The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1864-09-29
Gen. ShGrman'S Singing Repl y to Gen.
Hnnd.

The following is the reply of General
Sherman to the rebel General Hoods charge
of studied cruelty in ordering the people of
Atlanta from the city, the loyal to go North
and the disloyal through the lines South:
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF TIKI
MISSISSIPPI, IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA,
September TO- 1864. q"
General j. B. Hood C0mmandiag ArznQ .ofAc
I'ennesSe, Conf ederate ArmY: ..E
GENERAL: | have the honor to acknowI-
edge the receipt of your letter of this date, at
the hands of Messrs. Ball and Crew. and
consenting to the arrangements had pro-
posed to facilitate the removal south of the
people Of Atlanta, who prefer to go in that
direction. L lnclose you a copy of my order
which will | am satisfied, accomplish nv
purpose perfectly.
You style the meas ures proposed upprece
dented, and appeal to the dark history of
war for aparallel as an act of studied and
ungenerous cruelty. 1t is not unprecedent-
d,for General Johnston himself very wisely
and properly removed the families all the
way from Dalton down, and | see no reason
Atlanta should be excepted Nor is it neces-
sary to appeal to the history of war when re-
cent and modern examples are SO handy, you
yourself burned dwelling houses along your
parapet and have seen to-day fifty houses
that you have rendered uninhabitabIe me-
cause they stood in the way of your forts
and men.
You defended Atlanta on line so close to
the town that every cannon shot, and MANY
musket, thrown from our line of intrench-
ments that overshot their mark, went into
the habitation of women and children. Gen
arc n tboo
General Johnston did the same last summer
at Jackson, Mississippi 1
have not accused you of heartless cruel
ty but merely instance these cases of yery re
cent occurrence, and could enumerate hun
dreds Of others, and challenge any fair man
tojudge which Of us has the heart of pity for
the families Of a brave people. 4
say it is kindness to these families Of
Atlanta to remove them now at once from
scenes that women and children should NOT
be exposed to, and brave people should
scorn to commit their wives and children to
the rude barbarians who thus, as YOU wi
olate the laws of war as illustrated in the
pages OF its dark history. IN
In the name of common sense, ask YOU
not to appeal to a Just God in such sacrili-
gious manner You who, in the midst of
peace and prosperity, have plunged nation
into civil war-darl1 and cruel war; who
dared and badgered us to battle; insuIted
our flag; seized our arsenals and forts, that
were left in honorable custody; seized and
made prisoners of war the very guardians
sent to protect your people against Indians
and negroes, long before any overt act was
committed by the Ito YOU hateful Lincoln
Government You tried to force Kentucky
and Missouri into the rebellion, in spite of
themselves; falsiEed tee vote of Louisiana: set
privateers to plumber unarnled ships ex-
PEELED Union families by the thousand.
burned their houses and declared by an act
ofyour Congress the confscation Of all debts
due Northern men for goods You NAV talk
this to the marines, but not to me, who have
seen these things, and who will this day
make as much sacrifice for the peace and
honor of the South as the best-boru South
erner among you.
If we must be enemies, let us be men and
fight 1t out as we propose to do, and not
deal in such hypocritcal appeals to God and
humanity, God will Judge us in due time.
and He will pronounce whether it be more
humane to fight it with a town full of wo-
man and the families of a brave peopL, at
our back, or to remove them in time to
places OF safety among their own friends
and people. 'N..
| am, very respectfully, -..
Your obedient servant.
w. I. SHERMAN
Major General Commanding,
nac.:I T NJ DAYTON A y G. ..