Year: 1864

Ious expedition of Gen Banks in which spent
than forty fifty million dollars in sending nine months
down to New Orleans, which resulted simply In Inc
capture of Port Hudson that would have fallen the day
after Vickburg fell if there had been no force In front
| ofitf


| Mr. President let us be sure that condemning
the right when attempt to remove by Legislation
General and substitute another IN his place Under.
| stand me. am advocate of Gen Halleck DO not
stand here his special defender He has gwen me no
particular to admire him but have an instructive


love of fair play and want to justice done to General
Haeck as want to sec justice done TO the humolest n
diydual in the country think that until we have more


thorough information this subject 1T 10 not air 1t s not
magnanimous, t. enemy to condemn him as u Is
| proposed to condemn him here.


But if had not any other objection to the passage OF


this BILL it would be enough for that it Is going to
establish precedent which, before this session OF Con-
gress adjourned will be followed by Congress, aud we


shall have batch of lieutenant generals added on to this
one if create the Office Sir do not imagine that the
gentlemen who Major Generals not toleraby
ambitious and that they not looking forward with
ntsnness and to action here not partcu


ay because they desire General Grant promoted but
because they believe this promotion will be precedent
by which they themselves SECURE the same sort 0t
advancement that they desire for General Grant
am not prepared to do this. believe we are getting
along we'll enough we now are and know that the
friends Of Gen Grant his army do not believe 1t s
interests of General Grant the interests of the
country that this rank should be conferred upon him
Mr.. SHERMAN opposed the pending amendment on
the ground that it would simply confer upon Gen Grant
the rank and title of lieutenant general but leave him
under the command of the President, thus only placing
him in supreme command within the department or dis
trict which he is for the time being He had been in
formed by high military authority that the bill is 80
framed throw any mpedment in the of the
proper command of the army through officer who may
be designated by the President of the United States
chief of his staff The present position of Gen Halleck


Che sad s properly speaking not that of commanderin
of the army He is rather the chief of staff OF the
President of the United States, who by the Constitution
is made the commander chief He is the adutant gen.
era particular OF the President OF the United
States The orders Of the President ssued through
Gen. Halleck They could be issued through major in
the army to the highest officer in the The passage
of this bill will not therefore, impede the military opera
tions Government 1t will not place Gen. Grant
command of Gen Banks 1t will not place him in COM
mand the Army of the Potomac unless the President
requires Nor will it prevent orders being issued
through Gen Haeck to Gen. Grant 1t amounts only to
high compliment and honor of outrankng oil major gen.
erals within the limit Of the command assigned to Gen.
Grant


Mr. SHERMAN proceeded to say that the creation OF
the Office of lieutenant general not designed to reflect
upon any other commander or to strike at Gen. Haleck
There proper comparison between the services OF
Gen Scott and Gen Grant There were but two major
generals in the army in the Mexican war; and the whole
army in Mexico under command of Gen Scott, was not
equal any time to the army of Gen Grant No man
the continent had such victories or achieved 30
much and for these cannot give him less honor than
The promotion degree If any other General should
win equal victories he would willingly give them the same
honor There are seventy Major Generals in the
army and may of them be entitled to higher rank
than the others2 Gen. Grant is that He not
prepared to condemn Gen Halleck Gen Meade any
one else regard to the fact that the army Of the Poto
mac where it was two years ago. He knew only
that the fact So and that ID not from lack OF
courage in the brave men who compose that army,


Mr.. JOHNSON favored the amendment and said he
should vote against the bill if it not adopted He
ghly euogZed Gen. Halleck being abundantly COM
peen dscha the duties of the post which he holds


If there have been disasters said Mr. rather think,
when history to record the events that occur
ring and have occurred around the of such dis
asters will be found reerable to Others and not to the
L al l-In-( OIL


lowed he has not at times been consulted at ALL and when
consulted his opinion has not been followed; and am
very much inclined to think that the dissat acon of the
counry-s dissatisfaction which as seems to me- is
well iounded-a the want Of OF the Army OF the
Potomac mean the want OF complete SUGGESTS not
to be attributed to Gen Haeck hat to others or to some
others There 10 the country and speak from
personal observaton-for from the time he assumed the
command up to about six or seven weeks ago, was 10
the daily habit Of visiting his offce-there in
the country who has given his time undoubtedly and
| intellgently TO the public service than he has.


AS to the army OF the Potomac the public dissatis


fed They have been dissa fed with every who has
been at It's haad-with Mcclellan, with Burnside with
Hooker and with Meade But the fate OF that army
proves their undyng loyalty and tproves also their mn
fnching paantry. From the time they organized
up the present time they have lost in killed and in
wounded nearly hundred thousand men, and whenever
they have met the enemy upon equal terms victory mas
perched upon their standard. They have failed to drive
Lees army from Virginia failure n my view unaccount
able unjustfabe excusabe 1t has for some time out
numbered Lees army


When Gen Mcclellan conducted so successfully the
campaign which terminated in the battles Of South Noun
tain and Antetam and it supposed, and justly
posed think that the army Of Lee should have been
destroyed il proposed by the General IN command
hero to leave twenty thousand upon the other side OF
the Potomac sufficient to meet the whole of Lees army
If they attempted 10 make assault upon the city, aud
to march with sixty thousand men on tie other side OF
the to cut Lee IF. The advice was not fo
lowed there apprehension a feverish appreheG.
sion that the city SAFE and ip order 2 place the
safety Of the city beyond all possible aurston the move


ent rejected which must have resulted or to speak
more guardedy, in all probability would have resulted In
the capture of the entire of Lees army This got from


Major General in the army-the man who proposed the
movement.


So again. n the campaign at Gettysburg, there is not
military critic in the country whose voice has bcel raised
whose has been Gssd that has not spoken Of that
campaign and the battles fought under the leadership OF
Meade the finest battles record not opy regards
the uninehng herosm Of the and therOfcers, but
the skill of their leaders He but just placed at the
head o that army be felt the responsibility OF his situa
tOn he had lost twenty thirty thousand and yet
he willing to pursue the enemy, when unfortunately
taking the advice of his corps commanders that PROPOSE
tion did not meet with their assent believe they were
divided about -and he fasd 10 pursue the enemy. lie
Was unwilling TO assume the responsibility. think he
ought TO have done it thought then and think now,
IL he had done it should longer have before the
Confederate army in Virginia But the responsibility was
very great 1t due To history to that where victory
would terminate at the termination OF the last Of those
days very uncertain feather almost might have
changed the result and il he had been defeated after
wards In making the second attack with bis reduced force
aud his down by fatigue what would have be-
of this District and the Government u u p0t 10
be wondered at that sn ocer Wn, though not young in
uf ha hnCa