The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-24

.ippi General IL have the honor TO acknOW-
ledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th nstolt
with its inclosure, in reference TO the women
children, and others whom you have seen proper
to ezpel from their homes In the city Of Atlanta
lad you seen proper TO let the matter rest there
! would gladly have allowed your letter TO close
this correspondence, and without your expressing
II in words would have been willing to believe
that whilst "the interests OF the United .ates"
in your opinion compelled you 70 an az, of bar
barous cruelty, you regretted the ne,essity and
we would have dropped the suhJe.t,
But YOU have chosen 70 in .ulge in statement
which feel compelled 70 ilotioe, at least 50 tar
as to signify my dissent and not allow silence in
regard TO them to be construed as acquiescencc.
see nothing in our communication which induces
mo 70 modify the language OF condemnation with
which L characterized your order. IL put
strengthens me In the opinion that it stands "prc
eminent in the dark history of war for studied and
ingenious cruelty" Your original order was
stripped of all pretensej you announced the edct
for the sole reason that it tO the interest OF
the United States" This alone you offered 20
us and the civilized world rs an all-suicien.
reason for disregarding the laws of God and man.
You say that general Johnston himself very
wisely and properly removed the families all the
way from Dalton down" It is due TO that gal
liant soldier and gentleman TO say that no act Of
mis- distinguished career gives tue least color 70
your uhfounded aspersion upon his conduct. He
depopulated no villages, nor towns, nor cities,
either friendly or hostile. He offered and eX-
tended friendly aid to his unfortunate fellow
citizens who desired to flee from your fraternal
embraces. You are unfortunate in your attempt
to find justification for this act of cruelty, either
in the defense of Jonesboro by General Hardee,
or of Atlanta by myself. General Hardee de-
Tended his position In front of Jonesboro at the
expense of injury to the houses an ordinary,
proper, and justfable act of war. l defended
Atlanta at the same risk and cost.
If there was any fault in either case, IL was
your own in not giving notice, especially in the
case of Atlanta of your purpose to shell the town,
NJ ic N WI
2 10 inhabitant Of either town expelled from
!, home and ifeside by either General Hardee
vself, and therefore your recent order can
MIjll support from the conduct of either of US.
F.s no other emotion than pain, in reading that
fr of your letter which attempts to Justify
bling, of Atlanta without notice, under
- ySs'that defended Atlanta upon a line
IL 40 town that every cannon shot and
~ tmusket balls from your line of investment,
Al AfyershOt their mark went into the habta-
tl6is6f women and children. l made no COM
4{Aint OF your firing into Atlanta in any way you
3nought proper.
make none now, but there are a hundred
Thousand living witnesses that You fred into the
habitatons of women and children for weeks,
firing far above and miles beyond my line Of de-
fense. have too good an opinion, founded both
npon observation and experience, of the skill Of
your artilerisis, 70 credit the assertion that they
for several weeks unintentonally fired too high
for my modest feldwOrlls, aud slaughtered
women and children by accident and want of
skill.
The residue of your letter is rather discursive
1t opens wide field for the dicussion of qles-
tiOns which do not feel are committed 10 me. /
am only general of one of the armies of the
Confederate States, charged with military opera
tiOns in the fed. under the direction OF my su-
perior officers, and am not called upon t0 discuss
with you the cause of the present war, or the poll
tical questions which led 10 or resulted from It.
These grave ana important questions have been
committed TO far abler hands than mine, and
shall only refer to them so far as 20 repe any
conclusion which might drawn
my silence. You charge my country with
"daring and badgering you 10 battle" The truth
is, we sent commissioners to you respectfully
offering peaceful separation before the first gun
was fired on either side. You may say we in
suited your flag. The truth is we fired upon 1t,
and those who fought under 1t, when you came
TO our doors upon the mission of su0jugation.
You say we seized upon your forts and arsenals
and made prisoners OF the garrisons sent TO pro-
tect us against negroes and Indians.
