The National tribune., 1909-04-01

~ = SA't
over to his own left TO confront Hooker
and Schofield, and that the Confedefa.e
| rlgnt was consequently oniy weakly
held, and could RIOT resist an attack py
McPherson's $4,000 veterans OF .ne
Army of the Tennessee Thomas per
sisted In this vieM. and indeed, believed
] to the end of his hfe that it would nave
led to sigpal victory. but for some Tea-
son sherman could not be persuaded 10
adopt it.
Sherhnan's Frame of Mind.
Gen. J. D,pCox gives this flash of light
upon sherr5nan'sa perplexities at TINS
Hoods attack had checked the flank
Ing movement from which sherman had
hoped good results. Johnston had also
been able to stretch out his right SO that
the works In front of Mcpherson seem
ed to be held i'm force enough to make
an assault unpromising. on the reports
| of subordinates as to their uneasiness at
the stretching of their lines Thomas
suggested to Sherman that the lines be
contracted and strengthened. At the
same time reports were received that
| Confederate cavalry had crossed the
Etowah in our rear, and had begun to
make use of torpedoes to derail and
| destroy trains on the railway. Yet Gar
| rards Cavalry on our left reported the
| enemy's horse superior in numbers, and
were unable to make such progress as
Sherman had expected. 1t began to look
| like deadlock, and that, of all things.
was what Sherman could not endure.
With grim humor he wrote to Thomas.
| 1 suppose the enemy, with his smaller
force, intends to surround US The only
| alternative seemed to be to find the
places where that smaller force was
\ most attenuated and break thru by
| main strength. He notified his subor-
dinates that this must be done on the
27th. AS a preliminary he ordered
| demonstrations to be kept up on both
HANKS to draw the enemy away from
the center. His formal order, issued on
the 24th. directed Gen. Thomas to se-
Iect point of attack near his center.
| McPherson was directed to make feint
with his cavalry and one division of in
| fantry on the left. but to make his real
| attack at point south and west of
| kenesaw. Schofeld was likewise to
make a demonstration on the extreme
right, in front of my division, but to at
| tack a point as near as practicable to
! the Powder Springs road, which was the
scene of the affair of the 22d. The tac-
tical details were all left to the subor-
dlnate army commanders"
Hovey and Osteri,aus.
Hooker was not the only General with
whom Sherman was having trouble.
Gen- "A. L. Hovey was a soldier of un-
questioned ability and courage, but of
strong ambition. He had done admir-
ably in the Vicksburg campaign. and
received high commendation from Grant
and Sherman; but not getting a promo
ton to Major-General, as he had fond
iy expected. he had gone home and
helped raise fresh division of Indiana
tNa
mand. He had entered the campaign
with division of two brigades of seven
regiments, all but one from Indiana
He claimed that he should have five ad-
oitional regiments. in order to make his
division equal in strength and impor-
tance to those of lHascall and Cox. Five
regiments OF Indiana cavalry had been
raised, which Hovey claimed belonged
to him, but it was manifestly unwise to
unite the cavalry with the infantry, and
there were no other infantry regiments
that could be spared 10 increase his
command. All .,-of the other officers
wanted all the infantry they could get,
and We're decidedly unwilling to part
with any. Hovey continued to be dis
satisfied. in spite of the efforts of Sher-
man and Schofield to smooth the mat
ter over, and finally rendered his resig-
nation. WHICH Sherman, recommended
being received. Hoyey went back home.
About the. same time political ext
gencies in Missouri required that Oster-
haus be sent back to allay dissatisfac-
ton among the Germans. Shortly after
Sherman was Intensely indignant in
having announced to him that Hovey
had been brevetted Ma1or-General and
Osterhaus made full Major-General
sherman did not mince matters in q hot
letter which he sent to the War Depart
ment. He said:
Il wish to put on record this my en-
phatic opinion that this is an act of in
justice to officers who stand by their
posts in the day of danger to neglect
them and advance such as Hovey and
Osterhaus. who left us in the midst Of
bullets to go To the rear In search Of
personal advancement. II the rear be
the post of honor, then we had better
change front on Washington"
This insubordinate letter was brought
to President Lincoln's attention, who
answered with his usual tact:
Washington, July 26. 1864; 2:.3O .. m.
Ma. .-Gen. Sherman, near Atlanta:
1 have just seen yours complaining
of the appointment of Hovey and Oster-
haus. The point you make is unques-
tlonaDly good one, and yet please hear
word from us. My recollection is that
both Gen. Grant and yourself recon-
mended both Hovey and Osterhaus for
promotion, and these, with other strong
from us which we could neither honor
ably or safely disregard. We blamed
Hovey for coming away in the manner
in which he did, but we knew he had
apparent reason to feel disappointed
and mortified, and we felt IL was NOT
best to crush one who certainly had
been a good soldier AS to OsterhalIs.
we did not know of his leaving at the
time we made the appointment, and do
not now know the terms on which he |
left. Not to have appointed him. as the
case appeared to us at the time, would
have been almost If not quite a viola
ton of our word. The word was given
on what we thought was high merit and
somewhat on his nationality. beg Won
to believe we do not act in a spirjt of |
disregarding merit. We expect to await
your program for further changes and |
promotions In your army. My pro-
foundest thanks to you and your whole |
army for the present campaign so far.
"A. Lincoln"
Hovey did not return to the field. but
did good service in command of In !
diana. Osterhaus came back. did ex- |
cellent work as commander of his old |
division in the Fifteenth Corps. and |
commanded the corps itself for awhile. |
Gen. sherman's Reply
Gen. Sherman's temper disanneared
before Lincoln's soft answer. and he at |
once teiegraphed:
Near Atlanta. Ga, July 81, 1864,
Received 1905 a. M. 29th.
His EXcellency. prac;annt r;...r..