ful　greyhounds　were　free　to　enter　at　will。　　The　ambulance　was　repaired；　and　the　next　morning　we　renewed　our　journey；　escorted　by　the　major　and　his　wife　on　their　fine　saddle…horses。
  They　accompanied　us　about　ten　miles　of　the　way；　and；　though　age　has　since　begun　to　tell　on　them；　I　shall　ever　remember　them　in　their　pride　and　strength　as　they　galloped　alongside　our　wagons　down　the　long　slopes　of　the　Spanish　Peaks　in　a　driving　snow…storm。
  And　yet　again　would　it　be　a　pleasant　task　to　recall　the　many　banquets　and　feasts　of　the　various　associations　of　officers　and　soldiers；　who　had　fought　the　good　battles　of　the　civil　war；　in　which　I　shared　as　a　guest　or　host；　when　we　could　indulge　in　a　reasonable　amount　of　glorification　at　deeds　done　and　recorded；　with　wit；　humor；　and　song；　these　when　memory　was　fresh；　and　when　the　old　soldiers　were　made　welcome　to　the　best　of　cheer　and　applause　in　every　city　and　town　of　the　land。　　But　no！　I　must　hurry　to　my　conclusion；　for　this　journey　has　already　been　sufficiently　prolonged。
  I　had　always　intended　to　divide　time　with　my　natural　successor；　General　P。　H。　Sheridan；　and　early；　notified　him　that　I　should　about　the　year　1884　retire　from　the　command　of　the　army；　leaving　him　about　an　equal　period　of　time　for　the　highest　office　in　the　army。　It　so　happened　that　Congress　had　meantime　by　successive　〃enactments　〃cut　down　the　army　to　twenty…five　thousand　men；　the　usual　strength　of　a　corps　d'armee；　the　legitimate　command　of　a　lieutenant…general。　Up　to　1882　officers　not　disabled　by　wounds　or　sickness　could　only　avail　themselves　of　the　privileges　of　retirement　on　application；　after　thirty　years　of　service；　at　sixty…two　years　of　age；　but　on　the　30th　of　June；　1882；　a　bill　was　passed　which；　by　operation　of　the　law　itself；　compulsorily　retired　all　army　officers；　regardless　of　rank；　at　the　age　of　sixty…four　years。　　At　the　time　this　law　was　debated　in　Congress；　I　was　consulted　by　Senators　and　others　in　the　most　friendly　manner；　representing　that；　if　I　wanted　it；　an　exception　could　justly　and　easily　be　made　in　favor　of　the　general　and　lieutenant…general；　whose　commissions　expired　with　their　lives；　but　I　invariably　replied　that　I　did　not　ask　or　expect　an　exception　in　my　case；　because　no　one　could　know　or　realize　when　his　own　mental　and　physical　powers　began　to　decline。　　I　remembered　well　the　experience　of　Gil　Blas　with　the　Bishop　of　Granada；　and　favored　the　passage　of　the　law　fixing　a　positive　period　for　retirement；　to　obviate　in　the　future　special　cases　of　injustice　such　as　I　had　seen　in　the　recent　past。　The　law　was　passed；　and　every　officer　then　knew　the　very　day　on　which　he　must　retire；　and　could　make　his　preparations　accordingly。　　In　my　own　case　the　law　was　liberal　in　the　extreme；　being　〃without　reduction　in　his　current　pay　and　allowances。〃
  I　would　be　sixty…four　years　old　on　the　8th　of　February；　1884；　a　date　inconvenient　to　move；　and　not　suited　to　other　incidents；　so　I　resolved　to　retire　on　the　1st　day　of　November；　1883；　to　resume　my　former　home　at　St。　Louis；　and　give　my　successor　ample　time　to　meet　the　incoming　Congress；　But；　preliminary　thereto；　I　concluded　to　make　one　more　tour　of　the　continent；　going　out　to　the　Pacific　by　the　Northern　route；　and　returning　by　that　of　the　thirty…fifth　parallel。　　This　we　accomplished；　beginning　at　Buffalo；　June　21st；　and　ending　at　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　September　30；　1883；　a　full　and　most　excellent　account　of　which　can　be　found　in　Colonel　Tidball's　〃Diary；〃　which　forms　part　of　the　report　of　the　General　of　the　Army　for　the　year　1883。
  Before　retiring　also；　as　was　my　duty；　I　desired　that　my　aides…　de…camp　who　had　been　so　faithful　and　true　to　me　should　not　suffer　by　my　act。　　All　were　to　retain　the　rank　of　colonels　of　cavalry　till　the　last　day；　February　8；　1884；　but　meantime　each　secured　places；　as　follows：
  Colonel　O。　M。　Poe　was　lieutenant…colonel　of　the　Engineer　Corps　United　States　Army；　and　was　by　his　own　choice　assigned　to　Detroit　in　charge　of　the　engineering　works　on　the　Upper　Lakes；　which　duty　was　most　congenial　to　him。
  Colonel　J。　C。　Tidball　was　assigned　to　command　the　Artillery　School　at　Fort　Monroe；　by　　virtue　of　his　commission　as　lieutenant…colonel；　Third　Artillery；　a　station　for　which　he　was　specially　qualified。
  Colonel　John　E。　　Tourtelotte　was　then　entitled　to　promotion　to　major　of　the　Seventh　Cavalry；　a　rank　in　which　he　could　be　certain　of　an　honorable　command。
  The　only　remaining　aide…de…camp　was　Colonel　John　M。　Bacon；　who　utterly　ignored　self　in　his　personal　attachment　to　me。　　He　was　then　a　captain　of　the　Ninth　Cavalry；　but　with　almost　a　certainty　of　promotion　to　be　major　of　the　Seventh　before　the　date　of　my　official　retirement；　which　actually　resulted。　　The　last　two　accompanied　me　to　St。　Louis；　and　remained　with　me　to　the　end。　　Having　previously　accomplished　the　removal　of　my　family　to　St。　Louis；　and　having　completed　my　last　journey　to　the　Pacific；　I　wrote　the　following　letter：