The truth Is, We expelled by force OF arIus iu-
solent intruders, and took possession Of our own
forts and arsenals 10 resistyour claim to dominion
over masters, slaves, and Indians, all of whom
are to this day, with unanimity uneXampled in
the history OF the world, warning against your
attempts to become their masters. You say that
we tired 10 force Missouri and Kentucky into
rebellion In spite Of themselves. The truth is
my Government, from the beginning of this
struggle TO this hour, has again and again offered
before the whole world TO leave IL 10 the unbiased
will of those States, aud al Others to determine for
themselves whethertheywill cast their destRy with
your Government OF ours, and your Government
has resisted this fundamental principle Of free in
stitutions with the bayonet, and labors daily by
force and fraud TO fasen its hateful tyranny upon
the unfortunate freemen Of these States. You
say we falsiied the vote of Louisiana the truth
Is, Louisiana not only separated herself from
your people, but has vindcated the act upon every
battlefield from Gettysburg TO the Sabine, and
has exhibited an heroic devotion TO her decision
which challenges the admiration and respect oil
every man capable Of feeling sympathy for tllC
oppressed, or admiration for heroic valor. You
say that we turned loose pirates 10 plunder you
unaImed ships. The truth is, when you robbed
us OF our part Of the navy, we built and bought
few vessels, hoisted the flag of our country, anC
swept she seas in defiance of your navy, arouRC
the whole circumference of the globe You say
we have expelled Union families by thousands
The truth is, not a single family has been eN
PEELED from the Confederate States, that an
aware OF, but on the contrary, tue moderation o
our Government towards traitors has been
fruitless theme of denunciltiOn by It's enemie
and many well-meaung friends o. our cause
You say my Government by acts Of Congress ha
cOnfiscated call debts due Northern men TO
goods sold and delivered The truth is, Con
gress gave due and simple time 70 your mer
chants and traders 10 depart from our shore
with their ships, goods, and effects, aud Onl!
sequesteTed the properly Of our enemies IN re
taliation for their acts declaring us traitors an'
cOntscaitng our properly wherever their pOWe
extended, either in their country or our own
Such are your accusations, and such are the fact
known Of all men to be true.
on lJtuNt INTO bAllE liie NAOlG p9pNlallou VI
city, drive men, women, aud children from theiI
homes Rt the point Of the bayOnet, under the plc
that il Is 70 the interest of your Government, anC
on the claim that this Is an act of "kinduess I,
these families Of Atlanta" Butler only bauishet
from New Orleans the registered enemies Of nj
Government, and acknO Eledged that he did 10 o.
punishment You issue a sweeping edot, coy
eIing all the inhabitants OF a city and add iusul
10 the injury heaped upon the defenseess by
assuming that you have done them a kindness
This you follow by the assertion that you vii
make as much sacrifice for the peace and homo
Of the South as the best bora SOuthrOn.' An,
because characterize what ycu call Kindness a
being real cruelty, you presume % sit in luds
ment between me and my God, and you decide
that my earnest prayer 10 the Almighty Father q
saFe our women and children from what yOu cal
hlaHness Is q 'saCriligiOus LypOcritical appeal"
~ COME into our country with your army
a,,o,Mevly ior the purpose Of 5ublugating free
t, VIZ men, women, and children; aud not only
~ ~Intenu ~ lule over them, but yOu make negroes
your hulesi and desire 70 place over Us an infe-
Iioi race, which we have raised from barbarism
10 ts present position, which Is tie bigbest ever
attained Dy that race in any country III an tirne
must therefore decline 10 accent vonr statc,
ments IA reference to your Kindness fo,y'',ig ~,
people Of Atlanta and your willmrnese ta sei
ice everything for the peace and honor 90 ~
South, and refuse 10 be governed by vour deei.
sion in regard 20 matters between myself nv
country, and my God.
You Fay 'let Us SIGHT It out like men," To thi,
my reply is, for myself and, 1 believe, for al