The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1875-07-17
the HISTORY OF THE WAR.
A LETTER FROM GENERAL
ROSECRANS.

ROSECRANS.
EGAN CANYON, New, June II,
1875.
To the Editor of the Herald -
Your esteemed favor reached me
by last mail. having been forward
cdfrom II y home, San Rafael, Cal.
Ihave to thank You for the conr-
tesy extended TO me through the
columns of the Herald for any
thing may desire TO write OH the
events of the war. "A Union gen.
eral who was department conf
mander during part Of that period
could hardly fail to become spec
ial posessor of many facts impor-
tant to its history. Nor is il much
to say that this possession makes
him an involuntary trustee for the
benefit Of the pubic and of pos
terity. ! have always felt the OBJ
legation Of this trust, and endcav-
orcd to discharge il. Officially,
the public records Of my military
and civil administrations, il not
perfect, will, | believe be found
inferior to no Others
Pcronally. when relieved from
the command Of the Department
Of Ohio TO enable the President
by the creation of the Mountain
Department, to provide for Il po-
iitical exigcncy when relieved
from the command of the Army
OF the Cumberland aftor the can.
paign of Chattanooga, and when
relieved from the command of the
Department of Missouri, although
! abstaincd from laying before the
public facts due to the truth of
history because l thought their
discussion would not subservc the
interests Of the nation, then in its
struggle for life, yet | placed OH
official record or publicly stated
enough to contradict the official
and pcasonai cAlnmnics by which
1t was sought to disguise or justi-
fy these later removals from COM
mand, for which neither the pub
lie press nor the army could see
good reasons. And, again, when
IN his annual report the Command
ing General Of the Army signed
his name to an official statement
respecting the stinirs in the De-
partmcnt of Missouri while under
my command, in testimony before
the Committee on the Conduct Of
War, and in my personal report
to the Adjutant General OF the
Army, explicitly calledattcntion
TO the falschoods contained in his
statement, and gave the opportnn-
ity for an investigation which
would have vindicatcd history.
10 this extent have discharged
the duties, personal and official,
which circumstances have imposed
upon inc; and should the custo-
dians of the archives which contain
these records be truthful to their
trust, they will in due time come
before the public. Many of them
have already been published, and
that others arc not known has
been owing TO circumstances over
which | have had no control. The
calumnics contained in Badeau's
Life Of General Grant" F." respect
Ing portions of my military man
! agcmcnt have passed unnoticcd
by me, partly because The facts to
rciute them have been scattered
I-broadcast by the press or in pub
lishcd official reports laid before
the public, and partly because |
thought the time inopportunc
when the cxiscncies of u govern
ing party rendered il necessary to
prevent truths from becoming
known which would tend to de-
stroy the popularity Of a leader
whom albeit against their better
instincts--its chiefs have felt il
necessary to set up. These rca-
soils and the imperious duties
Of laborious life have compelled
INC TO leave untuliillcd q minor
port on of what | owe 10 my
country. And as they still re-
main, | shall at present be unable
to avail myself Of the courtesy of
the Herald by contributions thro'
| its columns to add details to the
history of the war. Remaining
very truly yours,
W. s. AosEcRANs.
Well. my son." said u Detroit
father TO his eight year old son, the
other night, what have you done
to day that may be set down asa
good deed?' "Gave poor boy
five cents replied the hopeful.
"Ah, all that was charity, and
charity is always right. He was
an orphan, was he?" ! didn't stop
to ask him replied tile boy, " |
gave him the money for licking a
boy that upset my dinner basket!'
|
New York, July 5.--The London
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