Unofficial.
Head-quarters of the
Army, Washington, December 21,1863.
Major-general J. A. Dix, New York City:
General, — Your
letter in regard to my official report of November 15th is received. I have
not been able to give it an earlier answer.
I cannot authorize the publication of this letter, nor of
your report; but I presume the latter will be officially published, with other
reports, by Congress, as I understand they have all been submitted by the War
Department.
I very much regret, General, that my report contains
anything to which you take exception. I certainly had no intention to reflect
upon you, or to find any fault with you, as the commanding
General of the Department. In my opinion the expedition up the York River did
not accomplish the two objects in view, or either of them. You speak of three
objects. I think a third was suggested only in case the others failed.
Perhaps I erred in using the word attack instead of threaten.
To threaten is not necessarily to attack, but it may imply an
attack if the point to be threatened is found open to one.
I have no time at present to examine the reports or to
discuss the matter. I can only add that, while much disappointment was felt
here at what was considered a failure of the expedition, no blame whatever was
attached to you. Perhaps no blame should have been attributed to any one, but I
inferred differently from your own reports and despatches.
In regard to the force then in Richmond I derived my
information from spies and prisoners of war.
Very respectfully, your
obedient servant,
H. W. Halleck.
SOURCE: Morgan Dix, Memoirs of John Adams Dix,
Volume 2, p. 70
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