[
1090]
Grant did immediately after an interview with
General Butler suspend the order and announce his intention of relieving me from duty there, other reasons must be sought, different from any assigned, for this sudden change of views and action.
Since I have been in New York, I have heard from two different sources (one being from
General Grant's headquarters and one a staff officer of a general on intimate official relations with
General Butler) that
General Butler went to
General Grant and threatened to expose his intoxication if the order was not revoked.
I also learned that
General Butler had threatened to make public something that would prevent the
President's re-election.
General Grant told me (when I asked him about
General Butler's threat of crushing me) that he had heard that
General Butler had made some threat with reference to the Chicago convention, which he (
Butler) said “he had in his breeches pocket,” but
General Grant was not clear in expressing what the threat was. I refer to this simply because I feel convinced that the change was not made for any of the reasons that have been assigned, and whether
General Butler has threatened
General Grant with his opposition to
Mr. Lincoln at the coming election, or has appealed to any political aspirations which
General Grant may entertain, I do not know, but one thing is certain, I was not guilty of any acts of insubordination between my appointment and my suspension, for I was absent all those days on leave of absence from
General Grant.
I only hope this long story will not tire you, and that it will convince you that I have done nothing to deserve a loss of the confidence which was reposed in me.
Yours very truly,
P. S. I have not referred to the state of things existing at Headquarters when I left, and to the fact that
General Grant was then in the habit of getting liquor in a surreptitious manner, because it was not relevant to my case; but if you think at any time the matter may be of importance to the country I will give it to you. Should you wish to write to me, please address care of
S. E. Lyon, Jauncy Court, 39 Wall Street, N. Y.
Wm. F. S.
, pp. 555, 556.
.
The terrible experiences of May and June in assaults on intrenched positions; assaults made, often, not at a carefully selected point, but “all along the line” ; assaults made as if it were a good thing to assault, and not a dire necessity; assaults made without an adequate concentration of troops, often without time for careful preparation, sometimes even without examination of the ground — these bitter experiences had naturally brought about a reaction, by which efforts to outflank the enemy were to become the order of the day, so that the months of July and August were largely to be occupied in rapid movements, now to the right