Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-09-29

Joseph Martin, Henry Milhorn.
tu.i'
A Magnificent Letter frem Gen.
Sherman.
HEpoRs Mil. Div. OF THE MISSISSIPPI
j. t' In THE FIELD, ALBANIA Ga, Sept ~
James NJ Calhoun, Mayor; E. f. Raoson
and s. G. Wells, representing City Coua-
ciiof atlanta: - 81. ID H. g.
GENTLEMEN: have your letter of the
llth in the nature of petition to revoke |
my orders removing all the inhabitants from !
Atlanta. have readit carefully. and give |
full credit to your statements of the distress
that will be occasioned by il, and yet shall
not revoke my order, simply because my or.
dors are not designed TO meet tho humanities
Of the case, but to prepare for the future
struggles in which milions--yea, hundreds
Of milions-of good people outside of At
lanta have deep interest We must have
Peace. not only at Atlanta, but in all Amer
lea. To secure this we must stop the war
that now desolates our once happy and favor
ed country. To stop the war we must defeat
the rebel armies that are arrayed against the
laws and Constitution which all pust
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 vindctive 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-
like purposes is inconsistent with its charac.
ter as a home for families. There will be no
manufactures, commerce or agriculture here
for the maintenance Offamilies, and sooner
or later want will compel the inhabitants to
co. Why not 20 noD, when all the arrange.
ments are completed for the transfer, in
stead ofwaiting till the plunging shot of
contending armies will renew the scenes OF
| the past month"; OF course do not appre-
hend any such thing at this moment, but
you do not suppose this army will be here
till tho war is over. cannot discuss this
subject with you fairly, bcause cannot
impart to you what propose to do, but
assert that my military plans make it neces-
sary 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 cam ,t qualify
war in harsher terms than will.
War is cruelty and you cannot refiue it;
and those who brought war on our country,
deserve all the curses and maledictions
in making this war, and know will make
more sacrifices to-day than any of you to
secure peace But you cannot have peace
and division of our country. If the United
States submits to 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; if it relaxes one bit
to pressure, il is gene, and know that such
is not the nationa feeling This feeling assu :
mes various shapes but always comes back to
that OF Union. Once admit the Union, once
more acknowledg the authorityof the eNation-
al Government, and in stead Of devoting
your houses and roads to the dread uses of
war, |, and this army, become at once your
protectors and supporters, shielding you
from danger let it come from what quarter
it may. Iknow that a few individuals can
not 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
those who desire Government, and those
who insist on war and its aesolation.
You might as we'll appeal against the
thunder storm as against these terrible hard
ships of war They are inevitable, and the
only way the people Of Atlanta can hope once
more to live in peace aud quiet at home is
to stop this war, which can be done by
admitting that it 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; and il it involves
the destruction of your improvements, we
cannot help it, You have heretofore read
public sentiment in your newspapers, that
live by falsehood and excitement, and the
quicker you seek for truth 10 other quarters
the better for you. tiIot
repeat. them, that by the original com
pact of Goverenmnt, the United States had
certain rights in Geo,iga which have never.
been relinquished, aud never will be; that
the South began war by seising forts, arse
nails, mints, custom houses, etc., etc., long
before MIR. Lincoln was installed land before
theSouth had one jot or title Of prevocation,
! myself have seen in Missouri Kentucky,
Tennessee and Mississippi, hundreds and
thousands Of women and children fleeing
from your armies and desperadoes, hungry
burg. and Mississippi, we fcd thousands up
on thousands 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 different-you deprecate
its horrors, but did not feel them when you
sent ear loads of soldiers and ammunition
and moulded shells and shet to carry war
into Kentucky and Tennessee, and desolate
the homes Of hundreds and thousands Of good
people, who only asked 10 live in peace at
their old homes, and under the Gevernement
of their inheritance. But these compari-
sons arc idle. i want peace. aud believe Il
can only be reached through Union and war,
aud will ever conduct war purely with q
5 view to perfect and early success. aw5A
But, my dear sirs, when that peace does
come. you may call on mo for anything.
4 Then win ! skass with yoasths lsst cracker,