Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-09-03

Mr.. Spooner, agent for recruiting for
Massachusetts in Gen. Sherman's depart
ment, lately received from that officer the
following remarkable letter, setting forth
in clear, shrewd and blunt manner char.
acteristic of the man, the Generals opin.
/ ions on the mission in which Mr.. Spoouer
and SO many other gentlemen are at pres
ent engaged. The irony Of the second
paragraph is highly amusing:
HEADQUARTERS, MILITARY DIVISION or raE)
MISSISSIPPI. IN he FIELD, NEAR
ATLANTA. GA July 30, 1864.
Jonx A. SpooxER, ESQ, Agent for the Com.
monwealM Of Massachusetts,, Ncshrille,
Tenn.
SIR: Yours from CHATTANOOGA, July
2s, is received, notifying me Of ycsf ap.
pointment by your State as Lieutenant
Colonel and Provost Marshal Of Georgia,
Alabama aud Mississippi, under the act Of
Congress, July 4 1864, to recruit volun-
teers to be credited TO the States respcc'
lively.
On applying to General Webster at
Nashville, he will grant you pass through
our lines to those States, and rs / hare
had considerable erpeliencei IN those States,
uould suggest rscruiting depots to be estab-
lishm at Macon and Columbus, Mss, Sci
ma. Montgomery and Mobile, A'a., and
Columbus, MHtedyerille and Saranah,
Georgia.
do not see that the law restricts you to
black recruits, but you are at liberty TO
collect white recruits, also. 1t is waste Of
time and mosey to open rendezvous in
Northwestern Georgia, for | assure you l
have not seen an able bodied man, white
or black, there, fit for soldier, who was
not in our army or the one opposed to it..
| You speak Of the impression going
abroad that am opposed to the orgauiza.
ton OF eolored regiments
Ny opinions are usually very positive,
and there is no reason why yoa should not
q know t}A<D. >n'
Though entertaining profound rever-
ence for our Congress, do doubt their
wisdom in tie passage Of this law: ~
ls:. Because civilian agents about an
army are nuisance.
% The duty of citizens to fight fer
their country is too sacred an one to he
,peddIed off by buying up the refuse OF
other States.
3D. /, is unjus. to the brave soldiers
and volunteers who are fighting, as those
who compose this army do, 10 ?! lace them
on par with tie class Of recruits you are
afer.
4th. The negro is in transition state,
and is not tie equal Of the white man.
Jth. lie is liberated from bis bondage
by act Of war; and the armies in the field
are entitled to all the assistance in labor
and lighting in addition to the proper
quotas Of the States.
9TH. This bidding and 5an,ering for
recruits, white and black, has Delayed the
reinforcement Of our armies at the time
when such reinforcements would have Ell.
abled US to make our successes permanent
7th. The law is an experiment. which
pending war, is unwiss and unsafe, and
has developed the universal draft which |
firmly believe will become necessary to
overcome the wide resistance offered US ;
and also believe the universal draft will
| be wise and beneficial; for under the
Providence Of God it will seperate the
sheep from the goats, and demonstrate
what citizens will fight for their country,
and what will enly talk. W. ..4.s.,.a~ ...---,..
No one will infer from this that am
not friend of the negro as we'll as the
white race; / contend tha. tho treason
and rebellion Of the master freed the slave,
and the armies have commanded have
conducted to safe points more negroes
! than those Of any general officer in the
army; but | prefer negroes for pioneers,
JPdIuSk cTs, Io0ho Wuu ScISahtSS OlHSls
gradually to experiment in the art of the
soldier, beginning with the duties Of local
garrisons, such as we had at Memphis
Vicksburg, Natchez. Nashville aud Chat.
tanooga ; bu. l would not draw on the
poor race for too large proportion Of it:
pctive, a,hlectic young men, for some
pst remain to seek new homes, and pro
dc for the old and young, the feeble and
helpless. st..-4 .e. 4;s46. g
These are some Of my peculiar notions
, but assure you they are shared by =
large proportion Of our fighting men.
| You may show this to the agents Of tht
other States in the same business n!
!, yourself. l am, etc, 111' .'**<,
(Signed) W. 7. SHERMAN, g"7
, f e.. s@tt -l.E Major General.
Official copy. LIN. DAYros, Ado.