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ism '5?,;a . '/ I ' ?* UNKNOWN ARMY. *9 It you are a member, please report at once, as requested elsewhere on this paper. Sach a report may profit thou* sands of comrades, including yourself. Mtibme. POLITICS. Politics are fully reported in this paper, particularly every mots that is of spe cial interest tt ez-soldiers. Tell com* rades this and get their subscriptions. WASHINGTON, D. 0., THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 22. 1904. ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND EDWIN M. STANTON. Two Shining Leaders of the Great War, 1861-1865. ; By Brig.-Geo. THOMAS M. VINCENT, U. S. A. The Adjutant-General's Department and the Bureau of the Provost Marshal General had to do with supplying men for the armies; the results, in part, involving the personnel, have been made apparent from what has been recited. The former, in addition, was charged, during the entire war, with the organization and disband ment of the forces. The recruitment of white volunteers was under the exclusive control of the Adju tant-General's Department from the tirst tall for troops until May, 18113, when it was placed under the Provost Marshal general. to whom, by law, was eonlided the enrollment and draft, and thereby the entire recruiting service for white troops was placed under one head, and a great reduction made in the expenses of recruit ment, through the more rigid control se cured by the enrollment act. 1 he AdjutanMieneral's Department had charge of the recruitment of colored troops and the reeulistment of the veteran volun teers in the field. The plan for the recruit ment of the 12<"?.II00 veterans, who received the thanks of Congress, was devised and prepared by the Provost Marshal-General, and relative thereto Stanton has said: "I know of no operation connected with the recruitment of the army which has re sulted in more advantage to the service than the one referred to." The Departments of the Adjutant-Gen eral and Provost Marshal-General" re cruited, respectively, l,513,2l>4 and 1,121, t>21 men. The want of a carefully organized In spection Department was felt during the war. Vet. so far as the personnel for in spection service extended, it fully per formed its various important duties. Involving the material, through the sup ply departments, we find that, during the whole war, there was no failure of opera tions through lack of transportation of the supplies required of the Quartermaster's Department. Its vast and varied stores had not only to be ready at numerous and widely extended points, when needed, but It had to transport to all points, there to be in readiness at the proper time, the ex tensive quantities of provisions, medical and hospital stores, arms and ammunition provided by the other supply departments. THE ARMY MULE, for the purposes of the draft, behaved nobly, and bore the conscription without being able to express a desire to furnish ajuibstitute. On his roll of honor we find 4."J0.<>00 serving in the various armies. Six hundred and fifty thousand horses joined the rank.?; and the third year of the war the field armies required for the cavalry, artillery, and trains one-half as many ani mals as there were soldiers. As the mules and horses had, as a gen eral thing, to labor away from water and rail lines, they gave but little attention to mechanical maneuvers of 710 steam and sail vessels in service at one time during the fiscal year ending June, 30. 18f>T>, and the 410 engiues and 0,330 cars employed during the war. The soldier necessarily preferred the mail for his correspondence; he did not confine himself to a single line, and, as a result, the l,000,000j000 telegrams trans mitted by the military telegraph were mostly on official business. Good and wholesome rations were uni formly supplied by the Subsistence De partment, and there was not a campaign, expedition, or movement that failed on ac count of the inability of the Department to meet all proper requirements. It is true that, generally, the bread was rather hard, yet, nevertheless, it was tackled and freelv consumed. The Medical Department made ample provisions for the sick and wounded from the first. Aside from the vast accommo dations elsewhere. Sherman's army found at Savannah four first-class sea steamers, complete in all respects as hospital trans ports. with extra supplies of fi.000 beds, had it been necessary to establish large hospitals on his line of operations. Com plaint was never made as to a shortage of medicine; generally it was found that the supply exceeded any demand based on the soldiers* taste. The Government had an abundance of money wherewith to meet its sacred obli gations. and the Pay Department kept its pledge "to make prompt payments in the shortest practicable time." When the war commenced the Govern ment was forced to obtain from foreign countries almost the entire snpply of arms and ammunition, but in 1803 "the Ord nance Department became independent through home resources, both for the man ufactured articles and the material com posing them. TIIE ENGINEERS. Aside from contributing to the com mand of armies, the officers of the Corps of Engineers were charged with important labors in connection with the defenses of Washington and other places, the recon noissance of positions held by the enemy, the investment of cities and towns, the the fortifying of important points on rail roads, the construction of offensive and de fensive fortifications necessary to the march of large armies, the maneuvering of pontoon trains, surveys for the armies in the field, and the sea-coast and lake de fenses. The ability and efficiency of its officers were notably illustrated in the construc tion of the pontoon bridge (exclusive of 2<O feet of trestle-work) over U.frf?) fee: long?the main part in deep water, in some places HT> feet?across the James River above Fort Powhatan, by 4."70 men in five hours, l?etween and 1?? o'clock p. m., June l.?, 1^?1. Over H^is single frail structure passed?mainly in 4o hours the army, about HMMNfU men. under Grant, with cavalry, artillery and infantry, and trains embracing about ."?.<**> wagons, be sides. beef cattle, without an acci dent to an individual, man or animal. This movement, one of th#- most important on record, took place during iJie lifth epoch of the grand campaign, from the Kapidau to the James, which opened May 4. ixi;j The passage, in all its attending ciicum stances, may well stand forth brilliantly. If it does not surpass it will compare fa vorably with the passage of the Danuh? before Wagraui. by l.~?4MMJO of Napoleon's forces, through the agency of three bridges ??in ail 1..t4?0 feet?thrown over an arm of that river 140 yards wide. THE SIGNAL KERVK K v*as particularly valuable in observing and reporting the changes and movements of the enemy, and connecting (|je army and navy when employed in combined opera tions. thus enabling the two branches of the service to act as a unit. Oftentimes the services were of vital importance by furnishing information that could not have been had otherwise, notably as referred to by Sherman, as follows: "When the enemy had cut onr wires and actually made lodgment on our railroad about Big Shanty, the Signal Officers on Yming's Hill. Keneoaw, Alatoona sent i?j orders to Gen. Corse, at Rome, where Gen. Corse was enabled to reach Al atoona just in time to defend it. Had it uot been for the services of this corps on that occasion, I am satisfied we should have lost the garrison at A 11a toon a, and a most valuable depository of provisions there, which was worth to us more than the ag gregate expense of the whole Signal Corps for one year." Again, the late Brig.-Gen. Myer, as Chief Signal Officer, has said: "The officers of the Signal Corps opened the first direct communication from the I'pper to the Lower Mississippi, when Rear-Admiral Farragut, running past the batteries of Port Hudson, found himself, after the perilous passage, cut off above that fortress from the vessels of his fleet, which could not follow him and were lying in The stream below. "There is not. perhaps, on record a feat of aerial telegraphy such as that thus and then performed, when from the topmast of the flagship of the Admiral, lying above J the fort, messages were regularly trans-1 in it tod past the guns of the fortress to a station on the mast-top of the war vessel Richmond, five or six miles below." SECRETARY STANTON. It has been said that Stanton dominated the President to the extent of disregarding orders and instructions. While he ever readily considered Stanton's advice, I had frequent opportunities of observing that the President was the controlling power? the master, as was his wont to say. 1 well remember an order given at one time which the Secretary deemed based upon misconception. I was instructed to take the old wab the case to the President and invite his consideration to its prominent points. On reaching the Executive Mansion I found the President in the reception-room, sur rounded by a large number of persons. He immediately recognized me, stepped for ward and conducted me into the most re tired corner of the room. After I had stated the object of my visit, he said: Stanton is careful and may be right. I was very busy when I examined the case, but I will take the papers, reexamine, and by 4 o'clock this afternoon send them by messenger to your office. Before the hour indicated, the papers were in my hands. The President had revoked his order and affirmed the decision of the Secretary. The case is illustrative of the official rela tions between the two great men. It will be i>ertinent here to recall the episode connected with the Sherman-John ston convention, of April 18. 1805. Prior to that convention, or agreement, President Lincoln said?April 3?to Gen. Grant that he did not wish any conference with Gen. Lee unless it should be for "the capitulation of Lee's army, or on solely minor or purely military matters," and that he was not to "decide, discuss, or confer on any political question." as such questions were held in the President's own hands. Upon the receipt (April 21) by Grant of the convention, and prior to his submit ting it to President Johnson with a sug gestion that it should be considered by the entire Cabinet, he felt satisfied that the President would not approve, and when he (April 21) disapproved, the rea sons were given by Stanton, as the repre sentative of the Executive, in the telegram to Gen. Pix. After the disapproval became known to Sherman, he. in writing to Stanton, on April 2i>, said: "I admit my folly in em bracing in a military convention any civic matters." We all know that Sherman was embit tered as to Stanton, and that many of his frieftds were equally so; but among his very best friends were found men of the highest eminence who, through emphatic letters to Stanton, condemned the conven tion, and supported the announcement to the country as made through the Dix tel egram. NO SUICIDE. The allegation that Stanton's death was the result of a self-inflicted wound is re futed abundantly by the letter from Sur geon-General Barnes, dated April 10, 1K79, .to the editor of the Philadelphia Press; but I may here state that after Stanton's death I often saw his body, and frequently was very near it, and I re mained at the house for the main portion of the night preceding the interment of the remains; consequently I was in a position to hav<y noticed self-inflicted injury, had there been any. To a private soldier I have known him to give audience when his leisure was so pressed as to cause an interview with offi cers of high rank to be refused, and yet the warmth of his heart, as attested by the War Department records, was found going out at all times, through measures calculated to enhanee the comfort and pro tect the interests of the members?officers and men?of the armies of the Cnion. llis devotion to the public welfare wan such as to find him at his desk, not only j during the day. but at night, until near the : dawn?not satisfied to go to his home for j needed rest until the most that could be j had been accomplished. And when really i ill, during many nights of prolonged ia ! bor. a devoted and entreating wife, who had come in the hours of morning to ac j company him from his office, often failed to break the vigil devoted to the public in terest. OFTEN", AT IflDXIGHT, I have found myself with important pa* ' j?ers before him for consideration, the la [ bors of the day having so pressed him as to prevent his necessary action during the usual hours of duty; and on more titan one occasion did he fall asleep before I had finished, mo great was his fatigue. The great strain eventually did its work, and at times he had, from illness, to re main at his house. On one of these occa sions bis old-time friend, Gov. Brough, of Ohio, telegraphed to me to know Mr. Stanton's condition. I went to hia house, and. after reading the telegram, he said he would aaawer it himself, and attempted to do so; hot hia great strength had so far weakened that he could not wield the pen, and, with tremulous voice and tearful eyes, he hade me make the necessary reply. Endowed with greatness of intellect, coupled with superhuman energy and in dustry, he was eminently gifted in dis patching public affairs. While strictly honest, he was so hlindly devoted to the cause of the Union, and so rigid in the view that self-preservation was paramount to all other considerations, that before him justice, at times, seemed powerless, aud personal rights passed for trifles. FIERCE TRIALS. As to the trials of his high position, we have his own fervent words in a letter to a friend, in May, 18*32, as follows: "I hold my present post at the request of the President, who knew me personally, tint to whom I had not spoken from the 4th of March. 1801, until the day he hand le! me my commission. I knew that every thing 1 cherish and hold dear would be sacrificed by accepting office. But 1 thought I might help to save the country and for that I was willing to perish. If 1 wanted to be a politician or a candidate for any office, would 1 stand between the Treasury and the robbers who are howling around me? ***** ''1 was never taken for a fool, but there could be no greater madness than for a man to encounter what I do for anything else than motives that overleap time and look forward to eternity. ***** "The confidence of yourself and men like you is a full equivalent for all the railing-that has been or can be expended against me; and in the magnitude of the cause all merely individual questions are swallowed up." I believe that the public vision has had removed from it the mote which, for a time caused certain elements of his char acter to stand not approved. Hut, passing that, he certainly stood well forward as to "that impersonal life which is the full est definition, as well as the truest test, alike of goodness and greatness," and his DEPARTMENT. great ability and the force of his will made him eminently successful in the high office of War Minister when treason and rebellion were abroad. It has been well said that his training as an advocate so strengthened his devotion to a cause when adopted that, even if he had not loved the cause of the Union, he would have labored for it intensely because he was retained in it. With his qualifications and the delegation of almost unbounded military authority, he was the right arm of the Ex ecutive of the Nation "in smiting treason and rebellion and rtestablishing the foun dation of the Government." CAMERON'S TRIBUTE. Cameron said of Stanton in June, 1878: "He was a great, big. brave, loyal man; perhaps too harsh and quick-tempered in his treatment of those around him, but, nevertheless, a thoroughly good and well meaning man. lie had terrible responsi bilities, which at times caused him to be exacting almost to the very verge of injus tice, but I am sure that he always intend ed to do right, and there is no doubt he was in every way the man best fitted for the place in the Government which he was called upon to fill. He was a man of won derful strength, not only of mind but of body, yet even he gave way under the con stant, the never-ending strain which was put upon all his faculties. His death was hastened by, if not the direct result of, overwork in the War Department." Sherman said in February, 1876: "I have the highest opinion of Stanton's ad ministrative qualities, and freely accord him all honor for marshalling to the de fense of the Nation its maximum strength." Had Stanton been spared to enjoy the full fruition resulting from his great la bors, I believe that Sherman, through an impulse _ natural to his magnanimity, would have admitted more than his folly in embracing civic matters in the military convention. It is true that, at times. "The lover and the hero reason not. * * * Rut they believe in what they love and do." Stanton and Sherman were heroes, and devoted lovers of their country and its glorious flag! Stanton, at times, reasoned not, else the sharp words adverse to Sher man, as uttered at the Cabinet meeting during the consideration of the terms of the convention, would not have passed his lips. Sherman would have recognized that fact, and, through a union of his and Stan ton's love of country, there would have re sulted a full reconciliation of their regret ted differences. The mote would have been entirely removed from Sherman's eye, and his cheeks would have been wetter with Stanton's joyful tear. Stanton's genius as a ruler and orga nizer, and ability to reach jrrand results with vigor and masterly skill, are found in the public archives, endurably recorded. PRESIDENT I.INCOLN. It was a frequent thing for the Presi dent to visit my office, thus to obtain <li rect information. He was particularly in terested in the success of the recruitment, and for his own convenience he personally tabulated the daily telegraphic reports on a slip of paper. After he had made the necessary record, he would roll the slip around a short lead-pencil and place it in his vest-pocket, from which lie would take If during the ensuing visit. If the number of men obtained was satisfactory he would sit for a brief time, conversing brightly; but if otherwise, the enlarged furrows of care on his face would indicate the sadness of his disappointment, and, without a word, he would depart. These interviews indicated his sublime simplicity of character; but, withal, there was ever with him the marked dignity of a noble manhood. Soon after the act of July 17, 1802, au thorizing persons of African descent to he received into the service of the United States, and before the President had de cided fully what he would do under it, but at a date when the good results that would follow the enactment were obvious to him, he received an application?it may have been from a Mr. Black or a Mr. Brown ?to raise a regiment. In his characterise tic way he indorsed the application: "Re ferred to the Secretary of War. This gen tleman wishes to engag? in the ebony trade. A. Lincoln." Hia interest manifested in the recruit ment of colored troops is apparent from his letter, dated April 1, 1863, to Maj.-Gen. Hunter, in which he said: "I am glad to see the account of your colored force at JacksonviiJe, Fla. I see the enemy are driving at them fiercely, as is to be expected. ''It is important to the enemy that such a force^ shall not take shape, and grow and thrive in the South; and, in precisely the same proportion, it is important to us that it shall. Hence the fctmost caution and vigilance is necessary oh our part. The enemy will make extra efforts to destroy them! and we should do the same to pre serve and increase them." After the colored troops had w<fo their reputation?when it was recognised that their colors were guarded with as much patriotic care as though talifc manic virtur?s clustered around them?he said that their employment was one of the1'greatest blows dealt to the rebellion, and, in hoping that peace would soon be permanent, added: "Then will there be some black men who can remember that they have helped to this great consummation.'* Commencing with Milliken's Bend June 7, 1803, Gen. Grant frequently complimented the colored troops, much to the President's gratifica tion. The President, on one occasion, in de nning the franchise, said that some of the colored people "might be let in." ? * * "they would probably help, in some trving time to come, to keep the jewel of lib erty in the family of freedom.*' In the humble cabin with its three legged stool; bedstead of poles, supported by crotched sticks; log table; pot. kettle and skillet, and a few tin and pewter dishes, his boyhood's ascent in life began as he "climbed at night to his bod of leaves in the loft, by .1 ladder of wooden pegs driven into the logs." In latter years his ascent was onward and .upward, by the ladder of fame, gaining at each round The esteem and honor of his countrymen. It could not have been otherwise, whan we consider his eminent endowment with the gifts and virtues of charity, humility, meekness, patience, diligence, wisdom prudence, justice, and fortitude. The beautifnl devotion of the son to the memory of his mother, through the serv ices over her grave several months after her interment, has pointed to Lincoln's faith in the unseen. hope in immortality, and love of the beauty of holiness." Hall a in. when writing of Charlemagne, nnd the epoch made by that great Em peror in the history of the world, by ad vancing civilization and regenerating u estern Europe, used words* which may be applied to Lincoln: "His scepter was as the bow of Ulysses, which could not be drawn by a weaker hand. TI* stood alone, like a beacon upon a waste, or a rock in the broad ocean. His deeds have cast a luster around his head and testifv the greatness that has embodied itself in his name. THE CLOSING 1IOI HS. April 14, I had, about 10 o'clock p. in., returned from the War Department to my house, nnd very soon thereafter was int- n?d by a cousin of Mrs. Lincoln? Dr. Lyman Boeeher Todd, *f Lexington, Ky. ?that the President had been assassi nated, and the members of his Cabinet at taeked. I at once hurried to the house of the Secretary of War, and there found the family greatly alarmed and excited* but the Secretary, just prior to my arrival! had started for Mr. Seward's residence. I followed, and there learned that he had gone to the scene of the tragedv, on 10th street; on reaching the locality p found him at the house to which the President had been taken from Ford's Theater. I remained there, near the Secretary, and at his request, during the night. He was greatly saddened, and referred to the change of scene from that at the Cabinet meeting, a few hours before, at which Gen. Grant was present, when the state of the country and the prospect of a speedy peace were discussed. He stated that the Presi dent during the meeting was hopeful and \ery cheerful, and had spoken kindlv of Gen. I^e and other officers of the Con federacy. Particularly had his kindlv feel ings gone out to the enlisted men bf the Confederacy, and during the entire session of the ( a hi net his manner and words mani fested, emphatically, a desire to restore a satisfactory peace to the South, through al! due regard for her vanquished citizens. Jet whilst he was buoyant, on that Good Friday, in his advocacy of "Peace on earth to men of good will," he seemed de pressed, at times, in consequence of his dream of the previous night, which had re curred several times on the eve of some important event?"a vague sense of float ing?floating away, on some vast and in shoreT exi>anse' toward an unknown About 1:30 a. m. it was determined that the wound was mortal, that the President 7SL !leTl lyin*' ^d,.that lt n<>t prob able that he would live through the night. The Secretary then informed me that it would be necessary to *t#nd prepared to ~n,^e President's death to the \ ice-President, and soon thereafter hand ed me the rough draft of the formal noti fication, from which I prepared a fair anfl ^,Id lt until after the.President's death, which was officially announced at m'' by a telegram from ^Secretary to Maj.