656 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



was engaged on Sunday with General Sherman, and, 

 I think, also on Monday, in regard to the War De- 

 partment matter, with a hope, though he did not say 

 in an effort, to procure an amicable settlement of the 

 affair of Mr. Stanton, and he still hoped that it would 

 be brought about. 



I have the honor to be. with great respect, your 

 obedient servant, WILLIAM H. SEWAED. 



To the PRESIDENT. 



The accompanying letter from General Grant, 

 received since the transmission to the House of Eep- 

 resentatives of my communication of this date, is 

 submitted to the House as a part of the correspond- 

 ence referred to in the resolution of the 10th instant. 

 ANDEEW JOHNSON. 



WASHINGTON, D. C., February 11, 1868. 



HEADQUARTEES ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES, ) 

 WASHINGTON, D. C., February 11, 1868. ) 

 SIB : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt 

 of your communication of the 10th instant, accompa- 

 nied by statements of five Cabinet ministers of their 

 recollection of what occurred in Cabinet meeting on 

 the 14th of January. Without admitting any thing 

 in these statements where they differ from any thing 

 heretofore stated by me, I propose to notice only that 

 portion of your communication wherein I am charged 

 with insubordination. I think it will be plain to the 

 reader of my letter of the 30th of January that 1 

 did not propose to disobey any legal order of the 

 President, distinctly given, but only gave an inter- 

 pretation of what would be regarded as satisfactory 

 evidence of the President's sanction to orders com- 

 municated by the Secretary of War. I will say here 

 that your letter of the 10th instant contains the first 

 intimation I have had that you did not accept that 

 interpretation. 



Now for reasons for giving that interpretation : it 

 was clear to me before my letter of January 30th was 

 written, that I, the person having more public busi- 

 ness to transact with the Secretary of War than any 

 other of the President's subordinates, was the only 

 one who had been instructed to disregard the author- 

 ity of Mr. Stanton where his authority was denied as 

 agent of the President. 



On the 27th of January I received a letter from the 

 Secretary of War (copy herewith) directing me to 

 furnish escort to public treasure from the Eio Grande 

 to New Orleans, etc., at the request of the Secretary 

 of the Treasury to him. I also send two other en- 

 closures, showing recognition of Mr. Stanton as Sec- 

 retary of War by both the Secretary of the Treasury 

 and the Postmaster-General, in all of which cases the 

 Secretary of War had to call upon me to make the 

 orders requested or give the information desired, and 

 where his authority to do so is derived, in my view, 

 as agent of the President. 



With an order so clearly ambiguous as that of the 

 President here referred to, it was my duty to inform 

 the President of my interpretation of it, and to abide 

 by that interpretation until I received other orders. 



Disclaiming any intention now or heretofore of dis- 

 obeying any legal order of the President distinctly 

 communicated, I remain, very respectfully, your 

 obedient servant, U. S. GEANT, General. 



His Excellency A. JOHNSON, 



President of the United States. 



WAR DEPARTMENT, ' ) 

 WASHINGTON CITT, January 27, 1868. j 

 GENERAL : The Secretary of the Treasury has re- 

 quested this Department to afford A. F. Eandall, 

 special ag_ent of the Treasury Department, such 

 military aid as may be necessary to secure and for- 

 ward, for deposits, from Brownsville. Texas, to New 

 Orleans, public moneys in possession of custom- 

 house officers at Brownsville, and which are deemed 

 insecure at that place. 



You will please give such directions as you may 

 deem proper to the officer commanding at Browns- 

 ville to carry into effect the request of the Treasury 

 Department, the instructions to be sent by telegraph 

 to Galveston, to the care of A. F. Eandall, special 

 agent, who is at Galveston waiting telegraphic or- 

 ders, there being no telegraphic communication with 

 Brownsville and the necessity for military protection 

 to the public moneys represented as urgent. 



Please favor me with a copy of such instructions as 

 you may give, in order that they may be communi- 

 cated to the Secretary of the Treasury. 



Yours truly, 



EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. 

 To General U. S. GRANT, commanding U. S. A. 



HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE UNITED STATES, ) 

 February 11, 1868. ) 

 Official copy : 

 GEOEGE K. LEET, Assistant Adjutant- General. 



POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, CONTRACT OFFICE, ) 

 WASHINGTON, February 3, 1868. f 



SIR : It has been represented to this Department 

 that in October last a military commission was ap- 

 pointed to settle upon some general plan of defence 

 for the Texas frontiers, and that the said commission 

 has made a report recommending a line of posts from 

 the Eio Grande to the Eed Eiver. 



An application is now pending in this Department 

 for a change in the course of the San Antonio and 

 El Paso mail, so as to send it by way of Forts Mason, 

 Griffin, and Stockton, instead of by Camps Hudson 

 and Lancaster. This application requires immediate 

 decision, but before final action can be had thereon 

 it is desired to have some official information as to 

 the report of the commission above referred to. 



Accordingly I have the honor to request that you 

 will cause this Department to be furnished, as early 

 as possible, with the information desired in the 

 premises, and also with a copy of the report, if any 

 has been made by the commission. 

 Very respectfully, etc., 



GEOEGE W. McLELLAN, 

 Second Assistant Postmaster-General. 



February 3, 1868. 



The Honorable Secretary of War. 

 Eeferred to the General of the Army for report. 

 EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War. 



HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF UNITED STATES, ) 

 February 11, 1868. ) 

 Official copy : 

 GEOEGE K. LEET, Assistant Adjutant-General. 



TREASURY DEPARTMENT, January 29, 1868. 



SIR: It is represented to this Department that a 

 band of robbers has obtained such a foothold in the 

 section of country between Humboldt and Lawrence, 

 Kansas, committing depredations upon travellers, 

 both by public and private conveyance, that the 

 safety of the public money collected by the receiver 

 of the land-office at Humboldt requires that it should 

 be guarded during its transit from Humboldt to 

 Lawrence. I have, therefore, the honor to request 

 that the proper commanding officer of the district 

 may be instructed by the War Department, if in the 

 opinion of the Honorable Secretary of War it can be 

 done without prejudice to the public interests, to 

 furnish a sufficient military guard to protect such 

 moneys as may be in transitu from the above office 

 for the purpose of being deposited to the credit of 

 the Treasurer of the United States. As far as we are 

 now advised such service will not be necessary oftener 

 than once a month. Will you please advise me of the 

 action taken, that I may instruct the receiver and tho 

 Commissioner of the General Land-Office in tho 

 matter? Very respectfully, yours, etc., 



H. McCULLOCH, Secretary of the Treasury. 



To the Honorable Secretary of War. 



