Chapter Ninety Five
Kearny goes West
From “Lincoln: A Life in Stories” by James Piper McCrory
North Carolina State
“It had seemed as though the President had lived in the Telegraph office for about 15 days from about October 15th. He was often joined by members of the cabinet and senior officers in Washington, whose spirits waxed and waned with the news. When all seemed particularly despondent, as Lee had cut off communication with the Army of the Potomac and all waited for news from Maryland, and in response to regrets aired by several members of the Administration, Lincoln commented “
gentlemen the probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just. We must have faith in our convictions..." (Gideon Welles)
General Kearny’s message from the battlefield of Pipe Creek of a decisive victory was greeted with jubilation, first by Lincoln, and soon by the whole city as word spread. “
Now, with His [God’s]
help, we might make an end of this terrible war” (Lincoln’s first comment noted by John Hay)…
It was six days later when details of the Battle of Chickamauga finally reached Washington. Guerillas had severed many telegraph lines throughout Tennessee in a campaign of raids throughout November preventing word arriving sooner. After the jubilation of Pipe Creek, the joint news of the setback at Berryville and the disaster at Chickamauga sent the city into a spiral of fear, anger and concern. “
I am minded of some old maxim about men and Gods… Those whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad. I feel like that’s the road they’re on with me” Lincoln confided to Secretary Seward in those dark days…”
Sometimes he felt as though he lived and died by the contents of those telegrams (John Hay on Lincoln)
From “The King and his Heir – Lincoln and Kearny in the Civil War” by Robert Todd Lincoln II
Grafton Press 1939
“On his return to Washington, a tired and bruised Kearny was greeted with adulation by the crowds that quickly gathered to see him at the B&O Station on New Jersey Avenue. The Commander of the Armies, the hero of Pipe Creek, had arrived and would quickly sort out the crisis in the west. Among those who stood on the platform to meet him was the President himself, who lent Kearny a helping hand from the train. “General, I hope you are feeling well enough, for we need you to sort matters out for us in the west”. “Mr President, Wallace’s Corps is on the rails behind me, and subject to reviewing the last dispatches I meant to entrain for Chattanooga myself at the earliest”…”
From “Kearny the Magnificent” by Roger Galton
NorthWestern
“Before Kearny had travelled very far, a telegraph awaited him at a station in Pennsylvania. Hooker had finally got word through of the victory at Gadsden in Alabama. The defeat at Chickamauga had been redeemed. More over further messages indicated Hooker had won an overwhelming victory over Bragg. None the less Kearny pressed on. It was time the Commanding General made his mark upon the West…
Kearny met Joe Hooker and Ulysses S. Grant in Chattanooga. As Hooker had been the first to report in detail, he had purloined the lion’s share of the credit for the victory at Gadsden for himself. Indeed Kearny seemed initially to conclude that Grant had allowed himself to be surprised by Hardee at Glencoe while held in place by Bragg on the river. Kearny had never before met with Grant, indeed had only the recommendations of the President and General Warren and of course his record to go by…”
From "U.S. Grant - Hero of Three Wars" by John W. Eisenhower
Edison 1953
“Just as Reynolds held the paramount position in the East under Kearny, and importantly over fellow army commander John Peck, so too did Joe Hooker hope that he could manoeuvre himself into a similar position over Grant for the spring campaign. Hooker played on his friendship with Kearny. Furthermore the dashing, well dressed Kearny seemed to have little in common with the drab ill-dressed Grant. Grant was certain the better contected Hooker would be placed over him. It did not make Grant naturally well disposed to Kearny...
