The New York herald., 1876-03-08
Interview with the General on the
Torpedo Question.
A REPLY TO GENERAL BEAUREGARD
Rules Of Civilized Warfare Bear
ing on a Mooted Point.
CRITICISMS WHICH AMUSE.


81 did not tako any notice Of Beaurogard's letter.
He is very clever gentleman, and like him person
ally; but he wrong In his ideas OF civilized warfare
II was no new thing TO require prisoners TO remove
torpedoes which had been buried by the enemy. Wei
lngton did IL in Spain, and history furnishes a num-
bor Of similar instances was justified not only by
the rules of war; but also by the best of humane prin
ciples In the first instance where had prisoners to
perform such service little town about
forty miles from Savannah The name OF the place es-
! capes me just now News brought TO me that
gallant young officer had been frRhlfuy wounded and
his horse killed by the explosion OF torpedo buried by
| the rebels in the middle Of the road l filed my army
TO the right and anked that part OF the road where
the explosives supposed to be planted Tho
| wagon trains had TO pass over the danger
| Gus ground, however and 1 knew that tho
| trampng or the mules and the heavy
weight the loaded wagons would surely explode any
torpedoes which had been planted. ordered detail
OF prisoners 10 be sent ahead of tho and with
picks aud shovels to dig up all explosives that could bo
found II was not TO protect my soldiers that did
this, but 10 save my train. Ny army had already obv-
ated the danger by right flank, and safely OF
harms way Prisoners should be protected but mercy
| is not legitimate attribute OF Men 80
kill and 10 get killed If necessary and they should
pect tenderness Each protects itself us far as
possible and does all the harm 1t to the opposing
forces, 1t was, think. much better show OF mercy
for me to have the enemy do this work than subject
my soldiers to frighuul risk At McAlster
when made Major Anderson the torpedoes
that had been planted there he protested that it
not civilized W II to make him perform such perilous
| ieat told him he knew where the torpedoes were,
and could safely remove them, while my men, in hunt
| ing for them, would be blown to pieces. He replied
that the engineer had planted them and he did not
know whore they were. told him he knew better
| IN ham han md he
| doit Tho fact that every torpedo found and
safely removed showed that my reasoning right
am not afraid to be Judged either by contemporary
! or future historians this subject"
"Tho attacks made your Memoirs have annoyed
| you good deal, have they not, GeneralH"
'Not at all They me- make me laugh
and frequently, am glad to say, me a good pur
pose by calling attention TO real defects and errors
which, in time, will corrected. have nere a copy
| OF my book with each error, far discovered,
marked and carefully annotated. When the work of
correcting is completely finished they will be made
! public, either during my lifetime when gone.
| These Memoirs have been the subject OF much mis-
conception in the public mind. did not intend them
| as history | offered them as my testimony, simply.
endeavored to describe accurately the stirring events
therein referred TO as saw them. do not pretend
say that everything occurred say does but as il
occurred TO me- other men may have things diff
ierenty None OF US see things exactly alike But the
records upon which my book Is based open TO all
They consisted of my correspondence and official
|
pasted in letter booFs These forty volumes the
War Department at, Washington. l had a duplicate
copy One day sat down to glance at these letters,
and conceived the idea of reducing their contents to
narrative form, out not FOR publication did not in
tend that the public should read them except
my posthumous papers. After had made some prog
ress in the work showed the first sheets TO
aomnlce the l,bor bea ho%nn auvlsed no 70
submit 1t to the public in the shape Of
Memoirs took the advice, and 50 published the
book. expected severe criticism, and got IT, l had
sense and foresight enough to know that everybody
would not agree with me- No writer ever gets justice
from his contemporaries, and outside OF this knew
was liable 10 err and only pretended to give things
they looked through my glasses. Now there
good many little prejudoes among the soldiers and the
armies OF the West which the public at this day do
appreciate For instance, there were three grand
Western armcs-the Army OF the Tennessee. the Army
OF the Cumberland and Army OF the Ohio There were
unavoidable jeaousles between these armies their
commanders Their respective triumphs and defeats
the subjects of undue aunts ridcue criticism
| My particular army was that OF the Tennessee, and
1t is than possible and quite probable that have
coored things highly in its favor Doubtless | was
much prejudlced in It's favor, just as you would be In
favor of old acquaintance opposed to a compare
tive stranger. | knew every brigade and rcgimen,a
commander IN this army and familiar with tho
nghting capacity of each corps knew exactly what
divisions TO hold in and those with which to
storm breastwork Besides, / had this army
SO organized that | only had to give order
and executed. No red tape or CIR
cumlocution was necessary For instance If had TO
get over abattis would pick out good fighting
that abattis, boys" and II was done. II wanted
OF Buells corps had TO issue command and that
vision, and from division TO brigade and regiment and
thus it would take two hours body OF troops in
motion when time was precious and mpctuous action
was needed Ny army one OF wild lighters never
30 well pleased as when driving the oLemy before them
Buell. had splendid army, but 1t was slow and
scrvatve composed OF as brave and stubborn
lighters as any other command and yet
accustomed TO brilliant and quick movements
made on me by Boynon. Boynton belonged " the
Army OF the Cumberland, and Ike all people who were
( similarly situated, thought II the finest military
organization on the planet II quite natural there
fore, that lac should be unduy sensitive what he
conceves to be my prejudical statements In favor OF
the Army OF the Tennessee he goes 70 work in the
! records Of tho War Department To nnd material to
upset my assertions believe he assisted in this
! work by
LATE SECRETARY ov WAR;
! Beknap, who may have had a grievance toward me-
! Boynton's prcsontnent garbed one. sided, and
very properly, Tell at the public Tho attack made
| on me about the political generals' was untar 1
never used sucn term. My sole intention was to
mention In spirit of fair criticism certain cIrcuni-
stances that in certain measure defeated INV edo,ts
To have constantly efficient army. For instance wc
would have big tight and out victorious We
would 60 into camp ior an indefinite period and with
no prospect Of an carly campaign. At such periods
noticed that my subordinate commandcrs-who had
previously had political aspirations such Blair and
Logan-woud strike out for home sec the 'peoplc
! They would make few speeches, and The lighting
season approached they would reoin their command
In the meantime, if | wanted TO find out ANYTHING
about the exact condition OF esch DIVISION the trans
poration or the commssary or quartermaster AFFAIRS
could find no responsible head to give Official IN
formation. such things tended 70 destroy the dis
cpline and consequently, the efficiency OF the army:
Z anu u WAS " 10 WINCH Iau gOOd reason to !
\ object. ! wanted commanders who would stay with
their commands and not those who cherished ambi-
tious political projects. and who continually run
ming OF TO sec the people at home.''
In referring 70 the prominent leaders Of the Confod-
army General Sherman said he knew most Of !
them personally, and entertained great respect and
friendship for them Said he About two weeks ago
received letter from mutual friend IN New York |
asking II would recommend General Braxton Bragg
for appointment IN the khedive's army promptly
replied that u would afford pleasure promote the
interests OF Bragg In that direction l feel very
kindly to
SOUTHERN GENERAIa
In fact think people everywhere throughout tho
North and West cherish bad feeling. Jen Davis
the only exception made do not know why IL is that
the Northern people hate him So but they do and VIII
get their feeling IN this respect DAVIS did
worse than anybody else, but suppose the people
are bound TO have somebody TO hate. For instance,
| - 49,