Henry Halleck's distrust of U S Grant resulted in his removal of that officer from a position where he proved to be highly effective. If Lincoln had not stepped in and said prove he's a drunk - until you do he's back on the job, history would have been changed. Ft Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg - everywhere Grant was, he would not have been there.
Henry Halleck also saved W T Sherman from being discarded for going nuts. Halleck knew Sherman very well from pre-war days in California and believed Sherman had had some type of mental set-back but was not insane. Needed a rest - so Halleck sent him off to his wife Ellen for a while. Sherman returned fit as a fiddle and went on to take Atlanta, march through Georgia and settle up with Johnston in North Carolina. However, Halleck began to worry about Sherman being in a position to take over the government after Lincoln's death and there came a heavy rift between the two that never healed. The thing was well publicized and Sherman's extremely loyal men read of it - during the big parade in Washington, they passed a window Halleck sat in watching and all turned their heads away and did not salute.
sat in watching and all turned their heads away and did not salute. This
Henry Halleck's distrust of U S Grant resulted in his removal of that officer from a position where he proved to be highly effective. If Lincoln had not stepped in and said prove he's a drunk - until you do he's back on the job, history would have been changed. Ft Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg - everywhere Grant was, he would not have been there.
Henry Halleck also saved W T Sherman from being discarded for going nuts. Halleck knew Sherman very well from pre-war days in California and believed Sherman had had some type of mental set-back but was not insane. Needed a rest - so Halleck sent him off to his wife Ellen for a while. Sherman returned fit as a fiddle and went on to take Atlanta, march through Georgia and settle up with Johnston in North Carolina. However, Halleck began to worry about Sherman being in a position to take over the government after Lincoln's death and there came a heavy rift between the two that never healed. The thing was well publicized and Sherman's extremely loyal men read of it - during the big parade in Washington, they passed a window Halleck sat in watching and all turned their heads away and did not salute. This guy managed to tick off a whole army!
Halleck was a terrible gossip, and I believe he was jealous of Grant’s success. Imagine if he had convinced Lincoln of Grant’s unfitness! IMO, other than the Confederates, Halleck did great damage to the Union. ( Anyone can correct me if I’m wrong) Didn’t Sherman write a letter to Halleck saying “ We best not meet ever again.” I believe Sherman held a grudge (as anyone would) over the accusation by Halleck and Stanton that he was going to march his army into Washington and overthrow the Republic, and set himself up as a dictator. A more serious and damaging rumor I cannot imagine.