were the first to discover the importance of the Tennessee river
in a military point of view, and was the first to discover that
said river was navigable for heavy gunboats; and to ascertain
these important facts you made a journey to that region, and with
great labor and expense, by examination of pilots and others, and
that with these facts you drew up a plan of campaign which you, I
think, first exhibited to Colonel Scott, who was then Assistant
Secretary of War, which was shown to the President and Mr.
Stanton, which information and plan caused the immediate change
of the campaign from the Mississippi to the Tennessee river, and
this change, with all the immense advantages to the national
cause, was solely due to your labor and sagacity. I do not regard
it as an impeachment of the military sagacity of the officers on
either side that they had not seen all this before, but I suppose
none of them knew or believed the Tennessee river to be navigable
for such craft, for had the Confederate officers known all this
it would have been easy for them to have so fortified its banks
as to have made such an expedition impossible.

Now all the above facts are proved beyond doubt, unless the
witnesses are impeached; but all should bear in mind that when
the Government had concluded to make this important change from
the Mississippi to the Tennessee the utmost secrecy was
absolutely necessary or the whole plan might have been frustrated
by the enemy, and it was so kept that even members of Congress
and Senators never could ascertain who was entitled to the honor
of the plan, as can be seen by their endeavors to find out by
consulting the Congressional Globe, etc. * * * Where is Judge
Evans and how is his health? I am anxious to hear from him, whom
I regard as one of the best of men. Give him my best respects.

Truly yours,

B. F. WADE.

* * * * *

WESTMINSTER PALACE HOTEL,

LONDON, _November 29, 1875_.

My Dear Miss Carroll:

I remember very well that you were the first to advise the
campaign on the Tennessee river in November, 1861. This I have
never heard doubted, and the great events which followed it
demonstrated the value of