Cavalry Charger
Major
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2017
When reading Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs, and discovering his relationship with Henry Halleck, I found myself perplexed. Much like Grant himself it seems.
It wasn't until I started reading Brooks D. Simpson's biography that some light was eventually shed on this perplexing relationship.
Below are my own notes in summary of what I've taken from the biography (Ch.8 Under a Cloud), which show the machinations at work behind the scenes after Grant's victory at Fort Donelson:
Grant declares to Julia that there are no two men he would prefer serving under than Halleck and McClellan! Neither returned the favour. Halleck had been telegraphing McClellan to replace Grant with his own choice of General while Grant had been marching and fighting. Halleck had also rushed to take credit for Grant's victory at Donelson. Lincoln submitted only one name for promotion and that was Grant's. He now outranked everyone in Halleck's Dept except for Halleck himself (as Major General of Volunteers).
Halleck became disgruntled and began grumbling about Grant. Halleck eventually accused Grant of 'neglect and inefficiency' which McClellan responded to by authorizing Halleck to place Grant under arrest 'if the good of the service requires it' and replace him with Smith. Stanton approved of these actions. Halleck welcomed and acted on the order placing Smith in charge and subsequently wrote to Washington suggesting Grant had 'resumed his former bad habits'. Grant was unaware of this missive as he opened Halleck's wire placing Smith in charge. It both puzzled him and pained him.
More telegraphs from Halleck arrived chastising Grant, while also twisting the circumstances of Grant's relief of command to be that of McClellan's doing and not his own. This last charge hurt Grant deeply and he asked to be relieved of duty under Halleck. Halleck advised Grant there was no 'enemy' standing between him and Grant, but a later investigation proved there was a disloyal telegraph operator who had been part of the problem in terms of communications. Either way, it was Halleck who set the wheels in motion regarding these events.
Grant smarted under further rebukes from Halleck, though he did not suspect Halleck was the author of his troubles. And once again asked to be relieved. He may have suspected Lincoln for the troubles that now beset him as he had offended some of Lincoln's close friends. Surely miscommunications with Halleck could not be the reason.
Lincoln instructed Stanton to request proof of the charges against Grant from Halleck. The request came in the wake of McClellan's removal from command and Halleck, having got what he wanted, rushed to cover his footsteps assuring Grant of command into the future. Grant was informed by Washburne's brother that he suspected personal jealousy was at the root of Halleck's behaviour.
Grant accepted Halleck's explanation with relief and didn't blame him, having thought highly of him at the time and believing he had shielded him from critics in Washington.
Grant asked twice to be relieved from duty, the first request being shrugged off by Halleck, when after further rebuke complaining of "the want of order & discipline, and the numerous irregularities in your command" Grant felt he could take no more and asked to be relieved a second time: "There is such a dispostion to find fault with me that I again ask to be relieved from further duty until I can be placed right in the estimation of those higher in authority".
As Grant waited for Halleck's reply, he pondered his future, "greatly mortified", as one officer put it, at Halleck's treatment of him. Once more rumors circulated that the real reason behind Halleck's action was that Grant had taken to drink again. The charge infuriated Colonel Webster. "It is vile slander, out of whole cloth," he explained in a letter home. "During all my acquaintance with him I have never seen him drink anything intoxicating but once, & then he put a little brandy into some medication to disguise the taste". Nor was Webster the only loyal friend. One afternoon a delegation of officers came aboard his headquarters boat. They had something for him - a presentation sword. Four men, including two named in the anonymous letter about irregularities forwarded by Davis, had chipped in to buy it. Colonel C.C. Marsh of the 20th Illinois, speaking for the group, commented that the sword had been some weeks delayed in coming, but that this had proven fortuitous, "because at this moment when the jealousy caused by your brilliant success has raised up hidden enemies who are endeavoring to strike you in the dark it afforded us an opportunity to express our renewed confidence in your ability as a commander". This proved too much for Grant. Never a master with the spoken word, he choked up, then left the room to hide his tears. When he returned, the sword was still there in its case, its ivory handle mounted in gold. Grant looked at Dr. John H. Brinton, the army's surgeon, who had found him on deck. "Doctor, send it to my wife. I will never wear a sword again".
Brooks D. Simpson, Ulysses S. Grant Triumph Over Adversity, pg 123-4.
So, having been perplexed, I am perplexed no longer. Henry Halleck had an issue with Grant, one that Grant couldn't understand, and the only possible explanation given seems to be an issue of personal jealousy. I wonder what others think?
