the matter over, world disobey the order, and stand
the consequences. He manifested much feeling;
and said it was a plot to get rid of him. I then
went to President Johnson, who treated me with great
cordiality, and said that he was very glad I had come;
that General Grant was about to go to Mexico on business
of importance, and he wanted me at Washington to command
the army in General Grant’s absence. I
then informed him that General Grant would not go,
and he seemed amazed; said that it was generally understood
that General Grant construed the occupation of the
territories of our neighbor, Mexico, by French troops,
and the establishment of an empire therein, with an
Austrian prince at its head, as hostile to republican
America, and that the Administration had arranged with
the French Government for the withdrawal of Bazaine’s
troops, which would leave the country free for the
President-elect Juarez to reoccupy the city of Mexico,
etc.,
etc.; that Mr. Campbell had been accredited
to Juarez, and the fact that he was accompanied by
so distinguished a soldier as General Grant would
emphasize the act of the United States. I simply
reiterated that General Grant would not go, and that
he, Mr. Johnson, could not afford to quarrel with
him at that time. I further argued that General
Grant was at the moment engaged on the most delicate
and difficult task of reorganizing the army under
the act of July 28, 1866; that if the real object
was to put Mr. Campbell in official communication with
President Juarez, supposed to be at El Paso or Monterey,
either General Hancock, whose command embraced New
Mexico, or General Sheridan, whose command included
Texas, could fulfill the object perfectly; or, in
the event of neither of these alternates proving satisfactory
to the Secretary of State, that I could be easier
spared than General Grant. “Certainly,”
answered the President, “if you will go, that
will answer perfectly.”
The instructions of the Secretary of State, W. H.
Seward, to Hon. Lewis D. Campbell, Minister to Mexico,
dated October 25, 1866; a letter from President Johnson
to Secretary of War Stanton, dated October 26, 1866;
and the letter of Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War,
to General Grant, dated October 27th, had been already
prepared and printed, and the originals or copies were
furnished me; but on the 30th of October, 1866, the
following letter passed
EXECUTIVE MANSION
Washington, D. C., October 30,1866.
Sir: General Ulysses S. Grant having found
it inconvenient to assume the duties specified in
my letter to you of the 26th inst., you will please
relieve him, and assign them in all respects to William
T. Sherman, Lieutenant-General of the Army of the United
States. By way of guiding General Sherman in
the performance of his duties, you will furnish him
with a copy of your special orders to General Grant
made in compliance with my letter of the 26th inst.,
together with a copy of the instructions of the Secretary
of State to Lewis D. Campbell, Esq., therein mentioned.