The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-09-28
FOB vIoH-PREsIDENT'
ANDREW JOHNSON,
0g TENNESSEE.
Gen. Eherman's Reasons for Removing the
Paanle Of Atlanta.

ten. ShermanS Reasons IOr hemOVlnR Ll6
People of Atlanta.
On the 18th inst. the Mayor and Council of
Atlanta addressed an elaborate letter to Gen
eral Sherman, requesting revocation or
modification Of his order for the removal of
the inhabitants of the city. Gen. Sherman re-
piled as follows:
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION
OF THE MISSISSIPPI, IN THE FIELD,
ATLANTA, GA, Sept II, 1864.
'James N Calhoun, Mayer E.E. RGiCsos and s.
C. els, representing city Council Of atlanta:
"Gentemen: have your letter of the 18th,
ia the nature of a petition to revoke my or
ders removing all the inhabitants from Allan
Ia. l have read it carefully, and give full
credit to the statements of the distress that
will be occasioned by it, and yet shall not re-
woke my order, simply because my orders are
not designed to meet the humanilies OF the
case, but to prepare for the future struggles in
which millions, yea hundreds of millions of
good people outside OF Atlanta have a 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
war we must defeat the rebel armies 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 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 1t wise and prudent to prepare
ia time. The use of Atlanta for warike pur-
poses is inconsistent with its character as a
home for families. There will be no manufac-
lures, commerce or agriculture here for the
maintenance of families, and sooner or later
want will compel the Inhabitants to go. Why
not go now, 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? or
course l do not apprehend any such thing at
this moment, but you do not suppose that this
army will be here till the war is over l can
not discuss this subject with you fairly, be-
cause cannot impart to you what | propose
TO do, butt assert that my military plans make
1t necessary for the inhabitants to go away,
and can only renew my offer of services TO
make their exodus in any direction 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 who brought war on our country
deserve all the curses and maledictions peo-
pie can pour out. / know l had no hand In
making this war, aud know will make more
sacrifices than any Of you to secure peace.
But you cannot have peace aud 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 eter-
nal war. The United States does and must
assert its authority wherever it has power:
Il it relaxes one bit of pressure it is gone, and
know that such is not the national feeling.
This feeling assumes various shapes, but al
ways comes back to that Of Union. Once ad-
NIT the Union, once more acknowledge the
authority of the national government, and In
stead OF devoting your houses and streets and
roads to the dread uses of war, I, and this ar
my, become at once your protectors and SUP.
porters, shielding you from danger, let it come
from what quarter it may. 1 know that few
individuals cannot resist torrent of error and
passion such as has swept the South into re-
Delllon; but you can point out, SO that we
may Know those who desire government and
those who insist on war and its desolation.
lou might as well appeal against the thun-
der-storm as against these terrible hardships
OF war. They are inevitable, and the only
way the people of Atlanta can hope once
more TO live in peace and quiet at home is to
stop this war, which can alone be done by adj
hitting that it began in error, and is perpetu-
ated In pride. We don't want your negroes
vi yOuA nOAoCo1 VI your uUubSo OF your ldQ0.
or anything you have, but we do want and
will have just obedience to the laws of the
United States. That we will have, and II it
Involves the destruction ofyour improvements
We cannot help 1t. You have heretofore read
pubic sentiment in your newspapers, that
live by falsehood and excitement, and the
quicker you seek for truth in other Quarters
The better for you.
"Irepeat, then, that by the original compact
fnf annf fbo Ast
rights In Georgia which have never been
relinquished, and never will be; that the
South began war by selling forts, arsenals,
minis. custom houses, &C., &C., long before
Mr.. Line In was installed. and before the
South had one jot or title OF provocation.
/ myself have seen 10 Missouri, Kentucky,
Tennessee and Mississippi, hundreds and thou
sands of women and children fleeing from
your armies and desperadoes, hungry and
with bleeding feet. In Memphis, Vicksburg
and Mississippi we fed thousands upon thous.
ands of the families of rebel soldiers left on
our hands, and whom we could not see starve.
Now that war comes home to you, you feel
very diferent-you deprecate its horrors, but
did not feel them when you sent carloads
OF soldiers and ammunition and moulded
smell and shot TO carry war into Kentucky
and Tennessee and desolate the homes of
hundreds and thousands of good people, who
only asked to live in peace at their old homes,
p nuu ulluer the government of their inheritance
Dus Iue:e comparisons are idle. | want peace
1nu Dealese 1t can only be reached through
Onlyu ana war, and will ever conduct war
pas s WIN view toperiect and early sue
but, my dear sirs, when that peace dors
% You sSa ma yi eau on me for anything Then
watch with you to shield your homes ana e, ~ni
lies against danger from every ouarte %.u i am
you must go and take with You the old H aDT
feeble; feed and nurse them, and bn;Id a fNl
them In more quiet places proper habitatio nOs
TO shield them against the weather, until the
mad passions of men cool down, and allow
the Union and peace once more to settle on
your old homes at Atlanta.
Yours. in haste,
wv. T. SHERMAN. Major. Generaln