It wasn't until I started reading Brooks D. Simpson's biography that some light was eventually shed on this perplexing relationship.
Below are my own notes in summary of what I've taken from the biography (Ch.8 Under a Cloud), which show the machinations at work behind the scenes after Grant's victory at Fort Donelson:
Grant declares to Julia that there are no two men he would prefer serving under than Halleck and McClellan! Neither returned the favour. Halleck had been telegraphing McClellan to replace Grant with his own choice of General while Grant had been marching and fighting. Halleck had also rushed to take credit for Grant's victory at Donelson. Lincoln submitted only one name for promotion and that was Grant's. He now outranked everyone in Halleck's Dept except for Halleck himself (as Major General of Volunteers).
Halleck became disgruntled and began grumbling about Grant. Halleck eventually accused Grant of 'neglect and inefficiency' which McClellan responded to by authorizing Halleck to place Grant under arrest 'if the good of the service requires it' and replace him with Smith. Stanton approved of these actions. Halleck welcomed and acted on the order placing Smith in charge and subsequently wrote to Washington suggesting Grant had 'resumed his former bad habits'. Grant was unaware of this missive as he opened Halleck's wire placing Smith in charge. It both puzzled him and pained him.
More telegraphs from Halleck arrived chastising Grant, while also twisting the circumstances of Grant's relief of command to be that of McClellan's doing and not his own. This last charge hurt Grant deeply and he asked to be relieved of duty under Halleck. Halleck advised Grant there was no 'enemy' standing between him and Grant, but a later investigation proved there was a disloyal telegraph operator who had been part of the problem in terms of communications. Either way, it was Halleck who set the wheels in motion regarding these events.
Grant smarted under further rebukes from Halleck, though he did not suspect Halleck was the author of his troubles. And once again asked to be relieved. He may have suspected Lincoln for the troubles that now beset him as he had offended some of Lincoln's close friends. Surely miscommunications with Halleck could not be the reason.
Lincoln instructed Stanton to request proof of the charges against Grant from Halleck. The request came in the wake of McClellan's removal from command and Halleck, having got what he wanted, rushed to cover his footsteps assuring Grant of command into the future. Grant was informed by Washburne's brother that he suspected personal jealousy was at the root of Halleck's behaviour.
Grant accepted Halleck's explanation with relief and didn't blame him, having thought highly of him at the time and believing he had shielded him from critics in Washington.
Grant asked twice to be relieved from duty, the first request being shrugged off by Halleck, when after further rebuke complaining of "the want of order & discipline, and the numerous irregularities in your command" Grant felt he could take no more and asked to be relieved a second time: "There is such a dispostion to find fault with me that I again ask to be relieved from further duty until I can be placed right in the estimation of those higher in authority".
As Grant waited for Halleck's reply, he pondered his future, "greatly mortified", as one officer put it, at Halleck's treatment of him. Once more rumors circulated that the real reason behind Halleck's action was that Grant had taken to drink again. The charge infuriated Colonel Webster. "It is vile slander, out of whole cloth," he explained in a letter home. "During all my acquaintance with him I have never seen him drink anything intoxicating but once, & then he put a little brandy into some medication to disguise the taste". Nor was Webster the only loyal friend. One afternoon a delegation of officers came aboard his headquarters boat. They had something for him - a presentation sword. Four men, including two named in the anonymous letter about irregularities forwarded by Davis, had chipped in to buy it. Colonel C.C. Marsh of the 20th Illinois, speaking for the group, commented that the sword had been some weeks delayed in coming, but that this had proven fortuitous, "because at this moment when the jealousy caused by your brilliant success has raised up hidden enemies who are endeavoring to strike you in the dark it afforded us an opportunity to express our renewed confidence in your ability as a commander". This proved too much for Grant. Never a master with the spoken word, he choked up, then left the room to hide his tears. When he returned, the sword was still there in its case, its ivory handle mounted in gold. Grant looked at Dr. John H. Brinton, the army's surgeon, who had found him on deck. "Doctor, send it to my wife. I will never wear a sword again".
Brooks D. Simpson, Ulysses S. Grant Triumph Over Adversity, pg 123-4.
So, having been perplexed, I am perplexed no longer. Henry Halleck had an issue with Grant, one that Grant couldn't understand, and the only possible explanation given seems to be an issue of personal jealousy. I wonder what others think?
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Thread Medic
Forum Host
I was hoping you would add to the thread. And I kept my promise in starting it. I'm very interested to see what others have to say.
The Grant threads have been avoiding the red ink lately, so I hope we can keep it that way.
Bringing the