Saturday, September 10, 2016

Major-General John A. Dix to Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant, November 18, 1864


Head-quarters, Department of the East, New York City,
November 18,1864.
Lieutenant-general U. S. Grant, General-in-chief:

General, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th instant in regard to the arrest of Mr. Bergholz by Major-general Butler, of which I had previously received no intimation whatever. Had I been apprised of it, I should have directed him (Mr. B.) to be sent to my head-quarters for examination. I have always regarded the arrest of citizens as a high prerogative, and even when in the field have required persons taken into custody by my subordinate commanders to be reported to me immediately, with a written statement of the grounds of arrest. Mr. Bergholz was sent to Fort Hamilton without any notice to me, and without any charges against him. General Butler had no geographical command, and the arrest and confinement of Mr. Bergholz were altogether without authority.

I enclose herewith authenticated copies of the report of Major Woodruff, commanding at Fort Hamilton, and the order under which Mr. Bergholz was sent there by General Butler.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
john A. Dix.

SOURCE: Morgan Dix, Memoirs of John Adams Dix, Volume 2, p. 96

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