Litchfield enquirer., 1864-08-18

GENERAL SHERMAN ON RECRUITING IN THE REBEL STATEs.-The following characteristic letter from General Sherman was sent from Nashville to the Boston Journal, for publica- lion. It is sharp and pointed. Read it. HEADQUARTERS, Military Division of the)
 Mississippi, in the Field. near ATLANTA.
 Georgia, Jul3 30, 1864. John A. Spooner, Esq, Agent for the Com
 monwealth of Massachusetts, Nashville, Tenn.
 Sir-Yours from Chattanooga, July 2s, is received, notifying me of your appointment by your State as Lieutenant Colonel and Pro vost Marshal of Georgia, Alabama, aud Mis- sissippi, under the act of Congress approved July 4, 1864, to recruit volunteers to be credit ed to the States respectively.
 On applying to General Webster at Nash vile, he will grant you pass through our lines to those States, and, as EaVe hau con siderable experience fin those States, would suggest recruiting depots to be established at Macon and Columbus, Miss. Selma; Mont eomery and Mobile Alabama and Columbus, MiIledgyille aud Savannah, Georgia.
 do not see that the law restricts you to black recruits, but yoa are at liberty to collect white recruits, also. It is waste of time and money to open rendezvous in Northwest Geor- gia, for assure you have not seen an able bodied man, black or white, there. fit for sol dier who was not in the army or the one op- posed to it.
 You speak of the impression going abroad that am opposed to the organization of col. ored regiments.
 My opinions are usually very positive, and there is no reason why you should not know them.
 Though entertaining profound reverence for our Congress, do doubt their wisdom in the passage of this law:
 lst. Because civilian agents about an army are nuisance.
 2d. The duty of citizens to fight for their country is too sacred a one to be peddled of by buying up the refuse of ofher States.
 3d. It is unjust to the brave soldiers and volunteers who are fighting. as those who compose this army do, to place them on par with the class of recruits you. are after.
 4th. The negro isin transition state. and is not the equal of white man.
 5th. He is liberated from his bondage by act of war; aud the armies in the field are en- titled to all his assistance in labor and fighting i,, addition to the proper quotas of the States.
 9th. This biddinga and bantering for recruits. white and black, has delayed the reinforce. ment of our armies at the times when such reinforcement would have enabled us to make our successes permanent.
 7th. The law is an experiment which, pend ing war, is unwise and unsafe, and has delay ed the universal draft which firmly believe will become necessary to overcome the wide spread resistance offered us and also believe the universal draft will be wise and beneficial, for under the Providence of God it will sepa- rate the sheep from the goats, and demon strate what citizens will fight for their country, and what will only talk.
 No one will infer from this that am not friend of the negro as well as the white race; contend that the treason and rebellion ot the master freed the slave, and the armies have commanded have conducted to safe points more negroes than those of any General otfi- cer in the army; prefer negroes for pioneers, teamsters, cooks and servants, others gradual ly to experiment in the art of the soldier, be. ginning with the duties of local garrisons. such as we had at Memphis, Vicksburg, Natchez, Nashville and Chattanooga, but would not draw on the poor race for too large portion of it's active, athletic young men, for some must remain to seek new homes and provide for the old and Young-the feeble and help less.
 These are some of my peculiar notions, but assure you they are shared by large pro portion of our fighting men.
 You may show this to the agents of the other States in the same business as yourself
 am. etc.,
 (signed) T. W. SHERMAN,
 Official copy. Major General.
 L. NJ. DAYTON, Aidc-de- Camp.