New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-10
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE, MONDAY MAY TO- 1886

control He had been an officer OF the engineer
| corps before the war; and consequently had never
served With S@P be oSe
than brigade. He saw clearly and distinctly the
| position OF the enemy. and the topography OF the
was to take advantage of the lay Of the ground,
sometimes without reference to the direction we
wanted to move afterward; ne was snoSIdina !,
| execute an order which changed his own plans
with the same zeal he would have displayed II the
plan had been his own. lie was brave ana con-
| scIcntions and commanded the respect of all who
| knew him. He was unfortunately of a temper that
would get beyond his cor troll. at times and make
him speak to oesEs OF n,sm rank RAM fau lfo mo osc
| plainly than lie himself, and no one regretted it
more This made 1T unpleasant at times, even in
battle for those around him to approach him even
with information. In spite of this defect he was n
most valuable officer and deserves a high place in
the annals OF lis country.
General Grant seems to have been fully alive to
the danger IN the rear, arising from Northern dis
loyalty and dsconragement. even up to the very
Gle 80 of the struggle aud be speaks of it with great
feeling. He does not believe that the North would
have continued the war a year longer; treason was
talked as fully in the Chicago Convention which
nominated Mcclellan as it ever was in Charleston
On the eve of the final assault upon Petersburg
when he knew that the Rebellion as ready to col
too was nearly exhausted, not but in
spirit: and he relates the follow ing curi0us
dote The advance had been fixed for the Goth of
March. and Grant sunlmpned Sheridan to receive
orders tor the movement:
Sheridan reached City Point on the Goth day If
March. His horses. of course, were jaded and many
of them had lost their shoes A few days of rest
were necessary to recuperate the ANIMALS and also
to have them ehod and put in condition for moving.
Immediately on General Sheridans arrival at City
Point | prepared his instructions for the move
which | had decided upon. Tho movement was to
commence on the Goth of the month.
After reading the instructions had given him,
Sheridan walked ont of my tent. and followed to
have some conversation with him by himself-Dot
in the presence of anybody else. even of a member
Of my staff. In preparing his instructions con-
turing Five Forks, driving the enemy from Peters
burg and Richmond and terminating the contest
before separating from the enemy. But the Nation
hal already become restless and discouraged at the
prOlOngttOn of the war. and many believed that 1t
would never terminate except by compromise.
Knowing that unless my plan proved an entire sue
cess 1t would be interpreted disastrous defeat,
provided in these instructions that in a certain
event he TO cut loose from the Army of the
Potomac and his base of supplies, and living npon
the country proceed south by the way of the Dan
vile Railroad, near it, across the Roanoke. get
in the of Johnston, who was guarding that
road and cooperate with Sherman in destroying
Johnston then with these combined forces to help
carry ont the instructions which Sherman already
had receive ed 10 act IN cooperation with the armies
| saw that after Sheridan had read his in
structions he seemed somewhat disappointed at
the idea possibly OF having to cut loose again from
the Army of the Potomac, and place himself be-
tween the two main armies of the enemy. said to
HIM " Gen oral, tins portion of your instructions
have put in merely as blind; and gave him the
reason Tor doug so. heretofore described. told
him that. matter of fact, intended TO close the
war right here. with this movement. and that he
should 90 no further His face at once frightened
up and sapping his hand on his leg he said; l"
am glad to hear 1t. and we can 90 1t"
Sheridan was right. They did it; and the war
was closed right there.
1t is commonly supposed that after Grants
promotion to the lieutenant generalship he was re-
leved from the vexatious interference of officials
higher in authority but less competent to COM
mand This is a mistake. Halleck was less
troublesome than before. but Mr.. Stanton re
NAMED. great deal of the bad luck in the Shen-
andoah Valley caused by embaJas orders |
from Washington. When Sheridan was despatched
on his famous and decisive campaign in the Valley. |
Grant himself was actually obliged TO carry the
orders to his lieutenant, because he could not trust
Washington.
I knew it was impossible for me TO get orders
through Washington to Sheridan to make move |
because they would be stopped there aud such |
orders as Hallecks caution land that of the secre
tary of War wonld suggest would he given IN
stead, and would no doubt, be contradictory TO
mine. ] therefore, without stopping at Washing
ton went directly through to- CharestoT1 some
see General Sheridan. having sent a courier III adj
vance to inform him where to meet me-
In the midst of this valley campaign Grant tele-
graphed certain instructions to Sheridan; the
message was intercepted in Washington and
IIalIeck changed 1T to something quite different,
still leaving it however as Grants order. vigor-
Dus rcmOnstrance from Sheridan led to disclosure
Of the alteration. Notwithstanding all these an
noyanccs, General Grants relations to Secretary
Stanton were friendly, and his regard for Mr.
Lincoln was very strong. Iii the following sketch
Of the President and his War Minister there are
some points which have not often been made SO
clear:
There is no great difference of opinion now in
the public mind. as 10 the characteristics of the
President With Mr.. Stanton the case is different
They were the very opposite of each other in almost
every particular, except that each possessed great
ability. Mr. Lincoln gained influence over men by
making them feel that il was a pleasure to serve
him. He preferred yielding his own wish to crafty
way 1t distressed him to disappoint others. In
matters of public duty, however, he had what he
wished. but in the least otensi We way. Mr.. STAN
ton never questioned his own authority to COM
nand unless resisted. He cared nothing for the
feeling of Others. In fact it seemed to be pleas
inter TO him to dsappoint than to crafty He felt
scutivo, or In acting without advising with him.
f his act was not sustained he would change tiff
lie saw the matter would be followed up until he
lid SO.
1t generally supposed that these two officials
ormed the complement of each other The Secre-
AIRY was required to prevent the Presidents being
imposed upon: The President was required in the
more responsible place of seeing that Injustice was
lot done TO others do not know that this view
# these two men is still entertained by the majority
# the people. 1t is not a correct view however in
ny estimation Mr. Lincoln did not require a
Guardian to aid him in the fulflmcnt of a public
rust.
Mr. Lincoln was not timid, and he was willing TO Il
rust his generals in making and executing their !,
lans. The Secretary very tlmd and it was
impossible for him to avoid interfering with the
rmies covering the capital when it was sought to ,
efend it by an offensive movement against the
rmy guarding the Confederate capital lie could
GO our weakness, but he could not see that the
nemy was in danger. The enemy would not have +
cen IN danger if Mr. Stanton had been in the field Z