Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1864-09-30
lIEApQ'Rs. ARMY OF TENNESSEE, !
o. I0yL 1904 4

NENERAL - u LIlS llOIOI W dChllONl-
edge The receipt of your letter Of the 9th
instant, with its enclosure in reference to
the women, children and others whom
You have thought proper to expel from
their homes in the city of Atlanta. Had
you seen proper to let the matter rest there,
| would gladly have allowed your letter to
! close this correspondence, and without
your expressing it in words would have
| been willing to believe that whilst, "the
| interest of the United States" in your
opinion compelled You to an act of barba-
rous cruelty, you regretted the necessity,
and we would have dropped the subject.
! But you have chosen to Indulge i'll state
ments which feel compelled to notice, at
least so far as to signify my dissent, and
not allow silence in regard to them to be
construed rs acquiescence. see nothing
in your communication which induces me
to modify the language of condemnation
! with which | characterized your ORDER
IL but strengthens me in tho opinion that
1t stands pre-eninent in the dark history
OF war, for studied and ingenious cruelty"
1Our original order was stripped of all
pretenccs: you announced the edict for
the sole reason that it was "to the interest
of the United States" This alone you
offered to Us and the civilized world, as an
all sufficient reason for disregarding the
laws Of God and man. You say that
General Johnson himself very wisely and
properly removed the families all the way
from Dalton down." 1t is due to that
gallant soldier and gentleman TO say that
10 act of his distinguished career gives
the least color to Your untounded asper-
| To l.ta
no villages, nor towns, nor cities, either
friendly or hostile. lie offered and ex
tended friendly aid to his unfortunate fell
low-citizens who desired TO flee from your
traiernal embraces.
1ou are equally unfortunate IN yonr at
temp to find Il justification for this act of
cruelty, either in the defence Of Jones
boro', by Gen. Ilardee, or of Atlanta by
myself Gen. llardcc defended his posi-
ton III front of JonesborO' at the expense
of injury TO the houses, all ordinary, prop
er and justitiable act of war. defended
A tlanta at the same risk and cost. II
there WAS any fault in either case, it Was
your own III not giving notice, especially
i'll the case OF Atlanta, of your purpose to
shell the town, which is usual i'll war
among civilized nations. No inhabitant
Of either town was expelled from his home
and tiresidc by tie orders of either Gen.
IIardee or myself, and therefore your re-
cent order can find no support from the
conduct of either of us. | felt no other
emotion than pain in reading that portion
Of your letter, which attempts to justify
your :,heling Atlanta without notice, I'M
der the pretcnce that defended Atlanta
upon line so close to town that every
cannon shot and many muskct balls from
Your line OF investment, that OVershot
their mark, and went into the habitatiOnS
of women and children. | made no com
plant OF your firing into Atlanta, in any
way you thought proper. | make none now,
but there are an hundred thousand living
witnesses, that you fired into the habita-
tions of women and children for weeks,
tiringabove, many miles beyond my line OF
defence. | lave too coed al opinion,
founded both upon observation and expo
rience, of the skill of your artillerists, to
credit the insinuation that they for several
weeks unintentionally fired too high for
my modest field works, and slaughtered
women and children by accident and want
Of skill.
The residue of yourletter is rather dis
cursive. 1t opens wiae. field for discus
sion Of questions, which | do not feel are
committed to me. l am only general of
one of the armies Of the Confederate
States, charged with military operations
in the field, under the direction of my
superior officers, and | am not called upou
to discuss with You the causes of the
present war or the political questions
which led to, or resulted from it. These
grave and Important questions have been
committed to far ADLER hands than mine,
and shall only refer to them so far as TO
repel any unjust conclusion, which might
be drawn from my silence. You charge
my country with "daring and badgering
YOU to battle" The truth is, we sent COM
lniSsioners to You respectfully offering a
peaceful separation before the first gun
was fired On either side. You say we
insuted your flag. The truth is we fired
npon those who fought under it when you
came to our doors upon the mission OF
subiugation. You say we seized upon
Your forts and arsena!s, and made prison,
ers of the garrisons sent to protect lis
against negroes and Indians. The truth
is we expelled by force of arms insoent
intruders and took possession CT our own
forts and arsenals to resist your claims to
dominion over masters, slaves, and Indians,
all of whom are to this day with nnanimity
unexamplod in the history of the world
warning against your attempts to become
their masters. You say that we tried to
force Missouri and Kentucky into rebellion
in spite Of themselves. The truth is, my
government from the beginning OF this
struggle to this hour has again and again
offered before the whole world 70 leave it
to the unbiased will of these States and
all others TO determine for themselves
whether they will cast their destiny with
veur Government or ours. and your Gov