, 1865-06-17

Extract fIoM Nal Gen. ShcrMau'8 Rep0rt-l
It new becomes NY duty to pain In justly
severe character the sull more offensive and
dangerous matter Of Gen. Halleckts dispatch
bodied in his to Gen. DIX Of April n. Gen.
nalleck has been Chief Of Staff Of the army
at Washington, in which capacity he re-
ceived my official letter OF April IS, wherein
wrLtc clearly tha. If JohnstC MS army about
Greensborough Was pushed 1t would " dis
perse;'' in event visited 10 prevent. About
Tint time be seems to have ocen sent from
Washington to Richmond 10 coNmAnd the
new miiIta1y division Of the James, In assum-
ire charge Of which on the sd be de1ues the
limit of his authority to the " Department Of
V'1einia. the Army ef the Potomac, and such
ln,t Of Ntr;h Carcllua as may not be occu-
r.ed By the comus nd OF Maj. Gen. Sherman"
later t4pr1l 26) be reports to the Secretary
that lie bad ordsred Gems. Meade, Sheridan
and Wright 10 Invade that part Of NORTH
Carclipn which ttds occupied hy my COM
mard, aad pny "uo rcgaid to any truce
OF order Of" mine. They were ord. red 10
"push forwhrd regardless Of any orders sayc
those Of Lieut.. Gen, Grant, aud Gu. oil John
stems retreat" He knew, at the time that
he wrote that dispatch ard made those or
dcrs, that Johns:on was not retteating, but
WIS halted under u fi'rty eight hours truce
with NE, and as ]aboripe 10 surrender his
command and prevent its dispersion into
guerilla bands, and thst hat On the spot .
magnificent army at NY command, amply
sufficient for all purposes requistd BY the oc-
casi.n. Tie plan Of cutting of d retreat
from the direction Of BurlesTslle and Danville
Is hardly worthy Of ons Of Ills military edu-
cation and genius.
When be contemplated m act so question:
able a6 thu violation OF truce mads by COIL
peient authority, he should hare gene HIM
,h~nA ~. h.
knew / Was bound In honor TO defend aud
malItain ry own truce and pledge Of faith,
even at The cost Ct many ltvcs. When mi
officer pledges the :alth Of hia Government he
il bt mid 10 defend it, and he Is no soldier
who would violate 1t Knowingly.
GEN. 0RAsr TO oES. suERxAx.
HpQns. ARMIES or TIE Ux1rEp STA1Es,t
MAsHIs1r0S, May Is, 1s63.
Nsier Gen. Y; T; Sherman, Commanding Middle
Division Of the Mississippi:
Ctr. Grant objected mt to call your atten-
tion 10 the pa1t Of your TtEo;t In which the
necessity OF maintaining your truce at the
expense OF mary lives, Is spoken Of. The
G.nersl thi1k Ks That III making truce the
commander u au army cau control only bis
twn army, and that the hostile General must
make his cWn arrangements With other ar
mics actitg againa him.
While ipdelN ndent Generals acting against
q common Joe would naturally act iu concert,
tLe General claims ,hat each must ba the
juose q lis own duty aud responsible for Its
execution.
you should wish, tic report will be re-
tuned %, any chat re J ou may deem best.
Very 1eslcc; fully your obedirnt servant.
T. S. BOWERS,
Assistant Adju.ant Gcne:at.
GEN. SHERMAN TO GEN. GRANT.
ukApoRs. MILITARY rfy, or rur N1ss1ssrrr1,
WAsn1seros, D. c., Ma5 II, 1865. {
Col. r. s. Bow.rs, Ass't AcJ't Gen, Washington,
DC: -.
letter Of Nuy 25 last evening, and hasten
to answer. wlsh to prccede 1t BY renewing
the assurance Of my entire confidence and
Iefpect for the President and Lieut. General
Grant, AID that in all ma.te1s will be most
willing to shape mY Official and private con.
duct 10 suit their wishes. The past Is beyond
my control, and the matters embraced 10 the
tf;cial report 10 which you refer, are finished.
II is hut just the reasons that nctuated me,
right OF wrong, should stand on record, but
In Rll future Cases, shonid any arise.- will
respect the opinions 81 Gen. GEant, though
think them wrong.
Suppose Euhrd has p1t.oness IN charge
TO rescue or kill Them, Is 1t not clear the
guard must defend the prisoners, as safe-
guards So jealous Is the military law to
pro ect and maintain good faith when pledged,
that the law adJudyes dea b and no alternate
punishment TO one who violates safeguard
In foreign parts. See article OF War, NO. 50.
For muTdtr, arsen, treason and the highest
military chimes the punishment prescribed
by law Is death Or some minor punishment,
but for the violation Of q "sate- guar" death
and dtath alone is the prescribed penalty. l
1netance this 10 Illustrate no" IN mllltar1
stipulat1oEs to an enemy our Government
commands and enfrrres good faith" In
discussing this matter would like to Ieler to
many writer's On military Law, but am viii
ling to take Halieck as the text. See his
chapter No. n
III the yery first article he states that good
faith should always be observed between ene-
mics In var, because when our faith has been
pl,dgud to him, so far as the promise extends
hc ceases to be an enemy. He then dtfloes
the meaning Of compacts aud conventions,
ard says they are made sometimes for q gen
etal or O partial suspension of hostflitte5 f3r
tie surrender of an army" &c. They may
be special, limited to par rliculsr places. OF
to PARTICULAR forces but Of course can only
hind tby QrmIes subject to the General who
Eales The t, uce, md co-e1teosiye only with
lie extent Of his co1nmzad. This Is ali I
ever claimed and 1t clearly covers tbs whole
case ali Of Moth Carolina was In my i'm
mcd,atc commspd, with General Scho-
fir|d. lis Drpartmtnt Commander, mud his
afmy Dresept With me; I never asked
Pie t,uce TO bayc effect beyond nv own tel,
tit..,;a1 Command Generai Hslleck him self.
in his order No. i. defines his own limits
Clearly enough, VIZ: such patt OF Nols9
carolina ae Was mol 0ceuplen og Lue cStnA1uu
Of Ma}of Genesai s4efman s.aa, az coua ~ no'
MsIn roa and ~ cba,io,te utthont n nvadin"mv
Command: and 50 patent was bis purpose to
DEFY md yinlnte nv .ruce That Mr. 3tAntOu's g