Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1864-10-05
HEADQ'Rs MILITARY DIVISION

IlEADQ rs III lLrCARY D1VBION ]
OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
In the Field, Atlanta, Sept. -, 1864.
James III. Calhoun, M,syor, E. f. Raacsoa,
and L. @. Wells, representing CITY Louzs-
OIL Of ANaa.ta:
GENTLEMEN Il have your letter of the
18th in the nature Of a petition to revoke
my orders removing the inhabitants from
Atlanta. have read it carefully and give
full credit to statements of the distress &C.
casioned by it, and yet shall not revoke my
orders, simply because my orders are not
esigned to meet the humanities of the
case, but to prepare for future struggles in
which millions, yea hundreds of millions of
good people outside of Atlanta have deep
interest We must have peace, not only
at Atlanta, but in all America. To secure
this we must stop the war that now DESC
lates our once happy and favored country.
To stop the war we must defeat the rebel
armies that are arrayed against tho laws
and constitution which all must respect
and obey.
To defeat those armies we must prepare
the way to reach them in their recesses,
provided with the arms and Instruments
which enable us to accomplish our pur-
poses. Now know the vindictive nature
ofour enemy, and that We may have many
years OF military operations from this quar-
:er, and therefore deem it wise and pru-
dent to prepare in time. The Use of At
lanta for warlike purposes is inconsistent
with it's character as home tor families.
There will be no manufactures, commerce
or agriculture here tor the maintenance of
families, and sooner or later want will com.
pei the inhabitants to 60. Why not go
now, when all the arrangements arc COM
pleted for the transfer, instead of waiting
till the plunging shot Of contcnding armies
will renew the scenes Of the past month Z
Of course do not apprehend any such
thing at this moment, but You do not sup
pose that the army will he here till the
war is over.
cannot discuss this subject to you fair
ly, because l cannot impart to you what I
propose to do, but assert that my militia
ry plans mako it necessary for the inhabi-
tants to 60 away, and l can only renew
my offer of services to make their exodus
in any direction as easy and comfortable
as possible.
Yon cannot qualify war in harsher terms
than l will. War is cruelty, and you can
not refine it; and those who brou ght war
into our country deserve all the curses aud
maledictions q people Can pour out.
know had no hand in making this war,
and / know | will make more sacrifices to-
day than any Of you to secure peace. Bat
you cannot have peace on division of our
country Ii the United States submits to
division now it will not stop, but will 20
on till we reap the fate of Mexico, which
is etornal war. .
The United States does and must assert
its authority wherever it ever had power; If
it relaxes one bit to pressure it is gone, and
know that such is the national policy
This policy assumes various shapes, but al
ways comes back to that of Union. Once
admit the Union, once more acknowledge
the authority Of the national government,
and instead of devoting your houses and
streets, and roads to the dread uses of war,
I and this army become at once your pro.
tectors and supporters, shielding you from
danger, let it come from what quarter il
may. | know that a few individuals cannot
resist torrent of error and passion, such
as swept the South into rebellion, but You
can part out, so that we may know those
who desire government and those who
insist on war and its dessolation.
You might as well appeal against the
thunder storm as against those terrible
hardships' Of war. They are inevitable,
and the only way the people ofAtlanta car
hope once more to live in peace and quie
at home is to stop the war, which can alon,
be done by admitting that it began in error
and is perpetuated in pride. We dom
want your negroes, or your horses, or you
houses, or your lands, or anything 20,
have, but We do want and will have Jus
obedience to the laws of the United States
That we will have, and if it involves the de
struction of your .improvments We canno
}. help it. You have heretofore read publi
sentiment in your newspapers that I've b,
!, falsehood and On excite ment, and the quici
err you seek for truth in other quarters. tn