Memphis, July 1st 1862
HON. H. WILSON
U. S. SENATOR
WASHINGTON D. C.
SIR:
Excuse the liberty I take in addressing you, a stranger to me except through your public acts, on a subject of no interest to my self but of some importance to the public service. It is relative to the confirmation of some of the nominations for the appointment of Brigadier Generals.
As commanding officer in some of the important engagements in the West my opportunities have been good for judging of the merits of at least Division & Brigade Commanders. With a full knowledge of their merits as military men I most earnestly recommend the confirmation of Brig. Gens. Morgan L. Smith, 1 J. M. Thayer 2 and Calvin C. Marsh. 3
All these officers have commanded Brigades, in action, and have farely won the promotion.
I do not ask this as a personal favor to myself but that the public good may be subserved and honest merit rewarded.
There are no doubt many Colonels fully deserving of like promotion but these have come directly under my observation and have been nominated.
I might add that the two first mentioned commanded Brigades at Fort Donelson and continuously ever since.
I am sir, very respectfully
your obt. svt.
U. S. GRANT
Maj. Gen.
ALS, RPB. Henry Wilson, born in poverty at Farmington, N. H., worked as a laborer, artisan, and teacher until he amassed enough capital to finance his own shoe factory. An early opponent of slavery, he was active in Mass. politics as a Whig and Free Soiler. He began serving in the U. S. Senate in 1855, and, at the
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Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant: April 1 - August 31, 1862.
Volume: 5.
Contributors: John Y. Simon - Editor, Ulysses S. Grant - Author.
Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press.
Place of publication: Carbondale, IL.
Publication year: 1973.
Page number: 184.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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