Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 1

[129] and McClernand was promised, if not that he should supersede Grant, at least that he should be allowed to raise troops for an independent expedition, whose object was the opening of the Mississippi river and the capture of Vicksburg. He made his plans, and submitted them to the President, who approved, and directed McClernand to lay them before the general-in-chief.¹

But Halleck was a soldier purely, and had not a particle of sympathy with the personal or political schemes of the ambitious aspirants who swarmed into Washington from every quarter of the North; he was solely and sincerely anxious for military results, and refused to consider McClernand's plan. He told that general that he had not time to waste on such matters, and if he had the time he had not the inclination. So he fought the whole scheme as long and as hard as he could. At this time, too, General Halleck had more consideration with the government than a year later, after his long series of defeats had occurred; he was therefore better able to carry out his own views. The President, however, was the warm friend of McClernand, and was accustomed to dictate in purely military matters as often as in civil ones. It must be said, that the civilians, who controlled military movements, had at this time no warrant for supposing that, even in military matters, their judgments were not as reliable as those of any soldiers who had been prominent. The generals who had enjoyed almost arbitrary power had failed; and it is not surprising that members of the government, who were in a great measure responsible in the eyes of the country