New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-17
PRAIsISG HIS B4OrhER GENERALS.


Az UNPUBLISHED LETTER RECOMMENDING THE
PROMOTION or SHERMAN AND M'PdERsON.
WAsmNGToN April 16.-A letter of General
Grants hitherto unpublished recommending the pro
motion OF Generals sherman and MoPherson few
weeks after the OF Nicksburg, Will be Of inter
ost at this time. II reads a. follows:
HFApouARTkLs DEPARTMENT TESSEssrG.
yICKsBURG. July %. lsG3.
To HIS EIcecIey A. LINCOLN. President II De United
Stlies. Washington, D. c.
would must respectfully. but urgently. recommend
the promotion Of MajorGencral W 7. sherman. now
commanding the 18th Army Corps, and MJorGeneral
J. h. NcPh.rson. commanding 18th Army Corps.
TO the position of Brigadicr-Geherh OF the
Regular Army The first reason for this
~ their great fitness for any command that IL may ever
become necessary to ntrusI to them. Second. their
great purity character and Observation-Disclosures In
thing except the faithful performance or their duty and
the OF every engaged IN the great battle for
the preservation Of the Union Third they have honor
ably this distinction upon many welfought battle
fields will only mention Of their services while
serving under my command.
To General sherman I was greatly indebted for his
promptness In forwarding tn me, during the Siege Of
Port Donelson, reiuforcemonts aud supplies from
Paducah At the battle Of Shiloh, the first day. he
held with troops the keypoint TO the landing To
his Individual efforts am ndebed for the success Of that
battle Twice bit and several think three horses shot
.
his raw troops. II is disparagenent to any other
officer TO say that do not believe there another
commander the field who had the skill or ex-
perience to have done It. His ryices division co-
inauder IN the advance COrinth will venture were
appreciated by the now Genern Chief beyond those
ol auy other division commander. General sherman's
Management commander OF troops IN the attack on
Chieknsaw Bluffs last December admirable. Seeing
the ground the opposite side OF the attack. saw
the impossibily OF making 1t snocessfm The coneep-
of the attack Arkansas Post was General sher-
mans Ills part Ol the execution no one denies was rs
good rs possibly could have been. His demonstration
fiaines BLUM M April to npd the enemy NJ Ncksous
while the army was securing a fOothod east OF tue
Misslssppi; his rapid to JOIN the army after
ward; his cement AZ Jackson, Miss, III tue nr.t
attack; his almost unequaed march from jackson TO
Bridgeport and passage that stream; his securing
Walnut Hills on the 18th or May ana mus opening
communications with our supplies. all attest his great
cap OF jackson and dispersion oi Johnstos army
eutIte General Sherman TO more credit thAu IL usually
falls tO tue lot Of one man To earn 49,
General McPhersun has been with me In every battle
Al Henry Dunelson shiIon and thu siege OF Corinh as
stan officer and engineer his services we're conspcnons
and highly merorDus At the second battle OF .Ornth
his skill a soldier Displayed In successfully carry
reinfoTcements to the besicged garrison "nc ,ne
enemy we're between him and the point ID De reached
the advance through Central Mississippi last So.on-
Der aud December. General MCPHERSON comnalGea Que
wing OF tue army with all the aDy pc slut W snom, nc
having the lead In tue advance aud the rear
In the campaign ami terminating IN the IAN ~
Vlcksburg General McPherson has borne I
part Al the battle OF Port Gibson, IL was uluer us
Immediate direction That tue enemy Nc-e
the afternoon. from position they had sdo1eeucu ~
holding all day against an obstinate ATTACK MS coiPs,
the advance always under his immediate eye were Tue
pioneers In the advance from Port Gibson 10 ansot
sous Ferry From nUrh fork OF Bayou Pierre 10 Black
River it was a constant skrmish, the wh0ie ShlIuiJ
managed The enemy were 80 closely Iresseu Us 10 uo
unable Ia destroy their bridge o. boats AFTER then ron
hankersons Ferry to jackson the seventeenth corps
marched upon roads not travelled by other troOps ight-
ing tic battle OF Raymond alone and the nuik OF
Jonnston's aruy at Jackson also was fought ny tnlS
corps entirely under the management OF General Nc
puer.ou Al Cbampion Iil the l7th Army
CORPS and General MCPHERSON conspicuous All
that could be termed a battle there was fOugnt 10y tWO
divisions OF General McfhersOus corps and uoVey
division OF the 18th Corps In the assault OF .le
22d MAY on the fortncalinns OF Vlckshurg ana during
the euIire siege. General Mcpherson AMI iis cohnuhu
EOn uniadng aurrs He Is OF our abcst engineers
and most ekilfnl generals. ,..p,or.o,
A'""' "'"' u 8 GRANT. MaIor-GeneraL