Some of us called upon him immediately upon his arrival, and it is probable he did not meet the secretary with more courtesy than he did us.

His conduct and deportment toward us characterized him as a friend and gentleman.

We have confidence in General Sherman, and think what concerns us could not be in better hands.

This is our opinion now, from the short acquaintance and intercourse we have had.
It certainly was a strange fact that the great War Secretary should have catechized negroes concerning the character of a general who had commanded a hundred thousand men in battle, had captured cities conducted sixty-five thousand men successfully across four hundred miles of hostile territory, and had just brought tens of thousands of freedmen to a place of security; but because I had not loaded down my army by other hundreds of thousands of poor negroes, I was construed by others as hostile to the black race.

I had received from General Halleck, at Washington, a letter warning me that there were certain influential parties near the President who were torturing him with suspicions of my fidelity to him and his negro policy; but I shall always believe that Mr.Lincoln, though a civilian, knew better, and appreciated my motives and character.
Though this letter of General Halleck has always been treated by me as confidential, I now insert it here at length: HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON, D.C., December 30, 1864.
Major-General W.T.SHERMAN, Savannah.
MY DEAR GENERAL: I take the liberty of calling your attention, in this private and friendly way, to a matter which may possibly hereafter be of more importance to you than either of us may now anticipate.
While almost every one is praising your great march through Georgia, and the capture of Savannah, there is a certain class having now great influence with the President, and very probably anticipating still more on a change of cabinet, who are decidedly disposed to make a point against you.