The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

316 THE MAINE BUGLE.
steps by which he finally reached his determination to relieve
General Warren lead through the whole of this day's operations,
the reader will doubtless prefer to take them in turn, as thus he
will be better able to decide whether General Sheridan was
justified in this summary action toward a fellow-officer at the
close of a successful day. In discussing this question a sincere
endeavor will be made to treat it fairly and impartially ; because,
in the first place, General Sheridan does not need to have his
reputation upheld at the expense of any other officer, and
because good taste and truth would alike condemn a blind
panegyric which facts do not support. No reader can fail to
appreciate General Warren's delicate position ; but in General
Sheridan's behalf it is needful to discuss some portions of
General Warren's pamphlet, and the reader is only asked to
draw his own conclusions from the records from which we
quote. Some influential newspapers have decided this case
already in favor of General Warren without hearing the other
side, looking at the controversy from his stand-point; but it is
believed that the facts can be shown to sustain General Sheridan,
looking at the matter from neutral ground. It may be well to
add, that if #iis sketch here and there smacks of defense, it is
only because in some points at issue General Sheridan cannot
well make himself heard, and therefore it seems simple justice
to lay before the reader what can with propriety be advanced
in his behalf; and as the events which we are describing will
some day be studied by the historian, whose task is an unenvi-
able one at best, the testimony of eye-witnesses will always be
valuable provided it be true.
We have seen that General Grant acted at once upon General
Sheridan's dispatch from Dinwiddie, and then he wrote a note
to him as follows :
Dabney Mills,
March 31st, 1865, 10.05
''• ^*'
Major-General Sheridan :
The Fifth Corps has been ordered to your support. Two
divisions will go by J. Boisseau's and one down the Boydton
Road. In addition to this I have sent MacKenzic's cavalry,