Grant, about whom, at that time, there were many doubts, and against whom there was some complaint.
"Will you go?" Mr. Stanton asked. "Yes," I said. "Very well," he replied. "The ostensible function I shall give you will be that of a special commissioner of the War Department to investigate the pay department in Western armies, but your real duty will be to report to me every day what you see."
On March 12th, Mr. Stanton wrote me the following letter:
Dear Sir:—I enclose you a copy of your order of appointment and the order fixing your compensation, with a letter to Generals Sumner,[1] Grant, and Rosecrans, and a draft for one thousand dollars. Having explained the purposes of your appointment to you personally, no further instructions will be given unless specially required. Please acknowledge the receipt of this and proceed as early as possible to your duties. Yours truly,
C. A. Dana, Esq., New York.
My commission read:
Ordered, That C. A. Dana, Esq., be and he is hereby appointed special commissioner of the War Department to investigate and report upon the condition of the pay service in the Western armies. All paymasters and assistant paymasters will furnish to the said commissioner for the Secretary of War information upon any matters concerning which he makes inquiry of them as fully and completely and promptly as if directly called for by the Secretary of War. Railroad agents, quartermasters, and commissioners will give him transportation and subsistence. All officers and persons in the service will aid him in the performance of his duties and will afford him assistance, courtesy, and protection. The said commissioner will make report to this department as occasion may require.
PAGE FROM KEY TO THE DANA SPECIAL CIPHER.
The key to the Dana Cipher bears Mr. Stanton's own mark, the words "Dana Special" being written in his hand on the first page. A duplicate key was kept at the War Department in Washington. By changing the number of columns and their order of reading, three combinations of cipher were possible from this page alone. As there were eight similar pages the cipher could be varied frequently, though as a matter of fact Mr. Dana's cipher books show that he usually employed the "route" marked on the above page and cited in his text as an illustration.
The letters of introduction and explanation to the generals were identical:
General:— Charles A. Dana, Esq., has been appointed a Special Commissioner of this Department to investigate and report upon the condition of the pay service in the Western armies. You will please aid him in the performance of his duties and communicate to him fully your views and wishes in respect to that branch of the service in your command, and also give to him such information as you may deem beneficial to the service. He is specially commended to your courtesy and protection.Yours truly,
I at once started for Memphis, going by way of Cairo and Columbus.
THE DANA CIPHER.
I sent my first despatch to the War Department from Columbus, on March 20th.
- ↑ General E. V. Sumner, who had just been relieved at his own request from the Army of the Potomac and appointed to the Department of the Missouri. He was on his way thither when he died on March 21st.
