Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-04
THE sHERM&N-FRY CONTROVERSY.

The question of veraeity between Gen
eral w. I. Sherman and General James
B. Fry has grown from an acrimonious
debate into direct giving of the lie. The
story is in brief as follows, as condensed
from long and exciting correspondence
In the December number of the North
American Rerier, in an article entitled.
An Acquaintance with Grant General
Fry, who was Provost Marshal-General
during the war, used this language
General Sherman goes so far as to have
said, since Grants death, that had General
{. F. Smith lived Grant would have disap-
peared to history after Donelson.7 Allen
Thorndyke Rice, editor of the Repie,c
questioned the correctness of the ex
preston, believing that if there was any
truth in it, it would be found in the sub
stitution of might " for would" in the
sentence. December lst Sherman wrote to
Rice, asking him to inquire of Fry what
was the authority for his statement. On
the 9TH Fry evaSively replied that, as
Sherman did not appear to deny the Ian
guage, the matter had better rest there.
But, he added, if the correctness of the as
sertion should be denied. he would sub
stantiate it. December 10th Sherman
replied through Rice that the mat
ter should not rest where it was,
and he again demanded Frys authority.
December 18th Fry wrote to Rice, in
reply to Sherman, declining to modify his
note Of the 9th. This fact Rice telegraphed
to Sherman and on the 18th Sherman tele-
graghed to Rice in reply, asking him to
publish the fact that Fry had not supplied
the desired information. The next dav
having in the meantime received Frv's
written answer, General Sherman tele-
praphed again to Mr. Rice to notify Fry
that he, Sherman, believed he had "pur-
posely and maliciously misrepresented
him." and the end is not vet" On the
18th General Sherman appealed to the
War Department at Washington, to COM
pei Fry 10 answer, claiming that his
charge and refusal rendered him amenabIe
to military discipline. On the 23d Ad-
jutant-General L. C. Drum replied, saving
that the Secretary of War did not deem
General Fry to have committed such an
ofiense as TO subject him to discipline, be-
cause the language used was not scandalous
or calculated to cast odium on the subject
o. it. But General Drum significantly
aided that the Secretary held thai the
question raised was one of good manners
and proper courtesy" On the ID of Janu.
airy General Sherman sent long commune
cation to the Reueu, declaring that Fry
had invented the quotation" He added
that General Grant had always regarded
Fry as lone of the men most active in
spreading the lies about us at Shiloh
surprised bayoneted in our beds de.
moralized,' etc" He then refers to little
book published in 1884, entitled "The
Army under Buell. wherein General FRY
claims that General Buell. rescued Grant.
army at Shiloh, and converted disaster or
the first day into a memorable victory
Also that the Army of the Tennessee un
der Grant ard of the Ohio under
Buell. concentrated at Pittsburg Landing
and being attacked they" gained the
victory of Shiloh. Sherman then calls
attention 10 General Grants book, pages
35o-33l. ct seq, to show that Buell. did not
reach the field of battle until after the
first day was over. Sherman adds: " We