Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-12
him land he certainly conveyed to me

cations, and the command oil Banks,
then in the Shenandoah Valley, aud TO
throw the whole active army suddenly
by water from Annapolis and Alexaf-
dris to the forts on James river and
thence BY the shortest routes upon
Richmond) was conceived with tho
trai,oious intent Of removing its de-
tenders from Washington, and thu.
giving over to the enemy the capital
and the Government thus left defence
Hess
IL is difficult to understand that
man OF Mr.. LiDcoln's intelligence could
give ear to such abominable nonsense,
lsss seated when be said this, con
cludirg with the remark that it did
look To- him much like Il season. Upon
,his ! arose. snd, in a manner perhaps
| not altogether decorous toward the
| Chief Magistrate. desired that he should
rotract The expression. telling him that
| could permit no one to couple the
word treason with my name. lie was
much sgitaied, and at once disclaimed
any idea OF considering me traitor,
and said that he merely repeated what
others had said, and that be did not be-
lieve a word Of it. | suggested caution
in the use Of language, and again said
that | would permit no doubt to DO
thrown upon my intentions, whereupon
be again spologized and disclaimed any
purpose Of impugning my motives.
THE GRANT EPISODE.
More than a year after the events in
question, franklin wrote to me that on
meeting Grant at Memphis, or some
such point on the Mississippi, Grant
asked what had made me hostile to
him. Franklin replied that he knew
that W as not hostile, but very friendly
10 him. Grant then said that that could
net be so, for. without any reason, |
bad ordered Halleck to relieve him from
command and arrest him soon after
Fort Donelson, and that Halleck had
interfered to save him. l took no
steps to undeceivo Grant, trusting to
time to elucidate the question.
In the latter part of 1866, while l
was in Europe, General Grant, through
one Of his staff, communicated with
General Marcy in regard to papers miss
ing from the files of the office Of Gene
ral.in. Chief during my tenure of the
place. =,
In searching my papers General
Marcy found my retained copy of the
dispatch Of March I'd from Halleck, IN
which he reports Grants unauthorized
absence, etc. This he forwarded to
General Grant, who was thus for the
first time informed of the truth. This
dispatch and my reply had, with many
others, disappeared from the files in the
office. So with regard to my corre-
spOndence as General.in- Chief.
The military telegraph Office was first
established by me, and was located, as
already stated, in the headquar-
tiers Of the Army Of the Potomac.
While | was absent from Washington
for couple of days in March, the Sec
rotary of War. without any intimatloD
to me, caused the entire office, with all
the telegraphic records, to be removed
to the War Department.
Twas relieved from the general com
maDd of the army while with the front
near Manassas March llth), and never
re. entered the office of Commanding
General in the War Department. All
the papers there were taken possession
of by the Secretary of War, and he aud
HslIeck are alone responsible for any
gaps in the files.
Some one distracted the kilograms
above alluded to. AS to Halleck's
conduct with regard tc Grant, no CON-
ment by me is necessary. The facts
speak for themselves.
MIR. JOHN POPE.
Referring to Mr.. John Pope" and
some of his orders, Mcclellan says !:
81 will strike square in the teeth of all
his infamous orders and give directly
the reverse instructions to my army,
forbid all pillagips and stealing, and
take the highest Christian ground for
the conduct Of the war;" He adds
"Their game is to force me to resign !;
mine will be to force them to place me
on leave Of absence, so that when they
begin to reap the whirlwind that they
have sown | may still be in q position
to do something to save my country.
With all their faults / do love my coun'
trymen, and If | can save them | will
vet do so. think the result of their
vaccination will be that Pope will be
badly thrashed within ten days, and
that they will be very glad to turn over
the redemption Of their affairs to me-
RELIEVED FROM COMMAND.
The order depriving me OF tho com
mand created an immense deal of deep
feeling in the army-so much so thai
many were in favor of my refusing tC
obey the order and of marching upon
Washington to take possession OF th'
Government. My chief purpose in re.
mainins With the army as long as did
after being relieved was to calm this
feeling. in which succeeded.
! will not attempt to describe my
own feelings nor the scenes attending
my farewell to the army. They are be
yond Ey powers Of description. Wha
words, in truth, could convey to thu
mind such scene-thousands OF brave
men, who under my very eye haC
changed from raw recruits to veterans
of many fields, shedding tears hk'
children in their ranks as they bid'
good-by to the general who had JUS
led them TO victory after the defeats
they had seen under another leader
Could they have foreseen the future
their feelings would not have been les
intense.
ESTIMATES OF HIS sUBoRDINATEs
Phil. Kearney received brigade
but, though he stood high as aremarks
bly, daring man and good cavalry cap
. tain in the Mexican war, | had not suiii
Gent confidence in his brains to Civ
him one Of the first divisions. | hav
since sometimes thought that l woul
have done we'll had given him com
mand Of the cavalry.
/. Sumner was in California when | q: