Produced by David Widger. Additional proofing was done by Bryan Sherman
By William T. Sherman
On the 18th day of March, 1864, at Nashville, Tennessee, I relievedLieutenant-General Grant in command of the Military Division of theMississippi, embracing the Departments of the Ohio, Cumberland,Tennessee, and Arkansas, commanded respectively by Major-GeneralsSchofield, Thomas, McPherson, and Steele. General Grant was in theact of starting East to assume command of all the armies of theUnited States, but more particularly to give direction in person tothe Armies of the Potomac and James, operating against Richmond;and I accompanied him as far as Cincinnati on his way, to availmyself of the opportunity to discuss privately many little detailsincident to the contemplated changes, and of preparation for thegreat events then impending. Among these was the intendedassignment to duty of many officers of note and influence, who had,by the force of events, drifted into inactivity and discontent.Among these stood prominent Generals McClellan, Burnside, andFremont, in, the East; and Generals Buell, McCook, Negley, andCrittenden, at the West. My understanding was that General Grantthought it wise and prudent to give all these officers appropriatecommands, that would enable them to regain the influence they hadlost; and, as a general reorganization of all the armies was thennecessary, he directed me to keep in mind especially the claims ofGenerals Buell, McCook, and Crittenden, and endeavor to give themcommands that would be as near their rank and dates of commissionas possible; but I was to do nothing until I heard further fromhim on the subject, as he explained that he would have to consultthe Secretary of War before making final orders. General Buell andhis officers had been subjected to a long ordeal by a court ofinquiry, touching their conduct of the campaign in Tennessee andKentucky, that resulted in the battle of Perryville, or Chaplin'sHills, October 8,1862, and they had been substantially acquitted;and, as it was manifest that we were to have some hard fighting, wewere anxious to bring into harmony every man and every officer ofskill in the profession of arms. Of these, Generals Buell andMcClellan were prominent in rank, and also by reason of their fameacquired in Mexico, as well as in the earlier part of the civilwar.
After my return to Nashville I addressed myself to the task oforganization and preparation, which involved the general securityof the vast region of the South which had been already conquered,more especially the several routes of supply and communication withthe active armies at the front, and to organize a large army tomove into Georgia, coincident with the advance of the Easternarmies against Richmond. I soon received from Colonel J. B. Fry—now of the Adjutant-General's Department, but then at Washington incharge of the Provost-Marshal-General's office—a letter asking me todo something for General Buell. I answered him frankly, telling himof my understanding with General Grant, and that I was still awaitingthe expected order of the War Department, assigning General Buell tomy command. Colonel Fry, as General Buell's special friend, repliedthat he was very anxious that I should make specific application forthe services of General Buell by name, and inquired what I proposedto offer him. To this I answered that, after the agreement