Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-29
Clash OF AUTHORITY.
o,N AND SHERIDAN En-
NCCgaNGE CURT EPIsTLEs.

-COTN AND SHEISIDAN Ia
liNCCUntNGE CURT EPISTLES.
..4.,aut Gen raj Quick to Call
fhs ',sns+es to a Hal for Fancied
suDo,u u',at,on. but Wanting No Limit Put
Dsio a. own Powers-LincOln's Fight
rly His Rights.
w,surycroN, Aug. 2S.-Some time
statement was telegrapned from
'lI,' l1, citg that a conflict of authority had
'A'' between secretary Endicott and
t s!i'I" Cen. sheridan, and also thai
b9+" .nar conflict had occurred between ex-
atorr Sine, Lincoln and the Lieutenant
o~orel 5'.'1l of the army. 1t was also stated
pat u'l' tho ex-secretary wrote a letter to
C.n 'un' sheridan defining the authority Of
~ AUof these assertions were denied
by army officers.
ItNCOLN's LETTER.
rtotex-secretary Lincoln did commu
.ioate with Gen. Sheridan upon the sub
Dstis shown by the following letter, dated
Ion n last. which will be published to-
O~ri 'n"rrow by the army and Ndoy JournGG
crvrR4L-Ab0ut a month ago had occa-
gOur GUuhlubEdtlOu VI buO iubhliOu
sVI " rbether. in issuing an order TO the
a. w g,srT8ster General, you had not over
Suea,.| The same considerations as to the
lV0ar channel Of command, for the over
nofng OF which by nm, IN the case OF an
s1sr of his department detailed on the staf
..IWsi. cen Haacock, you had sharply criti-
4 .is.dfhe Ouartermaster General.
Isaid then:
NO TWO CHANNELS.
sac no reason to dissent from the remarks
ne6e by your direction. that there are not
tgo channels Of command to stan officer
ssryine with troops-One through the line o
ganersl officers and the other through the
cbe.of their staI depaTtment"-in so far at
,esst "a commands relate to or would inter
tsre with or obstruct the transaction of any
business which by law, regulation, or orders;
has been committed to officers of
tbe ime in command of troops,
bT wish to invite your
consideration as to whether in making the
orerof Oct. %, 1854, to the Quartermaster
General instead Recommending to the Sec
refary of War action by HIM you have not
rourself overlooked the application Of your
remark to the case of the Quartermaster
General who has not been and conld not be
4stqchad from the staff ito use military
rSrsse, OF the secretary of War, and au-
tborzed to obey the orders OF any officer of
the army WhOmsoever.
4 UyDERTHE sECRETARY'SJU 'SJURIsDICTIoN.
Without an abandonment by the Secretary
Of War of the duties specifically imposed upon
4 him by law, he and subordinate Off ers of his
departmenI not detailed to serve under COM
handing officers are necessarily under the
sole direction of he Secretary of War. Not
having heard from YOU to the contrary. sup
posed that you had acquiesced in my view
that the Quarterm ister General and officers
Of his department not ordered by the Secre-
ary Of War to report for duty to military
commanders are not subject to orders of the
Lieutenant General. and that the same prln-
cIpe applies to all staff departments whose
hesds are chiefs OF bureaus of the War De-
partment, excepting the Inspector General
andAdjutant General.
SHERIDAN NETTLED.
Recently the Commisssry General of Sub
ssance having in communication TO me,
taken exception to receiving an order from the
Lieutenant General youremarked tbereupon
As follows: 81 nave no further remark to
make on the dlsrespectful attitude assumed
by the Commssary General of Subsistence ut
does not admit of argument) in regard to the
relation ne bears to the Commanding Gener-
a OF the army than that he is a part OF the
army OF the United States, and tnat the Pres
ldent placed me ia command of the army by
an order dated at the War Department at
Washington, October l3, 1855"
ASSERTING HIS AUTHORITY.
DO ne. care TO make any point upon the
iact IHaJ the only expression of your
VIC" on the subject made after
my letter t. you disposes of my
remarks 10 that letter in so brief a manner
out deem 1t my duty to point out to you
NAV 10 mj opinion, your claim to command
every 2IAcer IN the army, as the army IS de-
sHoeu In section 1894 Revised Statutes.
unler lhe terms Of assignment to dutv under
Smch you are now acting, is not tena-
ue Sud mat II 1t were tenable, 1t would be
au imperative duty on the part of
.ao oegiet'ry Of War to recommend
/" ue fre-deDt such a change in the
4s s-faa 4. \
aiglI1l ig.eu1 lhe possibility OF such a claim. The
OtalA maze Is, so fsr ~ / am advised, with
O1I precedent in our history
NOT DEFINED BY STATUTE.
n 40 hot uad in the statutes any definition Of
1lc Vules oi the Lieutenant General. or in
XIV y, any General officer other than the
oeiti or bureaus who have bv law The rank
VI genera. 0ticers There is. OF course. a per
dr'i55. dt5 e',a9 shed understanding as to the
hAlcu may appropriately be assigned
tr' l' ana lhe present organization of mill
rsr,e,,l! ,.ii.'l"nls ls such that symmetricaLar-
iP,1seHenl is Appropriate. under which all
~-Italtf Generals not chiefs OF bureaus are
~ command of Major Generals. and All
IalTI GENERALS are under the command of
cer IN esena9t General, now the highest ofi-
wa 'u 'Ae acllYe service.
PRECEDENTs QUOTED.
,recos ue secretary quotes Mt length from
i0e7ueAls and general orders showing
.rI Vu'eIs OK stah, corps, departments
"Iieaus were considered as With
@'i ma,,i rom the orders OF the general COM
HsNS the army. He considers that
Wtl gle,,ary Of War is by law charged
roi..o.' o.'H matters Of which the principal
w,. .1e 70 river and harbor works. and also
wor many matters growing out Of the late
rola,i lhe general fiscal administration
IrsauS 70 the army through the
bs OF the war department and
6si- Vuiels OF those bureaus and
upd.. ..llonrainates must necessarily be
nry - .ue e. exclusive orders OF the Score
conn. n ar. AS 10 the duties OF the
sdarue,laalng General, Mr.. Lincoln con
tary ~ '1uel ollcer an adviser OF the Secre-
wbio6 I" "r M a multitude Of matters. I'm
the ro.1lI 1uo"eNer, final action must be upon
''u''Uiilty OF the Secretary.
IRREGULAR ORDERS.
Der. rs Sncloses memorandum list Of or.
irregn1pau 1puleh he considers as having baen
Gen9r,I issued by the commanding
Ta'' ana concludes:
lge 6',.i' ~ wish to aggrandize nv own exclu.
hy uor..,.i =, W 70 Diminish your command.
ippr. t- 'Nl Tendshin,as well ~ nv high re-
rent. . N"l as an uiieor. ,Tonid alibsH n,c
avoid f,,.,n ions bat 10 b. duty / cannot
lir raoIt 'tFFt intact the oNclusiye author-
hns io ny ihe law, regulations and cus-
War. srIt. tNetcieed by tho Secretary Of
NbttH. 'eAh Huch measures "a will, with
lhsiet.r 'l pll.h that end. I trust that
.e plr osc. measure required
above co,... .le paat few days copies OF the
te Ii..'''ll dhlcatiOn have been sent 10
me Gen,., ,aut Heneral Of the Army. and
..'Nt Nlh COMMANDING thn xari,,,,. "a