Sherman, William Tecumseh (1820-1891) to John Conness
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03341.02 Author/Creator: Sherman, William Tecumseh (1820-1891) Place Written: St. Louis, Missouri Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 4 February 1876 Pagination: 4 p. ; 21 x 14 cm. Order a Copy
Commander in Chief of the Army Sherman writes to Conness recounting information that he has learned about Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. He comments on Stanton's maneuvering to boost General Joseph Hooker and "pull me down." Sherman remarks, "There is one fact that has since come to my Knowledge, which I long suspected, that there existed a Combination to sweep me into oblivion before the War closed." Mentions revising his memoirs to include this information, "I would not have put in the Memoirs any of that, only I thought to have avoided it would have been a confession of Wrong - I was not Entirely right ... " Written on stationary marked Headquarters Army of the United States.
The surrender terms Sherman proposed to General Johnston were so liberal that they were promptly rejected by President Andrew Johnson, Stanton, and General Henry Halleck. Sherman felt attacked, insulted, and humiliated. He describes the incident in his Memoirs.
Headquarters Army of the United States,
St. Louis, Mo. Feb 4 1876
Hon John Conness
Mattapan Mass,
My Dear Sir,
I am again indebted to you for your frank and manly letter of Feb 1, and had some one like you had been near in 1865 I might gave Escaped the unhappy Consequences of that imbroglio -
There is one fact that [2] has since come to my Knowledge, which I long Suspected, that there Existed a Combination to sweep me into oblivion before the War Closed. I am told by one who saw it, that General Hooker has now a letter to himself, from Wilkes of the Spirit of the Times in 1864 in which he Wilkes repeats a Conversation he had just had with Mr Stanton, in which the latter told him Wilkes, that he Stanton had [3] placed Hooker in a position where he could build himself up and pull me down.
I would not have put in the Memoirs any of that, only I thought to have avoided it would have been a confession of Wrong - I was not Entirely right - but no one not in my position Could Comprehend the force of the blow & stigma fixed on me just as I hoped to be "out of the Wood."
I must in time revise the Memoirs, & I will be [4] thankful for Any Corrections or Suggestions.
With great respect -
W. T. Sherman
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