The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-28

Cor his address ION the wing" That address
sas the result of this correspondence, and 1t has
been universally copied. and was in the hands of
General Fry when he composed his paper Tor the
terry ignoring this public address, which
was the conclusion had REACHED
from the correspondence and from
personal knowledge, General Fry segregates
single paragraph from one OF many private let
ters OF INQUIRY, of which he became possessed
wvonefully. and now wants to prove to the world
that General Sherman lied, actually resorting to
notice methods of reproducing photograph copies
of n paragraph in letter which he could well
understand General Sherman had forgotten, and
which in the aggregate was most euiogistlc or
General Grant.
ANY lawyer or logician reading the whole of
this correspondence. not the garbed extracts,
will see that on the 9th of September, 1885, my
mind was working out the antitheses to be used
at Chicago only three days later, before my COM
rades and friends-all of them ardent friends of
General Granite contrast the Grant of Donel-
son. of February 1862 and the Grant of Apo
mattox, and the dead hero of lS0o-an interval OF
twenty-three long. eventful years AS TO Generai
Haileck had in him the most unbounded CONN
dence la 1862 Hewas the best informed scholar
of the military art in America, Mcclellan not
excepted. knew him Familiarity at West Point
for three years; sailed with him around Cape
Horn in 1916, on board the Lexington; was asso-
ciated with him in California for the four years
of the Mexican war, and knew him for another
six years. when he was a member of the law
firm of Haileek Peachy, Billings & Park. But
war is a terrible test. Haleck did not stand
this test whereas Grant did. Haleck was a
theoretical soldier Grant was practical soldier.
In February, 1862, General Halleck's fame
and power were transcendental, and that OF
Grant hardly recognized, whereas. in 1864, Hal.
leek had dwndled into mere chief OF staff and
General Grant had earned such renown that he
was enabled to dictate his own terms to the
President and Secretary of War.
We are told that the road to fame in America
In strewn with the carcasses of men who wrote
letters This is true, and it is equally true that
you cannot pick up ahandful OF soil which does
not contain some part of what was once human
being, full Of the life. hope and fear which we
all feel the very bread tables ontains
the phosphate which once was part of the EN-.
bodiment of human soul. Nevertheless,
must we, in our short journey earth.
deny ourselves the happiness and pleasure of
social intercourse and correspondence must we
abstain from all communication with family and
friends because some one may imprudentiy or
maiiciously reveal our secret thoughtsf Among
the twelve disciples one proved false. while tn Q
eleven remained true and spread the gospel of
peace to all the world. Does the enlightened
press of America mean to say that no
honorable man can serve the government
Is this to be the result of our free government
These are questions which we can leave to our
successors in the 'next war; / remember only
too well that in the last war, in the midst of
gloom and tribulation, I derived from
the public press but little encouragement,
bnt from such men as s. s
LHemmedeiu, Charles Anderson and Silas
r. Miller. of Cincinnati, James f. Yeatrnan and
Henry Turner, of ST. Louis, and Rev. w. G.
Elliott, my heart was warmed and my arms
strengthened in the good cause for which we
fought. Therefore am willing to be adjudged
imprudent by confding in personal friends rath-
or than to the public press, which must more or
less trim It's sails to the surface breeZes Now
/ give the whole correspondence without abridg
ment, and invite special attention to the letter
OF Sept. g. 1885, from which General Fry made
his extract:
WASHINGTON, d. O., JAN &c. 1886.
No.:
Dear General-You and I have made a "rness of
you by writing letter to me of great historic in
terest and forgetting it. and by using the letter for
the information Of some of my friends.
On the Both of August last year you wrote to me
Tor certain information to be used in speech about
Allen, Halleck and Grant replied Sept. a, call
ing your attention to the record evidence the sub
iect and commenting upon, it. On Sept. 6 you re-
Joined, writing among other things follows:
NOW. to Halleck and Grant: l had the
highest possible opinion of Hallecks knowledge and
power. and never blamed him for mistrustng Grants
disappeared to history after Donelson Smith
strong nervous. vigorous man when ] reported to
tiers to my friend General Fry. who is deeply inter
ested in the history of Grant and Halleck is very
friendly to both, and who had, as know investigated
the very question you have asked. Fry was
struck by your GrantSmith conjecture. and desired
1t TO illustrate of the points in his Acquaintance
with Grant As that conjecture neither esoteric
nor hurtfu without hesitation assented to such
OF it. little dreaming it package of unlabeled dy
mantle Since the publication of your Morrison letter.
Fry feels incumbent upon him to that he has
not msquoted you. recognize that necessity but de-
sire that his vindication be accomplished at mini
znnm of annoyance to you. inclose copies of your
letters of Aug. 80, Sept g., 1885, of my letter of
Remit. of Ervs eft tr of he
INST Yours sincerely ROBERT N. SCOTT.
CHICAGO, Ill.,, Sept. (Aug.) 80. 1885.
Dear Scott am here, en- route for Mansfield o.,
where we have family reunion. Thence go to st.
Louis preparatory to coming again Chicago for the
annual meeting Of the Society OF the Army of the
viii be compelled to speak somewhat of Gen.
Grant, but win try to limit myself to his
connection with the Army of the Tennessee, of which
he was the first commander | am somewhat familiar
with the early events of 1862 but there is point
q which you must have personal knowledge. When
General Haleck reached Corinth he was compelled by
superior orders from Washington, to send the Army
II the Cumberand-General Buen-back towards
chattanooga, and the remaining forces were dis.
From Corinth to Memphis, Grant being assigned
10 the District of Memphis. Then, when Halleck
was himself, ordered to Washington, he cast about
for his own successor, and fixed on Gen. Robert
Allen chief quartermaser at St Louis, and offered
him the command. knew of this fact, at the time,
from Hallecl himself, also from Allen, and that
this pointl Or in Halleck's letter books or
kilograms do you find the specific orders
or inquiriesl Allen is still living in
London but is too far away for me to ask him. Can
you fortfy my memory in this particular! will be
at 912 Garrison avenue. st. Louis, from Saturday,
Sept. to Tuesday, Sept. 8, and win be personally
obliged If you will answer With great respect. al
ways, your friend. w. T. SHERMAN.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 1885.
General Sherman, u. 5. A., st Louis, Mo.
Ny Dear Genersl-Your letter of the Both ult.
has been received. BY slip you dated it Sept. 80.
Grants geographical command. from Feb. IL to Oct.
16 1862 was the District of West Tennessee" but
as early April 81. of that year he began in orders
etc.. to style his modified force the Army of the
Tennessee" (See Official Rebellion Records
VOL Part 2. pages 49, 144, 154,
and separately note Part of the order page Id
also see Halleck to Grant, May 81, on page 1872,