Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-07-23
Imnortaut LETTER from Gen. Sherman.

/
tie treatment of traitors and gueTriuds
| Gen. Sherman, the victorious commander
of our army in the West, has published ar
excellent letter addressed to Gen. Burbridge
for the information of the people of Georgia,
Tennessee and!Kentucky, living within the
Department of the Cumberland, as express
ing the sentiments of the Department COM
mander.
The letter was called forth by the recent
raid of Morgan and the concurrent acts OF
men styling themselves Confederate Parti-
sans or guerrillas Their acts the General
denominates nothing but simple murder,
horse-stealing, arson and other well defined
crimes which do not sound as well under their
true names as more agreeable ones of war
like meaning, and their conduct, he says,
calls for determined action.
He says he requested Gov. BRAMLETTE, of
Kentucky, before starting on the present
, campaign, to at once organize in each county
a small, trustworthy band, under the Sheriff,
if possible, and at one dash arrest every man
in the community who was dangerous to it;
and also every fellow hanging about the
honest calling, the materials out of which
guerrillas are made up; but this sweeping
exhibition of power doubtless seemed to the
Governor rather arbitrary. He adds:
"The fact is, in our country personal IL
berty has been so well secured, that public
safety is lost sight of in our laws and consti-
tuition, and the fact is, we are thrown back
one hundred years in civilization, law and
everything else; and will go right straight to
anarchy and the devil if somebody don't ar
rest our downward progress. We, the mill
tary, must do it, and we have right and law
on our side. All governments and cOmmu-
mites have right to guard against real and
even supposed danger. The whole people of
Kentucky must not be kept in state of sHs-
pense, and real danger, lest few innocent
men should be wrongfully accused"
He accordingly gives the following instruc-
tions:
lst You may order all your Post and Dis
trict Commanders that guerrillas are not SOL
diers, but wild beasts, unknown to the usages
of war. To be recognized as soldiers, they
must be enlisted, enrolled, Differed, uniform
ed, armed and equipped by recognized bellig-
erent power, and must, if detached from
main army, be of sufficient strength, with
written orders from some army commander,
to do some military thing. Of course we
have recognized the Confederate Government
as bellgerent power, but deny their right
to our lands, territories, rivers, coasts, and
MISUNDERSTANDING the right to rebel and
move to some other country where laws and
customs are more in accordance with their
own ideas and prejudices.
I'd. The civil power being insufficient to
protect life and property, ser necesSit0te rel, !"
to prevent anarchy, switch nature abhors,"
the military steps in, and is rightful, consti-
tutional and lawful. Under this law, every
body can be made to "stay at home and mind
his and her own business" and if they won't
do that, can be sent away, where they cannot
keep their honest neighbors in fear of danger,
robbery, and insult.
3d. Your military commanders, Provost
Marshalls and other agents, may arrest all
males and females who have encouraged or
harbored guerrillas aadrobbers, and you may
cause them to be collected in Louisville, and
when you have enough, say three or four
hundred, will cause them to be sent down
the Mississippi, through their guerrilla gaunt
let, and by a sailing ship send them to a land
where they may take their negroes and make
a colony, with laws and afuture of their own.
If they won't live in peace in such garden
as Kentucky, why, we will kindly send them
to another if not better land, and surely
this would be a kindness to them, and Gods
blessing to Kentucky. Iwish you to be care
fnl that no personalities are mixed up in this,
nor does full and generous love of country
" of the South" of their State or country,
form cause of Punishment, but the devilish
spirit which will not be satisfied, and that
makes war the pretext for murder, arson,
theft, in all its grades, perjury, and all the
crimes of human nature.
The General says the same instructions
are given to Post and District Commanders,
and the same penalties imposed upon all muir
derers, robbers, incendiaries, and raiders,
their aiders and abettors, and any person up
on well founded accusation of having violat-
ed his oath of allegiance to the United States
will be brought to trial before a Military
Commission as a traitor.