MAHAN'S "AMERICAN WAR."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—In your criticism of "A Critical History of the Late American War" you professedly convict me of an essential error in respect to an important historical fact. The following are your statements :—" He [Dr. Mahan] says that Schofield received the order to move on the 14th of January, but as a Matter of fact, he got it on the 7th. Now, as Dr. Mahan does not date his own letters
conveying the all-saving advice, we do not know whether it was sent to Washington before or after the 7th." If you will turn to " Greeley's History of the American Conflict," Vol. II., page 715, you will find the definite statement that General Schofield received the order under consideration on "January 14," as stated by me, and that is the statement which I copied in my history.
This statement of Mr. Greeley is preceded by one to this effect, that his preceding narrations had left General Schofield, January 8th, at Clifton, under orders to move his army down the Mississippi to East Port. Mr. Greeley then adds that on "January 14" General Schofield received the counter-order which brought his army round to Washington, then to Wilming- ton, and then to Goldsboro', just before Sherman arrived there, and thus was prevented the bloody battle then pending between Sher- man and Johnston, and the war brought to a bloodless termina- tion. The correctness of the dates given by Mr. Greeley will not, I am confident, be questioned.
Facts stated in my letters to Washington absolutely evince also that they were written and forwarded prior even to "January 7th," namely, while General Sherman lay at Savannah. I of course except the one written to Mr. Sumner after it was known that General Schofield had gone round to join General Sherman.
An individual who writes a critical history, does, in fact, invite
criticism, and should not be offended when it appears to him severe or erroneous. For myself, I cannot claim a wider space in your columns than the above few lines will occupy. Were your columns open to a stranger in England, I would avail myself of the privilege of making a very few additional statements which might be of interest to your readers.—I am, Sir, &c.,
17 Rochester Square, N. W., April 4. ASA MAHAN.
[" On the 7th of January General Thomas was directed, if he WII.N assured of the departure of Hood south from Corinth, to send General Schofield with his corps east, with as little delay as possible."—Report
of General Grant, p.30. "Washington, February 2, 1865.
"I have the honour to inform you, that in accordance with your orders, the 23rd Army Corps, Major-lkeneml Schofield commanding, has been transferred from Clifton on the Tennessee to the Potomac. Under the instructions of the Hon. C. A. Dana, Assistant-Secretary of War, I left this city on the 11th ultimo, to take the general supervision of the movement."—Colonel Parsons, in Quartermaster- General' s Report, p. 132.
The above seem sufficient replies to our correspondent. Mr.
Greeley is no authority on the military proceedings of 1861-65.— ED. Spectator.]
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