-Gen. Dix, as fol Abraham Lincoln died this morning at 22 minutes after 7 o'clock." The notification to the Vice-President was duly signed and communicated, as re cited in a subsequent telegram, as follows: "Official notice of the death of the late President, Abraham Lincoln, was given by the heads of Departments this morning ?? And?;ew Johnson, Vice-President, upon of ^e? ^n?0n8iltUtlT "v. dev(>Ived the office of I resident. Mr. Johnson, upon receiv ing this notice, appeared before the IIou orable Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice of the Lnited States, and tooje^the oath of office as President of the United States and assumed its duties and functions." THE DEATH-BED SCfiKE. The death-bed scenes were harrowing in the extreme. Surrounding and near the illustrious one, who Was insensible from the first in consequence of his mortal wound, from which his- life's blood was ?vifinS'm ^?re the. sobbitt<?. grief-stricken wife all the members of thp Cabinet save Mr. Seward, and others in -civil ami mili tary circles. As the sure approach of death was noticed, the deep' sad gloom in (leased, and, at the solenin moment, it seemed that it had extended to Heaven to be from there promulgated bark to earth through the agency of deep sable clouds. I he attendant drops of rtTIn seemed to have been sent to mingle, sorrowfully, with the tears of the Nation. Soon after 8 o'clock the devoted War Minister had owlered ajl lo be arranged for the removal of the bpdy to the Exefu 0 Mansion, and then left me, as his ren resentative, until after the transfer Jhouid take place. It was about ^his time that i?i p''e??in? ,Qud smoothing the eyes of the dead I resident, I placed coins on them for a last long slumber. ,j :?***? h"oic the life had been all through , and he who had loved and served ?tant0lEiurf8? WCl1 Wa*' ftt the final in* u Preserva^on in that re lbundttac<Tthow. words ^UOt8 aga'n traax Bancroft's fitting ? ImS*" of nations had P0^8^ more "onrces of consolation and joy tLan Lincoln? nis had ahowa their love by chooe inf him to a second term of service.' The I) " "THE UNKNOWN ARMY." How many are not Pensioners? How many surviving Union soldiers do not draw pension? There are no records, no data whatever on which to base a fair answer to this question. The inability of the friends of veterans to answer this question operates against the interests of veterans, es pecially in Congress. It may be said that Congress is well disposed toward veterans. It is believed by many that if this question had been answered last Winter the Service Pension Bill would have passed. So long as the friends of veterans cannot answer this question, leaving Congress to guess at the increased expenditure, with no idea whether it will be five million or fifty million, just so long probably will Congress decline to pass a Service Pension Bill. With the purpose in view of giving Congress the important information referred to, The National Tribune requests every Union soldier who does not draw pension to write briefly, on postal card or in letter, his name, present postoffice address, date of birth, com pany and regiment, and length of service. State, also, " never applied," or "applied and was rejected," as the case may be. This request is made to all non-pensioners, including particularly those who are under the age of 62. Address Dept. A, THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, Washington, D. C. A CORPS COMMANDER'S REMINISCENCES. Acquaintance With Gen. 0. 0. Howard?The Command of the Arm) of the Tennessee?Qen. Logan's Soldierly Acquiescence?Th< March, to the Sea?The Army of the Southwest?Battle ol Pea Ridge?Indian Campaign After the War. By Maj.-Gen. GRENVILLE M. DODGE, Commander ol the Sixteenth Corps. GEN. 0. 0. HOWARD. After the great battle of Atlanta, July 22, 18<>4, in which the Army of the Ten nessee lost its distinguished and greatly beloved commander, Gen. McPherson, Gen. Sherman had the delieate and difficult task to perforin of selecting a new commander for that army, which had furnished to the war Gens. Grant, Sherman and McPher son. Gen. Logan, the commander of the Fifteenth Corps, fell to the command of the army by reason of seniority of rank, and he finished successfully the greatest battle of that campaign, and naturally ex acted to receive the permanent command of that army. In an address to the So ciety of the Army of the Tennessee, Gen. Sherman gives bis reasons for the selection he made in the following language: "In the midst of that battle Gen. Mc Pherson was killed; and I, the common commander of the whole, ordered instant ly Gen. Logan, the senior, to assume com mand of the Army of the Tennessee, and to go on to complete the orders given to Gen. McPherson. I complimented him per sonally on the field; no man ever ques tioned his patriotism, valor or ability in action, and he had good reason to expect the succession. The lawful right to ap4 point a successor to McPherson vested in After the battle of Atlanta, Gen. Sher man determined to swing the Army of the Tennessee from the extreme left to the extreme right, with a view of finally mov ing to the south of Atlanta and planting his army upon Gen. Hood's communica tions. In this movement my corps (the Sixteenth) being the extreme left of the Army of the Tennessee, was the first to pull out, and naturally would be the first to go into line. It was about noon on July 27, 1804, when the head of my column reached the right flank of Gen. