East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1865-06-28
"THE TRUTH OF HISTORY"
Gen. Sherman's Report OF Military Ope-
rations and Negotiations in North
... Carolina.


We publish the substance Of the
correspondence Of General Sherman,
covering his operations in North Car
olina, his negotiations and armistice
with General johnson, ETC., all of
which were, for some mysterious rea-
son, long withheld from the public.
The first document. on the list 10 a
dispatch from General Sherman to
General Grant, as follows:
Hp'a's, MILIr'Y DIV. OF THE MISS,
In THE FIELD,
RALEIGH, n. c., April 28, 1865.
GENERAL-Sinc you left me yester-
day, have seen the New York Times
Of the oath, containing budget of
military news, authenticated by the
signature of the Secretary of War,
which is grouped in such way as to
give very erroneous impressions. 1t
embraces copy of the basis or agree
ment between myself and Gen. john
ston, of April 1s, with commentaries,
which it viii be time enough to discuss
two or three years hence, after the
government has experimental little
more in the machinery by which our
power reaches the scattered people of
tho vast area Of country known as
the South. But, in the meantime, l
do think that my rank, if not past
service, entitled me at least to the res
pect of keeping secret what was known
to none but the Cabinet until further
inquiry could have been made, instead
of giving publicity to documents /
never saw, and drawing inferences
wide of the truth. never saw or
had furnished me copy of President
Lincoln's dispatch to you of the 5th
of March until after the agreement !;
nor did Mr.. Stanton, or any human
being, ever convey to me its substance
or anything like it. But on the con-
trary, had seen General Weitzeps
invitation to the Virginia Legislature,
made in Mr.. Lincoln's very presence,
and had failed TO discover any other
official notice of plan of reconstruc-
ton, or any idea calculated to allay
the fears of the people Of the South
that after the destruction of the armies
and civil authorities they would be
left without any government at ALL
We should not drive people into
anarchy, and it is simply impossible
for our military power to reach all the
resources of their unhappy country.
/ confess I did not wish to break Gen.
Johnson's army into bands of armed
men, moving about without purpose,
and capable only Of infinite mischief.
But you saw on your arrival that l
had my army so disposed that his
escape was only possible in disor-
ganized shape, and as you did not
choose to direct military operations in
this quarter, l infer you were satisfied
with the military situation. At all
events, the instant / learned, what
was proper enough, the disapproval
of the President l acted in such a
manner as to compel the surrender OF
Gen. Johnson's whole army on the
same terms you prescribed to General
Lees army when you had it surround
ed and in your absolute power.
Mr.. Stanton, in stating that my
order to General Stoneman were like
ly to result in the escape of Mr.. Davis
to Mexico or Europe, is in deep error.
Stoneman was not at Salisbury then,
but had gone back to Statewide
Davis was supposed to be between us,
and therefore Stoneman was beyond
him. BY turning towards me he was
approaching Davis, and had no joined
me, as ordered, 1 would have had
mounted force greatly needed for that
and other purposes but even now l
don't know that Mr.. Stanton ants
Davis caught; and asmy official papers,
deemed sacred, are hastily published
TO the world, it will be imprudent for
me to state what has been done in that
respect, as the editor of the Times has.
1t may be logically and fairly drawn
from this singular document the con-
clusion that / am insubordinate. i
can only deny the intention. / have
never in my life questioned or dis
obeyed an order, though many and
many time have 1 risked my life,
my health and reputation in obeying
orders or even hints to execute plans
and purposes not to my liking. 1t is
not fair to withhold from me plans
and policy, if any there be, and expect
me to guess at them, as facts and
events appear quite different from diff
ferent stand points.
For four years i have been in camp
dealing with soldiers, and / can assure
you that the conclusion at which the
Cabinet arrived with such singular