The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-27

one OF the most important In It's resulss-our own
papers set 10 work 10 betIe the victory and give tho
enemy a. much advantage as possible. These wero
essential elements in war like ours-shs war
OF FREQ people. do rscitc these things to COM
plain especially. have nothing to complain about
Tho moro toes conquered the mora important was
our victory. Having conquered II Is not for say
anything unkind or In disparagement OF our enemies
That Is not my purpose. I merely mention these
points Ia general way. as points which our hsto-
rians overlook and which show that tho North ana
South woro not unequal in force allsged--thar
tho South had advantages which never possessed
and that, II we had larger population than the South
TO draw from, there wore probably MS many living
under our protection whose hoarts were with the
bolton AS there we're in the ConfedOracy itself"
Your correspondent thanked tic General for the op-
portunity OF conversng with him those interesting
subjects, than OF interest in historical
point OF view, and thus tho interview came to
A LETTER FROM GENERAL BADEAU-GEHERAL
GRANTS MILITARY SECRETARY DENIES THE
STORIES OF wELLEs AND TAYLOR.
We have received interesting and valuable letter
from General Adam Badsau now Consul Genorsl at
London and formerly the military secretary OF General
Grant. General Badsau's letter Is as follows
LONDON. May 6, 1878.
To THE EpIrox THE HERALD
SRA recent number OF tho North American Re-
pie,r contains the following statement by General
Richard Taylor, latc OF tho rebel ARMY
GENERAL TAYLoR's ALLEGATION
eater the battle Of Chickamauga, In 1868. General
Grant promoted to the command Of tho armies OF
the United Statcs and called TO Waship gton. In
conference at the War ONCE between him, President
Lincoln and Secretary stanton. the approaching cnm-
pagn In Virginia was discussed Gran, said tho nd
vance Richmond should DO made by the James
River. II was replied that government required the
interpretation OF army between Loo and Washington
and would pot consent ~ that late day 70 the
OF plan that would be taken by tho public as a
confession OF previous error. Grant observed no
indifferent as TO routes but II tho govern
mcnt preferred It's own--so often tred-io the ono
no suggested, it must be prepared for the addi.
tonal loss OF 100 900 men. Tho men were promised
Grant accepted the governmental plan OF campaign,
and was supported TO the end. The above camo 10
me wc authenticated, and have no doubt OF i,s cor
rcctness."
HISTORY As WRITTEN BY wELLEs
This assertion has boon made tho text Of an arsi.
Gle by tho late Gideon Wees Secretary OF the Navy
under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson. which appeared
In the Atlantic Monthly for March Inst, contained
these words There Is doubt the veracty
Of General Taylor, who says this statement to
him well Authenticated tits now made pub
lie that General Grant had prcscence OF hts reverses
ana osses II he took the Rapidan route Tor the first
tnc nearly fourteen years after the place.
whom two Of the three persons named are ,n-their
graves. while they either OF the two wcrc alive
thero was no claim set up to relieve the surviving
and principal actor, attempt TO cast upon those
now dead the responsibility Of the bloody march 10
Richmond, which thoy said 70 have insisted on in
opposition to the opinion and judgment OF tho Lieu
tenant General, whose duly u was to designate tho
route. But time has elapsed, and history 10
recording the terrible and apparently unnecessary
Of lie Tbe General begins TO foel his rcspon-
sibiIity Tor the immolatoD, and an attempt Is now
made relieve him and impose the upon
others. = The Lieutenant General claims to have
abandoned she route which no knew TO DO best and
horrible to confession OF General Tay.
lor must have come from him-he gave up the route
which no knew be right and assentsd TO that which
he knew 10 be wrong and which involved tho sacrifice
OF 100, 900 men. = Either route was Indifferent
10 Grant and he took the WORT. Ills, Iapprc-
hcnd, mistake say that Prssdent Liuooln particL
pacd in any such conference stated but was
nm interview between Grant, Stanton and Halleck II
the War Oflce the 11ih OF March, when Grant had
vised General Mcade and before he Nash
vile. There was, have nodoubt, n conference
at tho limo and place mansioned, between Generals
Grant and Haleck and Secretary Stanton because TO
my personal knowledge and IN my presence General
Grant asked such conference or The results have
no recollection II ever knew them. They were I'M.
ques.onsbly preliminary to Grants assuming active
command"
GENERAL GRANT AUTHORIZES DENIAL.
Having submitted these swo articles to General
Grant have hts aunoruy declare that there is not
n shadow OF foundation for either tho assertions OF
General Taylor the insip nations deductions Of
Mr. Wecs. General Grant had no conference ~ any
time with either Mr. Lincoln, Secretary stanton or
General Halieck, In which the strategy OF the cam
paign Of 1854 was discussed IN advance The battle
OF tho Wilderness fought on the 9th and 9th OF
Of May, and whom the Army of tho Potomac started
from cupcper the eth neither Of those personages
had been informed OF the route by which no intended
TO move against Richmond. On the contrary, both
the Presidert and Mr. Stanton expressly requested
him not TO inform them Of his plans On the 30,h OF
April President Lincoln wrote 10 Grant:-"Ihe par
uculars Of your plans neither know nor seek to
know ami on Inc LIST of May Grant replied 'since
the promotion which placed me 10 command OF all tho
armies and In view Of the great responsibility and tho
Importance Of success have been asonished at tho
readiness with which everything asked for has been
yielded, without even m explanation being asked {"
On the 10th Of April Grant wrote TO Hslisck my
notions about limo Of arc entirely made
up, but as circumstances beyond my control may
change them shall only state that my EFFORT will DO
TO bring Buffers ana Moades forces together" This
the first intimation gwen by him 10 any member
Of the government 10 HaIlsck Of bis plan Of cam.
paign-a re,iconce which, repeat both the President
and the Secretary OF War had expressly dssircd Al
though they lett noshng undone 70 support the now
Gensrau-Chief ana hts armies they did not wish nor
intend 10 DO In any way responsible for his strategy
II may not DO amiss here TO state that the nrss
chapter Of an unpublished volume by me- the plates
OF which have been for i've years the hands Of my
publishers 10 New York, and which cannot, there
forc, have been suggested by General Taylor article
contains the Identical statement madc, shcu a.
now, ON the authority Of General GIANT
now GRANT xErr own COUNSEL.
Mr.. weiles, however,, whilc d,scrsdt,pg the asser.
tion that President Lincoln was present at such an
interview General Taylor describes argues without
Offering particle 81 proof, that a meeting OF the
same character occurred between General Grant and
Secretary Stanton and General Halisck Several in.