memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第107节
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The entire adjutant…general's office should be under the entire control of the general…in…chief of the army。 No orders should go to the army； or the adjutant…general； except through the general… in…chief。 Such as require the action of the President would be laid before the Secretary of War； whose actions would be regarded as those of the President。 In short； in my opinion； the general… in…chief stands between the President and the army in all official matters； and the Secretary of War is between the army （through the general…in…chief） and the President。
I can very well conceive that a rule so long disregarded could not； or would not； be restored without the subject being presented； and I now do so respectfully for your consideration。
U。 S。 GRANT； Lieutenant…General。
General Belknap never answered that letter。
In August； 1870； was held at Des Moines； Iowa； an encampment of old soldiers which I attended； en route to the Pacific； and at Omaha received this letter：
LONG BRANCH； New Jersey； August 18；1870。
General W。 T。 SHERMAN。
DEAR GENERAL： Your letter of the 7th inst。 did not reach Long Branch until after I had left for St。 Louis； and consequently is just before me for the first time。 I do not know what changes recent laws； particularly the last army bill passed； make in the relations between the general of the army and the Secretary of War。
Not having this law or other statutes here； I cannot examine the subject now； nor would I want to without consultation with the Secretary of War。 On our return to Washington I have no doubt but that the relations between the Secretary and yourself can be made pleasant； and the duties of each be so clearly defined as to leave no doubt where the authority of one leaves off and the other commences。
My own views； when commanding the army； were that orders to the army should go through the general。 No changes should be made； however； either of the location of troops or officers； without the knowledge of the Secretary of War。
In peace； the general commanded them without reporting to the Secretary farther than he chose the specific orders he gave from time to time； but subjected himself to orders from the Secretary； the latter deriving his authority to give orders from the President。 As Congress has the right； however； to make rules and regalations for the government of the army； rules made by them whether they are as they should be or not； will have to govern。 As before stated； I have not examined the recent law。
Yours truly；
U。 S。 GRANT。
To which I replied：
OMAHA； NEBRASKA； September 2；1870。
General U。 S。 GRANT； Washington； D。 C。
DEAR GENERAL： I have received your most acceptable letter of August 18th； and assure you that I am perfectly willing to abide by any decision you may make。 We had a most enthusiastic meeting at Des Moines； and General Bellknap gave us a fine； finished address。 I have concluded to go over to San Francisco to attend the annual celebration of the Pioneers； to be held on the 9th instant； from there I will make a short tour； aiming to get back to St。 Louis by the 1st of October； and so on to Washington without unnecessary delay。
Conscious of the heavy burdens already on you； I should refrain from adding one ounce to your load of care； but it seems to me now is the time to fix clearly and plainly the field of duty for the Secretary of War and the commanding general of the army； so that we may escape the unpleasant controversy that gave so much scandal in General Scott's time； and leave to our successors a clear field。
No matter what the result； I promise to submit to whatever decision you may make。 I also feel certain that General Belknap thinks he is simply executing the law as it now stands； but I am equally certain that he does not interpret the law reviving the grade of general； and that fixing the 〃peace establishment〃 of 1868； as I construe them。
For instance； I am supposed to control the discipline of the Military Academy as a part of the army； whereas General Belknap ordered a court of inquiry in the case of the colored cadet； made the detail； reviewed the proceedings； and made his order； without my knowing a word of it； except through the newspapers； and more recently； when I went to Chicago to attend to some division business； I found the inspector…general （Hardie） under orders from the Secretary of War to go to Montana on some claim business。
All I ask is that such orders should go through me。 If all the staff…officers are subject to receive orders direct from the Secretary of War it will surely clash with the orders they may be in the act of executing from me； or from their immediate commanders。
