The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-04
SOME NEW BOOKS.
ehcrman's Memoirs in the Light Of the
Record.

ptdtioHS nom Inc MES ~ ne war Offcc. tNt-
gach, Baldwin & Co., Cinclnnati) IL is uni
form with the Memoirs, to which IL Is aptly
designated az a companion volume. After
careful examination, It occurs to- u that no one
who has purchased shermnn's work should fail
to piece this alongside OF It, for 1t IA not only
written with great vigor clearness, and indie
pendence, but 1t supplements Sherman's inter-
cstinc but untrustworthy story in many essen
tial Particulars.
Gen. Boynton was most worthy officer,
and commanded the Thirty-ifth Regiment Of
OHIO Volunteers I'm the Army OF the Cum
berland with great ere It, lie was severely
wounded at the battle Of Missionary Ridge,
where he earned the brcyet Of Brigadier-G General
for conspicuous eallantrv. lie was mustered
out Of the service with his regiment at the ex-
piraiion OF It's term Of enlistment Its reported
| tia; Gen. sherman and some OF his misguided
friends h We strvcn to create the IMPRESSION
that Gen. noynton was merely newspaper cor
respondent and that his book could therefore
| lie ignored; but the most crsual exam nation Of
| II will show how fdllacious this idea is
IL IS just what 1t pufports to be. careful COM
parlson Of the memoirs with the c'icial record.
and constitutes most valuable contribution To
the literature OF the great rebellion. IL quotes
| great number Of tecgrars, letters, and official
| documents, many Of which have not been lith-
| crtO published, ard all OF which are pertinent to
the questions aud controversies raised by Sher
mans book, and particularly TO those which
relate to matters Of fact. The author expresses
the belief that the documents presented in his
volume twill prove sufficient to thoroughly
fortify Gen. Sherman In the claim that his
| book Is not history" $50 far" he slvs. "ns
| II conforms to official papers, their production
can only strengthen him; 40 far as It fails to
agree with these, 1t not only deserves to be con-
| dcmned, but the condemnation should be meas
urcd by the prominence Of the author and his
abundant facilities for obtaining accurate infor-
nation. Judged by the official record, the YER
dict must be that the work is intensely eGot,sti-
cal, unreliable. and cruelty unjust to nearly all
| his distinguished associates"
| Gen. Boynton clearly demonstrates, by quota
tions from the records, that Gen. Grant and not
Gen. Hallcck was entitled to the credit Of hav-
ing devised the Fort Donelson campaign and
carried 1t into successful operation, and that
Gen. halleck had nothing whatever to do with
II except to give reluctant consent to Grants
pl ms, aud to forward recruits after the CAM
paign had been fairly begun. 1t will be remem-
bered that Sherman went out Of his way, on the
strength OF a conversation between himself,
Gen. iIalieck, and Gen. Cullen to assign tie
praise u this campaign to Htlleck, though 1t il
noteworthy that In doing this he leaves some
| '
pointed out the weak point IN the rebel line Of
defence.
Turning his attention to the battle Of shiloh.
Gen. Boyuton shows that Sherman's account II
that action ia not only incomplete, but exceed.
tngy inaccurate. lie makes IL plain that the
union army was surprised, and that sherman,
more than any other man, was responsible for
It, as well as for .he failure to guard the posi-
ton 10y suitably constructed field works. lie
also shows by extracts from oGic'al documents
rot quoted by sherman, how that General had
nisr, presented the par, taken by RosecrAns in
the battles OF luka and Corinth. Our space viii
not allow us to do more than point out the con-
illusions reached by Gen. Boynton In this case,
but IL may be noted that he throws gu in
ieresting light on too relations Of Grant and
Rose rams, between whom an enlargement Is
said t. have grown w aftert battle Of Cornth.
X fcrrins TO the battle Of Chi.hasaw Bayou. Tor
the loss Of which Sherman In his memoirs holds
Gen. Morgan aud Gen. DE CDurcey mainly re-
sponsible, Buynton shows that "the very divis-
tons 10 winch he lShermanl now attributes his
failure, and upon whose commanders he visit.
severe censure, were the Identical troops and
officers he reported at the time as having done
IT, hardest nshtins, and accomplished every
thii IL wa possible to perform" Gen. BONN
ton defends Rosecrans and rlomas, and par
ticulArly Tie army OF the Cumberland, for their
part In the battles n CAirhamuuea and those
about Chlttanoo 90, showing tAat Sherman. ill.,
stead of picking march OF uuriylled raj ldIt,.
Wa s. ven weeks Lie IA rea,hin- that theatre of
var, and that after he DID arrive there he
alone OF AL the commanders failed TO perform
tie part assigned him. Eoyntou does not give
full account q the battle OF Missionary Ridge,
bu' his REVIEW, taken IN CONNECTION vi Ia the ac-
count " that battle written by Gen. illlam
.. = 3D..
VITA that OF Van Horne In the "Histor, Il
the Army Of the CunlberlAnd," confirms the
view which we took OF that action in our notice
- Sherman's memoirs. Ihey seem to leave no
doubt as 10 the actual liam Of action or the ualt
taAen by the various commanders, ID Gering IN
reference to minor details, they all agree In
showing that Shernan's II rraiite is not correct.
Gen. BOyntOn also shows that Cen Sooy
| Smith was wiougfully condemned by Sherman
| for Hing to reach Meridian, and that sherman MS
| structures upon that officer were unjust and
harsh Ia the extreme. lie also shows upon the
| authority OF Shcrman's own dispatches and re-
| ports that Mcpherson In return. from Res CO.
after having moved through Snake Nil Gap,
acted In strict accordance with the discretion
/ If not with the positive orders given to him
by Sherman himself. He also proves clearly
That Grant planned the Atlanta campaign as
! well a. the march to the sea, and thai sherman
! In executing them committed several serious
! plumbers, the most notable Of which were the
assault of kenesaw, and the failure to reinforce
the Army Of the Tennessee at the ba tie before
! Atlanta in which Mcpherson lost his life He
severely criticiscs the siege Of Savannah the es
cape Of Hardee, ana the battle OF Hentonvillc,
and shows finally by publishing the original ocu-
ments, that Sherman permitted the rebel Post
master General Regan to write the first draft Of
! oh. i