memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第85章
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reduced to twenty…five； and provision was made for the 〃muster out〃 of many of the surplus officers； and for retaining others to be absorbed by the usual promotions and casualties。 On the 7th of May of that year； by authority of an act of Congress approved June 30； 1834； nine field…officers and fifty…nine captains and subalterns were detached and ordered to report to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs； to serve as Indian superintendents and agents。 Thus by an old law surplus army officers were made to displace the usual civil appointees； undoubtedly a change for the better； but most distasteful to members of Congress； who looked to these appointments as part of their proper patronage。 The consequence was the law of July 15； 1870； which vacated the military commission of any officer who accepted or exercised the functions of a civil officer。 I was then told that certain politicians called on President Grant； informing him that this law was chiefly designed to prevent his using army officers for Indian agents； 〃civil offices；〃 which he believed to be both judicious and wise； army officers； as a rule； being better qualified to deal with Indians than the average political appointees。 The President then quietly replied： 〃Gentlemen； you have defeated my plan of Indian management； but you shall not succeed in your purpose； for I will divide these appointments up among the religious churches； with which you dare not contend。〃 The army officers were consequently relieved of their 〃civil offices；〃 and the Indian agencies were apportioned to the several religious churches in about the proportion of theirsupposed strengthsome to the Quakers； some to the Methodists； to the Catholics； Episcopalians； Presbyterians； etc。； etc。and thus it remains to the present time； these religious communities selecting the agents to be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior。 The Quakers； being first named； gave name to the policy； and it is called the 〃Quaker〃 policy to…day。 Meantime railroads and settlements by hardy； bold pioneers have made the character of Indian agents of small concern； and it matters little who are the beneficiaries。
As was clearly foreseen； General U。 S。 Grant was duly nominated； and on the 7th of November； 1868； was elected President of the United States for the four years beginning with March 4； 1869。
On the 15th and 16th of December； 1868； the four societies of the Armies of the Cumberland； Tennessee； Ohio； and Georgia； held a joint reunion at Chicago； at which were present over two thousand of the surviving officers and soldiers of the war。 The ceremonies consisted of the joint meeting in Crosby's magnificent opera…house； at which General George H。 Thomas presided。 General W。 W。 Belknap was the orator for the Army of the Tennessee； General Charles Cruft for the Army of the Cumberland； General J。 D。 Cox for the Army of the Ohio； and General William Cogswell for the Army of Georgia。 The banquet was held in the vast Chamber of Commerce； at which I presided。 General Grant； President…elect； General J。 M。 Schofield； Secretary of War； General H。 W。 Slocum； and nearly every general officer of note was present except General Sheridan； who at the moment was fighting the Cheyennes in Southern Kansas and the Indian country。
At that time we discussed the army changes which would necessarily occur in the following March； and it was generally understood that I was to succeed General Grant as general…in…chief； but as to my successor； Meade； Thomas； and Sheridan were candidates。 And here I will remark that General Grant； afterward famous as the 〃silent man；〃 used to be very gossipy； and no one was ever more fond than he of telling anecdotes of our West Point and early army life。 At the Chicago reunion he told me that I would have to come to Washington； that he wanted me to effect a change as to the general staff； which he had long contemplated； and which was outlined in his letter to Mr。 Stanton of January 29；1866； given hereafter； which had been repeatedly published； and was well known to the military world； that on being inaugurated President on the 4th of March he would retain General Schofield as his Secretary of War until the change had become habitual； that the modern custom of the Secretary of War giving military orders to the adjutant…general and other staff officers was positively wrong and should be stopped。 Speaking of General Grant's personal characteristics at that period of his life； I recall a conversation in his carriage； when； riding down Pennsylvania Avenue； he； inquired of me in a humorous way； 〃Sherman； what special hobby do you intend to adopt？〃 I inquired what he meant； and he explained that all men had their special weakness or vanity； and that it was wiser to choose one's own than to leave the newspapers to affix one less acceptable； and that for his part he had chosen the〃horse；〃 so that when anyoue tried to pump him he would turn the conversation to his 〃horse。〃 I answered that I would stick to the 〃theatre and balls；〃 for I was always fond of seeing young people happy； and did actually acquire a reputation for 〃dancing；〃 though I had not attempted the waltz； or anything more than the ordinary cotillon； since the war。
On the 24th of February； 1869； I was summoned to Washington； arriving on the 26th； taking along my aides； Lieutenant…Colonels Dayton and Audenried。
On the 4th of March General Grant was duly inaugurated President of the United States； and I was nominated and confirmed as General of the Army。
