here November 29, by C. D. Brigham, and appeared in the New York Tribune of the 9th December, and the latter was kindly sent me from the office of the New York Times, where it had been sent from Washington by the same individual, Brigham. It is easy to see that they are from the same source. In order to expose the degree of his infamy I also inclose a copy of my official report* containing an account of the battle of Ringgold, the fight to which the first slip relates. The second requires no explanation. Soon after the appearance of the former I called on this correspondent, Brigham, to furnish me with the name of the individual whom he styles "one who has a right to criticism," intending, if an officer, to bring him before a court-martial; but as he failed to furnish it under various pretexts I conclude that he only made use of that phraseology to give weight to the lie he was telling. Brigham is a stranger to me, and as the articles are intensely malicious I conclude that he is in the employ of some one. On making inquiries I find that his bosom friend while at Chattanooga was Brigadier General W. F. Smith, the officer I applied to have assigned to the Ninth Corps, at the time it was removed from the Army of the Potomac, as I recognized in him the evil genius of Franklin, Brooks, and Newton. On the removal of Smith you will remember I wrote you warmly in behalf of the two latter, believing if removed from his influence, it would be all right with them. Other reasons exist to establish the relationship between Smith and Brigham. In the correspondence of the latter with the Tribune he has claimed for him the authorship of my advance into Lookout Valley, when it was pointed out to me by the President before I left Washington and afterward communicated by Rosecrans long before Smith ever saw Chattanooga. It has also been claimed for Smith, by the letters of this unscrupulous correspondent that he had much to do in planning subsequent operations about Chattanooga. After reading my report, if you have time to, you will be able to appreciate those plans. The point of all was to shut me out of the fight, Grant's object being to give the eclat to his old army, and Smith's, if he really had anything to do with it, to exclude your humble servant. But when the fight came off, I notice that I have had no occasion to complain of any discourtesy on the part of those who are to make them. It was so in the Army of the Potomac, and it has been no less the case in this army. Indeed, I might enumerate instances of great magnanimity of character in this regard in both armies. When real business is in hand they seem to feel that all are entitled to a showing. But to return to Brigham. He appears to be sailing under honest colors, and to have impressed his employer, Greeley, with this belief. I should like to have him disabused. If Dana should be with you, and you have no objection, I should like to have these gems of honesty and truth submitted to him. If Brigham returns to this department I shall request his expulsion from it. There is no act of villainy of which he is not capable. As for Smith, he has had an ascendancy over Grant, who is simple-minded, but it will not be likely to be long-lived. The effect of this calumny of Brigham's has been to set the rebel Calhoun Benham crowing, when the "cuss" came into my lines at Ringgold, under a flag of truce, begging for his dead and wounded. I think that another influence has been at work to throw dust in the eyes of the public in regard to Ringgold, and that is to divert attention from the bungling opera-

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*See Vol. XXXI, Part II, p. 314.

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