John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

1 [367] personal one, the principal effect of which was to emphasize the general's resentment towards the secretary for the part the latter had taken in the rejection of the agreement between Sherman and Johnston for the capitulation of Johnston's army, and for the re-establishment of peace east of the Mississippi.

During the remaining weeks of his life in Washington, Dana assisted in all the business of the department incident to the arrest and trial of the President's assassins, and to the discharge of the great army of volunteers, but as this was mostly routine work which the permanent bureaus disposed of in the usual manner, he made but little record of the part which fell to his lot. While he worked on to the last with unabated industry, his task was really done, and his mind was henceforth naturally more concerned with his own future as affected by the offer he had received from Chicago to re-enter the profession of journalism.

On June 2d he wrote to me as follows:

... Noyes has been here with your letter, but I was out and did not see him.

Governor Brown is now at large by order of the President, but on what terms I don't know.

The war being over, the army is rapidly being reduced, and new military divisions will at once be created, and lots of general officers and staff-officers will be mustered out. Very likely you may go with the rest, but I know that you will descend as gracefully and probably more cheerfully than you went up. But General Grant will take care of you in one way or another.

I suppose Halleck will command the Pacific coast; Sheridan west of the Mississippi; Thomas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Northern States between the mountains and the Mississippi; Sherman, the South; and Meade, the Atlantic coast from the southern boundary of South Carolina to Canada, with a district commander in every State.