withdraw any of his force at the present time might lead to serious disasters and to a virtual closing of the navigation of the Mississippi River. I submitted your telegram of 10.30 a. m. to the Secretary of War, who of opinion that before asking the President for an order I should your views in regard to the except of the proposed division, the officer to command it, &c., and that I should write to you confidentially on the subject.

Do you propose to include Pope's Curtis', and Rosecrans' commands, or only present Departments of the Gulf and of Arkansas, with the Indian Territory? is it proposed to give Banks the command of the division, or to leave him in the subordinate position of his present department, or to remove him entirely? In either case the order must be definite. If Banks is superseded Franklin will be the ranking officer in the field, and Rosecrans, curtis, and McClearnand in the division. You have also heretofore spoken of Steele and Reynolds in connection with this command.

I think the President will consent to the order you insist upon General Banks' removed as a military necessity, but he will do so very reluctantly, as it would give offence to many of his friends, and would probably be opposed by a portion of his Cabinet. Moreover what could be done with Banks? He has many political friends who would probably demand for him a command equal to the one he now has. The result would probably be the same as in the cases of Rosecrans, Curtis, Siegel, Bulter, and Lew. Before submitting the matter to the President, the Secretary of War wishes to have in definite from precisely the order you wish issued.

Your last instructions to General Banks were telegraphed to Cairo on the 27th, in as nearly as possible the woods of your telegrams to me. Copies were also sent by mail. I inclose herewith a copy.* The present proposed change should be decided upon and telegraphed to him and Steele as early as possible.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

H. W. HALLECK,

Major-General and Chief of Staff.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 29, 1864.

Major General W. T. SHERMAN,

Nashville, Tenn.:

MY DEAR GENERAL: yours of the 24th is just received.+ Newspapers stories about quarrels the President, Secretary of War, General Grant, and myself, and my resigning are all "bosh." Not a word of truth in them. There has not been the slightest difficulty, misunderstanding, or oven difference of opinion between any of the parties, so far as I know, and the relations between Grant and myself are not only friendly and pleasant, but cordial. I have never had the slightest intention of resigning so long as my services can be useful to the country. These malicious stories generally originality in such secesh journals as the Herald and World.

Of course my position here. both as General-in-Chief and as Chief of Staff, has been and is a disagreeable one, from which I can receive no credit, but sufficient assume to satisfy any ordinary ambition. To

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* See p. 306.

+ See Vol. XXXII, Part III, p. 469.

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