New-York tribune., 1891-03-07
SHERMAN ON THOMAS.
SOME JUST.PUBLISHED LETTERS.

Tie Ir,t written to General Garfield as 10 the ioya
Of General Thomas, Is, in its completeness, character
istc of the man. 1t gives clear reason 100, Ior uio
apparent not real waverlng OF more tnal one hian a.
the beginning Of the Rebellion, when utter CHAOS staoo
every one in the face and when As under Bucna1au,
it seemed question whether loyalty meant stanais
by the Nation or standing by the STATE. Nuseitne
ceased the moment President declared secession
70 be treason and that the Union was to ec fought Io
Whatever Generals Grant, sherman ana otiers hay hi
have thought Thomas's proyerbial slowness, his
loyalty man ever dared question in their presence
Headquarters Armies Of the United states.
Washington, ID. e., Aug 4, io'o'
General Garfield, Hiram, OHIO. . ,,
Dear Garfield: | have your letter OF August i, duu
will get General Whpple to make up list Of TN the
officers who with Inomas at tarlSle III looo oi,
and will ncOse 1t with this noting the address vi lnose
who are still living and accessible attach great
importance to whatever address you may uever' & Ue
IL Will In time become history, ana rev men le
who knew Thomas in his nnermost character. 70 cor
rect mistakes if any have seen the letter published
outset Of our Civil War Thomas leaned to the SOUTH
understand the state OF his mind at tat @ aieau n,n
crisis, and how stranger might mlsc3istrue M n,l
At the time to which FItznug Lee audes The Bucilals
Administration In power. and had admlt1ea .na,
the Federal Government could not coerce a soeev,sn @
state and his Cabinet did all they could TO make Army
officers feel Insecure in their Offices. , .
friendly to the Army and when the election Of Lincoln
and Hamn complete they e oficersl 81 haeuraiy W., M
felt to their future and cast about lor vars e
poyment several OF them. | among the number, w were
employed at the military colleges OF the south nna anu na
natural that Thomas should look 70 ms ireuG anu
our clasSmae, Gillian. then employed sI FRANK ann
Smiths military school at Won aeAlmgtH 1st know
that intense mstrust Of politicians 10 when ini
the Old Arlny was DFtu, ana ledItu tHc "HoiO .O"
pication Of 1850 would result In some Ponueal l
compromise or settlement, II not in mutual agree.
nye be been forced II for support to have cast his lot
witt, the southern part 1t Is more thn pr0DaDie nae
at the table at Carlisle Thomas may have given
vent to some such feelings and opinions. then natural
and proper enough. But soon as Mr.. Lincoln was
installed In office, and manifested the deep reeuhg VI
love all parts of the country deprecatng cvii war
but giving the keynote that the Union should De i,
tane even if It rad to be fought tG i2 ad na Thoas
among them, brushed away the slbetles OF tie houl
clearly his duty, and proclaimed IT. not Dy ~ MIR G
regiment and brigade, invading without murinnr ms
native state ana commanding ms en 2 TO aa pnt rcs
the conflict Of opinion which preceded the actual con
ct Of arms feel certain YOU can 50 paint IL uao mo'
Il shadow Of suspicion VIII rest on s fair iaine; ioui''
W. T. SHERMAN.
one Of the historic scenes Of the great war is de-
scrbcd in the following letter OF General sherman:
II is the meeting OF Grant and sherman with PRESIDENT
Lincoln on board the Ocean Queen at Cy Polnt, Juss
before the OF the and quite close TO te tasc
event that ended in the Presidents death IL IS posi-
bly the only council OF the kind held during the w0e
war Certain 1t is that at no other time curing i .,e
contest did the distinguished commanders meet the
IT was from this interview that sherman went to
receive the surrender Of JOhnstonS army ana IL i no"
confidently belcycd that, had Lincoln lived TO see e
event. shcrman's rst terms with Johnston would have
been appfoyed tmcC I'm W, maSnmity that has
been pr;,csed by his successors In iact even WIEN Win
the principles Of sherman and OF Lincoln were Ill 'eorS
condemned
"''s'' 80 THANKSGIVING Day.
