The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-04-12
A MILITARY PAPER OF GREAT INTER-
EST JUST FOUND.

Prom Toe CINCINNATI commercial GAxette.
A military paper of great interest
the existence of which has been siren.
uously denied for over thirteen years
has just been found. II is the official.
ly attested copy of the order directing
the removal of Gen. Thomas on the
eve of the battle of Nashville, and AS
signing Gen. Schofield to the com
mand. 1t was found among the mill
tary papers of Gen. Halleck in the
progress of the work connected with
the publication of war records. 1t IL the
identical paper prepared in the War
Department under telegraphic instruc-
tions from Lieut.. Gen. Grant to Gen.
Halleck, and which the latter peck.
eted after its completion, and before IL
could be telegraphed to Nashville. 1t
Is throughout In the handwr iting of
Col. J. e. Kelton, then Adjutant Gen.
To Halleck. on paper with the army
headquarters letter-head, and Is at
tested as official by Col. Kelton. 1t
was then ready to receive its number
from clerk aud be entered in the Of
fetal records. Gen. Halleck not only
did not telegraph il to Nashville, but
put the paper in his pocket, and did
not allow ii to go into the records. A
few hours later Grant decided to
suspend his order. aud telegraphed
Gen. Halleck to that effect The latter,
however, had already suspended 1t In
the very practical manner stated.
Had Gen. Halleck been In sympa-
thy with the order when il was re
ceived from City Point it would have
been telegraphed to Nashville hours
before Gen. Grant concluded to sus-
pend 1t, and the change 1t directed
would have been Accomplished. In
this case, IL il readily seen, no order of
would have restored the
situation. The statement that such
an order had been given BY Gen.
Grant, and been Withheld by Gen. Hal
leck, was first made public in the cor
respondence of the Cincinnati Gazette
in 1859. IL was made upon the author.
ity of a version Of the matter which
Gen. Halleck himself gave to Gen.
Thomas lin San Francisco. when the
latter relieved the former in that city.
Soon after Gen. Badeau, the now
noted writer of military fiction, de-
MED Gen. Halleck's statement and
furnished partial extracts from the
records, which seemed to prove that
Gen. Halleck could not have pocket
ed the order which he described.
TO the confusion of Gen. Badeau
and a few military novelists of less
note, who have helped him to repeat
his denials, the original Of the order
now turns up among the papers of
Gen. Haileck, which have been furu.
shed by his family for use In the pub
ication Of the war records. This In.
'eresting and historical paper Is as fol-
ows:
HEADQUARTERS OF ARMY, WAR
ADJUrANT GENER-
AL's OFFICE, WASHINGTON, ID. c.,
December 8, 1884. General Orders
No. j In accordance with the fol- |
owing dispatch from Lieut.. Gen. |
Grant, viz:
please telegraph orders relieving
him lGsn Tbomas) at once, and plac- |
ms Schofield in command. Thomas
hould be. directed to turn over all |
dispatches received since the battle Of /
franklin to Schofield.
20. 8. GRANT,
Lieutenant General"
The President orders: /. That
dAj. Gen. J. NJ. Schofield assume COM
nand OF all troops In the Departments
Z the Cumberland, the Ohio0nd the
tennessee.
2 That MAJ. Gen. George II. Thorn
. report to Gen. Sco6eld for duty and
urn over to him al orders and dis
stches received by him ~ specified
bove.
Signed BY order Of the Secretary Of
Var. j. e. kELTON, A. A. @.
There are two very marked points
I dinerence between this paper and
ne one which has been generally ~
sPted Tor seine years past - . copy
this original order. The Grst pafs-
raph, - will be seen, plaood 0en,