Daily globe., 1878-05-31

dent also called the attention of the General
to the article in the atlantic Monttly from
the pen of the late Gideon Welles, in which
Mr.. Welles arraigned General Grant upon
the authority Of General Taylor, for having
insulted Lincoln's memory by attempting
to throw upon Lincoln his own fault in the
Wilderness and other campaigns
CONCERNING ME-. wELLEs
Gen. Grant said: cit is unfortunate for MIR.
Welles' fame that he should have spent his
last years in striving to belittle the very ad
ministration in which he held a prominent
place. But the real reason is that Mr.. Welles
never was Republican. He blundered into
Lincoln's cabinet. He remained as quiet as
mouse SO long as he held a high Office un-
der the Republicans and drew large salary.
AS soon as Mr.. johnson made his advances
toward the Democrats, he became loud and
earnest supporter of his administration.
From that time to the end of his life Mr..
Welles was in perfect sympathy with the
men who tried to break down the govern
ment, and it is only natural that he should
belittle and defame those who did their best
to saYe the government, men who, whether
they did much or little, did all in their power.
Mr.. Welles was never SO sincere in anything
that he has written against myself or others
for what we tried to do in the war would
cause me the least surprise or vexation.'
4 FICTION.
In reference to Gen. Taylor's article
Gen. Grant spoke as follows: 81 have no
doubt there are some true things in the
article; but the part which refers to me is
wholly false, utterly false, without a shadow
of foundation. Gen. Taylor says that in
conference between President Lincoln,
Secretary Stanton and myself, in 1864, the
approaching campaign in Virginia was dis
cnssed. No such conference was ever held
and no such campaign was ever discussed.
Gen. Taylor says that insisted upon ad
vancing my whole army against Richmond
by the James River. I never said word to
the President or secretary of war, or any one
else in authority, as to how would advance
Gen. Taylor reports MIR. Lincoln as saying
that the government required the interpos-
ition of an army between Lee and
Washington. MI. Lincoln never said a word re-
sembling this, OF anything at all on the sub
ject. General Taylor reports me as saying
| that any change of route from my own by
the James to another would cost 100000
men. This is pure fiction, as, indeed, the
whole story is pure fiction. General Tay-
lor says that the story comes to him well au-
thenticated, and he has no doubt of his cor
rectness There arc only three persons who
could authenticate such story-Mr. Lin
| coin, Mr.. Stanton and myself. Lincoln and
Stanton are dead, and I say the whole story
| is fabrication, and whoever vouched fol- it
| to General Taylor vouched for q fiction. I
feel it due to the memory of these great
men, apart from any sentiment of self-vin-
dication, to make this denial as emphatic
| and clear as possible"
| LINCOLN AND GRANT IGNORANT OF HIS PLANS.
Gen. Grant went on to say that at his first
meeting with Stanton the latter said to him:
General, do not want to know your plans.
Tell me what you need to carry them out.
That is all care to know And when you
go to see Mr.. Lincoln you will do we'll to OBJ
serve the same discretion. Mr.. Lincoln may
not want to know any more of your plans
than do, but can understand how you
might naturally seek the confidence of the
President. Now Mr.. Lincoln is of gentle
and tender nature, apt to confde in many
people, and what you tell him about military
movements he may tell to the next Senator
with whom he has an intimate conversations"
Grant saw Lincoln, who said very much
what Stanton had said. "That," said Grant,
sis, as far as remember, the exact story of
the conference between Mr.. Lincoln, Mr..
Stanton and myself when I took command
of the army. The question of my plans and
their wisdom and unwisdom was never after
ward subject of conversation or correspond
ence. If there were blunders in that cam
paign, the blunders were mine and not those
of Lincoln or Stanton. They did everything
in the world to assure my success. Upon
me and upon me alone must the whole re-
| sponsibility fall"
GENERAL TAYLoR's ALLEGATION.
The following is that part of Gen. Taylor's
article in the North american Reuieao to
which Grant makes objection.
"After the battle of Chickamauga, in 1868,
| General Grant was promoted to the COM
mand of the armies of the United States and
! called to Washington. In conference at
| the war Office between him, President Lin
coin and Secretary Stanton, the approaching
campaign in Virginia was discussed. Grant
said the advance on Richmond should be
! made by the James river. It was replied
that government required the interposition
of an army between Lee and Washington,
and would not consent at that late day to the
| adoption Of a plan that would be taken by
| the public as confession of a previous er-
| ror. Grant observed that he was Indifferent
as to routes, but if the government pre-
| ferred its own-so often tried-to the one
he suggested, it must be prepared for the ad-
ditional loss of 100000 men. The men were
promised. Grant accepted the governmental
plan of campaign, and was supported to the
end. The above came to me well authen-
! ticated, and have no doubt of its correct
| ness.'
GIDEON wELI.Es' CONTRIBUTION.
We extract from the atlantic Monttly
for March the following points in Mr..
Welles' article:
'sThere is no reason to doubt the veracity of
General Taylor, who says this statement
came to him we'll authenticated = s
It is now made public that General Grant
had prescience of his reverses and losses if
he took the Rapidan route for the first time,
nearly fourteen years after the event took
place, when two of the three persons named
are in their graves. While they or either of
the two were alive there was no claim set up
to relieve the surviving and principal actor,
no attempt to cast upon those now dead the
responsibility of the bloody march to Rich
mond, which they are said to have insisted
on in opposition to the opinion and judg-
ment of the lieutenant general, whose duty
it was to designate the route. y =
But time has elapsed, and history is record
ing the terrible and apparently unnecessary
waste of life. The general begins 10 feel his
responsibility for the immolation, and
an attempt is now made to relieve him
and impose the responsibility upon
others. : The lieutenant general claims
to have abandoned the route which he knew
to be best, and horrible to confess-for the