  HEADQUARTERS　ARMY　UNITED　STATES；　WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　October　8；　1883。
  Hon。　R。　T。　LINCOLN；　Secretary　of　War。
  SIR：　By　the　act　of　Congress；　approved　June　30；　1882；　all　army…officers　are　retired　on　reaching　the　age　of　sixty…four　years。　If　living；　I　will　attain　that　age　on　the　8th　day　of　February；　1884；　but　as　that　period　of　the　year　is　not　suited　for　the　changes　necessary　on　my　retirement；　I　have　contemplated　anticipating　the　event　by　several　months；　to　enable　the　President　to　meet　these　changes　at　a　more　convenient　season　of　the　year；　and　also　to　enable　my　successor　to　be　in　office　before　the　assembling　of　the　next　Congress。
  I　therefore　request　authority　to　turn　over　the　command　of　the　army　to　Lieutenant…General　Sheridan　on　the　1st　day　of　November；　1883；　and　that　I　be　ordered　to　my　home　at　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　there　to　await　the　date　of　my　legal　retirement；　and　inasmuch　as　for　a　long　time　I　must　have　much　correspondence　about　war　and　official　matters；　I　also　ask　the　favor　to　have　with　me　for　a　time　my　two　present　aides…de…camp；　Colonels　J。　E。　Tourtelotte　and　J。　M。　Bacon。
  The　others　of　my　personal　staff；　viz。；　Colonels　O。　M。　Poe　and　J。　C。　Tidball；　have　already　been　assigned　to　appropriate　duties　in　their　own　branches　of　the　military　service；　the　engineers　and　artillery。　　All　should　retain　the　rank　and　pay　as　aides…de…camp　until　February　8；1884。　　By　or　before　the　1st　day　of　November　I　can　complete　all　official　reports；　and　believe　I　can　surrender　the　army　to　my　successor　in　good　shape　and　condition；　well　provided　in　all　respects；　and　distributed　for　the　best　interests　of　the　country。
  I　am　grateful　that　my　physical　and　mental…strength　remain　unimpaired　by　years；　and　am　thankful　for　the　liberal　provision　made　by　Congress　for　my　remaining　years；　which　will　enable　me　to　respond　promptly　to　any　call　the　President　may　make　for　my　military　service　or　judgment　as　long　as　I　live。　　I　have　the　honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　General。
  The　answer　was：
  WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON　CITY；　October　10；　1888。
  General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Washington；　D。　C。
  GENERAL：　I　have　submitted　to　the　President　your　letter　of　the　8th　instant；　requesting　that　you　be　relieved　of　the　command　of　the　army　on　the　1st　of　November　next；　as　a　more　convenient　time　for　making　the　changes　in　military　commands　which　must　follow　your　retirement　from　active　service；　than　would　be　the　date　of　your　retirement　under　the　law。
  In　signifying　his　approval　of　your　request；　the　President　directs　me　to　express　to　you　his　earnest　hope　that　there　may　be　given　you　many　years　of　health　and　happiness　in　which　to　enjoy　the　gratitude　of　your　fellow…citizens；　well　earned　by　your　most　distinguished　public　services。
  It　will　give　me　pleasure　to　comply　with　your　wishes　respecting　your　aides…decamp；　and　the　necessary　orders　will　be　duly　issued。
  I　have　the　honor　to　be；　General；　your　obedient　servant；
  ROBERT　T。　　LINCOLN；　Secretary　of　War。
  On　the　27th　day　of　October　I　submitted　to　the　Secretary　of　War；　the　Hon。　R。　T。　Lincoln；　my　last　annual　report；　embracing　among　other　valuable　matters　the　most　interesting　and　condensed　report　of　Colonel　O。　M。　Poe；　A。　D。　C。；　of　the　〃original　conception；　progress；　and　completion〃　of　the　four　great　transcontinental　railways；　which　have　in　my　judgment　done　more　for　the　subjugation　and　civilization　of　the　Indians　than　all　other　causes　combined；　and　have　made　possible　the　utilization　of　the　vast　area　of　pasture　lands　and　mineral　regions　which　before　were　almost　inaccessible；　for　my　agency　in　which　I　feel　as　much　pride　as　for　my　share　in　any　of　the　battles　in　which　I　took　part。
  Promptly　on　the　1st　of　November　were　made　the　following　general　orders；　and　the　command　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States　passed　from　me　to　Lieutenant…General　P。　H。　Sheridan；　with　as　little　ceremony　as　would　attend　the　succession　of　the　lieutenant…colonel　of　a　regiment　to　his　colonel　about　to　take　a　leave　of　absence：
  HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　ARMY　WASHINGTON；　November　1；　1885。
  General　Orders　No。　77：
  By　and　with　the　consent　of　the　President；　as　contained　in　General　Orders　No。　71；　of　October　13；　1883；　the　undersigned　relinquishes　command　of　the　Army　of　the　United　States。
  In　thus　severing　relations　which　have　hitherto　existed　between　us；　he　thanks　all　officers　and　men　for　their　fidelity　to　th