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reduced to twenty…five； and provision was made for the 〃muster out〃 of many of the surplus officers； and for retaining others to be absorbed by the usual promotions and casualties。 On the 7th of May of that year； by authority of an act of Congress approved June 30； 1834； nine field…officers and fifty…nine captains and subalterns were detached and ordered to report to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs； to serve as Indian superintendents and agents。 Thus by an old law surplus army officers were made to displace the usual civil appointees； undoubtedly a change for the better； but most distasteful to members of Congress； who looked to these appointments as part of their proper patronage。 The consequence was the law of July 15； 1870； which vacated the military commission of any officer who accepted or exercised the functions of a civil officer。 I was then told that certain politicians called on President Grant； informing him that this law was chiefly designed to prevent his using army officers for Indian agents； 〃civil offices；〃 which he believed to be both judicious and wise； army officers； as a rule； being better qualified to deal with Indians than the average political appointees。 The President then quietly replied： 〃Gentlemen； you have defeated my plan of Indian management； but you shall not succeed in your purpose； for I will divide these appointments up among the religious churches； with which you dare not contend。〃 The army officers were consequently relieved of their 〃civil offices；〃 and the Indian agencies were apportioned to the several religious churches in about the proportion of theirsupposed strengthsome to the Quakers； some to the Methodists； to the Catholics； Episcopalians； Presbyterians； etc。； etc。and thus it remains to the present time； these religious communities selecting the agents to be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior。 The Quakers； being first named； gave name to the policy； and it is called the 〃Quaker〃 policy to…day。 Meantime railroads and settlements by hardy； bold pioneers have made the character of Indian agents of small concern； and it matters little who are the beneficiaries。
As was clearly foreseen； General U。 S。 Grant was duly nominated； and on the 7th of November； 1868； was elected President of the United States for the four years beginning with March 4； 1869。
On the 15th and 16th of December； 1868； the four societies of the Armies of the Cumberland； Tennessee； Ohio； and Georgia； held a joint reunion at Chicago； at which were present over two thousand of the surviving officers and soldiers of the war。 The ceremonies consisted of the joint meeting in Crosby's magnificent opera…house； at which General George H。 Thomas presided。 General W。 W。 Belknap was the orator for the Army of the Tennessee； General Charles Cruft for the Army of the Cumberland； General J。 D。 Cox for the Army of the Ohio； and General William Cogswell for the Army of Georgia。 The banquet was held in the vast Chamber of Commerce； at which I presided。 General Grant； President…elect； General J。 M。 Schofield； Secretary of War； General H。 W。 Slocum； and nearly every general officer of note was present except General Sheridan； who at the moment was fighting the Cheyennes in Southern Kansas and the Indian country。
At that time we discussed the army changes which would necessarily occur in the following March； and it was generally understood that I was to succeed General Grant as general…in…chief； but as to my successor； Meade； Thomas； and Sheridan were candidates。 And here I will remark that General Grant； afterward famous as the 〃silent man；〃 used to be very gossipy； and no one was ever more fond than he of telling anecdotes of our West Point and early army life。 At the Chicago reunion he told me that I would have to come to Washington； that he wanted me to effect a change as to the general staff； which he had long contemplated； and which was outlined in his letter to Mr。 Stanton of January 29；1866； given hereafter； which had been repeatedly published； and was well known to the military world； that on being inaugurated President on the 4th of March he would retain General Schofield as his Secretary of War until the change had become habitual； that the modern custom of the Secretary of War giving military orders to the adjutant…general and other staff officers was positively wrong and should be stopped。 Speaking of General Grant's personal characteristics at that period of his life； I recall a conversation in his carriage； when； riding down Pennsylvania Avenue； he； inquired of me in a humorous way； 〃Sherman； what special hobby do you intend to adopt？〃 I inquired what he meant； and he explained that all men had their special weakness or vanity； and that it was wiser to choose one's own than to leave the newspapers to affix one less acceptable； and that for his part he had chosen the〃horse；〃 so that when anyoue tried to pump him he would turn the conversation to his 〃horse。〃 I answered that I would stick to the 〃theatre and balls；〃 for I was always fond of seeing young people happy； and did actually acquire a reputation for 〃dancing；〃 though I had not attempted the waltz； or anything more than the ordinary cotillon； since the war。
On the 24th of February； 1869； I was summoned to Washington； arriving on the 26th； taking along my aides； Lieutenant…Colonels Dayton and Audenried。
On the 4th of March General Grant was duly inaugurated President of the United States； and I was nominated and confirmed as General of the Army。
Major…General P。 H。 Sheridan was at the name time nominated and confirmed as lieutenant…general； with orders to command the Military Division of the Missouri； which he did； moving the headquarters from St。 Louis to Chicago； and General Meade was assigned to command the Military Division of the Atlantic； with headquarters at Philadelphia。
At that moment General Meade was in Atlanta； Georgia； commanding the Third Military District under the 〃Reconstruction Act；〃 and General Thomas； whose post was in Nashville； was in Washington on a court of inquiry investigating certain allegations against General A。 B。 Dyer； Chief of Ordnance。 He occupied the room of the second floor in the building on the corner of H and Fifteenth Streets； since become Wormley's Hotel。 I at the time was staying with my brother； Senator Sherman； at his residence； 1321 K Street； and it was my habit each morning to stop at Thomas's room on my way to the office in the War Department to tell him the military news； and to talk over matters of common interest。 We had been intimately associated as 〃man and boy〃 for thirty…odd years； and I profess to have had better opportunities to know him than any man then living。 His fame as the 〃Rock of Chickamauga〃 was perfect； and by the world at large he was considered an the embodiment of strength； calmness； and imperturbability。 Yet of all my acquaintances Thomas worried and fretted over what he construed neglects or acts of favoritism more than any other。
At that time he was much worried by what he supposed was injustice in the promotion of General Sheridan； and still more that General Meade should have an Eastern station； which compelled him to remain at Nashville or go to the