The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-11-25


mander BY command of Gen. Grant.
L. ID. TOWNSEND, Asst Adjutant-General
This order, if carried into effect, would
have grouped in Washington
/. The President, constitutional Com.
mander-in-C Chief.
=. The Secretary of War, congress
ional Commander-in-Chief.
3. The General of the Armies Of the
United States.
4. The Lieutenant General of the
Army.
3. The Commanding General of the
Department of Washington.
6. The commander of the post OF
Washington.
At that date the garrison of Washing
ton was brigade of infantry and bat
tery of artillery. | never doubted Mr..
Johnson's sincerity in wishing TO befriend
me, but this was the broadest kind of a
farce, or meant mischief | therefore
appealed to him by letter to allow me to
remain where / was, and where | could
DO service, real seTrice, and received his
most satisfactory answer.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF
THE MISSOURI, ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Feb
Il, 1865.
Gen. u. s. GRANT, Washington, d. c.
DEAR GENERAL: Last evening, just be-
fore leaving my office | received your note of
the 10th, and had intended answering it ac
cOrding to your request: but, after got home,
I &C
that the order ] dreaded so much was issued.
I never felt so troubled i'll my life.
Were it an order to go to Sitka. to the
devil, to battle with rebels or Indians, |
think You would not hear a whimper from
me, but 1t comes in such questionable form
that, like Hamlet's ghost, it curdles my blood
and mars my judgment.
My first thoughts were of resignation, and
] had almost made mp my mind 10 ask Dodge
for some place on the Pacific road, or on one
of the Iowa roads. and then again various
colleges ran through my memory, but hard
times and an expensive family have brought
me back to staring the proposition square in
the face, and have Just written a letter to
the President, which / herewith transmit
through you, on which will hang a hope of
respite till you telegraph me its effect.
The uncertainties ahead are too great to
warrant my incurring the expense of breaking
up my house and family here, and therefore
in no event will do this till | can be assured
OF some permanence elsewhere.
II it were at all certain that you would ac-
cept the nomination of President in May |
would try and kill the intervening time, and
then Judge of the chances, but | do not want
you to reveal your plans to me till you choose
TO do so.
l have telegraphed to John Sherman to
oppose the nomination which the papers an
nounce has been made of NE for Breyet Gen
efal
| have this minute received your cipher
dispatch of to-day, which | have just an
swered and sent down to the telegraph Office,
and the clerk is just engaged in copying my
letter to the President 10 90 with this. If the
President or his friends pretend that seek to
go TO Washington, it will be fully rebutted
by letters j have written TO the President, to
You, TO John Sherman, to Mr. Ewing and to
Mr. Stanbery.
You remember that in our last talk YOU
suggested / ould write again to the Presi-
dent. / thought of it. and concluded my
letter OF jan 81, already delivered, was full
and emphatic Still, ] did write again to
Mr. Stanbery asking him as a friend TO inter-
pose in my behalf
There are plenty Of people who know nv
wishes and / would avoid. if possible, the
publication of letter so confidential as that
of Jan. 81. in which / notice / allude to the
Presidents purpose of removing Mr. Stanton
by force, a fact that ought not to be drawn
out through me if it be possible to avoid it.
in the letter herewith ! confine myself to
purely private matters, and will not object if
1T reaches the public in any proper way. Ny
opinion Is, the President thinks Mrs. Sher-
man would like TO come to Washington by
reason OF her father and brothers being there.
This Is true, for Mrs. Sherman has an idea
that st. Louis is unhealthy for our children.
and because most of the Catholics here are
tainted with the old Secesh feeling. But
know better what Is to our common interest.
and prefer to Judge Of the proprieties myself
Nhat do object 10 is the false position
would occupy as between YOU and the Presi-
dent. Were there an actual army at or near
Washington, / could be withdrawn from the
most unpleasant attitude of /" "g0-between, f"
but there is no army there, nor any military
duties which You with host of subordinates
cannot perform Therefore ] would be there
with naked, informal and sinecure duties.
and utterly out OF place. This you under
stand well enough. and the Army too. bat
the President and the politicians, who flatter
NN''--~t'H~' Ivy eAt nethlIis5 can
not and viii not understand
My opinion is the country is doctored to
death, and if President and Congress would
20 to sleep like Rip Van Winkle. the country
would go ON under natural influences. and
recover far faster than under their Joint and
several treatment This doctrine would be
accounted by Congress, and BY the President
too, as high treason, and therefore / don't care
aboui saying so to either OF them. but know
you can hear anything and give it Just what
thought or action il merits
Excuse this long letter, and telegraph me
the result of my letter to the President as
early as you can. If he holds my letter so
long as 10 make it improper for me to await
his answer, also telegraph me-
The order, when received, will, / suppose
direct me as TO whom and how / am to turn
over this command, which should. in nv
Judgment, not be broken up, as the three de-
partments composing the division should be
under one head.
expect my staff officers to be making for
me within the hour TO learn their fate. so ad-
wise me all you can as quick as possible.
WIN great respect, yours truly,
w. L. SHERMAN, Lieutenant General.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION or
TIE Missouri, ST. Louis, Mo, Feb.
IA 1865