Major…General P。 H。 Sheridan was at the name time nominated and confirmed as lieutenant…general； with orders to command the Military Division of the Missouri； which he did； moving the headquarters from St。 Louis to Chicago； and General Meade was assigned to command the Military Division of the Atlantic； with headquarters at Philadelphia。
At that moment General Meade was in Atlanta； Georgia； commanding the Third Military District under the 〃Reconstruction Act；〃 and General Thomas； whose post was in Nashville； was in Washington on a court of inquiry investigating certain allegations against General A。 B。 Dyer； Chief of Ordnance。 He occupied the room of the second floor in the building on the corner of H and Fifteenth Streets； since become Wormley's Hotel。 I at the time was staying with my brother； Senator Sherman； at his residence； 1321 K Street； and it was my habit each morning to stop at Thomas's room on my way to the office in the War Department to tell him the military news； and to talk over matters of common interest。 We had been intimately associated as 〃man and boy〃 for thirty…odd years； and I profess to have had better opportunities to know him than any man then living。 His fame as the 〃Rock of Chickamauga〃 was perfect； and by the world at large he was considered an the embodiment of strength； calmness； and imperturbability。 Yet of all my acquaintances Thomas worried and fretted over what he construed neglects or acts of favoritism more than any other。
At that time he was much worried by what he supposed was injustice in the promotion of General Sheridan； and still more that General Meade should have an Eastern station； which compelled him to remain at Nashville or go to the Pacific。 General Thomas claimed that all his life he had been stationed in the South or remote West； and had not had a fair share of Eastern posts； whereas that General Meade had always been there。 I tried to get him to go with me to see President Grant and talk the matter over frankly； but he would not； and I had to act as a friendly mediator。 General Grant assured me at the time that he not only admired and respected General Thomas； but actually loved him as a man； and he authorized me in making up commands for the general officers to do anything and everything to favor him； only he could not recede from his former action in respect to Generals Sheridan and Meade。
Prior to General Grant's inauguration the army register showed as major…generals Halleck； Meade； Sheridan； Thomas； and Hancock。 Therefore； the promotion of General Sheridan to be lieutenant… general did not 〃overslaugh〃 Thomas； but it did Meade and Halleck。 The latter did not expect promotion； General Meade did； but was partially； not wholly； reconciled by being stationed at Philadelphia； the home of his family； and President Grant assured me that he knew of his own knowledge that General Sheridan had been nominated major…general before General Meade； but had waived dates out of respect for his age and longer service； and that he had nominated him as lieutenant…general by reason of his special fitness to command the Military Division of the Missouri； embracing all the wild Indians； at that very moment in a state of hostility。 I gave General Thomas the choice of every other command in the army； and of his own choice he went to San Francisco； California； where he died； March 28； 1870。 The truth is； Congress should have provided by law for three lieutenant…generals for these three pre…eminent soldiers； and should have dated their commissions with 〃Gettysburg；〃 〃Winchester；〃 and 〃Nashville。〃 It would have been a graceful act； and might have prolonged the lives of two most popular officers； who died soon after； feeling that they had experienced ingratitude and neglect。
Soon after General Grant's inauguration as President； and； as I supposed； in fulfilment of his plan divulged in Chicago the previous December； were made the following：
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY； WASHINGTON； March 8； 1869。
General Orders No。 11：
The following orders of the President of the United States are published for the information and government of all concerned
WAR DEPARTMENT； WASHINGTON CITY； March 5； 1869。
By direction of the President； General William T。 Sherman will assume command of the Army of the United States。
The chiefs of staff corps； departments； and bureaus will report to and act under the immediate orders of the general commanding the army。
Any official business which by law or regulation requires the action of the President or Secretary of War will be submitted by the General of the Army to the Secretary of War； and in general all orders from the President or Secretary of War to any portion of the army； line or staff； will be transmitted through the General of the Army。
J。 M。 SCHOFIELD； Secretary of War。
By command of the General of the Army。
E。 D。 TOWNSEND； Assistant Adjutant…General。
On the same day I issued my General Orders No。 12； assuming command and naming all the heads of staff departments and bureaus as members of my staff； adding to my then three aides； Colonels McCoy； Dayton； and Audenried； the names of Colonels Comstock； Horace Porter； and Dent； agreeing with President Grant that the two latter could remain with him till I should need their personal services or ask their resignations。
I was soon made aware that the heads of several of the staff corps were restive under this new order of things； for by long usage they had grown to believe themselves not officers of the army in a technical sense； but a part of the War Department； the civil branch of the Government which connects the army with the President and Congress。
In a short time General John A。 Rawlins； General Grant's former chief of staff； was nominated an
