William T. Sherman
***************************************************************************************
As we have seen, Halleck had serious doubts about Grant’s ability, and there had been considerable bad blood between them over the past few months. Now that he had been called to command in the East, Grant would be the ranking general commanding the Western campaign. Although Sherman was Grant’s close friend and confidante by now, we can see from Halleck’s farewell that none of those doubts had rubbed off on Sherman. Furthermore, unless the usually plain-spoken Sherman was indulging in some unaccustomed politesse in the exchange below, Sherman returned Halleck’s respect. Sherman’s fear that there would be “alarms, hesitations, and doubt” in Halleck’s absence seems to indicate a lack of confidence in Grant’s leadership as well, which I find surprising.
From the Official Record:
CORINTH, July 16, 1862.
Major-General SHERMAN,
Moscow:You will soon receive orders from General Grant to march yours and Hurlbut’s divisions to Memphis. The troops at Grant Junction will fall back to Bolivar, and a new division will be organized and sent to Curtis.
Confidential. I am ordered to Washington, and leave to-morrow, Thursday. I have done my best to avoid it. I have studied out and can finish the campaign in the West. Don’t understand and cannot manage affairs in the East. Moreover, do not want to have anything to do with the quarrels of Stanton and McClellan. The change does not please me, but I must obey orders.
Good-by, and may God bless you. I am more than satisfied with everything you have done. You have always had my respect, but recently you have won my highest admiration. I deeply regret to part from you.
H. W. HALLECK,
Major-General.MOSCOW, July 16, 1862.
General HALLECK,Corinth:
I cannot express my heartfelt pain at hearing of your orders and intended departure. You took command in the Valley of the
Mississippi at a period of deep gloom, when I felt that our poor country was doomed to a Mexican anarchy, but at once arose order, system, firmness, and success in which there has not been a pause.I thank you for the kind expression to me, but all I have done has been based on the absolute confidence I had conceived for your knowledge of national law and your comprehensive knowledge of things gathered, God only knows how.
That success will attend you wherever you go I feel no doubt, of you must know more about the East than you did about the West when you arrived at Saint Louis a stranger. And there you will find armies organized and pretty well commanded, instead of the scattered forces you then had. I attach more importance to the West than the East. The one has a magnificent future, but enveloped in doubt. The other is comparatively an old country. The man who at the end of this war holds the military control of the Valley of the Mississippi will be the man. You should not be removed. I fear the consequences.
Personally you will rule wherever you go, but I did hope you would finish up what you had begun, and where your success has attracted the world’s notice.
Instead of that calm, sure, steady progress which has dismayed our enemy, I now fear alarms, hesitations, and doubt. You cannot be replaced out here, and it is too great a risk to trust a new man from the East. We are all the losers; you may gain, but I believe you would prefer to finish what you have so well begun.
With great respect,
W. T. SHERMAN,
Major-General.
Kind of makes you wonder who wrote that letter for Sherman. Their relationship must have come a long way from the days at Purdy when Halleck’s orders kept referring to General T.W. Sherman.