The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1878-06-21
THE ADVANCE on RlcEMovD.
WHAT GENERAL GRANT sAYssIN REPLY 10
MEssRs. wELLEs AND TAYLoR.

/ MESsRs. WELLEs AND TAYLOR.
General Grant has been interviewed bya
Herald man in regard to The articles in the
NORTH american Reoieao by General Richard
Taylor, and those in the Ga1aay and AtEen-
TIC by the late Gideon Welles, which refer
red to his Potomac campaigns. He did not
desire to say anything about Mr.. Welles.
| for he is dead, but in regard to Taylor he
said that he was friend of his who would
not do an intentional error. but that he was
a great talker, and occasionally blended
fact with fiction. In regard to the state
ment that he had an interview with MessIs
Lincoln and Stanton, where he insisted
| upon marching his army on Richmond by
| the James River, he declared he never said
| word TO anybody as to how he would adj
vance, and the charge that he said that by
taking another route would cost 100, eco
| men was pure fiction.
General Taylor says the story comes to
him well authenticated, and he has no
doubt of his correctness. There are only
| three persons who could authenticate such q
story-Mr. Lincoln, Mr.. Stanton, and my
self. Lincoln and Stanton are dead, and
say the whole story is fabrication, and
whoever vouched for it to Gen. Taylor
youch ed for fiction. l feel it due to the
memory of these great men, apart from any
SO ntiment of Standardization, to make this
denial as emphatic and clear as it is posi-
ble''
GRANTS INTERVIEW WITH LINCOLN AND
STANTON.
This denial of General Grant led to an i'll
teresting resume on his part. " l remem
ber," he said, Every we'll my first inter
view with Stanton. You know I did not
come to Washington until came in lela-
tion to an order to assume CO mmaud of the
armies. had once been there as q young
man, but otherwise 1t was my first trip. /
found Stanton cordial willing to Go
anything, and SO we suppressed the rebel
lion. Nothing could have been more earn
est and hearty than his treatment Of me.
Now, says he, 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.. Lin
coin you will do well to observe the same
discretion. Mr.. Lincoln may not want to
know any more of your plans than do,h hnt
| can understand how you might naturally
seek the confidence of the President. Now,
Mr.. Lincoln is of gentle and tender ma
ture, apt to confide in many people, and
what you tell him about military move
ments he may tell to the next Senator with
whom he has an intimate conversation
saw Lincoln. He was a cordial and hearty
as Stanton; if possible more so, because he
was aman of more afable and gracious
manners. When Lincoln and were alone
the President began the conversation by re-
peating story from an article By 0rpheuS
G. Kerr-a comic article satirizing the con
duct of the war. It was, as remember,
story about Captain Bob Shorty and the
Mackerel Brigade, and the anaconda pai-
cy, something about Generals in the neld
being hampered by flood Of orders. When
he had finished Lincoln said very much
what Stanton had said-tlat ne did not
care to know what [ was TO do, only to
know what wanted; that I should have
all | required. He wished me to beat Lee,
how did it was my own duty. He said he
did not wish to know my plans or to exer-
else any scrutiny over my plans; so long as
7 ho, = oh11 I, H.
spoke of plan he had long thought over and /
took down a map. He drew an imaginary |
line between two of the Virginia creeks or
rivers, the names of which have escaped |
me, and said that might move on that line |
and have the streams for supplies looked |
at the plan and saw in moment that If | |
put my army on such line would be in
much the same position as the army of tie |
James. would be powerless; could do |
no good to our side, and no harm to the |
other. I would be locked up. I told Mr.
Lincoln would consider the plan, and that
was the last Of it. The route was an i'm
possible route, and was never mentioned
again by Mr.. Lincoln. That is. as far as
exact story of the confer
spce between Mr.. lincoln. Mr.. Stanton,
and myself when T took command of the
army. The question of my plans and their
wisdom and unwisdom was never after
ward subject Of conversation or cores
pondence. If there were blunders in that /
the blunders were mine, ,andnot
thosesof Lincoln or Stanton. 9 They did F
everything in the world to assure my sue
cess. Upon me, and upon me alone, must
The whole responsibility fallii a