The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918 Page: 338
434 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern IHistorical Quarterly
the responsibility of which is fully realized by him, and which he
cannot transfer.2
The secretary also stated that it would be better, when possible
to do so, for the general to make his recommendations to Rich-
mond before assigning anyone to command. The president ap-
pointed only two of the nominees, because he lacked full returns
of the forces in the department; he deferred others because, from
the returns on hand, it appeared that with the new promotions
there would be more general officers in the department than di-
visions and brigades for them to command.
In October, the names of the two lately nominated captains
were dropped from the rolls as officers, because the president had
failed to appoint therm; other officers, however, were continued in
the places to which they had been advanced despite the president's
failure to approve them. October 28, the commander in reporting
to General Cooper the returns for the army for September, 1864,
urged through him the confirmation of the nominations, stating that
the officers were acting with advanced rank. The returns referred
to showed twenty-nine brigades organized into eleven divisions
and four corps. To command these, there were one general, eight
major-generals, and twenty-two brigadier generals. General Smith
called attention to these divisions to show that he needed the ad-
vanced officers, but General Cooper maintained that three of the
corps were little larger than divisions and should be consolidated,
and the general would be supplied with officers.
"The president instructs me," Cooper concluded, "to say that
it is improper for you to announce the promotion of general offi-
cers and assign them to duty before they are appointed by him.
Action here must take place before they can be promoted
and assigned to duty."8
From this and Seddon's letter, the attitude of the president is
sufficiently clear, but it is difficult to harmonize it with his own
endorsement of October 2, 1863, when he said: "Promotions,
elections, examinations may occur and be acted on for the time."
General Smith made at least thirty promotions, probably more,
and it appears that only five of them were approved.
"2Seddon to Smith, June 15, 1864, Off. Recs., XXXIV, iv, 672.
4Oooper to Smith, December 23. 1864, Off. Rees., XLI, iv, 1121-22.338
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 21, July 1917 - April, 1918, periodical, 1918; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101073/m1/344/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.