Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-10-06

the execution OF the oruef. Uen. SHERNAN'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: rL-.
HEADQUARTERS DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI
In the Field,
Atlanta, Ga, Sept. u, 1864.
James A Calhoun, Mayor, Z. g. Raoesona, a,d
s. g. Wells, representing the City Council OF
AHdata
| GENTLEMEN have your letter of the 18th
| in the nature of petition to revoke nv or
| ders removing all the inhabitants from Allan
ia. | 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 nv orders are
not designed to meet the hunanities of the
case, but to prepare for the future struggles
IN which millions, yeahundreds 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
lcar ne must defeat the 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
reacn them in their recesses provided with
the arms and instruments which enable us to
accomplish our purpose.
Now, | know the vindictive 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 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-
factures commerce, or agriculture here for
the maintenance of families, and sooner or
! later want will compel the inhabitants to GO
! Why not 90 nor, when all the arrangements
are completed for the transfer, instead of
waiting till the plunging shot of conteuding
armies will renew the scenes of the past
month? Of course do not apprehend any
such thing at this moment, but you do nGt
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 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 aoh0 brought aCar on our coatltjy de-
se1pe all tie carSeS and naIedictionS people can
| pour out had no hand in making this war,
and know I will make more sacrifices to-day
than any of you to secure peace. But yolt
cannot have pace and a 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; fit relaxes
! one bit to preserve it, it is gone, and | 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. | know that a lev
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 insigt 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 ut,ai
tie people Of ATLANTA can hope once more 10 Lge
IN peace and quiet at home, Is 10 stop this aoar,
which can alone be done by admitting that il
| 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 just
obedience to the laws of the United States.
| That ne 0iH hare, and If it involves the de,
| struetion of your improvements we cannot
| help it. Iou 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
repeat, then, that, by the original COM
| pact Of government, tie United aStates lad cei'-
tain rights IN Georgig, which lime neye4 been re
| Euq1liS}led ANp NEVER WILL BE; that the South
began war by Selling forts, arsenals, minis,
| custom houses, ETC., ETC., long before Lin
coin was installed, and before the South had
| one jot or title of provooation. /, 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, Vicksburg,
and Mississippi, we fed thousands upon thou
sands Of the families Of rebel soldiers left on
| our hands, and whom re could not see starYe.
Nog that agar comes home to you, yow feel 0e1y
dife1ent-you deprt cate its horrors, but did not
feel then, a0he1s you sent car loads Of soldiers and
a77ansunitjon and n2oued shells and shot 10 carry
U0r into Ke'atwcky and TENNESSEE, and desolGte
the homes of hsusdredS and thousands Of good
people, o0lao only asked to ge in peace at their old
homes, and unsder the go0er7snaept Of their mheTi
taace. But these comparisons are idle. |
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-
tons 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,
Yours in haste,
W. 7. SHERMAN, Maj. Gen.
=
A PREDIcTIoN-The Richmond Enamai3,er,
of the 3lst ult declared that Hif Atlanta