The National tribune., 1898-04-21
Here is copy of another note sent by

him:
Feb. II, 1862.
Flag Officer Foote: Please direct tho
troops to debark and march around under
escort OF the bearer. / will communicate
with you Immediately upon learning of
your arrival. The troops referred to are
| those supposed to have been convoyed by
| the gunboats. They should come unac-
companied by baggage, leaving six men To
| each company to- get of their teams.
rations and forage, and to follow with that;
all other baggage To be left on the steamers
until otherwise ordered. IL will be suffi-
cIent direction to send this note to Col.
Ihayer, commanding the entire force or
should he not be along, the commanding
oillcer OF troops on board transports.
Respectfully your obt s'v't
U. ,. Grant, Brigadier- General
Grant had no means of judging with any
degree of accuracy how far down the river
the fleets were, and wrote the notes under
the impression that they would arrive
below the fort about or 4 o'clock in the
afternoon. He had already commenced
the battle and was anxious for the rein
fOrcementS To arrive.
He sent verbal message by the bearer
OF the note, desiring me to see Flag Officer
Foote and request him To have his gun
boats crowd on all the steam it was pos
sbie for the vessels to bear and reach
DonelSon at the earliest moment But it
was impossible with the utmost exertion To
arrive till far into the night. Ii was I
o CLOCK Friday morning when the gunboats
anchored in the stream and the trans
ports drew up to the right bank of the river
and made fast.
began at once to disembark the troops.
and all were on shore by daylight, when
Grant met me, feeling much relieved by our
arrival. He Immediately commenced bri-
gading the reinforcements, and assigned
me to the command Of the Second Brigade.
oil xf
lace's Division.
have embodied in this article the order
gwen tai me on my arrival at Fort Henry
by Cen Grant, Ia return forthwith to
Paducah and turn all steamers back ETC.
as above narrated, ard the note, a copy of
which is given above, also a copy of the
note sent by Grant to Flag Officer Foote.
with request that he send it to me- in
order to show that / was in command Of
the achievements
l think the order of Grant and his note
given above, also his note to Flag Officer
FoOte, settle the question as to who
brought up the Teinforcements for which
ne was so anxiOusly waiting. The Origi-
mails OF the order and the two notes have
been examined by the Editor of The Ma
tional Tribune
will now correct another mis-statement
of this writer in Harper's History immedi-
ately following the other mis-statement.
He says: "The landing was about three
miles below the Fort, the distance to be
traversed by these troops before they could
reach McClernand's left was very great,
and the march would only be accomplished
by a circuitOus route, which, avoiding the
back water west of the Fort, ran around
by Smiths rear along the ridges held by
the Federal army. In this way il hap
pened that Lew Wallace's men were all
day Friday getting into position. This de-
lay led to new disappointment and their
necessarily tardy movements prevented
any operations by Grants army on Friday
except the usual skirmishing and can
nonade"
To that statement enter a most en-
phatlc and unqualified denial. As soon
as Grant had concluded the brigading Of
the achievements Friday morning,
marched my brigade onto the field, taking
position in our line opposite the center of
the enemy's works, as directed by the
General. He also took the balance of the
troops to their positions and assigned their
commanders. | know my command was
in position before IL o'clock, and / think
before 10 o'clock
When Grant pointed to the place my
brigade was to occupy, adjacent to the
other brigadeS he said This ia to be Cen
Lew Wallace's Division, but he has not yet
arrived from Fort Henry and until no
comes you Will be in command of the di-
VISION Very soon after this CONVERSE
ton, Wallace appeared on the field and
ASSUMED command OF the DIVISION.
have thus given these details regarding
this matter in order to show the faIsity of
the statements quoted above, made by the
same writer. Instead of being all day
Friday getting into position as stated
men, though he had not yes
taken command Of them, were in the posi-
tons assigned to them by the middle of
the forenoon, for saw them there at that
time.
Again, let us see whether the alleged
.ardy movements of Wallace's men did
prevent any operations of Grants army on
Friday. The fact was, Grant did not in
END to attack with the land forces on that
lay, whether he would bring them into
action or not, depending on the attack of
he gunbOats and their results. In his
Memoirs ne says: THE plan was for the
TOOps to hold the enemy within his lines
While the gunbOatS should attack the
water batteries at close quarters, and 81
ence his guns if possible. Almost in the
irst onset the leading boat was disabled
md dropped down the river followed by
me also disabled and then by another,
md finally the whole feet followed and the
Engagement closed for the day
1t Is thus seen that Grant gave no such
easOn for there being no operations by the
rOOps on that day as given by this writer
n HarperS. 1t is seen also that no day
vas lost by the tardy movements of Wal
aces men, according to Gen. Grant, and il
8 quite probable he knew the facts better
han the writer of Harper's HistOry.-JOhn
4. Thayer, Lincoln, Neb.