Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1865-03-15
HEAD QUARTERS IN THE FIELD, !
February q. 1855. {
Naj. Gen. ". z. Sherman, Q. S. Army:-

MAJ. Gen. ". Z! Sherman, q. S. Army: &.
GENERAL: Your communication Of the
9th inst, reached me to-day. In it you
state that it has been officially reported that
your foraging parties were murdered" after
capture, and yeu go on to- say that You had
"ordereda similar number of prisoners in
our hands to be.disposed of in like manner" J"
That is to say you have ordered number of
Confederate soldiers to be" murdered"
You characterize your order in proper
terms, for the public voice even in your own
country, where it seldom dares to express it.
self in vindication of truth, honor or justic,
wilEsurely agree with yoltasin pronouncing
you guilty of murder, if your order is carried
Before dssmisslng this portion Of your let,
teri beg to assure you that for every soldier
of mine" murdered" by you, L shall have cx-
ecuted at once t,co of yours, giviug,t in all
cases, preference to any officers who may be
in my hands. ~
In reference to the statement you make
regarding the death of your foragcrs, l have
only to say that know nothing of it; that no
orders given by-me authorize the. killing of
prisoners after, capture, end that do not be-
lieve thai. my meu killed any Of yours except
under circumstances in which it was per.
tectiy legitimate and proper they should kill
them.
It's a part OF the system Of the thieves
whom you designate as your foragers, to fre
the dwellings OF those citizens whom they
have robbed.ss
20 check tlis inhuman system, which is
justly execrated by every civilized nation, I
have directed my ment to shoot down all Of
your men whc are caught burning houses.
;s'his ordec shall remain in force, as long as
you disgrace the profession Of arms by ALLOW
ing yoursmen-to destroy private dwellings.
Yon say that cannot, Of course, question
yo;.r right to forage on the country. "Itis
o right as old as history" do not sir, qucs-
tion this right. But there is right older
even than this, and one mora iEalienable-
tho right that every man has to defend his
home, and to protect those who are depen-
dentupon him., Aud from my heart wish
that aYeryfold man and boy in nay country,
Nho csn Gre gun, would shoot down, as he
would q wild bsns:, the men who arc desolc.
ing their land, burning their houses, aud in
sulting their women.
You are particular in defining and claiming
/. warliights::n, May Task if you cnumerate.
among them the righs TO fire upon-a defence
less city without notice; 10 burn that city to'
the ground after ltkad been, Surrendered by
the authorities, VINO claimed, though ip vain,
that protection which is always accorded N
civilizedwarfare to onon.combatants; to fire
the Dwelling houses OF citizens, afterrohbi.g
3ttsn ,thesc--crimes too black Ito be- fnea-
tioned2 - ..
You have permitte5, if you have not or
dered, the commission of these offences against
humanity and thesrnles Of war. You fired
into tie city of Columbia without,a word Of
warning. After its surrender by the Mayor,
who demanded protection to private property,
Won laid the whole city inscshes leaving amid
It's ruins thousands Of old men and helpless
women and children, who are likely to per:s
ish of starvation and exposure. Your line
of march can be traced by the Iurid light Of
burning houses, and il more than one house
hold there is an agony fa- nore bitter than
that Of death.
The Indian scalpcd his victim regardless
of sex or age, but,with all his barbarity, he
alway respected the persons Of his female
captives. Your soldiers, more savage than
the Indian, insult those whose natural protec-
tocs are absent.
In conclusion. | have only to request that
whenever you have any Of my men "dispoi-
ed Of" or murdered" for the terms appear
to besynonymous 18th you, you will let me
hear Of it. in order that may know what ac
ton TO take in the n1atter. In the meantime
] shall hold fifty six of your men as hostages
for those whom you have ordered to be ex-
ecuted. / am yours, &C.,
Signed WADE HAMPTON,
Lieut. Gen !.
Official Jno. NJ. otey,
4. A. Gen'l.