George McClellan to William Sherman - September 26, 1864

 

To William T. Sherman

 

My dear General                                                                            Orange New Jersey September 26 1864

 

Events have crowded upon me so thickly of late that I have been unable to congratulate you as I had wished & intended to do. But on the principle that is it better late than never I will even at this late day express to you my sincere & heartfelt appreciation of the remarkable campaign you have just completed. I confess that at the beginning I trembled for your long line of communications, and I have watched with the most intense interest the admirable manner in which you overcame the difficulty. Your campaign will go down to history as one of the memorable ones of the world, & will be even more highly appreciated in the future than it is in the present. How beautifully you have illustrated the tenderness of communications, by your operations against the enemy’s!

 

But I will not now pretend to do more than offer you my heartfelt congratulations upon the manner in which you have served your country and illustrated your own name – nor can I avoid congratulating you also upon the superb conduct of your troops during the whole campaign.

Poor Macpherson’s loss grieved me very much – it must have been a serious personal as well as official one to you – connected as he had been with you for a long time. I am starting for the city & beg you to excuse the hurried screed, & accept it simply as the hearty congratulations

 

of your sincere friend

Geo B McClellan

 

Gen W T Sherman

Atlanta