tories belongs to the gallant officers and soldiers that fought the battles. No share of it belongs to me.
Much has recently been said of military combinations and organizing victory. I hear such phrases with apprehension. They commenced in infidel France with the Italian campaign, and resulted in Waterloo. Who can organize victory? Who can combine the elements of success on the battlefield? We owe our recent victories to the Spirit of the Lord that moved our soldiers to rush into battle and filled the hearts of our enemies with dismay. The inspiration that conquered in battle was in the hearts of the soldiers and from on high; and wherever there is the same inspiration there will be the same results. Patriotic spirit, with resolute courage in officers and men, is a military combination that never failed.
We may well rejoice at the recent victories, for they teach us that battles are to be won now and by us in the same and only manner that they were ever won by any people, or in any age, since the days of Joshua, by boldly pursuing and striking the foe. What, under the blessing of Providence, I conceive to be the true organization of victory and military combination to end this war, was declared in a few words by General Grant's message to General Buckner—"I propose to move immediately on your works."
Edwin M. Stanton.
On receiving this I at once wired to our representative in Washington to know if Mr. Stanton meant to "repudiate" the "Tribune." I received my answer from Mr. Stanton himself.
Dear Sir:—It occurred to me that your kind notice of myself might be perverted into a disparagement of the Western officers and soldiers to whom the merit of the recent victories justly belongs, and that it might create an antagonism between them and the head of the War Department. To avoid that misconstruction was the object of my despatch—leaving the matter to be determined as to publication to the better judgment of the "Tribune," my own mind not being clear on the point of its expediency. Mr. Hill[1] called to see me this evening, and from the tenor of your despatch it seemed to me that your judgment did not approve the publication or you would not speak of me as "repudiating" anything the "Tribune" says. On reflection I am convinced the communication should not be published, as it might imply an antagonism between myself and the "Tribune." On this, as on any future occasion, I defer to your judgment. We have one heart and mind in this great cause, and upon many essential points you have a wider range of observation and clearer sight than myself; I am therefore willing to be guided by your wisdom.
Edwin M. Stanton.
C. A. Dana, Esq.
On receiving this letter we of course published his telegram at once.[2]
When Mr. Stanton went into the War Department there was great dissatisfaction in the "Tribune" office with McClellan. He had been placed in command of the Army of the Potomac in the preceding August, and since November 1st had been in command of all the armies of the United States; but while he had proved himself an excellent drill-master, he had, at the same time, proved that he was no general at all. His friends were loyal, however, and whatever success our armies met with was attributed to his generalship.
When the capture of Fort Donelson was announced McClellan's friends claimed that he had directed it by telegraph from his headquarters on the Potomac. Now, the terminus of the telegraph toward Fort Donelson was many miles off from the battlefield. Besides, the absurdity of a general directing the movements of a battle a thousand miles off, even if he had fifty telegraph wires, leading to every part of the field, was apparent. Nevertheless, McClellan's supporters kept up their claim. On February 20th, the Associated Press agent at Washington, in reporting a meeting of a railroad convention at which Mr. Stanton had spoken, said:
"Secretary Stanton, in the course of his address, paid a high compliment to the young and gallant friend at his side, Major-General McClellan, in whom he had the utmost confidence, and the results of whose military schemes, gigantic and well-matured, were now exhibited to a rejoicing country. The secretary, with upraised hands, implored Almighty God to aid them and himself, and all occupying positions under the government, in crushing out this unholy rebellion."
I did not believe Stanton had done any such thing, so I sent the paragraph to him. The secretary replied:
Dear Sir:—The paragraph to which you called my attention was a ridiculous and impudently impertinent effort to puff the general by a false publication of words I never uttered. Sam Barlow, one of the secretaries of the meeting, was its author, as I have been informed. It is too small a matter for me to contradict, but I told Mr. Kimlen, the other secretary, that I thought the gentlemen who invited me to be present at their meeting owed it to themselves to see that one of their own officers should not misrepresent what I said. It was for them, and due to their own honor, to see that an officer of the government might communicate with them in safety. And if it was not done, I should take care to afford no other opportunity for such practices.
The fact is that the agents of the Associated Press and a gang around the Federal Capitol appear to be organized for the purpose of magnifying their idol.
And if such men as those who composed the rail-road convention in this city do not rebuke such a
