The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-10-06
Sherman's Defense Of the Depo2uIation
of Atlanta

The following is the reply of Gene.
raj Sherman to General Hood S charge
Of studied and ungenerous cruelty,
which was received in Washington to-
day:
HDRs MILITARY DIV. OF Miss. !
INTHE FIELD, ATLANTA, Sept TO- I
Gen, j. B. Hood, Commanding drmy'o;
the Tennessee, Confederate Army:
General: / have the honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt of your letter
of this date, at the hands Of NJ ssrs.
Ball & Crew, consenting to the ar
rangements l had proposed 10 faciI-
itate the removal south of the people
of Atlanta, who prefer to go in that
direction. | enclose you acopy of my
orders, which will, I am satisfied, ac.
complish my purpose perfectly. You
style the measures proposed unprece
dented, and appeal TO the dark history
of war for a parallel as an act of stud
led and ungenerous cruelty. 1t is lot
unprecedented, for Gen. Johnson him.
self very wisely and properly removed
the families all the way from Dalton
down, and | see no reason why At.
lanta should be excepted. Nor is il
necessary to appeal to the dark history
Of war, when recent and modern exam.
pies are so handy, You yourself
burned dwelling houses along youl
parapct, and l have seen to-day fifty
houses that you have rendered unin
habitable, because they stood in the
way Of your forts and men. You de
Tended on line so close to the towr
that every cannot shot, and many o
the musket shots, from our line OF in
vcstment that ovcrshot their mark
went into the habitations of womer
and children. General Hardge did
the same at Jonesboro, and Genera
Johnston did the same last summer Al
Jackson, Miss. | have not accuseC
you of heartless cruelty, but merely
instance these cases Of recent occur
renee, and could 90 on and enumGrat(
hundreds of others, and challenge any
fair man to Judge which ofus has the
heart Of pity for the families of brave
people. say it is a Kindness to thes,
families of Atlanta, to remove then
now at once from scenes women anC
children should not be exposed to
and the brave people should scorn t.
commit their wives and children to tn,
rude barbarians, who thus, as you say
violate The laws of war, as illustrate,
in tho pages Of its dark history. Ii
the name of common sense, | ask yOl
not to appeal to a just God in such
sacreligious way. You, who in ia
midst of peace and prosperity hav
plunged nation into civil war, darl
and cruel war, who dared and bad
gered us to battle, insulted our fac
, seized our arsenals and forts that wer
left in the honorable custody of
, peaceful ordnance sergeant seized an,
: made prisoners of war the very garri
, sons sent to protect your people agalns
negroes and Indians, long before an.
overt act was committed by the, t
} you, hateful Lincoln Co ernment
tried to force Kentucky and MiSsour
, into the rebellion in spite of them
, selves; falsifed the vote Of Louisiana
!, turned loose your privateers to plum
f der unarmed ships; expelled Unio
families by the thousands, burne
their houses, and declared by act G
your Congress the confscation of a
dobts due to Northern men for good
had and received. Talk thus to ma
5 rihes but not to men, who have see
, these things, and who will this da,
mako as much sacrifice for the peac
, and honor of the South as the bes
born Southron among you. If W
, must be enemies, let us be men, an
fight itout as we propose to-day, an
: not deal in such bypocritical appeal
| 10 6oa and humanity. God Wi