Grant, privately, expressed some disgust with the entourage that followed with Kearny, which included a fully furnished dining car. However a short time later Grant was astonished to discover that not only was the fine food and equipment of Kearny’s headquarters entirely purchased at his own expense, but that Kearny also spent thousands of dollars of his own money to alleviate the distress of the wounded in Chattanooga…”
From “Kearny the Magnificent” by Roger Galton
NorthWestern
“Ironically it was Hooker who was the author of his own defeat. During a “convivial” luncheon with Kearny, Grant and several other generals, which Kearny and Hooker were liberally enjoying while Grant remain taciturn, Hooker seeking to embarrass Grant, observed that Grant was supposedly the greatest student of equitation to pass through West Point. Kearny “sat bolt upright as though struck. His interest piqued” (Dan Butterfield ). Kearny suggested that Grant accompany him on a ride through the encamped armies in the morning to which Grant assented…”
Ulysess S. Grant was an exceptional horseman
From "U.S. Grant - Hero of Three Wars" by John W. Eisenhower
Edison 1953
“Grant rode Jack. This horse, though a strong animal, had proven to be unfitted for the service in the regular cavalry and, when taking his regiment from Springfield, Illinois, to Missouri, Grant encamped on the Illinois River for several days. During the time they were there a farmer brought in a horse called "Jack." This animal was a cream-colored horse, with black eyes, mane and tail of silver white, his hair gradually becoming darker toward his feet. He was a noble animal, high spirited, very intelligent and an excellent horse in every way. He was a stallion and of considerable value…
He in turn loaned General Kearny another of his horses, Kangaroo... At the battle of Shiloh the Confederates left on the field a rawboned horse, very ugly and apparently good for nothing. As a joke, the officer who found this animal on the field, sent it with his compliments, to Colonel Lagow, one of Grant's aides-de-camp, who always kept a very excellent mount and was a man of means. The other officers of the staff "jollied" the colonel about this gift. When Grant saw him, he told the colonel that the animal was a thoroughbred and a valuable mount and that if he, Lagow, did not wish to keep the horse he would be glad to have him. Because of his appearance he was named "Kangaroo," and after a short period of rest and feeding and care he turned out to be a magnificent animal…”
From “Kearny the Magnificent” by Roger Galton
NorthWestern
“Kearny was most impressed by these two examples of horseflesh. General Grant may have seemed like a dour joyless fellow, but he knew his horses. Thus it was that Kearny and Grant set out, with their respect staffs, to inspect the armies' camps”…
“
General Grant was a great rider, simply splendid. He could ride 40 or 50 miles and come in perfectly fresh and tire out younger men. He never lacked in courage, never dodged, just rode straight at it. I only ever met one man to match him on horseback...” (Horace Porter). “
Two fools came a racing throue our camp jumping tent ropes, fires and allsorts. Like too shavetail lewtenants on alark. It was only awhile later when there staffs came around looking for them that we new it was Generals Kearney and Grant” (Private Andrew Huth of 121st Ohio). Their staffs simply could not keep up with Kearny and Grant when they decided to "
test the mettle of the other" (Kearny).
Two less alike in demeanour and character in the Army you could not hope to find than Generals Kearny and Grant, noted General Sherman years later, but a friendship formed on horseback that day would withstand the test of time. “
Athwart two unmanageable beasts, we two unmanageable beasts came to an understanding,” Kearny wrote to his wife “
Grant is not a flashly officer, as I know I am before you laugh, and he certainly hates this war. But the more I hear and sift through the bombast here, the more I believe he has a talent for it”…
As the Armies of the Mississippi and the Cumberland were refitted for the spring, Kearny resolved it would be Grant that would co-ordinate the advance into Georgia towards Atlanta. Kearny and Grant agreed that Hardee would have to fight to defend the South's third capitol and thus they could kill two birds with one stone.
Should Grant fail, Hooker, remaining in command of the Army of the Cumberland, would succeed to the command. In the interim Kearny sought an officer to replace the fool Stoneman in Tennessee. He would have to take Knoxville with a small force; mop up any residual rebel forces in eastern Tennessee; and return to the army in time to join the advance into Georgia. Surprisingly Hooker and Grant offered the same name, General George Thomas…”
George Thomas favored no faction and was respected by all
