National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-04-11
CLEARING UP The RECORD
GEN. GRANTS MILITARY sUBORDINATIoN
IN THE TENNESSEE RIVER CAMPAIGN.
His Victory at Donelson-DisposItlon TO Find
Tsult-iislleek Reports "There Never Was
Any want of Military subOrdlnation "
Grant Was Not Arrested.


m. W. -, A.. poh.,,;o, pocords
""i VI Wv ..r |
AFFORD the means OF accurately ana speo',
'ically dispelling certain misunoeIS'ano-
inRs in respect to tho record Of Gen. |
arsrt IN .ha Tannsssee river campaign. |
III. o.Ia -, ,ho. On Fab. ia, 1860.
Ing "'iiu W. 49, A.. 80
zen. Grant was IN coin"Huu VI SNe o
eral forces which were infestinR fort
Donelson, The confederate Con. Buckner
.ant a msss.yo 10 Gen. Grant proposing
"tba annointment of commissioners to
ar,oo mon terma Of capitulation Of the
foIoea and postD undor Buckner's COM
mand, Grants famous, quick response
-.
o,. u,.ord;t;oraI and
NO terms eNcepC unevnuielonM ""I
immediate surrender eau DC hccePteu'
pronose to move Immediately upon your
worhsV
Sr .-L,.h pnoLnor ,anl;ad that ba xraa
~ WniSu 80, sr.'. AZ ,,s'.asa,,s -
compelled 20 accept ,ne uneeneIous alu
unohivalrous terms which you propose"
and thereupon the forces and post were
anrrenderod
re thoso ,ar,,s ,-oro H,pobivoIrors -
certainly the treatment atterward OF
Buckner and his officers and men was
generous" for Buckner WINS consulted
with reference to details Of providing for
his mon as prisoners of war, and all of
his officers were allowed to retain their
side arms.
Shortly after this brilliant achievement
of the Union forces under Grant. Gen,
U.liooL Az r,a;or aanor.l Ia co,nm.nd
~ w Jo, nst. Ia 81.
immediate superior officor OF Grant, while
irritated, worn out, and tired" arrived
At some yery upfayorable conclusions,
,,h;oh iod hi,n 10 ,naLa reaootiona unon
all ofhcers In the army OF the tennessee
with the single exception OF Gen. Smith.
Here is the dispatch which he sent to
.rn,;aa ~ VEL; 49,,
ARMIES |" "asnineson
sos 81 nh isso or rh nrons s
b, McCLELIAN, washington. d, C,;s sSI
have had no communication with Gen. Grant
\ for more than week He LETT his command
M MI my au.noty anu went 10 nhSnv,S;
the victory OF Fort Donelson as was fiat of the
Potomac by the defeat of Bull Run 1t is hard 10
n victory. but think he richly deserves Il. /
can get no returns. no reports. no Information
of anv kind from him Satisfied with his Vie
tory he ATS down and ENJOYS IL without anv
regard IN The r,ture / am worn ont and
tired with this neglect and ineficiency, C. r,
smith Is almost the only officer eatial to The
emergency IT w 1HIECK
Az ro,rI, =, ,,o,o ,o,,n,,;n,. H., u.,-
thA oil hNvI
Mccleiian at M ~ the .a,ne dsy
,v,s,,,,,-ra,, -. -, q eco q
GEN N " 9Si IaIS 81 o. oTis . The
future success of orr cause demands that pro.
ceedlngs such as Grants should at once be
checked. Generals must observe discipline
az wen A. private soidIets. 10 not hesitate 70
vice renmIreS IL and nIace smith in
command. You are at liberty to regard this
asa positive order If 4 will smooth your way.
appreciate the ai 1a III Xon nave 70 en-
. .i,, atu wiz Do giaa 10 reheVe you Hom
uoupie aS i"r as Possip l n ,,ac,,
NJ, CO. nho, ., 40, Mo y
., maJ uen;; CoIiu q. ., army
approved EDWIN M. oIAHfoN,
SECRETARY oi war
The next day Halleck, still provoked,
communicated n rumor auvpestinp that
Gen. Grant had gone on a spree, and that
tnat WouIu propapiy aecouhb ior INC ist-
tors neglect Of orders:
ST. LooIs, March 4, 1s62.-MAJ. GEN. Nc
CLFILAS, WAsHiSGToS A rumor has iuSt
reached me that since the taking of Fort Don
elson Gen Grant has resumed his former bad
habits: 1fso, 1t will account for his neglect of
my oite1niePealeu oLaets. i uo not ueein II
placed Gen. Smith in eommapS of the ' e nase
diton of the Tennessee. / think Smith will
restore order and discipline.
III. W. HALLEcK, Major General.
Although Gen. Halleck was not dis
in command of the expedition which
Grant was to have commanded and which
he did subsequently, command.
President Lincoln would not take
nsnan ;udgmentU against Gan. Grant
49, H. .,l a. go
put iusteHu' ne whneeu ,ne iacts, ana SIX
days later no had the Following dispatch
sent. ordering Gen. Hallack to get at the
;,Ssas. N0 --
JuuE"e''
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, ADJuTAET
generals OFFICE, WASHINGTON, March 10, 1862.
ing Department OF the Mississippi, St. Louis:
IT has been reported that soon after the battle
81 toIr DoneSn aers genera Ry r 1ahI e
the President the Secretary OF War desires you
70 ascertain and report whether Gen. Grant
LET his command at any time without proper
authority, and, II 50, for how long whether
he has made to you proper reports and returns
Of his force: whether he has committed any
acts which were unauthorized or not in ac-
cordanoe with military subordination or pro-
priety, and, If so, what? l.. THOMAS,
Adjutant General.
Gan. Halleck's report five days later.
eel, 81 Ia ;nvo.t;o., &c. ,,,as
iesu'S VI ni' in St. was
complete, manly Vindlcation OF Ten.
Grant, even as against his (Halleck's)
own peevish complaints and the "rumor"
about Grant's having "reaumed his for
80. IA kah;.s ., "a Gu,,t 10. ..d;raatna
er oau na' IL, anu Eau Wao 81, o ToId !,
70 resume MS command IN the heia'
inis Is what haiieck reported
81. LOUIS MaIeh 10, isos-bRiG, GEN Lo'
i NENI1 iaoMAs, auJutan, uemerai q, inc army,
structions of The 10Th instant / report that
Gen. Grant and several officers Of high rank In
his command Immediately after the battle of
Fort Dones9n, went to Nashville without any
vsr o FLY OF vevsiSatVen hat eu Gra hS ava
this from good Intentions, and from a desire
to subserye the public interests.
Not being, advised of Gen. Buells move
nents, and learning that Cen Buell. had or
nand tn Nashv iia pa daamed II bIs d v1I ~
NO there In person, During the absence of Gen,
Erant and a mart NJ his Syeneral off,cers mn