All　orders　and　instructions　relating　to　military　operations　issued　by　the　President　or　Secretary　of　War　will　be　issued　through　the　General　of　the　Army。
  JOHN　A。　　RAWLINS；　Secretary　of　War。
  By　command　of　General　SHERMAN：
  E。　　D。　　TOWNSEND；　Assistant　Adjutant…General。
  Thus　we　were　thrown　back　on　the　old　method　in　having　a　doubleif　not　a　treble…headed　machine。　　Each　head　of　a　bureau　in　daily　consultation　with　the　Secretary　of　War；　and　the　general　to　command　without　an　adjutant；　quartermaster；　commissary；　or　any　staff　except　his　own　aides；　often　reading　in　the　newspapers　of　military　events　and　orders　before　he　could　be　consulted　or　informed。　　This　was　the　very　reverse　of　what　General　Grant；　after　four　years'　experience　in　Washington　as　general…in…chief；　seemed　to　want；　different　from　what　he　had　explained　to　me　in　Chicago；　and　totally　different　from　the　demand　he　had　made　on　Secretary　of　War　Stanton　in　his　complete　letter　of　January　29；　1866。　　I　went　to　him　to　know　the　cause：　He　said　he　had　been　informed　by　members　of　Congress　that　his　action；　as　defined　by　his　order　of　March　5th；　was　regarded　as　a　violation　of　laws　making　provision　for　the　bureaus　of　the　War　Department；　that　he　had　repealed　his　own　orders；　but　not　mine；　and　that　he　had　no　doubt　that　General　Rawlins　and　I　could　draw　the　line　of　separation　satisfactorily　to　us　both。　　General　Rawlins　was　very　conscientious；　but　a　very　sick　man　when　appointed　Secretary　of　War。　Several　times　he　made　orders　through　the　adjutant…general　to　individuals　of　the　army　without　notifying　me；　but　always　when　his　attention　was　called　to　it　he　apologized；　and　repeatedly　said　to　me　that　he　understood　from　his　experience　on　General　Grant's　staff　how　almost　insulting　it　was　for　orders　to　go　to　individuals　of　a　regiment；　brigade；　division；　or　an　army　of　any　kind　without　the　commanding　officer　being　consulted　or　even　advised。　　This　habit　is　more　common　at　Washington　than　any　place　on　earth；　unless　it　be　in　London；　where　nearly　the　same　condition　of　facts　exists。　　Members　of　Congress　daily　appeal　to　the　Secretary　of　War　for　the　discharge　of　some　soldier　on　the　application　of　a　mother；　or　some　young　officer　has　to　be　dry…nursed；　withdrawn　from　his　company　on　the　plains　to　be　stationed　near　home。　　The　Secretary　of　War；　sometimes　moved　by　private　reasons；　or　more　likely　to　oblige　the　member　of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　STA