Year: 1868

tive to his interview with the President
on the 22nd Of February:


The President asked me if | recoIlec-
ted the conversation l had with him,
when first took command Of the De-
partment, in reference to the strength
of the garrison at Washington and the
disposition Of troops in this Depart
ment. To which replied I did not
recollect it distinctly. He asked me if
there had been any changes. / re-
piled that there had been no material
changes, but such as had been I could
state at once. l then went on TO state
that six companies Of the Twenty ninth
Infantry had been brought here TO win
ter but that had been Offset by detach-
ing four companies Of the Twelfth In
iantry to Charleston, on the requisition
of General Candy; that two companies
Of the Fourteenth Artillery, which had
been detached during General Canby's
command of the Department, one to the
Northern frontier. TO assist in putting
down Fenian difficulties. had been re-
turned to their regiment, stationed at
Fort McHenry, Baltimore, that, though
the command had been increased in
number Of companies, was under the
impression that the reduction in the nu-
merical strength of the command. grow
ing out Of the number which reduced
the infantry and artillery companies
from the ma ximum of the war establish
mcnt to the minimum OF peace estab-
lishment, was more than offset by the
gsin Of additional companies.


The President said: II refer to more
recen. changes


said l did not know exactly what he
referred TO ly recent changes; that they
had not been made to my knowledge;
that il he would give me some idea of
who had made the report to him, or what
the report was which he had received,
4 could, perhaps. give him more def
mite answer. He said reports had
reached him that within the last day or
two certain new arrangements Of troops





none kad been made With my certain
knowledge, aad did not believe any
had been made without it; that under
the recent orders, founded upon the
laws Of Congress for the government Of
the armies of the United States, APP
proved by him, no order could come to
me except through General Grant, and
that, reasoning fcom analogy, it vas as
sumed ia the army that no order could
be given to any one under my command
without coming through me; that if by
any possibility an order had been given
without coming through me, it was the
duty Of tie officer receiving it to notify
me.


He then asked me, ''What order do
you refer tor


/ stated referred to order No. L. or
II, but could not recollect which, that
had been published to the army some
time in May last. He said, II wish to
see the order" replied that I would
send for it.


He said. '1Nc; have all the orders
about the house," and q messenger was
sent for it. At that time Colonel Coop
er came in and occupied the President
attention for some time on another sub
ject, as supposed, for Withdrew to
the other end OF the room. While there,
the messenger came and brought the or
der. After Col. Cooper had gone out,
l returned to the President with this
order in my hand and said: sMr Presi-
deslt, / will take it as a great favor if
YOU Will permit me to call your atten-
tion to this order or act. It passed in
an appropriation bill and it is possible
that you may never have seen it. He
took the order and read it, and observed:
sThis is not in accordance with the Cen
stitution Of the United States, wbick
makes me Commander in Chief Of the
army and navy, o. with the language Of
the commission which you hold
~ stated to him that it WAS net u mat
ter for officers to determine. 1t was an
order sent TO us, approved by him, aad
we were all governed by thst order.


Ouestion-'.Do you mean that tke or
der or the acts was approved by the
President"


Answer-''I mean the act; but as far
as that was concerned, the order and
act approved by him are the same thing,
for the order contained nothing but the
act" He said, cam 1 to understand
that the Presi lent Of the United States
can not give an order but through the
General in Chief or General Grant,"


replied-"Mr. President, that is the
order which you approved, and which