mands　the　army　from　〃his　office；〃　but　cannot　do　so　〃in　the　field〃an　absurdity　in　military　if　not　civil　law。
  The　subordinates　of　these　staff…corps　and　departments　are　selected　and　chosen　from　the　army　itself；　or　fresh　from　West　Point；　and　too　commonly　construe　themselves　into　the　elite；　as　made　of　better　clay　than　the　common　soldier。　　Thus　they　separate　themselves　more　and　more　from　their　comrades　of　the　line；　and　in　process　of　time　realize　the　condition　of　that　old　officer　of　artillery　who　thought　the　army　would　be　a　delightful　place　for　a　gentleman　if　it　were　not　for　the　d…d　soldier；　or；　better　still；　the　conclusion　of　the　young　lord　in　〃Henry　IV。；〃　who　told　Harry　Percy　（Hotspur）　that　〃but　for　these　vile　guns　he　would　himself　have　been　a　soldier。〃　　This　is　all　wrong；　utterly　at　variance　with　our　democratic　form　of　government　and　of　universal　experience；　and　now　that　the　French；　from　whom　we　had　copied　the　system；　have　utterly　〃proscribed〃　it；　I　hope　that　our　Congress　will　follow　suit。　　I　admit；　in　its　fullest　force；　the　strength　of　the　maxim　that　the　civil　law　should　be　superior　to　the　military　in　time　of　peace；　that　the　army　should　be　at　all　times　subject　to　the　direct　control　of　Congress；　and　I　assert　that；　from　the　formation　of　our　Government　to　the　present　day；　the　Regular　Army　has　set　the　highest　example　of　obedience　to　law　and　authority；　but；　for　the　very　reason　that　our　army　is　comparatively　so　very　small；　I　hold　that　it　should　be　the　best　possible；　organized　and　governed　on　true　military　principles；　and　that　in　time　of　peace　we　should　preserve　the　〃habits　and　usages　of　war；〃　so　that；　when　war　does　come；　we　may　not　again　be　compelled　to　suffer　the　disgrace；　confusion；　and　disorder　of　1861。
  The　commanding　officers　of　divisions；　departments；　and　posts；　should　have　the　amplest　powers；　not　only　to　command　their　troops；　but　all　the　stores　designed　for　their　use；　and　the　officers　of　the　staff　necessary　to　administer　them；　within　the　area　of　their　command；　and　then　with　fairness　they　could　be　held　to　the　most　perfect　responsibility。　　The　President　and　Secretary　of　War　can　command　the　army　quite　as　well　through　these　generals　as　through　the　subordinate　staff…officers。　　Of　course；　the　Secretary　would；　as　now；　distribute　the　funds　according　to　the　appropriation　bills；　and　reserve　to　himself　the　absolute　control　and　supervision　of　the　larger　arsenals　and　depots　of　supply。　　The　error　lies　in　the　law；　or　in　the　judicial　interpretation　thereof；　and　no　code　of　army　regulations　can　be　made　that　meets　the　case；　until　Congress；　like　the　French　Corps　Legislatif；　utterly　annihilates　and　〃proscribes〃　the　old　law　and　the　system　which　has　grown　up　under　it。
  It　is　related　of　Napoleon　that　his　last　words　were；　〃Tete　d'armee！〃　Doubtless；　as　the　shadow　of　death　obscured　his　memory；　the　last　thought　that　remained　for　speech　was　of　some　event　when　he　was　directing　an　important　〃head　of　column。〃　　I　believe　that　every　general　who　has　handled　armies　in　battle　most　recall　from　his　own　experience　the　intensity　of　thought　on　some　similar　occasion；　when　by　a　single　command　he　had　given　the　finishing　stroke　to　some　complicated　action；　but　to　me　recurs　another　thought　that　is　worthy　of　record；　and　may　encourage　others　who　are　to　follow　us　in　our　profession。　　I　never　saw　the　rear　of　an　army　engaged　in　battle　but　I　feared　that　some　calamity　had　happened　at　the　front　the　apparent　confusion；　broken　wagons；　crippled　horses；　men　lying　about　dead　and　maimed；　parties　hastening　to　and　fro　in　seeming　disorder；　and　a　general　apprehension　of　something　dreadful　about　to　ensue；　all　these　signs；　however；　lessened　as　I　neared　the　front；　and　there　the　contrast　was　completeperfect　order；　men　and　horsesfull　of　confidence；　and　it　was　not　unusual　for　general　hilarity；　laughing；　and　cheering。　　Although　cannon　might　be　firing；　the　musketry　clattering；　and　the　enemy's　shot　hitting　close；　there　reigned　a　general　feeling　of　strength　and　security　that　bore　a　marked　contrast　to　the　bloody　signs　that　had　drifted　rapidly　to　the　rear；　therefore；　for　comfort　and　safety；　I　surely　would　rather　be　at　the　front　than　the　rear　line　of　battle。　　So　also　on　the　march；　the　head　of　a　column　moves　on　steadily；　while　the　rear　is　alternately　halting　and　then　rushing　forward　to　close　up　the　gap；　and　all　sorts　of　rumors；　especially　the　worst；　float　back　to　the　rear。　　Old　troops　invariably　deem　it　a　special　privilege　to　be　in　the　front…　…to　be　at　the　〃head　of　column〃because　experience　has　taught　them　that　it　is　the　easiest　and　most　comfortable　place；　and　danger　only　adds　zest　and　stimulus　to　this　fact。
