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think you did in the chapter of which this is to form a part—or a correction.
I am very glad you sent on your letter to the
Herald in answer to
Taylor and
Welles.
Young's, without yours, would not have much point.
I become responsible for yours, and I can very well afford it because
Taylor's was a deadly attack upon two now dead-Lincoln &
Stanton—and
Welles upon two dead persons—Stanton and
Halleck—all untrue—the attacks—and I feel it a duty to relieve all three of aspersions so unjust to their memories.
We are going all the time and I am becoming very tired of it. Think we will leave several weeks earlier than we expected.
Our contemplated route, as you know, is to
the Hague,
Copenhagen, through
Sweden,
Norway, then back to
St. Petersburg, through
Prussia &
Austria to quarters for next winter.
All send regards to you. I shall write to
Babcock in a few days.
Yours Truly,
Letter no.
Thirty-seven.
General Townsend, then
Adjutant-General of the Army, had reported to the
Secretary of War, without due examination, and without any inquiry of me, that I did not come within the provisions of the law allowing certain retired officers to accept diplomatic rank, and in consequence my name had been stricken from the retired list of the army.
But I at once laid proof before the Department, through
General Sherman the
General-in-Chief, that
Townsend was wrong, and the order dropping me had been promptly rescinded.
General Grant, as I have elsewhere stated, was very much interested in this matter, for I had been retired by his order as
President, to enable me to take a diplomatic position.
On the death of the
Duchess of
Argyll I had suggested that the
General should write to the
Duke, who had entertained him at Inverary.
