Determined　to　bring　the　matter　to　an　issue；　I　wrote　the　following　letter
  HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　OF　THE　　UNITED　STATES；　WASHINGTON；　D。　　C。；　August　17；　1870。
  General　W。　W。　BELKNAP；　Secretary　of　War。
  GENERAL：　I　must　urgently　and　respectfully　invite　your　attention　when　at　leisure　to　a　matter　of　deep　interest　to　future　commanding　generals　of　the　army　more　than　to　myself；　of　the　imperative　necessity　of　fiXing　and　clearly　defining　the　limits　of　the　powers　and　duties　of　the　general　of　the　army　or　of　whomsoever　may　succeed　to　the　place　of　commander…in…chief。
  The　case　is　well　stated　by　General　Grant　in　his　letter　of　January　29；　1866；　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　Mr。　Stanton；　hereto　appended；　and　though　I　find　no　official　answer　recorded；　I　remember　that　General　Grant　told　me　that　the　Secretary　of　War　had　promptly　assured　him　in　conversation　that　he　fully　approved　of　his　views　as　expressed　in　this　letter。
  At　that　time　the　subject　was　much　discussed；　and　soon　after　Congress　enacted　the　bill　reviving　the　grade　of　general；　which　bill　was　approved　July　25；　1866；　and　provided　that　the　general；　when　commissioned；　may　be　authorized　under　the　direction　and　during　the　pleasure　of　the　President　to　command　the　armies　of　the　United　States；　and　a　few　days　after；　viz。；　July　28；　1866；　was　enacted　the　law　which　defined　the　military　peace　establishment。　　The　enacting　clause　reads：　〃That　the　military　peace　establishment　of　the　United。　States　shall　hereafter　consist　of　five　regiments　of　artillery；　ten　regiments　of　cavalry；　forty…five　regiments　of　infantry；　the　professors　and　Corps　of　Cadets　of　the　United　States　Military　Academy；　and　such　other　forces　as　shall　be　provided　for　by　this　act；　to　be　known　as　the　army　of　the　United　States。〃
  The　act　then　recites　in　great　detail　all　the　parts　of　the　army；　making　no　distinction　between　the　line　and　staff；　but　clearly　makes　each　and　every　part　an　element　of　the　whole。
  Section　37　provides　for　a　board　to　revise　the　army　regulations　and　report；　and　declares　that　the　regulations　then　in　force；　viz。；　those　of　1863；　should　remain　until　Congress　〃shall　act　on　said　report；〃　and　section　38　and　last　enacts　that　all　laws　and　parts　of　laws　inconsistent　with　the　provisions　of　this　act　be　and　the　same　are　hereby　repealed。
  Under　the　provisions　of　this　law　my　predecessor；　General　Grant；　did　not　hesitate　to　command　and　make　orders　to　all　parts　of　the　army；　the　Military　Academy；　and　staff；　and　it　was　under　his　advice　that　the　new　regulations　were　compiled　in　1868　that　drew　the　line　more　clearly　between　the　high　and　responsible　duties　of　the　Secretary　of　War　and　the　general　of　the　army。　　He　assured　me　many　a　time　before　I　was　called　here　to　succeed　him　that　he　wanted　me　to　perfect　the　distinction；　and　it　was　by　his　express　orders　that　on　assuming　the　command　of　the　army　I　specifically　placed　the　heads　of　the　staff　corps　here　in　Washington　in　the　exact　relation　to　the　army　which　they　would　bear　to　an　army　in　the　field。
  I　am　aware　that　subsequently；　in　his　orders　of　March　26th；　he　modified　his　former　orders　of　March　5th；　but　only　as　to　the　heads　of　bureaus　in　Washington；　who　have；　he　told　me；　certain　functions　of　office　imposed　on　them　by　special　laws　of　Congress；　which　laws；　of　course；　override　all　orders　and　regulations；　but　I　did　not　either　understand　from　him　in　person；　or　from　General　Rawlins；　at　whose　instance　this　order　was　made；　that　it　was　designed　in　any　way　to　modify；　alter；　or　change　his　purposes　that　division　and　department　commanders；　as　well　as　the　general　of　the　army；　should　exercise　the　same　command　of　the　staff　as　they　did　of　the　line　of　the　army。
  I　need　not　remind　the　Secretary　that　orders　and　reports　are　made　to　and　from　the　Military　Academy　which　the　general　does　not　even　see；　though　the　Military　Academy　is　specifically　named　as　a　part　of　that　army　which　he　is　required　to　command。　　Leaves　of　absence　are　granted；　the　stations　of　officers　are　changed；　and　other　orders　are　now　made　directly　to　the　army；　not　through　the　general；　but　direct　through　other　officials　and　the　adjutant…general。
  So　long　as　this　is　the　case　I　surely　do　not　command　the　army　of　the　United　States；　and　am　not　responsible　for　it。
  I　am　aware　that　the　confusion　results　from　the　fact　that　the　thirty…seventh　section　of　the　act　of　July　28；　1866；　clothes　the　army　regulations　of　1863　with　the　sanction　of　law；　but　the　next　section　repeals　all　laws　and　parts　of　laws　inconsistent　with　the　provisions　of　this　act。　　The　regulations　of　1863　are　but　a　compilation　of　orders　made　prior　to　the　war；　when　such　men　as　Davis　and　Floyd　took　pleasure　in　stripping　General　Scott　of　even　the　semblance　of　power；　and　purposely　reduced　him　to　a　cipher　in　the　command　of　the　army。
