Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-30
GRANT AT FORT DONELsON.
Some Interesting Dispatches I'M
earthed from the Files of the War
Department..

General Adam Badeau has devoted
himself for the last twenty years tc
writing history of which General Grant
is the hero. To make out his claim, il
is asserted by General II. Y. Bovnton,
Washington correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Gazette, and a cordial hater OF
both Generals Sherman and Grant, that
'Badeau has literally perverted
documents. and where point
was to be gained ignored 9th
ers." General Boynton, who figured
creditably in the Western army as
a fighter, claims to have fastened on one
aggravated case which illustrates many.
After the capture of Fort Donelson, it is
claimed. General Grant gave himself up
to excesses to such an extent that his
commander (Halleck) was seriously
alarmed for the army. Badeau claims in
his SO called history that no evidence of
this could be found in Washington, but
General Boynton produces from the War
Department files the whole cores.
pondence. Halleck telegraphed March 2,
1862, to Mcclellan:
Il have had no communication from
Gen. Grant for more than week. He
left his command without my authority,
and went to Nashville His army seems
to be as much demoralized by the vic
tory of Fort Donelson as was that of the
Potomac by the defeat of Bull Run. 1t
is hard to censure a successful General
Immediately after victory, but / think
he richly deserves it. | can get no re-
turns, no reports. no information of any
kind from him. Satisfied with his vic
tory, he sits down and enjoys it without
any regard to the future. / am worn
out and tired by this neglect and ineffi-
cheney. c. F. Smith is almost the only
officer equal to the emergency.
A few days later Halleck, worn out
with Grants conduct, sent him this dis
patch:
General Mcclellan directs that YOU
report to me daily the number and posi-
tion Of the forces under your command.
Your neglect of repeated orders to report
the strength of your command has
created great dissatisfaction and seriously
interfered with military plans. Your
going to Nashville without authority.
and when your presence with your troops
was of the utmost importance, was a
matter of very serious complaint at
Washington, so much so that was ad-
vlsed to arrest you on your return"
These dispatches Badeau seeks to
throw doubt upon, but Gen. Mcclellan. s
very words are on file:
''WAsHINGToN, March 3, 1862. 6 D. m.
--NCj0r General II. ". HalLeck. 81.
LOUIS: Your dispatch of last evening
received. The future success of our
cause demands that proceedings such as
Gen. Grants should at once be checked.
Generals must observe discipline as well
as private soldiers Do not hesitate to
arrest him at once, if the good of the
service requires it, and place G. F..
Smith in command. You are at liberty
to regard this as positive order, II it
will smooth your way. l appreciate
the difficulties you have to encounter and
will be glad to relieve you from trouble
as far as possible.
GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN.
''Major General Commanding, U. S. A "
Approved; Edwin NJ. Stanton, Sec'v
of War.
General Hallecks reluctance to de.
grade Grant is testified in the last dis.
patch of the series:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF
THE Missouri. ST LOUIS. March 4 1862.
TO General George B. Mcclellan,
Washington. ID. c.. A rumor has lust
reached me that. since the taking of
Fort Donelson, General Grant has re.
sumed his former bad habits. If so. il
will account for his neglect of my oft
repeated orders. l do not deem it ad-
visable to arrest him at present, but
have placed General Smith in command
of the expedition up the Tennessee. /
think Smith will restore order and dis.
c;pline. hear, unofficially, but from a
rebel source. that our forces took posses.
sion of Columbus this morning. the
enemy falling back to Island No. 10 and
New Madrid. | am expecting official
kilograms hourly.
"H. W. HALLECK,
Major General"