The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-02-22
Gen. Shern an.

The following extract from the Savan.
nah correspondent Of the New York World,
will be read with interest:
On my entrance into the room he rose
from his seat and taking me by the hand,
What is the matter with you, A? What
brings you here? Oh understand; you
are cotton shark. Take care. have
decided to hang every one can lay my
hands on. Cotton sharks have brought
ruin on the country and on the army, and
l will not permit them to carry on their
schemes in Savannah"
dlsabused the General Of this idea and
told him my business was to set up some
kind OF an Office in Savannah.
Eyes; l understand. You people of
the North believe that q conquered city
can be Immediately made q commercial
mart to the great benefit to the Union
cause. think quite differently. l be.
lieve that whenever we call trade and in
dustry into captured cities we feed the
rebel people out Of our own resources; so
that, in the end, they gain more by their
losses than we do by our victories. If l
had my own way would exclude trade
from every captured city, and convert every
one of them into military post"
"Ihis, general" said l, "would be a Sc.
we're blow to the business community of
the Northern States, who, having greatly
suffered by the war, need some kind of
compensation for their lcsses,' "and who,"
said thegeneral, "in return for the priv.
lege Of trading, will supply the rebels
with all kinds Of military stores, from a
leather belt to blanket. The business
community, sir, would make money, even
at the expense Of our country's interests
and the honor Of our Aag.-Thev will make
money any now. Look at the city Of Mem.
phis, for instance, opened to trade immed-
ateIy after its surrender What has been
the result of the privileges granted to CON-
mence on that occasion? Why, to give
Forrest all the supplies he wanted, and ten
or twenty thousand men besides. l know
that my advice will be unheeded; the
pressure Of the commercial class, am well
aware, will defeat all the measures I have
suggested or can recommend; still deem
it my duty to clear myself Of responsibility
by protesting against any effort having for
its object the opening of the port Of Sa.
yannah TO American commerce."
General" Ireplied, ''your popularity
in the Northern States is so great that you
can think, take such steps as you choose
without fear of seeing them thwarted by
the administration
Perhaps SO" said he, ''but mark this
Pm here for few days only when leave
the city the cotton sharks will pounce up.
on it and devour everything they can lay
their hands upon. AS to the popularity
you speak of, I know very well of what
stuff it is made. am popular as long as
! am successful. No: only the American
press, but the London papers, praise me
now as the great general OF the age. Why?
Because have crossed great extent OF
country, and by long and perilous march
Lave caused an important city to fall into
our hands. And this is very well. But
suppose in the campaign am about to un-
dertake | meet the combined forces of Lee,
Beauregard and Hardee, and fail, what
would be my fate then! Why, every lau-
rel have wor, everything have done,
would be forgotten; there is not tree
high enough to hang me upon should be
dragged down from the pillar of fame to rot
in obscurity in some remote corner of the
West; and the great general would be q
failure and an impostor"
"But, General, with all our recent sue.
cesses, and with the plans in view, don't
you think the war is nearly at an end?'
"At an end! Well, sir, if you wish my
opinion on that subject. will state that far
from being at on end, the war is only about
to begin; the policy of giving up their sea
and river coast cities, although taking away
some of the prestige Of the confederacy, is
making it materially stronger than il ,h p.sly
the opening Of the same cities to trade by
the federal government is efficiently sup,
plying the rebels with all the goods they
used to receive by blockade runners, at a
cheaper price, and with less risk and. in.
convenience to themselves"
Such is, in brief, the summary of the
conversation l had with Gen. Sherman on
the occasion of my trip to Savannah, and l
have given, if not in the exact language, a,
least the ideas expressed in my converse
ton with him. F.