  Not　one　word　can　be　found　in　those　regulations　speaking　of　the　duties　of　the　lieutenant…general　commanding　the　army；　or　defining　a　single　act　of　authority　rightfully　devolving　on　him。　　Not　a　single　mention　is　made　of　the　rights　and　duties　of　a　commander…in…chief　of　the　army。　　He　is　ignored；　and　purposely；　too；　as　a　part　of　the　programme　resulting　in　the　rebellion；　that　the　army　without　a　legitimate　head　should　pass　into　the　anarchy　which　these　men　were　shaping　for　the　whole　country。
  I　invite　your　attention　to　the　army　regulations　of　1847；　when　our　best　soldiers　lived；　among　whom　was　your　own　father；　and　see　paragraphs　48　and　49；　page　8；　and　they　are　so　important　that　I　quote　them　entire：
  〃48。　　The　military　establishment　is　placed　under　the　orders　of　the　major…general　commanding　in　chief　in　all　that　regards　its　discipline　and　military　control。　　Its　fiscal　arrangements　properly　belong　to　the　administrative　departments　of　the　staff　and　to　the　Treasury　Department　under　the　direction　of　the　Secretary　of　War。
  〃49。　　The　general　of　the　army　will　watch　over　the　economy　of　the　service　in　all　that　relates　to　the　expenditure　of　money；　supply　of　arms；　ordnance　and　ordnance　stores；　clothing；　equipments；　camp…equipage；　medical　and　hospital　stores；　barracks；　quarters；　transportation；　Military　Academy；　pay；　and　subsistence：　in　short；　everything　which　enters　into　the　expenses　of　the　military　establishment；　whether　personal　or　material。　　He　will　also　see　that　the　estimates　for　the　military　service　are　based　on　proper　data；　and　made　for　the　objects　contemplated　by　law；　and　necessary　to　the　due　support　and　useful　employment　of　the　army。　　In　carrying　into　effect　these　important　duties；　he　will　call　to　his　counsel　and　assistance　the　staff；　and　those　officers　proper；　in　his　opinion；　to　be　employed　in　verifying　and　inspecting　all　the　objects　which　may　require　attention。　　The　rules　and　regulations　established　for　the　government　of　the　army；　and　the　laws　relating　to　the　military　establishment；　are　the　guides　to　the　commanding　general　in　the　performance　of　his　duties。〃
  Why　was　this；　or　why　was　all　mention　of　any　field　of　duty　for　the　head　of　the　army　left　out　of　the　army　regulations？　　Simply　because　Jefferson　Davis　had　a　purpose；　and　absorbed　to　himself；　as　Secretary　of　War；　as　General　Grant　well　says；　all　the　powers　of　commander…in…chief。　　Floyd　succeeded　him；　and　the　last　regulations　of　1863　were　but　a　new　compilation　of　their　orders；　hastily　collected　and　published　to　supply　a　vast　army　with　a　new　edition。
  I　contend　that　all　parts　of　these　regulations　inconsistent　with　the　law　of　July　28；　1866；　are　repealed。
  I　surely　do　not　ask　for　any　power　myself；　but　I　hope　and　trust；　now　when　we　have　a　military　President　and　a　military　Secretary　of　War；　that　in　the　new　regulations　to　be　laid　before　Congress　next　session　the　functions　and　duties　of　the　commander…in…chief　will　be　so　clearly　marked　out　and　defined　that　they　may　be　understood　by　himself　and　the　army　at　large。
  I　am；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　General。
  ＇Inclosure。＇
  WASHINGTON；　January　29；　1866。
  Hon。　E。　M。　STANTON；　Secretary　of　War：
  》From　the　period　of　the　difficulties　between　Major…General　（now　Lieutenant…General）　Scott　with　Secretary　Marcy；　during　the　administration　of　President　Polk；　the　command　of　the　army　virtually　passed　into　the　hands　of　the　Secretary　of　War。
  》From　that　day　to　the　breaking　out　of　the　rebellion　the　general…　in…chief　never　kept　his　headquarters　in　Washington；　and　could　not；　consequently；　with　propriety　resume　his　proper　functions。　　To　administer　the　affairs　of　the　army　properly；　headquarters　and　the　adjutant…general's　office　must　be　in　the　same　place。
  During　the　war；　while　in　the　field；　my　functions　as　commander　of　all　the　armies　was　never　impaired；　but　were　facilitated　in　all　essential　matters　by　the　Administration　and　by　the　War　Department。　Now；　however；　that　the　war　is　over；　and　I　have　brought　my　head…　quarters　to　the　city；　I　find　my　present　position　embarrassing　and；　I　think；　out　of　place。　　I　have　been　intending；　or　did　intend；　to　make　the　beginning　of　the　New　Year　the　time　to　bring　this　matter　before　you；　with　the　view　of　asking　to　have　the　old　condition　of　affairs　restored；　but　from　diffidence　about　mentioning　the　matter　have　delayed。　　In　a　few　words　I　will　state　what　I　conceive　to　be　my　duties　and　my　place；　and　ask　respectfully　to　be　restored　to　them　and　it。
  The　entire　adjutant…general's　office　should　be　under　the　entire　control　of　the　general…in…chief　of　th