The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1872-09-05
GENERAL RANKS.
The Trse Cause of His Detection.

GENERAL BANKS.
The True Cause ef His Defectisn.
fs IL Editor of the CINCINNATI Gazette:
In the letter of Gen. n p. Banks declaring Iot
Greeley, he ingeniously places bis absndonn'en.
Vt the Republican party solely nPon s.r",.nss
the GOOD Of the whole country. One wouiuthink,
from reading that letter. that it's author was one
of the most tlisinterested patriots IN the wnoie
land, and that he had no Per~,nai grievances 70
ayeuge or ambitious purposes to serve. IL IL I'M
nortant, therefore, that attention he called IN
some facts in the history of the late war which
are doubtless unknown tn many, and nave pro
Lably been forgotten by those who were iamiiiar
with them at the time Of their occurrence.
1t will he remembered by many OF those who
served under Gen. Grant at Vicksburg, that as
soon rs the Army of the Tennessee crossed the
mississippi River. and won the battle Of Port
Gibsou, causing the evacuation Of Grand Gulf. IT
VAS understood that General Banks was using
ali the influence he had to have Gen. Grant, with
his army abandon the movement ON Vicksbnrg,
and 90 to his assistance in an attack upon POrt
Hudson. The garrison Of Port Hudson cons'stea,
think of some six or seven thousand Conieae-
rates, while Gen. Banks had an army Vastly is
superior in numbers, and entirely adequate 70 its
CAPTURE Yet he wanted the grand army of Zen.
Grant, numbering some forty Thousand men, TO
turn its back upon this important movement ano
allow vicksburg to be REINFORCED. and stand as
the gate through which the armies of Lee anu
Johnston were to he indefinitely supplied: Every
soldier knew that in the capture OF Nick'burg
the hack bone of the rebellion would be broken !;
| that Port Hudson would fall as necessary con-
| sequence and such was the result. II the advice
Of Gen. Banks had been taken IN tins instance, G
| it might and probably would have turned tue
whole tide Of affairs against ns. -,
But the point t0 which attention IL specially
invited is to the following correspondence, taken
| frum the "R-port the Conduct Of the war,
ls65-vol. 9, R-si River Expedition' 1t viii be
| seen from what estimate Gen. Grant put upon
| the services If the man who was varIousiy de-
signated - the commissary Of Stonewall jackson,
| Dick Taylor, and Kirby Smith. 1t may be tnat
| when the recent letter of Gen. Banks was writ
ten he had forgotten all this and it may be tnat'
n recOlectetl he did not influence his action in
avowing his opposition to Gen. Grant; ana YET u
would look to an impartial observer as more tnan
probable that he had at least some unpleasant re
collections of the matters alluded to- ana tnough'
this suitable time for retaliation and revenge.
ONE OF THE ARMY OF THE TENNEssE.
NASHVILLE, TEN, Feb. l6 1884.
| Mai Ge. H. ". HaIleck. GeseTalin-Ch'e:
Gen. Allen telegraphed me that Gen. Banks
had taken large amount Of river Transportation 70
New Orleans preparatory to move mp Red River;
also that a staff officer collecting transPOrfa-
| tion for Sherman for the same move. ms was
crpping us here for transportation, and stopped
il. 1 expected Sherman. however, 70 go 10
| Shreveport and form junction with steele move,
ment. II Ranks has not the force to send. wonld
suggest that Sherman himself 60 in person, II
u. 8. GRANT, Major-Gcneral.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY IN THE FIELD
CULPEPPER c. H., March q, 1854.
GENERAL: In the campaign which it is de-
sirable to commence as soon as our veterans re-
turn it is important to have some one near BANKS
who can issue orders to him and see that they
are obeyed. This will be specially important, II
move is made against -, as now caic"iate
am, General, very respcctf =, SC,
U. S. GRANT, Lent. Gen.
Mai. Gen. H. ". HALLEcK,
Chief of staff Of the Army, Washington, ID. {.
CuLrxppER. Vs., April Is, 1874.
Mai. Gen. H. W. Hallck, Chief Of SiGG:
Please send Gen. Hunter to report to me. From
the late dispatches from Maj. Gen. Banks, fear
he is going to be late in the spring movement
and am desrous of sending an officer OF rank
with duplicates of his orders, and with further
US. GRANT, Lieut.. Gen.
CuLPEPpER, Va, April p, 1864.
Mai. Gen. Fl. w. Halleck, Chief of Staff:
You can see from Gen. Brayman's dispatch to
me something Of Gen. Banks disaster 1 have
been satisfied for the last nine months that to
keep Gen. Banks in command was to nentfaiize
a large force and to support it most expcnsively.
Although do not insist on il, l think the best
| interests of the service demand that General
| REYNOLDS should be placed in command AZ once
| and that he name his own successor to the CON-
| mand of New Orleans.
'- L.. GRANT, Lieut.. Gen.
(INDoRsEMENT.]
/ HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY.
WASHINGTON, April % 1864.
This telegram shown to the President by order
| cf the Secretary of War. The President replied
that be must delay acting on it for present.
H.W. HALLECK,
Mai Gen. Chief Of Staff.
| HEApoCARrERs, CCLPEPPER, Va,
April 26 1864.
Maj Gen. Halleck, Chief Of Siaf:
Little Rock; to Gen. Banks, to return himself
| Immediately to New Orleans, and make prepara-
tions to carry out his previous instructions the
moment his troops returned; to place the senior
officer under himself in command Of the troops IN
the field, with instructions to see the gun boats
safely out of the Red River as soon as possible,
and then return all the troops rapidly to where
they belong. If before receiving these instruc-
tions he has taken Shreveport, then to leave Gen.
Steele and the navy in charge Of the river, giving
Gen. Steele, if necessary, ali of Smiths troops.
U. s. GRANT, Lieut.. Gen.
CuIrEppER COURT House, Va,
April Is, 1864.
Mai. Gen n. " Halleck, Chief of STAFF:
A. j. Smith will have to stay with Gen. Banks
until the gunLOats are out of their difficulty.
Gen. Banks ought to he ordered to New Orleans
and leave all further execution on Red River in
other hands. l have just received two private