Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-09
HOW THE LETTER WAS OBTAINED
A,a Eraterprising Papers Efforts to Procure
the Hancock Sherman Letter.
New York World

the Hancock Sherman Letter.
New York World.
Immediately after the nomination of Gen
eral Hancock story was set afoot in the Re-
publican press to the effect that during the
exciting period which interviewed between
the close of the Presidential election of 1876
and the establishment of the electoral COM
mission, General Hancock had expressed his
intention, in the event of a deadlock between
the two houses of Congress over the electoral
count, to "tske his orders from Mr.. Tilden,"
and that he had expressed this intention in
letter to General Sherman. General Sher-
man was at the time absent not only from
Washington but from the country on
journey into Canada and the western regions
of the Dominion. The World
ascertained from General Hancock
that he had correspondence with Gen.
Sherman towards the end of the year 1876,
while he was at Carondelet, in Missouri, and
that in one letter which he wrote TO Gen.
Sherman at that time the question of the re-
lations of the army to the Presidential ques-
ton had been touched upon by him. This
letter was written while was almost entirely
alone at Carondelet, without even an aman-
uSISl5 db LIS COuuldUu. 81 ludI uH udu DPeH
obliged to make fair copy of il himself TO
mail to Gen. Sherman, and had retained only
the rough original draft. For this,
even, it would be necessary for
him to institute thorough search
among old files and masses of private
papers, while if found he could not aIi0w it
to be published without the permission of
General Sherman. Upon this the editor of
the World sent a special express through
Western Canada with message to General
Sherman, explaining the circumstances, and
asking him whether be would consent to the
publication of the letter, expressly on the
ground that false and libelious misrepre-
sensations of it, intended to iniure General
Hancock in the public mind, were widely
current in the party press. After some trou-
BILE General Sherman was finally reached
on the 14th of Jaly at
Jamestown, in Dakota Territory, on
his return from Fort Totten. He at once
sent very frank and soldier-like telegram
to the editor of the World, stating that all
Gen. Hancocks letters to him, both private
and official, were at Washington, where be
expected to be about the LIST of August, end
that on his return he would gladly allow
copies of any or all of them which Gen.
Hancock might designate to be taken, with
full permission for their publication. In
the meantime, and with spirit which dots
him credit, he added of his own motion,
that he reoollected nothing like what he sew
published about Gen. Hancock's TAX
ing orders from Mr.. Tilden-"nothing
like it." The editor of the World upon
this requested General Hancock to allow
him to telegraph to General Sherman sum
mary account of the letter of December rs,
1876, from the rough draft in General Han
cocks possession. This was sent and &C
knowledged by General Sherman. fair
copy from the rough draft was next IN de
and sent to General Sherman's headquarters
at Washington. Upon his arrival there on
Thursday he was waited upon in behalf
of the World and requested 10 allow the
publication of this copy, which he forwarded
to General Hancock at Governors Island,
from whom it was received by the WoFd
on Friday evening.