Hon J. y. Arnold Chicago. Ill., , c,., po,on snriOr
the afternoon Of March - Cl9G5 aud found General
Grant saH occupying neat set OF log mus On g
Llu overlooking the James River. The Generals Iahl
ilS was With hin. We had quite long and friendly
talk when he remarked that me President MI Lincoln, w.
was near by In Il steamer lying at the dock and nc
proposed that should call at once we uiu %, % ad
round NJ. Lincoln on board tle ocean ueem, W. , @
pr.,,ioG that Was most grateful We then sat
im lie
injuries about the events which attended the lnarch
rom savannah 10 Cioldsboro and seemed TO enjoy the
numerous stories about our bumneIs, of WHICH JIG
Wien in lively conversation his face frightened won
dcrfy but IL the conversation hagged his face as
sum,d sad and sorrVwf ful expression. -,
General Grant and explained to him that my my
army increased to $4,000 men by Schoneld' An, ana
General Grants army then investing Lee in Richmond,
and that unless Lee could effect his escape ana many
soon Ge shut up In Richmond. with no possibility Of
supply, and would have 10 surrender. Mr.. Lhcsih
was extremely Interested IN this view OF tile case anu
when We cxpaincl that Lees only chance was TO es-
cape Join Johnston, and. bclng then between % me IN
which to light. Mr.. Lincoln seemed unusually I'm.
pressed with this, but General Grant explained tdat ~
The very moment Of our conversation General @ sncs t
passing his cavalry across james fiyer KY RON 'o
north the south that he would with tis cava9 ;E s 10
extend his left below Petersburg aS 10 each ue o h
shore Road. and that, If Lee should et 20 ns
fortified lines he Grant %ond % iCo~ na In IN 80 SorfH
taroua l. in like manner, xpreSsed the fullest con-
ndencc that my army In North CaIOhIa was Wins ~
cope with Lee and Johnston combined uli niahI io au
come up but We both agreed that one more oioous
battle likely 10 occur before the close oi Ic s5n S
Mr.. Lincoln repeatedly inquired a. 10 uemeiai hot
nci, ability in my absence, aud seeped ANXIOUS tnas
should return to North Carolina ana moFe .naat @ mi,
exclaimed Must more blo0I De sntu n ,tnnd ,hat
last bloody battle be avoided J. we eApi a ria
had TO presume that General Lee was d lcai ~ eTr %
cral that he must see That Johnston aoe va ~ ~ zoo
rJcr TO my progress; ard that If my army Oh oVuoo
veterans should reach me- he IN M rnn not
await that inevitable conclusion but make ohe h'oio
thinls We we're with Mr. Lincoln an hour or more.
and then returned to General Sr''1 fGT NJ airS nm
cntfr, or tca During this meal Mrs. Grant inquired
if we had seen Mr,. Lincoln | answered no; did
not know She was On 'oa~ oc SUd wSnt rp on MA IN
explain that we had been guilty ot q P,e'c %. t'i
padonable rudcneNN. ut me "enrral said Sever Nar
mind. We Will repeat tue V''' '''"o'ro"' "''u W"
Tn. ncAt morning god many officers caed & 10 ie see
my among them Generals Meade ana ora also
AdmIal Porter The latter inquired as 10 tiie NUS nus
sa in which had come up RON M1rhSaa & S or oS d anu
eA planned that she slow tub ana he wo"i ,d sem
me back in the steamer Bat captain barhe,i % n.eu
state, Navy because Sic was very feet ana c2nld ha @
seventeen kno- AN honr' ec. vi . oIu1sv n N'' "0'
object. and hNcd that afternoon - start BACK. ,,,
Meantime had to repeat oar call on Mr. Lincoln ON
on board the Ocean Queen, thcn anchored 0ul ~ ,o
stream AZ some distance from the wharf Mllfii Porter
went along. and took tug al the wari wic H. to s
yCyed Il, OH 10 the ocean Queen. Mr Lincoln hei Us
ali i'm the same hearty manner as on The previous
occasion, and this time did not forget MIS-. Lincoln
pIalncd that she was we'll but he stepped 10 the
St1irroom and returned b us. asking IL to excuse
her We all tool, seats In the after cabin. ana me
conversation became general explained 10 Mt
Lincoln that Admiral Porter had given me the Bat,
a very fast vessel to carry me Dach
to Ncwbern, and that was ready 10
Start back then II seemed to relieve him. as ne
was afraid that something might go wrong at GouS.
boro in rly absence. had no such fears, ana the
perfect confidence iu General schofed ana doubt
not | said Is much. - . u ,,.
/ ought not and must not attempt to recall tne
oras ~ that consultation OF course Of us then
pre~aw the tragic end Of the principal figure of that
group so near at hand and none of us saw te eAac.
felt and believe the Others did, that the end OF tho
near , Ar. .,o.,..
closing surely around him. would not remain passive,
hut would make more desperate enor ana ueneraI
Grant was nroyiding for il by getting General Sherdans
cavalry we'll to his left flank a. to wncl th % nr,s
SIMMONS and to bring the rebel army To bay tli inc
a. s'n,u," ,,,,,iJ come nm Meantime | asked two
lhih"ts ,'''" WOull