The National tribune., 1894-01-11

Army of the James, with TWO Engineer oih
GERS. educated at West Point, like Smith ans
Gilmore. as commanders of corps, unde
q civilian General" although outrankins
them. il has always seemed 10 the writer thai
Gen. Grant showed a lamentable Ignorance
of the jealousy existing between Wes
Pointers and civilian officers.
On the ID of April, 1864, at Fort Monroe
Gen. Grant wrote and signed confidential
letter of instruction TO Maj.-Gen. Benjamin
F. Butler. commanding Department Of Vir
ciuia and North Carolina, Fort Monroe, Va
(Cbap.or 45. page 795. Army Records.l The
paragraphs of this let er here quoted con-
tain all that can be considered as pertinent
to the Army of the James:
You will collect ali the forces from your com
nnand which can be spared from garrison duty
should say not less than $4,000 effective men-'o
operate on the south side of the James River, Rich
uond being your objective point. To the force
Won already have will be added about 10000 men
from South Carolina, under Maj.-Gen Gilmore
who will command them in person. MAJ -Gen' W.
F. Smith is ordered TO report to you TO command
the troops sent into the field from your own De-
partmcnt.
Gen. Gilmore will be ordered to report to you at
Fort Monroe with all his troops in transports, by
the 18th instant, soon thereafter as prae'i-
cable should you not receive notice by that time
90 move, you will make such disposition OF them
and your other forces yoa may deem best cal
cuiaied to deceive the enemy as TO the real move
TO be made When you notified to move take
City Point with as much force as possible Fortify'
or rather intrench, at once, and concentrate All
your troops for the field there rapidly as you
can. From City Point directions cannot be given
at this time for your further movements
The fact that has already been stated, that is,
chat Richmond is 10 be your objective point, and
that there is TO be cooperation between your force
and the Army of the Potomac. must be your guide
This indicafes the necessity of your holding close
10 the south hank Of the James River as you ad-
vance Then should the enemy be forced into his
intrenchments in Richmond, the Army of the Po-
tomac would follow, and by means OF transports
the two nrmies would become unit.
Ali the minor details of your advance are left en-
trey 20 your direction. If, however, you think it
practicable 10 yoEr cavalry south OF you SO as
20 cut the railroad about Hiesford about the time
Of the general advance il would be of immense ad-
q. 6. GRANT. Lieutenant General
Dated at Culpeper Courthouse April 8,
1864, Gen. Grant writes to Gen. Meade
[Chap. 45, page s2s), among other things,
this: with Smith and Gilmore, Butler
will seize City Point, and operate against
Richmond from the south side of the river"
And on the 10th of April, 1864, from the
same place, he writes to Gen. Butler these
sentences tChap. 45, page 1857:
What ask is that, with them,
snd all you can concentrate from your own
command, you seize upon City Point and
act from there, looking upon Richmond as
your objective point. / do not
pretend to say how your work Is to be done,
but simply lay down what, and trust to you
and those under you for doing il well.
If it should prove possible for you
10 reach Richmond, so as to invest all on the
south side of the river and fortify yourself
there, shall have but little fear of the re-
salt"
And again, for the fourth time, Gen. Grant
writes confidential letter TO Gen HaIleek,
dated at Culpeper Courthouse, Va, April %,
1864, in which be says (Chap. IS, page
1017):
"Gen. Butler viii operate on the south
aide of james River, Richmond being his
objective point. 1 win move against Lees
army, attempting to turn him by one flank
OF the other. Should Lee fall back within
his Notifications at Richmond, either before
or after giving battle, will form q junction
with Butler, and the two forces Will draw
supplies from the James RiyeE.S
1t was to be expected that Gen. Smith
would make the best showing for himself
In his quotations from The Records, but not
that, ike paid attorney rather than a
frank, patriotic soldier, he should wilfully
suppress a most vital part Of the quotations
to be made from Gen. Grants letters and
attempt 10 mislead, by stating and reiterat-
ing. as be does on pages ia and It's, that
Gen. Butler was to seize City Point," and
that in violation Of these orders Gen. Butler
on the 5th of May landed only portion of
the division Of colOred troops at City Point,
and the remainder of the forees of the Tenth
and Eighteenth Corps, under Gen. Gilmore
and myself, at Bermuda Hnndred."
In each Of the four quo ations we have
made above, Gen. Grant distinctly states
that Richmond is TO be gour objective point" I"
(itslics are oun,l anu this statement Gen.
Smith entirely ignores, a mean and unfair
attempt 10 suppress the one vital point of
all these Instructions. II Is manifest to any
student Of geography that with Richmond AS
the obj jfctiye we pO.nt il were far better TO
land on The north side of the Appomattox
than on the south.
Further, Gen. Grant was a busy man, az
Gen. Smith states on the same page, and as
the name City Point had b, en- Tor years the
most familiar, as there were regular packets
from there TO New York and Boston. he in
Sluded Ia hat one name the mouth of the
App0matiox as a saving of time.
II Gen. Smith had been desir0us to treat his
brother officers in fair and impartial spirit.
why did he not give the text Of a letter
written April %, 1864, by him TO Gen. O. f..
Babccck, OF Gen. Grants staff and TO " which
the following is reply. (See Vol 80, Chap.
%, page 1913 Records)
HEADQUARTERS ARNIFs OF THE USITED STATES
CULsEPER COURTHOUSE. Va.
April -. 1864
Ma. Gen. WILLIAM r. SMITH
DEAR GENEkaL: Your letter Of tile 26lh York.
town, reached lnst Highi. showed u Co Com
stock, " lao entered into tie spirit Of IT, and during
the evening had n ak Wi IA the General ut,,f tire
subject, though not mentioning your letter The
General Is very fixed in leiting Butler have his
own way with all nIlsut lie Was % firm la the
matter that Comsiock AID both think he would
decline NJ once II nzke1 street send ruch Il n
officer The General thinks Gen Butler ha- a "a m
cirUt number Of able Generals 10 render him al
necessary aId To execute the details aud f,. ba.
indicated his starting point and objective point
would send your letter To Wilson, bat ana sure
Comstock has more iufiuence than he fWil.oul