Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-09-29
General Sherman's Letter.
HE.DoUARTERs Military DIvIsIoS.)
OF the Mississippi, in the Field,


ATLANTA, Ca, September IL 1851
James ~ Coihoan. Mayor, T.. +. Rawson
and 5. C. Wells. representing tie City
CouncH Of atlanta:
GESTLEMEN-l have your letter of the
llth in the nature of petition To revoke
my orders removing all the inhabitants
from Atlanta. have read it carefully,
and give full credit to your statements o!
the distress that will he occaslonel by il.
and yet shall not revoke my order-sim
ply because my orders arc not designed tn
meet the hnmaniiies of the case. but to
prepare for the future struggles in which
millions. yes. hundreds of millions Of good
people outside of Atlanta have deep in
tere>t. We must have peace, not only at
Atlanta. but in all America. To secure
this we must stop the war that now desc.
laies our once happy and favored country.
To stop war we must defeat the rehel ar
mics that are arrayed against the laws and
Constitution which all must respect and
obey. To defeat these armies we must
prepare the way to reach them in their re.
cesses provided with the arms and instrn-
ments which enable US to accomplish our
purpose.
Now, | know the vinlictive nature oil
our enemy. and that we Esy have many
years of military operations from thi,
quarter. and therefore deem it wise and
prudent to prepare in time. The use oil
Atlanta for military purposes is inconsis-
tent with its character as home for iami-
4 Il
merce or agriculture here for the main
tenance of families. and sooner or later
want will COMPEL the inhabitants To CO.
Why not 60 now, when all the arrange.
M nts are completed for the transfer, in
stead Of waiting till the plunging shot Of
contenaing armies will renew the scenes oil
be past month? OF course l do not APP
prebend any snch 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 fully. because can.
not imPart to you what propose to do
but | assert my military plans make il
necessary for the Inhabitants to go away
and can only renew my offer of services
to make their exodus in any direction a,
easy and comfortable as possible. You
cannot qualify war in harsher terms thar
| will.
War is cruelty, end you cannot refine
it; and those Sho brought war on oul
country deserve all the curses and male
diction people can pour out. / know
had no hand in making this war, and
know | will make more sacrifices to-day
than any Of YOU to secure peace. Bnt you
cannot have peace and division Of oul
country. If the UniteI States submit to
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
AMI must assert its authority wherever il
has power, if it relaxes one bit to pressure
it is gone, and know that such is not the
national feeling. This feeling assumes
various shapes. but always comes back to
that of Union. Once admit the Union,
vnce more acknowledge the authority oil
the National Government. and instead oil
devoting your honses and streets and roads
to the dread uses of war. /. and this army
become st once your projectors and sup
porters. shielding yon from danger. let il
come from what quarter it may. | know
that few individuals cannot resist tor
rent Of error and passion such as has
swept the South into rebellion: bat you
can point out so that we may know those
who desire a government and those who
in list on war and its desolation. .
You might as well appeal against the
thunler storm as against the terrible hard
ships Of war. They are inevitable. and
the only way the people Of Atlanta can
hope once more to live in quiet and peace
ct homo is to stop this war. which car
alone be done by admitting that it began
in error and is perpetuated in pride. We
don't want your negroes OF your horses. oil
your houses or your land; but We do want
and viii have inst obedience to the laws
OF the United States. That We will have,