I ask that General Belknap draw up some clear； well…defined rules for my action； that he show them to me before publication； that I make on them my remarks； and then that you make a final decision。 I promise faithfully to abide by it； or give up my commission。
Please show this to General Belknap； and I will be back early in October。 With great respect； your friend；
W。 T。 SHERMAN
I did return about October 15th； saw President Grant； who said nothing had been done in the premises； but that he would bring General Belknap and me together and settle this matter。 Matters went along pretty mach as usual till the month of August； 1871； when I dined at the Arlington with Admiral Alder and General Belknap。 The former said he had been promoted to rear…admiral and appointed to command the European squadron； then at Villa Franca； near Nice； and that he was going out in the frigate Wabash； inviting me to go along。 I had never been to Europe； and the opportunity was too tempting to refuse。 After some preliminaries I agreed to go along； taking with me as aides…de…camp Colonel Audenried and Lieutenant Fred Grant。 The Wabash was being overhauled at the Navy…Yard at Boston； and was not ready to sail till November； when she came to New…York； where we all embarked Saturday； November 11th。
I have very full notes of the whole trip； and here need only state that we went out to the Island of Madeira； and thence to Cadiz and Gibraltar。 Here my party landed； and the Wabash went on to Villa Franca。 From Gibraltar we made the general tour of Spain to Bordeaux； through the south of France to Marseilles； Toulon； etc。； to Nice； from which place we rejoined the Wabash and brought ashore our baggage。
》From Nice we went to Genoa； Turin； the Mont Cenis Tunnel； Milan； Venice； etc。； to Rome。 Thence to Naples； Messina； and Syracuse； where we took a steamer to Malta。 From Malta to Egypt and Constantinople； to Sebastopol； Poti； and Tiflis。 At Constantinople and Sebastopol my party was increased by Governor Curtin； his son； and Mr。 McGahan。
It was my purpose to have reached the Caspian； and taken boats to the Volga； and up that river as far as navigation would permit； but we were dissuaded by the Grand…Duke Michael； Governor…General of the Caucasas； and took carriages six hundred miles to Taganrog； on the Sea of Azof； to which point the railroad system of Russia was completed。 From Taganrog we took cars to Moscow and St。 Petersburg。 Here Mr。 Curtin and party remained； he being our Minister at that court； also Fred Grant left us to visit his aunt at Copenhagen。 Colonel Audenried and I then completed the tour of interior Europe； taking in Warsaw； Berlin； Vienna； Switzerland； France； England； Scotland； and Ireland； embarking for home in the good steamer Baltic； Saturday； September 7； 1872； reaching Washington； D。 C。； September 22d。 I refrain from dwelling on this trip； because it would swell this chapter beyoud my purpose。
When I regained my office I found matters unchanged since my departure； the Secretary of War exercising all the functions of commanderin…chief； and I determined to allow things to run to their necessary conclusion。 In 1873 my daughter Minnie also made a trip to Europe； and I resolved as soon as she returned that I would simply move back to St。 Louis to execute my office there as best I could。 But I was embarrassed by being the possessor of a large piece of property in Washington on I Street； near the corner of Third； which I could at the time neither sell nor give away。 It came into my possession as a gift from friends in New York and Boston； who had purchased it of General Grant and transferred to me at the price of 65；000。
The house was very large； costly to light； heat； and maintain； and Congress had reduced my pay four or five thousand dollars a year； so that I was gradually being impoverished。 Taxes； too； grew annually； from about four hundred dollars a year to fifteen hundred； besides all sorts of special taxes。
Finding myself caught in a dilemma； I added a new hall； and made out of it two houses； one of which I occupied； and the other I rented； and thus matters stood in 1873'74。 By the agency of Mr。 Hall； a neighbor and broker； I effected a sale of the property to the present owner； Mr。 Emory； at a fair price； accepting about half payment in notes； and the other half in a piece of property on E Street； which I afterward exchanged for a place in Cite Brilliante； a suburb of St。 Louis； which I still own。 Being thus foot…loose； and having repeatedly notified President Grant o
