Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-09-02

Dcr Tue isis maze IN accordance with
these regulations will be returned to the
several collectors in the manner provided
by law, and the subsequent proceedings
for the collection of the duty will be in
all respects similar to those for collection
of taxes assessed in the annual list.
W. z. FEssENDEN,
Secretary Of Treasury
Gen Sherman on Negro Troops.
Mr.. Spooner, agent for recruiting for
Massachusetts in General Shcrmans de-
partment, lately received from that officer
the following remarkable letter, setting
forth in clear, shrewd and blunt man
ner characteristic Of the man, the Gen
erals opinions on the mission in which
Mr.. Spooner and so many other gentle
men are at present engaged. The irony
of the second paragraph is highly anus
ing -
HEADQUARTERS, Military Division of
Mississippi, in the Field, near
Atlanta. Ca, July 30 1864.
John A. Spooner, Esq. Agent for the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,, Nash
uHle, Tenn:
Sir-Yours from Chattanooga, July
2S. is received, notifying me OF your APP
pointment by your State as Lieutenant
! Colonel and Provost Marshal of Georgia
Alabama and Mississippi under the act
of Congress appointed Juy 1, 1864, to
recruit volunteers to be credited to the
States respectively.
On applying to General Webster at
Nashville, he will grant you pass
through our lines to those States, and as
have had considerable experience in
those States, would suggest recruiting
+ depots to be established at Macon and
Columbus, Miss, Selma, Montgomery
and Mobile, Alabama and Columbus,
Mi.ledgvillo and Savannah. Georgia.
do not see that the law restricts you
to black recruits, but you are ut liberty
to collect white recruits, also. Ii is
waste of time and more ey TO open rem
devious in y rthwest Georgia, for as
sure you have not seen an able-5odiel
nan black or white, there. lit for soldier
WHO was not in our army OF the one oP-
posed to it.
You speak OF the impression going
abroad that | AIN opposed to the orsanI-
zation of coorcd regiments.
Ny opinions are usually very positive,
aud there is no reason why you should
not know them.
Though entertaining profound rcver.
ence for our Congress, do doubt their
wisdom iu the passage Of this law:
lst. Because civilian agents about an
army are nuisance.
81. The duty of citizens to fight for
their country is too sacred m one to bs
ped He'd off by buying up the refuse OF
other States.
3. 1t is unjust to the brave soldier
and volunteers who are fighting, as those
who compose this army do, to place them
on a par with the class Of recruits you
are alter.
t. The negro is in . transition state,
and is not the equal of the white man.
5. He is liberated from his bondage
BIZ act OF war aud the armies in the
field are eutitled to all his assistance in
labor and fighting in addition to the pro-
per quotas Of the States.
g. This bidding and bantering for re-
cruits white aud black, has delayed the
reinforcement of our armies at the times
when such reintorcements would have en-
abled US to made our successes perman.
eut.
7th. The l,w is an experiment which,
pending war, is unwise and unsafe, and
has delayed the universal draft which |
firmly believe will become necessary to
overcome the wide spread resistance offer
ed US and | also believe the universal
draft will be wise and beneficial for un.
der tho Providence of God it will separ'
ate the sheep from the goats, and demon
stratc what citizens will fight for their
country, and what will only talk.
No one will infer from this that l am
not u friend of the negro as well as the
white race contend that the treason
and rebellion Of the master freed the
slave. and the armies have commanded
have conducted to safe points more neg
roes than those OF any general officer in
the army but | prefer negroes for pion-
GERS, teamsters, cooks aud servants
others gradually to experiment in the art
of the soldier, beginil & with the duties OF
local garrisons, such as we had at Mem
phis, Vick,bu'g, Natchez, Nashville and
Chattanooga but | would not draw on
the poor race for too large a proportion
of its active, athletic young men, for
some must remain to seek new homes and
aud provide for the old and young-the
feeble and hel plcss.
These are some Of my peculiar notions
but l assure you they are shared by a
large proportions of our fighting men.
You may show this to the agent of the
other States in the same business as
yourself
| am, &C.,
(signed) I. W. SHERMAN, Mtjor Gen.
Official copy. l.. NJ. Dayton.
Aidde-Camp.