[1] ALS-F, ISLA. This item is misdated May 20, 1863, in Hertz (II, 895). In an article appearing in the Herald on January 18, 1863, Thomas W. Knox had been highly critical of General William T. Sherman's competence. Having violated Sherman's order prohibiting civilians from accompanying the expedition to Vicksburg, Knox was arrested on Sherman's orders, and tried before a general court-martial at Young's Point, Louisiana, on February 5, for ``giving intelligence to the enemy directly or indirectly'' (found not guilty) and for ``disobedience of orders.'' Found guilty on the latter charge he was sentenced to be banished from the lines, not to return under penalty of imprisonment.
On April 6, Knox presented Lincoln's ``To whom it may concern'' to Sherman, and expressed ``regret at the want of harmony between portions of the army and the press, and the hope that there may be a better feeling in the future. . . .'' (OR, I, XVII, II, 893).
General Grant replied to Knox on April 6, as follows:
``The letter of the President . . . authorizing you to return to these headquarters, and to remain with my consent, or leave if such consent is withheld, has been shown me.
``You came here first in positive violation of an order from General Sherman. Because you were not pleased with his treatment of army followers, who had violated his order, you attempted to break down his influence with his command, and to blast his reputation with the public. You made insinuations against his sanity, and said many things which were untrue, and, so far as your letter had influence, calculated to affect the public service unfavorably.
``General Sherman is one of the ablest soldiers and purest men in the country. You have attacked him and been sentenced to expulsion from this department for the offense. Whilst I would conform to the slightest wish of the President, where it is formed upon a fair representation of both sides of any question, my respect for General Sherman is such that in this case I must decline, unless General Sherman first gives his consent to your remaining.'' (Ibid., p. 894).
General Sherman replied to Knox on April 7:
``Yours of April 6, inclosing a copy of President Lincoln's informal decision in your case, is received.
``I certainly do regret that Generals McClernand and Thayer regard the disobedience of orders emanating from the highest military source and the publication of willful and malicious slanders against their brother officers as mere technical offenses, and notwithstanding the President's indorsement of that conclusion, I cannot so regard it. After having enunciated to me the face that newspaper correspondents were a fraternity bound together by a common interest that must write down all who stood in their way, and that you had to supply the public demand for news, true if possible, but false if your interest demanded it, I cannot be privy to a tacit acknowledgment of the principle.
``Come with a sword or musket in your hand, prepared to share with us our fate in sunshine and storm . . . and I will welcome you . . . but come as you now do, expecting me to ally the reputation and honor of my country and my fellow-soldiers with you, as the representative of the press, which you yourself say makes so slight a difference between truth and falsehood, and my answer is, Never.'' (Ibid., pp. 894-95).