The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-01
What General Sherman Says.

AID OIL a large PAIR OF norn-DoWed spectacleS,
reading a government report. When he had read
the paragraph quoted from the article. he took a
pencil from a stationery rack in front of him,
and wrote the following at the bottom Of the
page of the Review on which the quotation was
printed:
II don't know what General Fry refers to. Had C.
+. Smith been in good health he would have com
manded at Shiloh, and history would have been differ
ent. W. T. s."
That" he remarked, as he showed the maya
zine along the table. sis all / am willing to say
about the matter"
Ibid you ever have conversation with General
Fry in regard to Grant. in which you might have
made such expressions"
Il don't remember of any. I don't think l
ever did"
Have you seen General Fry since General
Grants death?"
Not unless l met him at the funeral. No, l
don't remember seeing him there. If he was
there l did not speak to him."
Did you say anything like he has quoted to
any oneg'
Not when Fry was around"
us it your opinion that Smith was greater
than Grant,"
written about General Grant to give him his
place in history. You might as we'll question
the greatness of Washington. You fellows have
done harm enough with your gossip already"
Then you make no question of Grants abil-
H"None."
"And You only meant to say, presuming you
have made some such expression as has been
attributed to you, that had Smith been alive to
take the command, he would have had an oppor.
tunity, which in his absence Mr.. Grant
General Grant, sir!"
(Which General Grant had, and that he might
not have acted exactly as General Grant did"
"Yes. that's it. Put one man in a place, he
does one thing, put another man in the same
place and he will be sure to do something else. |
don't think Smith would have had the career
Grant had even if he had lived and won Shiloh.
But had he lived Grant would not have had the
opportunity he afterward had"
Cant you think of something which was the
basis OF what General Fry has said?"
Il know of nothing. General Fry is not au-
thorized to speak for nor quote me. Inever told
him nor any one else that"
This seemed conclusive, and the interview was
about to he terminated, when the General sug-
gested that something had occurred to him. He
went into another room. and soon returned with
a copy of the National Tribune of Sept IL. In
An account OF the meeting of the Army of the
Tennessee in Chicago, the preceding week. was
printed General Sherman's speech on Grant. In
that he recounted several incidents of his first
acquaintance with General Grant, followed by
this paragraph that he marked, saving: THAT
must be what Fry refers to-"
L met him again when the civil war had broken out
when chaos seemed to let loose and the gates of hell
vide omen in every direction: Then came the news of
General Grant attack on the enemy's camp at Bel.
mont on Nov. z, 1861, soon followed by the events of
Columbus, Paducah, Henry and Donelson-all so
simple, so direct, so comprehensive, that their effect
on my mind was magical. They raised the dark cur.
tain which before had almost hidden out all
hope for the future. and displayed the policy and
course OF action necessary only TO be fol owed with
persistency to achieve ultimate success. | found Gen.
Grant at Fort Henry, under orders from General Hal
leck to lemain there and to turn over the command of
his army, then flushed with victory under his immedi-
ate leadership, to Gen. c. F. Smith, his next in rank.
1t so happened that General smith had been
adJutant and commandment when Grant and 1
were cadets at West Point. and he WAS Tniyarea11v nc.
teemed as the model soldier of his day. He had also
acquired large fame in the Utah expedition and in the
then recent capture of Fort Donelson, so that Gen.
Grant actually looked up to him as the older, if not the
better soldier, though he was at that time the senior by
commission. Not one word of complaint came from
him, only a general expression of regret that he had
been wrongly and unjustly represented to General
Halleck, and he advised to give to General Smith my
most loyal support. General Smith conducted the ex-
petition up the Tennessee river to Savannah. Eastport
and Pittsburg Landing, gave all the orders and in
structions up to within a few days of the battle of
Shiloh, when his health, shattered by the merest acct
dent, compelled him to relinquish the command again
to General Grant, who quietly resumed it where
Smith had left off, accepted the situation, I" made few
or no changes, and fought on the ground which had been
selected by General Smith, the bloody battle of Shiloh.
During this fercely contested battle he displayed the
GOODNESS, the personal courage, forethought and de-
liberation which afterward made him famous among
men; yet was he traduced, slandered and wronged,
not only by the press universally, but by those who
were in positions of authority over bin.
This is all you have ever said that could be
construed into the words Fry attributes to you?,
Il guess it is. There's where he got it, you
can depend"
The remainder of the Chicago speech is highly
eulogistic of the dead commander, as much so as
is General Fry's "An acquaintance with
Grant"
General Smith was at Fort Donelson, and on
Feb. 10. 1862. General Halleck telegraphed Gen.
eral Mcclellan as follows from his headquarters
"Brigadier general Charles F. Smith, by his cool
ness and bravery at Fort Donelson, when the
battle was against Us, turned the tide and carried
the eDemys outworks. Make him a major
general. You can't get a better one. Honor
him for this victory and the whole country will
applaud" In an order issued from headquarters
by Hallecks acknowledgement, Flag Officer
Foote, Brigadier- general Grant, and the brave
officers and men under their commands were
congratulated on the recent victories. Smith
was made a major general, and, in the opinion
of General Halleck, was the only officer in the
department equal to the emergency, after Don
elson.
In General Grants article on shiloh in the
Century Magazine. the orders of General Hal
leck, directing him (Grant) to turn the com
mand of the troops destined for the Tennessee
river expedition over to Gen. c. q. Smith. are
given. Grant was ordered by Halleck to remain
at Fort Henry, which, he says in the Century
article, was placing him in the position of a
prisoner without a guard. Col. Fred D.. Grant,
IN concluding q recent article on 'Halleck's In
justice to Grant" says: 1.-THE best com
ment / can make upon this correspondents
tofticlal correspondence on the succession of
Smith, after the battle of Fort Donelson. to the
commandl, probably, is what l have heard my
father say. 1t is this: General Halleck I'M
questionablyr regarded Gen. c. I. Smith as a much
filter officer for the command of all the forces
in the military district than he Grant, and to
render Smith available for such omman de-
sired his promotion to ante-date the promotions
of the other commanders. 1t is probable that
the general opinion was that Smiths long
services in the army and distinguished deeds
rendered him the proper person for such com
mand, etc.
General Smith was taken ill with dysentery
soon after taking the command. and died two or
three days before the battle of Shiloh, at Sa-
vannah, eight miles from Pittsburg Landing.
Would Give Eminent Satisfaction.
Lafayette Journal.