Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-03
WASHINGTON. D. C., FRIDAY. JANUARY g. 1873.
a QUESTION or MILITARY ETIQUETTE.
The Secretary Of War and General
Sherman Dfflcr.
A Satisfactory Adjustmen nj Of the Mat.
ter.

Ter.
The reports Of difference between Secretary
Belknap and General Sherman as TO how orders
shall be issued are exaggerated to a great ex.
tent and do not disturb the official or social re-
lations OF those gentlemen in the slightest de-
gree. General sherman for some time has ar
gued that heads OF bureaus in the War Depart.
nent must be his stat officers and transact Their
business with him ihstS al OF the Secretary OF
War.
Secretary Belkpap opposes this view of Gen
era Sherman and is sustained in his views by
decision OF the Supreme Court of the United
states, reported IN 10 Peters, page so2, as fol.
lows "Ihe Secretary of War Is the regular
constitutional, ergan OF the President for the adj
minttration of the military establishment OF
the nation end rules and orders publicly pro
nulgated thu ough him must be received as the
acts Of the executive, and as such be binding
upon all within the sphere Of his legal and COL
When General Schofeld was Secretary of
Var he conceded with the views of General
Sherman, and Issued the following order:
HEADQUARTERS OF III. Army, Adjutant
General orders, No II The following orders of
the President of the United States are published
for the Information and government Of all con-
cerned.
WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington CITY, March
5, ls6e:-By direction OF the President, General
VIM. L. sherman will assume command OF the
The chiefs Of staff corps, departments and
bureaux will report to and act under the imme-
diate orders Of the general commanding the
army.
All Official business, which by Law or regula-
tons, require the action Of the President or
Secretary Of War, will be submitted by the
general of the army to the Secretary of War;
and, in general, all orders from the President
or Secretary Of War to any portion of the army,
line or staff, will be transmitted through the
general OF the army. j. Al: scHorIElp,
The effect of this order was to virtually isolate
the bureau officers OF the War Department from
the secretary, and when Gen. Rawlins was
made secretary he Issued the following, revok-
ing Gen. SchOfeld's order:
HEADQUARTERS THE ARMY, Adjutant
GeneIaPs once, washington, March 9th, 1869
General Orders, No. 2S.-rhe following orders >,
received from the War department. are pub
lished for the government OF all concerned:
WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington City, March
10Th, lso9.-By direction of the President, the
order OF the Secretary OF War, dated War De-
partment, March 9TH, 1863, and published in
general orders, No. IL, headquarters of the
army, Adjutant Generals office, dated March
Sth, 1869, except so much as directs Gen. W. L.
sherman to "sssume command of the army of
the United States" is hereby rescinded.
All official business which by law or regula-
tons requires the action OF the President or
Secretary OF War will be submitted by the
chiefs OF staff corps, departments, and bureaus,
to the Secretary OF War.
All orders and instructions relating to mill
tary operations, issued by the President or Sec.
Rotary OF War, will be issued through the Gen
eIal OF the army.
JEo. A. RAwLIEs, Secretary of War.
BY command OF General Sherman.
r. ID. TOWNSEND. Assistant Adjt Genl.
This order has remained in force since, but
the question involved at first was brought up
again on Monday last, when the Secretary OF
War issued the following order:
WAR DEPARTMENT, Adjutant Generals Of
nee, Washington, Dec. 80. ls12-General Orders
No. I'LL. Major William ID whipple, assist
ant adjutant general, and Major Orlando NJ
Poe. corps OF engineers, will be relieved from
their present duties and report to the general OF
the army for duty on his staff Jan. 1, 1873.
III. Until further directions, the orders of the
general Of the army will be issued by him
through the assistant Siutant general on his
staff; and copies OF all such orders will be for
warded as soon as issued to the adjutant general
Ill. The regular monthly returns, the muster
rolls, and all reports required by army regula.
OF the army, will continue to be made as AT
present. All correspondence properly calling
for action, or comment, by the general Of the
army, will be sent through him
~. The recruiting service win be conducted
by the adjutant general, under the direction OF
the Secretary of War.
By order Of the Secretary of War:
Ed. TowNskND, Adj't Genl.
Thus originates the exaggerated reports OF
differences between the Secretary and General
Sherman.
The following order promulgated by General
Sherman to-day, after consultation with the
Secretary OF War, settles the whole matter, to
the satisfaction Of all concerned:
HEADQUARTERS OF THE Army, Washington
january ,1sl3.-l General Orders No. 4. IL Major
william ID; WhiPple, assistant adjutaLt general,
and Major y. M. Poe, L. S. engineers, are hereby
appointed aides de- camp on the personal stan OF
the General Of the Army, vice Colonies F. T.
Dent and Horace Porter, resigned. Colonel o.
M. Poe will remain as now ct Detroit until re-
lieved of his present duties.
2. Colonel William ID. Whipple, in addition to
MS duties a. aide-de-camp, will perform the
cuties Of adjutant general to tbs General of the
Army. In addition to the usual re ports and
returns to the Adjutant Generals Office, Wash
ington, ID. q, division and department com
members will send copies OF their monthly
reports and returns to Colonel William ID.
Whipple, for the information of the Generals
and all correspondence and reports designed
for the use of the General will be addressed TO
Colonel Whipple, and all orders made to the
army by the General will be made by or through
nm. W.. L. SHERMAN, General