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland, on which I was to join, and where I for the first time met Gen. Howard. One of my divisions was delayed and was not up, and Gen. Howard appeared to me to be .notably- an noyed, and expressed himself to me in a way that made it evident that he was fear ful I would not get into line on time. I ex plained to him the reason of the delay to my Second Division, which was unavoida ble. He made no comment, "but seeing his great anxiety I made a special effort and soon got into line, before Blair's and Logan's Corps got up, and he showed plainly his astonishment and satisfaction when I reported to him that I was in line and partially intrenched. Blair went par tially into line that night, but Logan did not get in until the next morning, when the enemy attacked him with great force, and the battle of Ezra Church was fought. "EVERY BOY WAS HANGING ON TO HIS CHICKEN' AND SWEET POTATOES.r President Lincoln, but he may have acted solely on my advice; I am willing to as sume the whole responsibility. "The science of war is not modern: it is as old as time and like most sciences has resolved itself into three pari*: Logistics, grand strategy and combat, each essential.to success. (Jen. Logan was per fect in combat, but entertained and ex pressed a species of contempt for the oth er branches; whereas a General who un dertakes a campaign without the fore thought and preparation involved in logis tics will fail as surely as the mechanic who ignores tl*e law of gravitation. After con sulting with my trusted commanders, I recommended (Jen. Howard to succeed Mc Pherson. Cien. Howard had been a corps commander reduced to a division com mander by the consolidation of the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps into the Twentieth. He fought with the Army of the Tennessee at Missionary Hidge, went with us up to Knoxville, every day was with us to July 22, when McPherson was killed, and was, by the only legal authority of our Government, appointed to command the Army of the Tennessee, and I bear Logan's memory in the greater honor be cause he submitted with soldierly grace and demeanor." HIGH COMPLIMENT TO GEN. HOWARD. Gen. Sherman had many distinguished soldiers to select from that were officers of his great army of over 100,000 men, and it seems to me that a greater compli ment could not have been paid to a sol dier than Sherman gave Gen. Howard when he assigned him to the command of the most succsssful army of the war. The enemy always called it the "killing" of Ezra Church. They charged Logan's lines seven or eijjht times, ami were driven back with great slaugh ter. (Jen. Howard allowed Gen. Logan to fight this battle without interference, although he was on the field under lire, alert, and watching every movement, and where our men could see him. lu his re port he gave all the credit for the victory to Gen. Logan. After the battle Gen. How ard passed along our Hues on foot so that the men could see him. He had a kindly word for them, and his calmness, self possession and action that day placed him in accord with our army, and he gained its respect and confidence, and from that day to the end of the war he was a part of us. ATLANTA IS OURS. Gen. Sherman tried all expedients, by cavalry raids, by temporarialy breakiug Hood's line of supply, ro force him to evacuate Atlanta, but saw that he must plant his army permanently upon Hood's communications; therefore, Gen. Howard, with the Army of the Tennessee, swung clear of Atlanta, pushed south, striking the enemy at Jonesboro, the rest of the ariny following, and in a day or two Sher man was enabled to send his dispatch, "Atlanta is ours and fairly won." My service with Gen. Howard was short, for on Aug. 19, I was given a Confederate leave, and did not return to duty until November. I was greatly disappointed when I learned I was not to serve again under Gen. Howard, although I was as signed to a larger and more important command. Still. I preferred to remain land take my old command in the army, that 1 had served with, and shared it* trials and fortunes for three years. I' had reported for duty before I had fully recovered in order to be with it in the campaigns which I knew were about to take place in the march to the sea. but Sherman did not consider me equal to tie hard work before him. tiie march to the sea. ' The operations of Sherman's Army, CT>, (>00 strong, with Gen. Howard command ing the right wing and Gen. Slocuiu iis left wing, in its march to