Lincoln, the unknown

182 • LINCOLN THE UNKNOWNown opinion, he was the distinguished scholar, Henry WagerHalleck.And who was Grant? A nobody, a drunken and discreditedarmy captain. When Grant came to see him, before attackingFort Donelson, Halleck was rude, and dismissed his militarysuggestions with irritation and contempt. Now Grant had wona great victory and had the nation at his feet, while Halleck wasstill scratching his elbows in St. Louis, unnoticed and ignored.And it galled Halleck.To make matters worse, he felt that this erstwhile hide-buyerwas insulting him. He telegraphed Grant day after day, andGrant brazenly ignored his orders. At least, so Halleck imagined.But he was wrong. Grant had sent report upon report; but,after the fall of Donelson, a break in telegraphic communicationshad made it impossible for his telegrams to get through.However, Halleck didn't know this, and he was indignant. Victoryand public adulation had gone to Grant's head, had they?Well, he would teach this young upstart a lesson. So he wiredMcClellan repeatedly, denouncing Grant. Grant was this, Grantwas that—insolent, drunk, idle, ignoring orders, incompetent."I'm tired and worn out with this neglect and inefficiency."McClellan, too, was envious of Grant's popularity; so he sentHalleck what, in the light of history, is the most amazing telegramof the Civil War: "Do not hesitate to arrest him [Grant]at once if the good of the service requires it, and place C. F.Smith in command."Halleck immediately took Grant's army away from him, virtuallyplaced him under arrest, and then leaned back in hischair and scratched his elbows with savage satisfaction.The war was almost a year old now, and the only generalwho had won a considerable victory for the North stoodstripped of all power and in public disgrace.Later Grant was restored to command. Then he blunderedwoefully at the Battle of Shiloh; if Johnston, the Confederategeneral, had not bled to death during the fighting,Grant's entirearmy might have been surrounded and captured. Shilohwas, at that time, the greatest battle that had ever been foughton this continent, and Grant's losses were staggering—thirteenthousand men. He had acted stupidly; he had been taken bysurprise. He deserved criticism, and it came roaring down uponhim. He was falsely accused of being intoxicated at Shiloh, and