, 1881-05-06
Gen. Sherman in Person Estab.
llshed the Lines Which
Proved So Fatal.
Leaves from Official Reoords...0 Orders
from the Various Commanders
at That Time.
Gen. 1lnllcok tlAil Sent intrcnchlmg
Tools, and Ordered Grant "D
Properly Fortlfy."
Tho Order Utterly Disfegarded, and ihe Army
Was Soattorod About and Taken
Wholly by Surprise.
Extracts from tho Official Records.
EttaIsi,tNufi fILittfik.

Cincinnati GAltttt.
Waa,ttN0roxt MMy l-t3cn. Sherman hns. since
the death Of Gun. g. F. Smith, nlwayHnn stotttly
1naintnined that this Inter olccr established tho
Union llncs ut pltssburg fLtndng. OH the sane
sllc Ut tho river with tho Confederate forces ut
curlnth Tic oildlnt reuurtis. which nrC NOW
Open to ali through tho publication or1Urod Dy
Congress. show TINT this clatM Is altogether TIM
founded: md, furthor. tnut Gun. Shernlan him
self wis tho l,rat to s.lggcst tho occupation or
1fttsbnrg hni,tliug, tho iErat 10 land lhore, and
tllat hu hIn,suif, without tho
SUPERVISION Of ANY SUPERIOR,
estttlliEi<A tho Jtltdt FtHcs W tho Unfon camp 1Io
has Nlsa continued tn nnlntaEn TINT Tho position
ut pittsl'tirR Landing WIS npt fortified bccnlise
ito orders wuro ElyUn to atrcnpthen it. This
claim Also Is swept hwny by mn examination nf
tho official records in rcgard 10 the occupation
0f Plttshurg Landing. ucnUnul Snormnn'B re.
ports to Gun. q. F.. smith shtIws TINT ho wins
ordered to unrcll tho 1tth. to proceed up the
rlvcr frntn Savannah to tho vicinity Of Eastpost.
for the purpose Ut lasil'pR and outing tho Morn-
pulls & Charleston kalrond,
4 vigorous nttoupt to accomplish this failed,
becnuse the whole Low country above rittsburw
wns toNlEt. Cor. shcEnlAn. therefore. dropped
down to FittsburR. l,lh reported frpm that point
10 ecu. Smith, Mt Savannah, on tho night of tho
18th. lilo set forth tho ndsantnges OF tho high
ground nbout PfttsbarR. uttd that It wns tho
usual landing for Corinth. The noxt day he wAs
ordered 10
OCCUPY r1rrsBUNa srtoyaLY,
Gen. Smith. according to Shornau's own statc-
nont. Remaining buck ut Savannah in chlof
command"
Gen. Sherman thus writes Of this occupation
In his Memoirs:
"rIo (lcn. g. r. smlth) thon Instructed tuo to
dfsclnbnrk my own division and that OF ilurlbut
Mt Fittsburg Landing, 10 take q position we'll
baek. and 10 loRvo room fur tho wholu urn,y,
telling MO that he would soon corno up IN porson
md ninro out In fnrce to make the Judgment OIL
tue rtlilroad contemplated by Con. llntcck's Or
non tho 18th IIurlbut dtsombarkcd hia ,liyl-
a!,i aa a;t took M poss ,t',ot 1nila ana haf out.
Within u taw days l'rontlss' division MrrIvod antl
Sns aaa NJ el e. waacas VIII tpaTss avsio,: MsSH5 s
tos;aed l1nS l1 o,!r rcar: Zen: = Smith re-
asS wss "niy re,psi,sbo Tor ny @ ow,, division.
Would luy oite. int otherwsu informed, over
suppose from this extract that
GEN. sItEitslAN HIMSELF HAD POSTED IlUrs14-
HUT
ss ,eas e M to his M With tpS ~ ,aill lIr ro tv to
tho isooe noss!!son running pli,lwny 9stwcen
wcro !. mile apart, a'ui unt III linz ai ali tho iii:
ter brnE III treeiy !, tho rear of tlo forner md
~ tanss wSs9 s ss sbcl ~ BY s. nto
Al rolttte alecounts nErne tint uon. G. i.
Sin!th Iostea tho nr'ny NJ flttsburg Lundlng to
| !mlii!I Con. Hnileoks instructions OF March l,
Nov ict tho of1oiat records answer this attempt
70 slitt tho responsll!ty f1r THU 'nnttcr to tho
shoulders uf nolu lnslli, Con. bhertnnn hAvn Ing,
| ns alrGlly rolntgd, been ob!lEud to abandon tho
isAstpnrt expedition; uud having hroppIHl down
| tO pltts0tIr1 uEd reStG OH tic night Mt March IT,
repurteI that 1t WINS ,ltlesirabo position, ind rp-
ee!xcd or!1urs on tho ldth to hcoupy tt.
| Iho sotowtnK cxtr1'cfs fruln tho recoTls
| TELt. THE lH:Sr OF THE srpIty.
iANntHu. Mnrgh u, lEes-GHM. )piAtam Nc
.Htctttci, d, 4. e.. SttudhIhlh. 1tHl.-3lt: :,
Ten liuribnt's tlvsItn ,yll bo 'ulitied, tho nr.