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tary of War for the discharge of some soldier on the application of a mother； or some young officer has to be dry…nursed； withdrawn from his company on the plains to be stationed near home。 The Secretary of War； sometimes moved by private reasons； or more likely to oblige the member of Congress； grants the order； of which the commanding general knows nothing till he reads it in the newspapers。 Also； an Indian tribe； goaded by the pressure of white neighbors； breaks out in revolt。 The general…in…chief must reenforce the local garrisons not only with men； but horses； wagons； ammunition； and food。 All the necessary information is in the staff bureaus in Washington； but the general has no right to call for it； and generally finds it more practicable to ask by telegraph of the distant division or department commanders for the information before making the formal orders。 The general in actual command of the army should have a full staff； subject to his own command。 If not； he cannot be held responsible for results。
General Rawlins sank away visibly； rapidly； and died in Washington； September 6；1869； and I was appointed to perform the duties of his office till a successor could be selected。 I realized how much easier and better it was to have both offices conjoined。
The army then had one constitutional commander…in…chief of both army and navy； and one actual commanding general； bringing all parts into real harmony。 An army to be useful must be a unit； and out of this has grown the saying； attributed to Napoleon； but doubtless spoken before the days of Alexander； that an army with an inefficient commander was better than one with two able heads。 Our political system and methods； however； demanded a separate Secretary of War； and in October President Grant asked me to scan the list of the volunteer generals of good record who had served in the civil war； preferably from the 〃West。〃 I did so； and submitted to him in writing the names of W。 W。 Belknap； of Iowa； G。 M。 Dodge； the Chief Engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad； and Lucius Fairchild； of Madison； Wisconsin。 I also named General John W。 Sprague； then employed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in Washington Territory。 General Grant knew them all personally； and said if General Dodge were not connected with the Union Pacific Railroad； with which the Secretary of War must necessarily have large transactions； he would choose him； but as the case stood； and remembering the very excellent speech made by General Belknap at the Chicago reunion of December； 1868； he authorized me to communicate with him to ascertain if he were willing to come to Washington as Secretary of War。 General Belknap was then the collector of internal revenue at Keokuk； Iowa。 I telegraphed him and received a prompt and favorable answer。 His name was sent to the Senate； promptly confirmed； and he entered on his duties October 25；1869。 General Belknap surely had at that date as fair a fame as any officer of volunteers of my personal acquaintance。 He took up the business where it was left off； and gradually fell into the current which led to the command of the army itself as of the legal and financial matters which properly pertain to the War Department。 Orders granting leaves of absence to officers； transfers； discharges of soldiers for favor； and all the old abuses； which had embittered the life of General Scott in the days of Secretaries of War Marcy and Davis； were renewed。 I called his attention to these facts； but without sensible effect。 My office was under his in the old War Department； and one day I sent my aide…de…camp； Colonel Audenried； up to him with some message； and when he returned red as a beet； very much agitated； he asked me as a personal favor never again to send him to General Belknap。 I inquired his reason； and he explained that he had been treated with a rudeness and discourtesy he had never seen displayed by any officer to a soldier。 Colonel Audenried was one of the most polished gentlemen in the army； noted for his personal bearing and deportment； and I had some trouble to impress on him the patience necessary for the occasion； but I promised on future occasions to send some other or go myself。 Things went on from bad to worse； till in 1870 I received from Mr。 Hugh Campbell； of St。 Louis； a personal friend and an honorable gentleman； a telegraphic message complaining that I had removed from his position Mr。 Ward； post trader at Fort Laramie； with only a month in which to dispose of his large stock of goods； to make room for his successor。
It so happened that we of the Indian Peace Commission had been much indebted to this same trader； Ward； for advances of flour； sugar； and coffee； to provide for the Crow Indians； who had come down from their reservation on the Yellowstone to meet us in 1868； before our own supplies had been received。 For a time I could not…comprehend the nature of Mr。 Campbell's complaint； so I telegraphed to the department commander； General C。 C。 Augur； at Omaha； to know if any such occurrence had happened； and the reasons therefor。 I received a prompt answer that it was substantially true； and had been ordered by The Secretary of War。 It so happened that during General Grant's command of the army Congress had given to the general of the army the appointment of 〃post…traders。〃 He had naturally devolved it on the subordinate division and department commanders； but the legal power remained with the general of the army。 I went up to the Secretary of War； showed him the telegraphic correspondence； and pointed out the existing law in the Revised Statutes。 General Belknap was visibly taken aback； and explained that he had supposed the right of appointment rested with him； that Ward was an old rebel Democrat； etc。； whereas Ward had been in fact the sutler of Fort Laramie； a United States military post； throughout the civil war。 I told him that I should revoke his orders； and leave the matter where it belonged； to the local council of administration and commanding officers。 Ward was unanimously reelected and reinstated。 He remained the trader of the post until Congress repealed the law； and gave back the power of appointment to the Secretary of War； when of course he had to go。 But meantime he was able to make the necessary business arrangements which saved him and his partners the sacrifice which would have been necessary in the first instance。 I never had any knowledge whatever of General Belknap's transactions with the traders at Fort Sill and Fort Lincoln which resulted in his downfall。 I have never sought to ascertain his motives for breaking with me； because he knew I had always befriended him while under my military command； and in securing him his office of Secretary of War。 I spoke frequently to President Grant of the growing tendency of his Secretary of War to usurp all the powers of the commanding general； which would surely result in driving me away。 He as frequently promised to bring us together to agree upon a just line of separation of our respective offices； but never did。
Determined to bring the matter to an issue； I wrote the following letter
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES； WASHINGTON； D。 C。； August 17；