He handed it to Major Michler to have it copied, and the original returned to me, which Michler did two or three days after the battle.

Buell did cross over that night, and the next day we assumed the offensive and swept the field, thus gaining the battle decisively.

Nevertheless, the controversy was started and kept up, mostly to the personal prejudice of General Grant, who as usual maintained an imperturbable silence.
After the battle, a constant stream of civilian surgeons, and sanitary commission agents, men and women, came up the Tennessee to bring relief to the thousands of maimed and wounded soldiers for whom we had imperfect means of shelter and care.

These people caught up the camp-stories, which on their return home they retailed through their local papers, usually elevating their own neighbors into heroes, but decrying all others: Among them was Lieutenant-Governor Stanton, of Ohio, who published in Belfontaine, Ohio, a most abusive article about General Grant and his subordinate generals.

As General Grant did not and would not take up the cudgels, I did so.