Offered the Command of the Army of the Ohio
A large majority—indeed, all but some half-dozen—of the Senate were known to be favorable to the confirmation; but this small minority had control of the Military Committee, and were consequently able to delay any report of the case to the Senate, and thus to thwart the President’s wishes.
The matter stood thus for nearly a month, and seemed no nearer solution than at first, when a despatch was received in Washington from General Grant, then commanding the Military Division of the Mississippi, saying it was necessary to relieve General Foster, on account of ill-health, from the command of the Department and Army of the Ohio, and to appoint a successor. Upon being asked whom he wanted for that command, Grant replied: “Either McPherson or Schofield.”
Among the changes then known in Washington to be in the near future was Grant’s elevation to the command of “all the armies,” to be naturally followed by Sherman’s succession to that of the Division of the Mississippi, and McPherson’s to that of the Army of the Tennessee. But Grant alone, perhaps, had no right to anticipate those changes, hence he gave his just preference to my senior, McPherson.
Halleck handed me Grant’s despatch, and asked me how I would like that. I replied: “That is exactly what I want; nothing in the world could be better.” He then told me to take the despatch to the President, which I immediately did, and in handing it to him said: “If you want to give me that, I will gladly take all chances for the future, whether in the Senate or elsewhere.” Mr. Lincoln replied in his characteristic way: “Why, Schofield, that cuts the knot, don’t it? Tell Halleck to come over here, and we will fix it right away.” I bade the President adieu, and started at once for St. Louis, to turn over my command and proceed to my new field of duty.
I saw Mr. Lincoln only once after that time. That was when, just a year later, I was passing through Washington with the Twenty-third Corps, and called merely to pay my respects. The President greeted me with the words: “Well, Schofield, I have n’t heard anything against you for a year.” Apparently, the great trouble to him with which I had been so closely connected, if not the cause, was uppermost in his mind.
With Mr. Lincoln I had no personal acquaintance, having met him but once, previous to the visit above described. But in assigning me to the command in Missouri he had, contrary to the usual custom, written for me his own instructions, thus inviting my fullest confidence. I had availed myself of this to tell him everything without reserve, and he appeared never to doubt the exact truth of my statements.