  The　hardest　task　in　war　is　to　lie　in　support　of　some　position　or　battery；　under　fire　without　the　privilege　of　returning　it；　or　to　guard　some　train　left　in　the　rear；　within　hearing　but　out　of　danger；　or　to　provide　for　the　wounded　and　dead　of　some　corps　which　is　too　busy　ahead　to　care　for　its　own。
  To　be　at　the　head　of　a　strong　column　of　troops；　in　the　execution　of　some　task　that　requires　brain；　is　the　highest　pleasure　of　wara　grim　one　and　terrible；　but　which　leaves　on　the　mind　and　memory　the　strongest　mark；　to　detect　the　weak　point　of　an　enemy's　line；　to　break　through　with　vehemence　and　thus　lead　to　victory；　or　to　discover　some　key…point　and　hold　it　with　tenacity；　or　to　do　some　other　distinct　act　which　is　afterward　recognized　as　the　real　cause　of　success。　　These　all　become　matters　that　are　never　forgotten。　Other　great　difficulties；　experienced　by　every　general；　are　to　measure　truly　the　thousand…and…one　reports　that　come　to　him　in　the　midst　of　conflict；　to　preserve　a　clear　and　well…defined　purpose　at　every　instant　of　time；　and　to　cause　all　efforts　to　converge　to　that　end。
  To　do　these　things　he　must　know　perfectly　the　strength　and　quality　of　each　part　of　his　own　army；　as　well　as　that　of　his　opponent；　and　must　be　where　he　can　personally　see　and　observe　with　his　own　eyes；　and　judge　with　his　own　mind。　　No　man　can　properly　command　an　army　from　the　rear；　he　must　be　〃at　its　front；〃　and　when　a　detachment　is　made；　the　commander　thereof　should　be　informed　of　the　object　to　be　accomplished；　and　left　as　free　as　possible　to　execute　it　in　his　own　way；　and　when　an　army　is　divided　up　into　several　parts；　the　superior　should　always　attend　that　one　which　he　regards　as　most　important。　　Some　men　think　that　modern　armies　may　be　so　regulated　that　a　general　can　sit　in　an　office　and　play　on　his　several　columns　as　on　the　keys　of　a　piano；　this　is　a　fearful　mistake。　　The　directing　mind　must　be　at　the　very　head　of　the　armymust　be　seen　there；　and　the　effect　of　his　mind　and　personal　energy　must　be　felt　by　every　officer　and　man　present　with　it；　to　secure　the　best　results。　　Every　attempt　to　make　war　easy　and　safe　will　result　in　humiliation　and　disaster。
  Lastly；　mail　facilities　should　be　kept　up　with　an　army　if　possible；　that　officers　and　men　may　receive　and　send　letters　to　their　friends；　thus　maintaining　the　home　influence　of　infinite　assistance　to　discipline。　　Newspaper　correspondents　with　an　army；　as　a　rule；　are　mischievous。　　They　are　the　world's　gossips；　pick　up　and　retail　the　camp　scandal；　and　gradually　drift　to　the　headquarters　of　some　general；　who　finds　it　easier　to　make　reputation　at　home　than　with　his　own　corps　or　division。　　They　are　also　tempted　to　prophesy　events　and　state　facts　which；　to　an　enemy；　reveal　a　purpose　in　time　to　guard　against　it。　　Moreover；　they　are　always　bound　to　see　facts　colored　by　the　partisan　or　political　character　of　their　own　patrons；　and　thus　bring　army　officers　into　the　political　controversies　of　the　day；　which　are　always　mischievons　and　wrong。　Yet；　so　greedy　are　the　people　at　large　for　war　news；　that　it　is　doubtful　whether　any　army　commander　can　exclude　all　reporters；　without　bringing　down　on　himself　a　clamor　that　may　imperil　his　own　safety。　　Time　and　moderation　must　bring　a　just　solution　to　this　modern　difficulty。
  CHAPTER　XXVI。
  AFTER　THE　WAR
  In　the　foregoing　pages　I　have　endeavored　to　describe　the　public　events　in　which　I　was　an　actor　or　spectator　before　and　during　the　civil　war　of　1861…'65；　and　it　now　only　remains　for　me　to　treat　of　similar　matters　of　general　interest　subsequent　to　the　civil　war。　Within　a　few　days　of　the　grand　review　of　May　24；　1865；　I　took　leave　of　the　army　at　Washington；　and　with　my　family　went　to　Chicago　to　attend　a　fair　held　in　the　interest　of　the　families　of　soldiers　impoverished　by　the　war。　　I　remained　there　about　two　weeks；　on　the　22d　of　June　was　at　South　Bend；　Indiana；　where　two　of　my　children　were　at　school；　and　reached　my　native　place；　Lancaster；　Ohio；　on　the　24th。　　On　the　4th　of　July　I　visited　at　Louisville；　Kentucky；　the　Fourteenth；　Fifteenth；　Sixteenth；　and　Seventeenth　Army　Corps；　which　had　come　from　Washington；　under　the　command　of　General　John　A。　Logan；　for　〃muster　out；〃　or　〃further　orders。〃　　I　then　made　a　short　visit　to　General　George　H。　Thomas　at　Nashville；　and　returned　to　Lancaster；　where　I　remained　with　the　family　till　the　receipt　of　General　Orders　No。　118　of　June　27；　1865；　which　divided　the　whole　territory　of　the　United　States　into　nineteen　departments　and　five　military　divisions；　the　second　of　which　was　the　military　division　of　the　〃Mississippi；〃　afterward　changed　to　〃Missouri；〃　Major…　General　W。　T。　Sherman　to　command；　with；　headquarters　at　St