The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-03-04
Correspondents Of the Perysburg JON nal,
GENERAL w. L. SHERMAN.

.
Eps- JOURNAL; BY editorials in the Northern pa
pers, notice disposition to censure General Shsr-
man for the recent disaster at viCksburg aud also
to sscribe the recent victory at Arkansas Post to
the skill and capacity of General NcCierusnd.
That this is an absurd idea, propose to show,
IL any reliance be placed on the word Of pri-
vate soldier.
Ours was one Of the lucky regiments that was as
signed to General Shermans command at Psducsh,
Kentucky. The subsequent expedition up the Ten.
nessee River, the battle Of Shiloh the advance on
Corinth-in all Of which General Sherman occupied
very conspicuous position-are matters that are
very well known to the public the action tha,
has created this i'll feeling against him, is a mat
ter Of more recent date.
II will be remembered that General Sherman
was assigned to the Department Of Memphis, Ten
nessse, where be conducted the administration Of
that Department with such justice and humanity
together with irmness, to gain the admiration of
friends, and the respect of all his enemies. And
let me here digress so far as to say that General
Sherman, since the time he raised his legion in
Kentucky, up to the present time, has never been
at home never made any political speeches, aud
never had any public receptions; but having been
soldier from his boyhood up. knew the duty he
owed to his country, and acted accordingly.
At the time General Grant contemplated his ad-
vance into Mississippi, General Sherman had the
command Of a single division. Troops about this
time began to arrive, and few weeks found him at
the head of an army corps, consisting Of three
divisions, commanded respectively by Generals
Smith, Denver and Lapman. il wGg on the 26th
day OF November thafGeueral Sherman lett Mem
phis with his corps and began the advance into
Mississippi, and did not stop until he had formed
sjunction with General Grant, and driven the en-
emy from their entrenchments on tho TallGhachee
River, and occupied tho place,
II was here that General Grant ordered General
Sherman to take one division Of his command and
proceed to Memphis to organize an expedition, for
the purpose of taking vicksburg. This order was
sudden as it was unexpected and it may be averred
from this that the things necessary for the organ
zation of an expedition were not in the best of
plight, he succeeded, hqweyer, by dint Of perse-
veranec and labor night aud day, in organizing the
expedition, placed himself at the head and pro-
ceeded down the river. have entered Into this
short detail to show that he was not to blam, for
thrusting himself ofciously into another Generals
department. as he has been unjustly charged.
He disembarked the troop. aad ps4seqded to
make the attack, and his Efforts would have been
crowned by victory, had not the enemy been rein
forced by General Prices whole army. This Gen
erai sherHaE Qr any other General could not pos
sihly prevent, and considering the posltlaG the
army was thus placed In, General Sherman de-
serves great credit for saving it from annihilation
Untos ha aIal =, ....i.l
army in good order, and not denloralized, as has
been stated. If General MoClernand was in DO
stion to reinforce him, when he bsseechingy asked
it, he rafralncd from so doing; and thus he was
left in critical position with no chance to retrieve
his misfortune. As it was, he had no other alter
native but to withdraw from his position and pro-
ceedup White River.
1t twas about this time that General McClernsnd, |
who was in Illinois enjoying honeymoon arrived |
and took command Of the very troops that General
Sherman had labored so necessarily to organize.
But this is not to be wondered at for General Nc
Clernandis an Illinois man and had lately been to
Washington p'siliFg the President. Unfortunately,
General sherman never visited Old Abe" and
was never nrnduced to Congress, and besides that
he had the rather dubious appeation-"C Crazy
he said it would take 150 900
men to "cleau out the Mississippi Valley.
When the Arkansas Post was taken, General
Sherman dsembarked the troops, placed them in
position, and begun the attack. he directed every
movement, and was every where present when dan.
ger was to be courted death scorned sharing
he dangers ofthe common soldier. So it was at
Vicksburg, and also at Shiloh. General McCler-
,and may have been in his proper place, but he
vas not the man that forced the place to surrender
and they wrong General Sherman
Who say he Was
am surprised to see the papers of his native
State, Ohio, abuse him in the way they have aud
anno account it except it be they give Crcdence
0 everything the Chicago journals say, All
he troops from Ohio or any other State, that were
yer under him almost idolizc him, and speak the
nited opinion of all soldiers under his command
'hen say that Ohio never sent into the field no
Ter, truer, or Drawer patriot more efficient GEN
raj, than she has in the person of General W. I.
HERMAN.
If evidence of this is wanting would refer the
eadcr to the battlefield of Shiloh and to the shouts
joy with which his old legion recognized him on
lat bloody field. And | would also refer to his
,rewel address to General Lauman's division, pre-
ious to his embarkation for Vicksburg. The di-
ison was drawn up in line, and General Sher-
ian and stafrode up to our regiment and gave us
is parting speech His language was so plain,
nd soderlike, as he referred to the dangers and
rivations which VIC had passed through together,
nd the reluctance that he felt on leaving us, that
very man felt willing TO follow him to victory or
cath. And when he concluded, three such hearty ,
leers, as Mississippi never heard, resounded from
i'll to hill, and regiment after regiment received
is parting salute those cheers were taken up and {
,hoed far and wide. Let it here be stated that,
ith the exception of our regiment, that division
ad been under his command but short time. A ,
ortion were new regiments from Illinois and part
ere veterans from General Rosecraus's old depart
ent. Those cheers speak more for General Sher-
AN than all newspaper correspondents combined
'uld do to injure him. And if this feeble effort
i'll raise an injured man in the estimation Of his |
which he so justly deserves, | shall
el that my object has been accomplished. With 9
10 request that ysu will give this, space in your
,per, remain, Yours truly, j.
Private Co. D, 72d Regiment, o. vi
DIRECT News FROM VICKsBURG.-The canal
almost completed, the work having t
cached from the Lake TO within few rods q
fine river The canal 10 SO foot v,;Ja r