Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-06
LErrER ra1n .nERnAN TO oRANr.
Ga the 2S,a Of April General sherman ad
dressed the following letter TO General Grant
lgApQUARrERs, MILITARY DWslpN Or the }
Mississippi. Is rHE FIELD

RALucu, n c, Apul ~, 1868
General Since SOU leit M yesterday | have
seen The Now YORK InH,S OF She 9th, contain
ing budgetoi military neys, authenticated BY
the signature OF the Secretary oil War, which If
grouped III such way as TO give very erroneous
Impressions Il embraces q cory OF the basis OF
agreement between myself and General John.
ston, OF April Is, with commentaries, which it
will be time enough ~ discuss TWO or three years
hence. after the government has experimented
h;te more IN the machinery by which power
reaches the scattered people OF the vast area OF
country known as the south. Bot, IN the
meantime, do think that my rank, If not
past service, entitled NE q, least I, the respect
Ul keeplng secret what was known to none but
tho Cabinet until further inquiry could have
been made, instead OF giving publicity to docu
ments never saw, and drawing lnierences wide
VI the truth | never saw or had furnished mt
copy oil President Lincoln dispatch to You Of
the 5,h OF March until after the agreement .
nor dli Mr.. Stanton, or any human being, ever
convey to me It's substance or anything like It
But, Oh the contrary, had teen General Welt
eel invitation to the Virginia legislature, made
In Mr.. Llucolns very presence, and had failed
to discover any other hcal notice Of plan oil
rec1nstructiJns, OF any idea calculated o allay
the fears OF the people OF the South, hat after
the dys ructlon OF tue armies and civil authoti-
ties they would be left without any government
at all. We should not drive people into an
archy, and it is simply impossible for our mill
tary power to reach a.. the resources ol their I'm
happy country. ! confess did not wish to
break General Johust1n's army into bands Of
armed men, moving about without purpose, and
capable only OF Infinite mischief. Bur you saw
on your arrival that had my army so disposed
that his escape was only possible IN a jsorgan-
lied shape, and as you dbl not choose to direct
military operations IN this quarter, infer you
were satisfied with the military situation. At
oil events the instant learned, what was pro
per enough, the disipprova OF the President, |
acted IN sueh manner as to compel the surren.
der Of q neral J0hnSions whole army on the
same terms you prescribed to General Lees VI.
my when you had it surrounded and In your
absolute power.
MIR. Stanton, in stating that my orders to
General S,onenan we're likely to result IN the
escape Ul Mt Davis to Mexico or Europe, is N
deep error StanemAn was no, at Salisbury
then but had zone back to Smtesylle. DAVIS
J.
Stcneman was beyond him, BY turning toward,
ne he approaching Davis, und had he joined
me, as ordered, would have had mounted
force greatly needed tor that and other purposes
but even now ! don't know that Mr. Stanton
wants Davis caught; and as my bclal papers
deemed sacred, arc hastily published 10 he
world, 1t Will be impruden Tor me to state what
has been done in that respect, as the editor oil
the inns has 1t may he logically and airly
drawn from this singular document the conclu
slo1 that am jnsub5rdinatc. can only deny
the intention. have never IN my lie ques
toned or dlsoheyed an order, though many auc
many time have rIsked my lite, my healti
aud reputation, in obeyipg orders or even hinu
to execute plans and purposes not TO my liking
Il is not far to Withhold from me plans att
policy 1t any there be, aud expect ne to CUES
at them, us fact, and events appear quite differ
ent from different standpoints.
For four Yeas have been in camp dealing
with soldiers, aud can assure you that the con
clusion at which the Cabinet arrived With sucl
singular uuanimity diff rs from mine. | con
iorred freely with the BEST ulhcers in this ARM
I'D 10 he points involved IN lhls controversy, and
strange to say, they were slngularly unanimou
IN the other conclusion aud they will lesri
with pain and amal lment that am deemed IN
subordinate and wanting IN common sense tina
|, who, IN the complications Of last year, worke
d'y aud night summer and winter, Tor the caus
and the administration, and who have brougb
al army OF seventy thousand men in magnifcen
sly e across country deemed impassabe, an