Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-10-08

order directing the removal of the people
from that city. The letter set forth in strong
terms the great hardships which would follow
the execution of the order. Gen. SHERxAS's
reply, which we give below, is one of the
most powerful presentations Of the monstrous
crime of the rebellion that has ever been
made 1t is stern, but its sternness is that Of
the Surgeon who applies the knife to save
the life OF. his patient:
HEADeUARTERs DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI
Atlanta, Ca, Sept. IL, 1864.
James d. Calhoun, Mayor. E. E. Raacson, and
s. G. Wells, representing tie City Council Of
atlanta:
GENTLEMEN: have your letter of the 18th
in the nature of petition to revoke my or.
ders removing all the inhabitants from Allan
ta have read it carefully, and give full
credit to your statements of the distress that
will be occasioned by it, and yet shall not re-
woke by order, simply because my orders are
not designed to meet the humanities of the
case, but to prepare for the future struggles
in which millions, yea hundreds of millions of
good people outside of Atlanta have deep
interest. We must have Peace, not only at
Atlanta, but in all America. To secure this
we must stop the war that now desolates our
once happy and favored country. To stop
aCar ace mast defeat Tie rebel armies that are ar
rayed against the laws and constitution
which all must respect and obey. To defeat
these armies we must prepare the way to
reaen them in their recesses provided with
the arms and instruments which enable us to
accomplish our purpose.
Now, / know the vindictiye nature of our
Al horv
military operations from this quarter and
therefore deem it wise and prudent to pre-
pare in time The use of Atlanta for warlike
purposes is inconsistent with its character as
a home for families. There will be no manu-
features, commerce, or agriculture here for
the maintenance of families, and sooner or
later want will compel the inhabitants to 90.
WHY not 90 nor, when all the arrangements
are completed for the transfer, instead of
waiting till the plunging shot of cOntending
armies will renew the scenes of the past
month? OF course do not apprehend any
such thing at this moment, but you do not
suppose this army will be here till the war is
over. cannot discuss this subject with you
fairly, because cannot impart to you what |
propose to do, but | assert that my military
plans make it necessary for the inhabitants TO
go away, and can only renew my offer OF
services 10 Indkt ulItC-
ton as easy and comfortable as possible. You
cannot qualify war in harsher terms than |
will.
War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it;
and those ,oto brought aCar on our country de-
selve all tie cagses and nlaledietiOnS a people can
Dour out had no hand in making this war,
and know | will make more sacrifices to-day
than any of you to secure peace. But yoa
cannot hare peace and diVisiOn Of our country.
If the United States submits to a division
now, it will not stop, but Will go on till We
reap the fate of Mexico, which is eternal war.
The United States does and must assert its
authority wherever it has power; lift relaxes
one bit to preserve it, it is gone, and l know
that such is not the national feeling. This
feeling assumes various shapes, but always
comes back to that Union. Once admit the
Union, once more acknowledge the authority
of the National Government, and instead of
devoting your houses and streets and roads
to the dread uses of war, /, and this army,
become at once your protectors and support
ers, shielding you from danger, let it come
from what quarter it may. l know that few
individuals cannot resist a torrent of error
and passion such as has swept the South into
rebellion; but you can point out, so that We
may know, who desire a government, and
those who insist on war and its desolatiOn.
You might as well appeal against the thun-
der storm as against these terrible hardships
of war; They are inevitable, and tie only ,cay
tie people Of Atlanta can hope once more TO Ere
IN peace and quiet at home, is to stop this arar,
which can alone be done by admitting that it
began in error and is perpetuated in PRIDE
We don't want your negroes or your horses or
your houses or your land, or anything you
have but we do want and will have a just
obedience to the laws of the United States.
That zoe aoiU hare, and if it involves the de-
struction of your Improvements we cannot
help it. You have heretofore read public
sentiment in your newspapers, that live by
falsehood and excitement, and the quicker
you seek for truth in other quarters, the bet
ter for you. .ari
repeat, then, that, by the original CON-
pact of government, tie United States had Ger
tain rigtS IN Georgia, olich haze Meier been re-
Hnguisted ANB NEVER WILL BE that the South
began war by seizing forts, arsenals, minis,
custom houses, ETC., ETC., long before Lin
coin was installed, and before the South had
one lot or title of proyocation. /, myself
have seen in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennes-
see and Mississippi, hundreds and thOus.
and of women and children fleeing from
your armies and desperadOes, hungry, and
with bleeding feet. In Memphis, Eicksburg,
and Mississippi, we fed thousands upon thou
Sa0uS OF the O1 FSDtl SOluleES Oh
our hands, and whom we could not see starve.
Noao that war comes home to yoW, yoaS feel very
difaent-yot depreeats its horrors, bat did not
feel them aNten yOw sent car loads Of soldiers and
ammunition and moulded shells and shot to carry
war into Kentucky and Tennessee, and desoIate
tie homes of hundreds and thousands Of good
people, aoo only asked to liUe IN peace at their old
homes and under the government Of their inlteri
lance. But these comparisons are. idle. l
want peace, and believe it can only be reach
ed through Union and war, and / will ever
conduct war purely with a view to perfect
and early success.
But, my dear sirs, when that peace does
come, you may call on me for anything
Then will share with you the last cracker,
and watch with you to shield your homes and
families against danger from any quarter.
Now, you must go, and take with you the old
and feeble; feed and nurse them, and build
for them in more quiet places proper habita-
tions to shield them against the weather until
the mad pa sions of men cool down, and al
low the Union and peace once more to settle
on your old homes at Atlanta.
+ si Yours in haste, Ess
e. IL .t~a-a w. T. SHERMAN, Maj. Gen.
4 PREDIcTION-The Richmond Examiner