Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-04
THE ARMY BILL.
General Sherman's Anxiety for Its Pas
sage Explained.

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1t is charged by the opponents Of
the army reorganization bill that Gen
eral Sherman is trying to force its pas
sage because the bill gives him in
creased power. This, however, no
doubt does the general injustice. 1t
is no secret that the law creating the
Office which Sheridan holds is some
what obscure in language, and has
given rise to ill-feeling between the
general and several gentlemen who
have held the Office of secretary of
war. The discussion of the army bill
in this connection has brought out
some interesting "reminiscences not
heretofore published.
1t has been Sherman S idea that he,
as the general of the army, should be
the head of the military service, and
that the chiefs of bureaus should re-
port to him, instead of to the secre-
tary, for them. In 1868, when Gen.
Schoheld, who is now at West Point,
was acting as secretary of war, he
issued an order complying with Sher-
mans request, and authorizing heads
of bureaus to report to the general of
the army. A few months afterward
General Rawline became secretary,
and one of his first official acts was to
revoke this order. This caused mis-
understanding between Sherman and
Rawlins, which continued until the
latter's death. Then Belknap became
secretary, and General Sherman sought
a similar order from him, but did not
succeed, and a quarrel ensued, which
resulted in Sherman's moving to st.
Louis with the headquarters of the
army.
1t is related that when Judge Taft
became secretary, in 1876, General
Sherman returned to Washington with
his headquarters, and found the new
secretary, who was modest and rather
underestimate his own abilities as a
military chieftain, ready and willing to
transfer to Sherman many of the de-
tails of the office. An order was writ
ten directing the quartermaster, com
missary, paymaster, adjutant, Judge
advocate and inspector generals, the
chief Of engineers, the chief of the
signal service and the chief of ordi-
nance to report to the general of the
army instead of to the secretary of
war, and notifying the bureau officers
that the approval of the general would
thereafter be equivilant to the ap-
proval of the secretary except when
otherwise specified. Judge Taft in
] dorsed this scheme, and took it over
to the White House, it is alleged. for
the approval of the President General
Grant, who was something of mill
tary man himself told Judge Taft that
if that order was approved it would
make him as useles as a fifth wheel to
wagon, and he did not wish to coun-
tenance such a transaction. Grant
thereupon took his pen and wrote
upon the back Of the order the follow
ing:
" Approved, so far as it relates to
| the adjutant general and inspector
general of the army.
U. S. GRANT"
1t is charged that the army reorgan-
ization bill virtually gives General
Sherman all the power that has been a
matter of dispute so long between him
and war secretaries. The opponents
of the bill are seeking to defeat it on
that ground. But there is really a
greater reason than this for wishing
its defeat upon the nart of members Of
congress who have relatives holding
Office in the army. This cuts off 374
of them, who do nothing but command
imaginary men and draw salaries. This
is really the cause of -ffths of the
hostility to Burnside's bill.