Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-16
GENERAL HAMrToN's REPLY.
HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD February ~.
MAJ Genl W. T. Sherman, L. S. Armg.


Ma Genl W. 7. Sherman, L. S. Army.
GENERAL: Your communication of the "a inst
reached me to-day. In it you stated that il has
been officially reported that your foragiDg par
ties we're murdered" after capture, and you go
on to say that you had ordered similar num-
Der of prisoners in your hands to be disposed of
in like manner" That is TO say you have or
dered , number of confederate soldiers 10 be
murdered You characterize your order
10 proper terms. for the public voice, even in
your own country, where il seldom dares to
press itself in vindicaton of truth, honor or jus
tce, will surely agree with you in prOnOuneing
YOU guilty of murder, if your order is carried out
Before dismissiDg this portion of your letter.
beg leave 10 assure you for every soldier OF mine
murdered by you shall have executed, at once,
two of yours: giving in all cases, preference to
any officer who may be in my hands. In refer
ence to the statement YOU make regarding the
death of your foragers, have only to say that
know nothing of it; that orders given by me
authorized the killing of the prisoners after cap
ture, and that do not believe that my men kill
ed any Of yours, except under circumstances IN
der which it was perfectly legitimate and proper
they should kill them II is a part OF the system
Of the thieves whom you designate as your fora
gers to fire the dwellings of those citizens whom
they have robbed. To check this inhuman sys
TEN, which is justly execrated by every civilized
nation, have directed my men to shoot down
ali of your men who caught burning houses
This order shall remain in force as long as you
disgrace the profession of arms by allowing your
men to destroy private dwellings. You say that
| cannot, of course question your right to forage
on the country. at is right as old as history I"
do not, sir, question this right. But there is
right older even than this, and one more naen-
able-.he right than every man has TO defend his
home and to protect those who are dependent
upon him; and from my heart | wish that every
old man and boy in my country who can FIRE
gun would shoot down, as he would 9ild beast,
the men who are desolatng their land burning
their houses and insulting their women. You
are particular in defining and claiming "war
rights May | ask if you enumerate among
them the right to FIRE upon defenseess city
without notice; TO burn that city to the ground
after il has been surrendered by the authorities
who claimed, though in vain that protection
which is ALWAYS accorded IN civilized warfare 10
non combatants; to fire the dwelling houses of
citizens, after robbiug them. and to perpetrate
even darker crimes than these-crimes too black
to be mentioned. Ysu have permitted, if you
have not ordered, the omission OF these ofenses
against humanity and the rules of war Yon
fred into the city Of Columbia without word of
warning.
Altti WHO
manded protection TO private property, you laid
the whole city in ashes. leaving amid i;s ruins
thousands of old men and helpless women and
children, who are likely to perish of starvation
aud exposure. Your line of march can be traced
by the lurd light Of Burning houses. and in more
than one household there is an agony far more
bitter than that Of death The Indian scalped
his victim regardless Of her sex or age bus with
all his barbsrity he always respected the persons
OF his female captives Your soldier more saw
age then the Indian, insults those whose natural
projectors are absent. In conclusion, | have on
ly TO request that whenever you have any of my
mea disposed of, or murdered" for the terms
appear TO be synonymous with you, you will let
me hear of il, in order that | may know what &C
ton to take in the matter. In the meantime
shall hold ffty-six of your men as hostages for
those whom you have ordered TO be executed. |
am, yours. &c,
WADE HAMPTON. Lieutenant General