The National tribune., 1902-03-20

available force from every direction. To
meet him it is necessary that all the
forces that can be spared in your Depart
ment be sent to ROsecrans's assistance.
An able commander like Sherman or Nc
PhersOn should be selected. AS soon as
your health will permit, think you should
go to Nashville and take the direction of
this movement"
1t must be understood that the Govern
ment had no telegraph line to Fickbsurg.
All messages were sent either 10 Cairo or
Memphis, and thence dispatched by boat.
Gen. Grant did not receive this dispatch
for several days. The day before he had
sent a message by boat to Gen. Halleck,
saying: Il am now ready for the field,
or any duty | may be called on to per-
FORM" Two days later he said to Gen.
Halleck: "All, | believe, is now moving
according to your wishes. | have 10,50O
men to hold the river from here to Bayou
Sara" To prevent delay and confusion
in sending and receiving dispatches. Gen.
Grant sent Lieut.-Col. James II. Wilson.
Of his staff, to Cairo to communicate with
the War Department.
On Oct. 3 Lieut-COl. Wilson received
the following dispatch, which was for
warded TO Gen. Grant: Convey as soon
as possible to Gen. Grant the following:
GEN. GRANT IN COMMAND.
1T is the wish of the Secretary of War
that as soon as Gen. Grant is able to take
the field, he will come to Cairo and report
by telegraph" "
Gen. Grant received this dispatch at
Nicksburg by a steamer. He answered
on his arrival at Columbus as follows:
Your dispatch from Cairo of the Sd di-
recting me to report from Cairo was re-
ceived at 11:30 on the 10th. Left the
s&Ene day with staff and headquarters,
and am here en- route for Cairo"
On his arrival at Cairo. Oct 16, Gen
Grant telegraphed Gen. Halleck: II have
just arrived, and report in pursuance with
your instructions of the Sd instant NY
staff and headquarters are with me-"
Gen. Halleck replied as follows: "You
will Immediately proceed to the Gait
House, Louisville, KY, where you will
meet an officer of the War Department
with your orders and instructions. You
will take with You your staff ETC., for
immediate operations in the field"
Upon receipt of this dispatch on Oct
II Gen. Grant Immediately started by the
Illinois Central Railroad for Louisville
Ky; his line Of travel las through In
dianapolis. On his arrival there he was
joined by Hon. Edwin NJ. Stanton, Secre-
tary of War, who had just arrived on a
special train from Washington. Gov
Brough, of Ohio, was travelling with the
Secretary, and the two went with Gen.
Grant to Louisville.
Gen. Gran. had never before met either
the Secretary of War or the Governor Of
Ohio, but their knowledge Of each other
soon placed them all at their ease.
Very soon Secretary Stanton informed
Gen. Grant Of the object of their meet
ing, namely, that he should be placed in
command of the Military Division of the
MISSISSIPPI, to be created, and include the
departments Of the Ohio, the Cumberland
and the Tennessee, including the territory
from the Alleghenies to the Mississippi
River north of Gen. Banks's Department
GEN. RosECRANS SUPERSEDED
Two orders were banded to Gen. Grant
by the Secretary similar in every respect,
except one of them relieved Gen. Rose
Grams and assigned Gen. Thomas to the
command of the Department and Army
of the Cumberland.
This order Gen. Grant preferred. and
it was promulgated accordingly. The train
reached Louisville after night. and the
party took rooms at the Gait House, as
prearranged. They spent Oct. 10 in dis
cussing military matters in general, the
arrangement being for Gen. Grant to start
to Chattanooga the next day During
the evening Secretary Stanton received a
dispatch from Charles A. Dana, Assist
ant Secretary of War, from Chattanooga,
stating that unless prevented Gen. Rose
Grams would abandon Chattanooga and
retreat with his army. The Assistant Sec
retary urged that peremptory orders be