AutographsGeneral T.W. Sherman Civil War Letter Command Problems

THOMAS WEST SHERMAN, Union Civil War General.
July 12, 1862, Autograph Letter Signed, "T.W. Sherman, Brig. Gen. Vols," 2 pages, 9.75" x 7.75," Very Fine. This original, Civil War period, manuscript letter is Sherman's file copy, written and signed in his hand, of a letter to Brig. General George McCullum at Corinth, Mississippi. In this letter, Sherman writes that he has enclosed a newspaper clipping which alleges that he mistreated his subordinates, which he says is "false if not malicious," and asks to know if this is the real reason he was relieved from his previous command. During the Union attack on Corinth, Mississippi, Sherman was relieved of command of the 7th Division on June 10, 1862 after trouble with his superiors, including General Halleck. This letter reads, in part:
"I feel it my duty to ask of Maj. Gen. Halleck if I was relieved from the command of the 7th Division, Army of Tennessee, for the reasons alleged therein, or for any reasons different from or in addition to the one supplied in the "Order" relieving me..."
This letter is in excellent condition, bold and easy to read, with Sherman's 3" signature on the second page, one trivial .25" fold separation, and some light browning along the right edge of the back, likely from being pasted in a file book. There is what appears to be the remnants of a seal, dated 1862, at the top of the first page. This is an important document providing some insight into the command problems which plagued the Union Army, especially early in the Civil War.

Thomas (Tim) West Sherman (1813-1879) was a United States Army officer who served during the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Sherman graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1836, and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. Artillery. In the Battle of Buena Vista, he led his battery in a defensive action which help stop the Mexican attack. For this he received a field promotion to Major. Still serving in the U.S. Artillery when the Civil War began, he received a volunteer commission as Brigadier General on May 17, 1861. Assuming command of the ground forces in the Port Royal Expedition, Sherman and the naval force under Flag Officer Samuel F. Du Pont captured Port Royal in a combined Army and Navy operation. Briefly commanding the Department of the South, Sherman was next sent to the Western Theater, where he took command of Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas' division during the Siege of Corinth. Later he commanded the Defenses of New Orleans before taking command of a division in Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks' army, which he led into action at the Siege of Port Hudson, during which he lost his leg. For the remainder of the war he held administrative commands in Louisiana, retiring from active duty in 1870.