Savannah, then< e through the Carolina* to Italeigh, and the surrender of Johnston, gave <*en. Howard an opportunity to exhibit those qualities that Gen. Sherman declared were nece*sary in an army commander. Gen. Howards command took part in the battles and en gagements of McAlister, Gris wolds villc, Riser's, Brinaker's Bridges, Orangeburg, Congaree Creek, Columbia, Cheraw, Fayetteville, Averasboro and Bentonviile. His army had a confidence in itself that made it almost invincible, and Sherman, who considered that this campaign, so bold, so aggressive and so successful, would he considered in future years as the one achievement of his life that would deter mine his standing as a great commander, said to me that Gen. Howard's ability, subordination, comprehension and carry ing out of his plans had fully justified hn selection of him as the commander of tha Army of the Tennessee. RECOGNIZING CEN. I>OGAW. ' It is well known that Gen. .Sherman was desirous of recognizing Gen. Logan 4 loyalty and action, and the manner irt which he accepted the orders relieving bin* of the command of the Army of the Ten nessee, in some noted manner, and the op portunity offered after the surrender or Gen. Johnston, when the army in its march was nearing W ashingtonj and l e asked Gen. Howard to accept ani other command, in order that Gen. Logan might have the satisfaction an* honor of commanding the Army of the Tennessee during its march and review in Washington. Gen. Howard, in his good heart, readily acquiesced, although it must have been a great disappointment to him, for he had successfully commanded the army in several battles and been with it day and night from the time he took.com mand until the end of the war. In de scribing this review Gen. Sherman said. "When I reached the Treasury Departs ment Building and looked back the sight was simply magnificent. * The column was compact, and the glittering muskets looked like a solid mass of steel moving with the regularity of a pendulumand he said it was the happiest and proudest moment of his life. For thus reason the Army ct the Tennessee, with the aid of the Gov ernment. has erected a monument to Gen. Sherman's honor and memory right at thi$ spot. ; IT IS A suggestive fact that when war with Spain was declared the four sons of the commanders of the Army of the Tennessee took part, in it*. They were Gen. Frederick D. Grant, Fathee Thomas E. Sherman, Col. Guy Ilowarq (who was in the Regular service), ana Maj. John A. Logan, jr. They have all been an honor to their fathers and credit to their country. Three of them were members of the Society of the Army oi# 1 the Tennessee, and I was personally ac? quainted with all of them. Two of them, Col Guy Howard and Maj. John A. Logan, fell in battle in the Philippines, if* the line of their duty, and they were mo*t honored, loved and praised by those who knew them best?their comrades in the service. When Col. Howard was killed I wrote Gen. Howard, my old commander, a kindly letter, to try, if I could, to lift a part of the burden from his mind. >\ hen he came to New York he called to see me, and what lie said greatly impressed me. When he came into my office with tears in his eves, but brave in his great sorrow, he said: "Hodge, although it is hard to bear, you and I have no right to complain. It is what we have been educated to, and what we might expect and must always be prepared to meet." Every one must ap preciate thus faith, Christian fortitude and soldierly example, which was equal to the great qualities he always exhibited on battlefield. % THE PRIVATE SOLDIER. In 1SG7, speaking of what the private soldier had accomplished in the war, (Jen. Howard uttered this sentiment: "God ! grant tlmt what he planted, nourished, and ' has now preserved by his blood?I mean American liberty?may be a plant to us as the apple of the eye. and that its growth may not be hindered till its roofs are firm ly set in every State of the rnion, an?l till the full fruition of its blessed fruit is realized by men of every name. colon and description, in this broad land." This sentiment seoms to have been his guiding star in all his walks since the war. and it must be a great satisfaction to him now to see how completely his sentiment haa heeu fulfilled. 1 THE ARMY OF THE SOUTHWEST. My connection with the United States forces west of the Mississippi River com menced at the beginning of the war, when I took my regiment, the 4th Iowa, to St. Louis, and fell under the command of Fre mont, and I took part in the campaigns of that Department until after the battle of Pea Ridge, when I left the command and went to the Army of the Tennessee. Af ter the Atlanta campaign, in November, 18G4, I returned to Missouri as commanded of that Department and Army. Of the transactions of the troops soutti of Missouri I have very little knowledge, but I know that the troops which serve*