Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-10-06
Good Letter from General Sherma,
HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, J
IN the Field,
atlanta, Ga. Sept. ~, 1864.

HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI
IN the Field,
atlanta, Ca, Sept. IL, 1864.
James II. Calhoun, Mayor q. r. RamsQn,
and s. 70. Wells, representing the City
Council Of atlanta
GENTLEMEN: 1 have your letter of the
18th 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 of the dis
tress that will be occasioned by it, and yet
shall not revoke my order, simply because
my orders are not designed to meet the hui
manities of the case, but to prepare for
the future struggles in which millions, yea
hundreds of milEens of good people outside
of Atlanta haye.a deep interest. We must
have peace, ~saot only at Atlanta, but in all
America. 10 secure this we must stop the
war that now desolates our once happy and
favored country. To stop acar, ne mast
defeat the rebel armies that are aYrayed
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 recesses provided with the
arms and instruments which enable US to
accomplish our purposes.
Now, | know the yindictive nature of our
enemy, and that we may have many years
of military operations from this quarter
and therefore deem it wise and prudent to
prepare in time. The use of Atlanta for
war-like purposes is inconsistent with its
chatacter as home for families. There will
be no manufactures, commerce, or agricul-
ture here for the maintenance of families
and sooner or later want will compel the
inhabitants to so. Why not so ssoao, when
all the arrangements are completed for the
transfer, instead Of waiting tillsthe plung-
EFing shot of contending armies will renew
sthe scenes of the past month? Of course
4 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 &c
away, and can only renew my offer Of
services to make their exodus in any direc
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 oho brought aoar on our country
deserves all the curses and maledictions {
people can pour out. had no hand in ma
king this war, and I know | will make NOR,
sacrifices to-day than any of you to secure
peace. BIT you cannot haUe peace and.a di
Uision Of oua. country. If the United State
submits to division now, it will not stop
but will 90 on till we reap the fate of Mexico
which is eternal war. The United State
does and must assert its authority whereve
it has power; if it relaxes one bit to pre-
serve it, it is gone, and know that such
not the national feeling This feeling assume
various shapes, but always comes back t
that Union. Once admit the UnieR, one
more acknowledge the authority Of the Ma
tional Government, and instead of devotin
: your houses and streets and roads to tn
, dread uses of war, |, and this army, becom
at once your protectors and supporters