hen his headquarters. Several years later General
Joseph E. Johnston gave me the same account, which he had from another
officer of the United States Army, also at the time in the war office. A
letter from General Johnston, confirming the accuracy of my relation,
has been published. Since, I have received a letter, dated New York,
June 6, 1878, wherein the writer states that in Washington, in 1868 or
1869, he had an account of this conference, as I give it, from General
John A. Logan of Illinois. When calling for reenforcements, after his
losses in the Wilderness, General Grant reminded Stanton of his
opposition to the land route in their conference, but added that "he
would now fight it out on this line if it takes all summer." The writer
of this communication is quite unknown to me, but manifests his
sincerity by suggesting that I should write to General Logan, who, he
doubts not, will confirm his statement. I have not so written, because I
have no acquaintance with General Logan, and no desire to press the
matter further. From many sources comes evidence that _a conference_ was
held, which General Grant seems to deny. Moreover, I cannot forget that
in one notable instance a question of fact was raised against General
Grant, with much burden of evidence; and while declaiming any wish or
intent of entering on another, one may hold in all charity that General
Grant's memory may be as treacherous about _facts_ as mine proved about
a _date_, when, in a letter to the "Herald," I stupidly gave two years
after General Halleck's death as the time of his conversation with me.
These considerations have determined me to let the account of the
conference stand as originally written.]

During his operations on the peninsula and near Richmond, McClellan
complained much of want of support; but the constancy with which
President Lincoln adhered to him was, under the circumstances,
surprising. He had drifted away from the dominant Washington sentiment,
and alienated the sympathies of his Government. His fall was inevitable;
the affection of the army but hastened it; even victory could not save
him. He adopted the habit of saying, "My army," "My soldiers." Such
phraseology may be employed by a Frederick or Napoleon, sovereigns as
well as generals; but officers command the armies of their governments.
General McClellan is an upright, patriotic man, incapable of
wrong-doing, and has a high standard of morality, to which he lives more
clo