New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-29
nrlNr lNn HlLLEcK.


Colonel J.. y. Grant IN, printed IN Ire Norh
Imuicfn Hcri,r sopo extracts from the cor
rc>p,ndcnrc between his father and General
Hal.cck after the capture of Fort porci,on.
They disclose no secrets, but they are interest
ing memorial, of jhc well known fact that
Grant narrowly missed removal as "a reward for
his first remarkable victur,-a victory which,
rs We now see, indicated the very qualities of
promptncss, resolution and rcsourcc 10 which
he owed 20 much of his later success. lIalicck
believed that G. +. Smith was a better general
Than Grant and cudr1yotcd not only to give
him the chief credit Tor the fall OF Doncson
but even to have him promoted over the head
of his commanding officer. Smith was fine
-oldicr and 4 loyal subordinate; no mi,ludcr-
standing ever occurred between him and his
chief: and his death soon altcrvard put a stop
to ITallocl's plan. 1t did not, however, moliiiy
HnllccL, dislike AMI d,tru>t OF Grant, which
continued undated 10 the very lust. This
obstinate hostility has deeper cause than the
incidents Of the Donc,on campaign.
II .llcc vas typical scientific general of Il
school already ant!quatcd when the Rebellion
broke ont Hi, experience in thc field wa,
limited 20 a little campaigning in California ON
the outskirts of the Mexican War; but hc had
been q distinguished student at me Military
Academy. he had been sent abroad to study the
military SYSTEMS of Emop'. and he had been
crcditably employed rs an engineer His
education iostcrcd his respect for systems and
prcccdcnts; his civil career as a lawyer
strengthened his early tcndcncics and that
nothing might be lacking to confirm HIM as Il
man of rules and books, lie had written Il
treatise on the Military Art and Science
whose maxims naturally became in his eyes the
sureSt guide for the soldier. He WAS an
earnest, faithful patriotic public servant, but
as a commander he had neither originality nor
the spirit Of military enterprise. He wanted
the intellectual independence to see when the
old ways were no longer useful, and the
intellectual courage to strike ont new ones.
Grant, with no particular taste for soldering.
and not tithe of llallcck's professional learn
ing, understood by the intuition of genius that
many of the rules of the books were inapplicable
to our wal, novel conditions having ARISEN which
no military writer had ever taken into account
In nothing was his greatness as a soldier more
quickly shown than in his readiness to realize
all the features of novel situation and his
boldncss in setting aside precedent whenever
was incomprchensiblc. Grant chafcl under
the rcbukcs and restrictions of his superior :;
but one can hardly help plying Ilallcck,
bcwildcrcd and frightened by the irregular
movements of his brlgadicr, who wanted to light
when the books said, Dig and to hurry when
precedent whispered, BE slow The famous
march from Shiloh 10 Corinth would be one of
the iarccs of the Rebellion il its consequences
had not been so grave-lIaIlcc, fortifying the
whole road, foot by foot; and Grant who
knew that the enemy were ready TO run rs soon
as we came in sight, frctting at the awful waste
of time and m0rale but powcrless to advise and
practically wi;hou; command. The thorough
bred hunter was yOlcd behind the safe old
family horse; and one was about rs much
worried by the companonship as the other.
If Hallcck had not been transferred to Wash
in ton. Grants most brilliant cXpluit-thc cam
paign of VicksDurg-w would probably not nave
been accomplished. When he threw himself
between PembcrtOn and Johnston hc cilt loose
from his base OF supplies, and supported him
self by foraging upon hostile country. This
was an cXpcdcnt daring in the presence of
two strong aud cnterprisng enemies. and 80
fatty forbidden by every military treatise that
even sherman was frightened into rcmonstrat-
Ing. IIalcck, if he hld known of it at the
time, would have been almost scared to death.
But fortunately communication with WASH
ington required several days, and before the
General-in- Chief was warned of the movement
it was too late to interfere. We doubt
whether Grants successes ever convinced
lIacck of his own mistakes; and when the
victor of Vicksburg became General Of the
Armies of the United States, the superseded