The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-13
Attempt to Disgrace General
ThOmas-General Halleck's Testi.
mOnY.

iSSpOuuSuS vi luC ShlSaSo 1't1"He, iaso
the sumptuous mansion of General H.
W. Halleck, at San Francisco.
The time was but few weeks ago.
General Halleck had been ordered to
report himself in the Mississippi Valley,
and before setting out he had, out OF
his abundant wealth, given a fine din.
ner to General George II. Thomas, his
successor in the command of the De.
partment of the Pacific, and invited
thereto about dozen prominent officers
and gentlemen, among whom were
General Whipple and Governor Low,
now our Minister to China.
The dinner was over, the blood of the
widow Clicquot had warmed up the
memory and ardent feelings of every.
body present conversation ensued /;
and it turned upon the disagreeable
relations that possibly mi ght continue
to exist between Halleck and Thomas
if the Nashville mystery were not
frankly and fully explained between
them. General Halleck approached
this subject squarely, and it was of the
intensest interest to General Thomas,
who, while deliberate and even slow,
is sensitive maR upon the fine points
ofhis honor and his reputation; and so
far as refers to the movement against
him before he turned and annihilated
Hood, he has never been. querlous, but
always grave and hurt; for many Oh
his friends have led him to suppose
that the order which was issued for his
removal, was as much the fruit of a
military conspiracy as Of his cautious
hardness; conspiracy timely over
thrown by the interpositiou of the bat
tie.
As General Halleck approached this
subject, therefore, Thomas gathered up
his great stature, put his hands behind
his back, and with his massive magnet
ism looked Halleck through and
through.
General Thomas, l was present"
said Halleck, when the order came
from City Point for your supersedence.
| was astounded; was dismayed at it.
| carried it to Stanton and asked him
to interpose, if only to delay the trans
mission of it three days.
stanton said: Il am as much sur
prised as you are. think it a mistake.
But | won't intervene. l shan't take
the responsibility. 1t must be sent
Thomas followed all this with his
whole history in his eyes. well!
wellr' he said, in suppressed impa
tience.
IL wanted you to know all this
continued Halleck, "for we may never
meet OPPORTUNITY again. l wanted tc
tell you to satisfy your mind want
you to know it once for ALL
"Well, sir, well.
al took Grants order to President
Lincoln, and asked him to interpose, &c
allow me to detain the order for few
DAYS until you get ready. He was as
sorry about it as Stanton or | but he
said, No, | shan't take the responsible
ity; Grant has ordered it, and 1t must
60.
81 went back to Stanton again.
said to him that [ was satisfied this
thing was untimely and unjust, and
said .#
"'Mr. Stanton, if put this order re
moving General Thomas in my pocket
and keep it for three days, will you or
der me under arrest?
"Do your duty, said Stanton; its a
mistake but do your duty.
az want to know if you will have me
contaminated if l detain it"
ono said Stanton, L won't!
IL put that order in my pocket, Gen
eral Thomas" said Halleck, GALL present
eagerly listening) "and you fought the
battle of Nashville in time to save your,
self, to save Grant, to save Stanton, and
Lincoln and me, and the country.
"Well. we'll, sir" said Thomas, stern
and big as a mountain of will, us that
all?'
81 tell you again" replied Halleck,
that | have been waiting TO talk to
you about this. l wanted to get 1t Oh
INV mind and yours. | may never have
a similar opportunity. That order from
General Grant relieved you from the
command before Nashville. 1t specified
in the order, who was to take your
place, and that mans name was moi
John A. Logan"
Here then was sensation all round
Father Thomas seemed for the hrs'
time TO have lost his imperturbabillty,
"Well, well?" was unequal to the occa'
sion, so he said nothing.
81 tell you, General Thomas that
saw the order. | carried the order
about. The name of the man was
given, and it was not John A. Logan.
The company burst out, resolved to
know who it was.
"And the name of the man in that
order" said Halleck with due enpb
was John NJ. Schofeld."
II knew it~ burst forth General
Thomas no longer self:contained. Il
knew it! l knew he was the man.
l have given General Hallecks YER
sion of the conversations as l believe 1t
to have been exactly rendered. From
under the teacup where ! heard it,
some words might have been lost, but /
think not. You have probably had Sc,
before you the precise statement, and
have shared the just spirit OF the inter
view.
General Schofield, continued to share
the preference of General Grant, after
the events recounted had passed away
and people stopped writing war history
He became Secretary Of War, by Gene
raj Grants advice, after Stantons reslg
nation. He was retained in that place