We reached New Orleans December 20th, whence I reported fully everything to General Grant, and on the 21st received the following dispatch: WASHINGTON, December 21,1866.
Lieutenant-General SHERMAN, New Orleans.
Your telegram of yesterday has been submitted to the President.
You are authorized to proceed to St.Louis at your convenience.
Your proceedings in the special and delicate duties assigned you are cordially approved by the President and Cabinet and this department.
EDWIN M.STANTON.
And on the same day I received this dispatch GALVESTON, December 21, 1866.
To General SHERMAN, or General SHERIDAN.
Will be in New Orleans to-morrow.

Wish to see you both on arrival, on matters of importance.
LEWIS D.CAMPBELL, Minister to Mexico.
Mr.Campbell arrived on the 22d, but had nothing to tell of the least importance, save that he was generally disgusted with the whole thing, and had not found Juarez at all.

I am sure this whole movement was got up for the purpose of getting General Grant away from Washington, on the pretext of his known antagonism to the French occupation of Mexico, because he was looming up as a candidate for President, and nobody understood the animus and purpose better than did Mr.Stanton.

He himself was not then on good terms with President Johnson, and with several of his associates in the Cabinet.

By Christmas I was back in St.Louis.
By this time the conflict between President Johnson and Congress had become open and unconcealed.