGUISHES were allowed
to vote. He said the republicans were willing after
the constitution was ratified and the government
fairly started to amend the constitution by striking
out the DISTINGUISHING section. The conservative
delegation Ia to have an audience with the Recon-
struction Committee tomorrow. They will ask the
committee to expunge the DISTINGUISHING section
from the constitution ana allow all male citizens of
the state white and black, twenty years Of
age to vote. n this Ia refused then they win urge
that an election be held at once, and that, II
the constitution be not ratified thereat. that
new convention be held, wherein those
who participated In the late rebellion shall
be represented, 80 thata new constitution may be
drawn up. The only point Of difference between the
two parties about the constitution Is the dsfranchs
ing section, and the question which the committee
IA called upon to decide Is whether this SHAH be lert