The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1865-03-23
HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD,
February 27. 1865.
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IL 4EAuGO9ttl litE i ifsi4p.
February 27, 1865.
Maor- Gsaer.-z " T. Sherman,
United States Army:
General: Your communication of the
24th instant. reached me today. In 1T
yousstate That it has been officially reports
ed that your fora aging parties were amur-
deredD after capture; and you 60 on TO
say that you had a,ordefed q similar
numbercf prisoners in your hands to be
disposed of in like manner" That's TO
say, yoyphrve ordered q number Of Con
federate soldiers to be asmurdercd."
You characterize your order in proper
terms for the public voice. evenin your
own country, whore it seldom dares to
express itselfin vindication of truth, hon
ogor.justice, will surely agree with you
in pronouncing you guilty OF murder if
-yonr order islcarriod out.
Before dislnissing this portion of your
letter, beg to assure you for every SOL
-dier Of mine murdered" by you l shall
hareexecutcd at once tsoo Of yours, giving,
in all cases, preference toany officers who,
may bein my hands.
In reference to the statement Y You-malSe.
T5gIFTHng JIe Death ot,your- foragers,
have only t6-say that / know nothing of
TT; 4taaejro orders given by me authorize
tho killing of prisoners after-capture, and
that l do not believe that my men killed
any of yours except under. circumstances
in which it was perfectly legitimate and
proper they should kill thom.
1t is part of the systemof the thieves
whom you designate as your foragers to
fire the dwelling of those citizens whom
they have robbed
To check this inhuman system, which
is Justly Scxocrated by every civilized ma
ton, I have directed my men to shoot
down allsof youi men who are caught
burning houses. This order shall remain
inforceas long as you disgrace the profess
ion ofarm shy allowing your men to .des-
troy private dwellings.
You say that / cannot of course qucs-
lion your right to forage on the country.
1T is a right as old as history" l do.
not, sir, question this right. But there is
alright older even than this, and one
more saalienable-thc right that evcry
man has to defend his home and to pro-
.tect those who are dependent upon him.
And fropa my heart l wish that every old
man and boy in my country who can fire
"a gun.whould shoot down. as he woA4d
wild beast, the men who are desolading
theil land, burning their hotscs, and in
sulting their women.
You sare particular in defining and
claiming war rights" May ask if you
ennmerate among them the right to fire
upon a detencoless city without notice !;
to burn that city to the ground after it
9 had been surrendered by the authorities.
who claimed though in vain that protec-
/. ton Which is always accorded in civil
lied warfare to non-combatants; to fire
thosdweling-house of citizens after rob-
bing them, and to perpctrate even darker
crimes than tllesc-crimes tooblack to be
mentioned.
You have psrnitted,s%if you have not
ordered, the comnissi0n of these offences
against humanity and the rules Of war.
You fred into the city ofColumbia with
outa word of warning. After its su1ren-
der by the Mayorswho demanded protec
ton to private. property, yon laid the
whole city in ashes, leaving amid it's .ru-
ihs thousands ofcld men and helpless wo-
men and children, who are likely to per
ish Of starvation and exposure. Your
line of.march can beTtraced by. the luiid
light Of burning houses, and in more than
one household there is an agony more
bitter tharlstfat of death.
The Indian scalped his victim regard
lsssof sex or age, but with all his barbar-
ity he.always respected the persons of his
female captives. Youl. soldiers, more saw
are than 5be Indian, insult those whose
natural protectors are absert.
In conclusion, have only to request
that whenever .yoss have any of my men
adisrosed Of" orr murdered for the
terms appear to BsssynonJ' nous with you
--yon will let me hear Of it, in eader that
I may know what action 20 take in the
matter. In the meantime, |. shall hold
s fifty-six of your mon as hostagesfor those
whom you have ordered to be executed.
am yours, ETC.,
TSirnedT WADEHAMPTON, =