Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-23

broken by labor and care as to render him
for the present entirely unfit for duty. Per-
haps a few weeks rest may restore him.
1 am satisfied that In his present condition
it would be dangerous to give him q COM
mand here.
Every respectfully, your obedient servant,
oh. W. HALLECK, Major-General."
1t was not until this letter arrived that
anybody in Administration circles suspected
there was anything wrong about Sherman
or his mind. Colonel Mcclure, writing
from mere recollection, has simply become
mixed In his dates.
Sherman was never publicly stigmatized
as crazy. even by his b~itterest critics. until
after the Halleck letter was penned and
its contents known. This is proved BY
irrefragable testimony.
Murat AXE n Hand.
On December II, nine days after Halleck
wrote to Mcclellan, the Cincinnati CONNER
cial edited by Murat Halstead made this
statement:
THE painful intelligence reaches us, in
such form that we are not at liberty to
discerdit it, that General w. T. Sherman.
late commander OF the Department of the
Cumberland, is insane. When re-
lieved Of the command in Kentucky
he was sent to Missouri and placed at the
head Of a brigade at Sedalia. where the
shocking fact that he was a mailman was
developed by orders that his subordinates
knew to be preposterous and refused to
obey. He has, OF course, been relieved
altogether from command"
Enough Of this article, an editorial, Is
quoted to show that Mr.. Halstead got his
information from st. Louis or Sedalia, or
from Washington. to which point Halleck
had conhdentially sent the information. II
is also evident from the surprised tone Of
Halstead's remarks that 1t was news "a
him, Notwithstanding that he knew every
thing pertaining to Sherman's Kentucky
command, Cameron's visit, and 'Sherman'f
statements that 1t would require $50, 00C
men to clear out the Mississippi valley
upon which the "Crazy Sherman" story Il
popularity supposed to have been founded
Between the date of Cameron's visit Il
Kentucky and the foregoing publication OF
December IL. 1861. there is not one wore
In any newspaper in the country referring
to sherman's alleged insanity. I have ex.
amined the files OF many newspapers Il
determine the fact.
No newspaper refers seriously or In jokI
to sherman's assertion to Cameron that 1
would require $780, OO men for the worI
named as indicating that he was crazy
That gossip all sprang up after the Hal
lleck letter was written. two months ate
Cameron and Sherman met at Louisville.
When Sherman. then at Lancaster. o.
saw the Commercial editorial. he i'm
mediately wrote to Halleck and asked hin
II his acts at sedalia were taken as evi
dence OF a want OF mind Halleck. as usual
erawhshed. replied In generalizing an
vague terms.
A few weeks afterward sherman returne
/ TO st. Louis considerably improved 4
health. but stil not entirely we'll. and Hal
, leck temporarily assigned him to the or
; ganiEation OF new troops ~ they arrived
; Halleck wrote McCIellan:
II think In . very short time he will b
. fully prepared TO resume his duties In IN
held."
' A few weeks later Sherman Joined II
Army OF the Tennessee and was aasigne
: 70 the command Of q division.
IL ghAt tha HN1np a0aksA Upon M Hilse