Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-09-20
Interesting E.eGter written o.
GeEs. sherman


Gen. sherman.
The Huntsville tAlabamal Iccarat
publishes "a letter written hy Gen. Sher
man, Au.us; 10Th. lS6j, he being IN TIA,
icid uvaC Atlanta, To an old friend a
sand Mountain. opposite Bsllet0nte, il
tie same Stale. After recounting ole
scenes aud Oil pleasures, the Genera
takes ur the war question, and says:
4 the Time OF Lincoln election ] wa,
at AieNaudrIa. on Red river saw, anu
you must have seen, that the southern
politicians wanted TO bring about secess
ION. separation. 'fhey could have elect
Ell Nj. Douglas, but they 30 managed
that LmcOin's election was made certain.
and after they had accomplished this, was
1t honest and fair for them to allege il as
Il cause of war? Did not Mr.. Breckin-
ridge, as Vice President, in his seat. de
clare Mr.. Lincoln the lawfully elected
President OF the United States Was it
ever pretended the President was ou
government Don't you know that Con
greSs makes the laws, the Supreme Court
Judges them, and the President only ex
ecutes them Don't you know that Nj.
Lincoln OF himself could not take away
your rights?
Now, was ia Louisiana, and while the
planters. and mechanics, and industrial
people. we're happy and prosperous, the
politicians and busy-bodies were scheming
and plotting, and got the Legislature to
pass an ordinance of secession, which was
submitted 10 the people, who voted against
it-yet the politicians voted the State
out, and proceeded to take possession OF
the United States mint. the forts, the ar
senals, and tore down ar old flag and in
suited il. That. TOO, before Mr. Lincoln
had got to Washington. l saw these
Things, and begged Bragg, and Beaure-
gard, and Governor Moore, and host OF
personal friends, 10 beware. IA that was
nigh treason. But they answered, the
North was made UpOf mean manufactur-
ers, of traders, of farmers, who would not
fight. The people Of the North necer
dreamed OF interfering with the slaves or
property of the South. They simply vo-
ted as they had a right 20 do, and they
could not understand why the people OF
the South should begin to take possess
ION of the United States forts and arse
mails, till Cur Government had done some
thing wrOng-something oppressive. The
South tGgdlt the war. You know it.
and millions OF others living at the South
know il, but the people of the North
were as innocent of il as your little grand
children. Even after forts had been ta-
ken, public arms stolen from our a.rsenals
anu distributed among the angry militia,
the brave and honest freemen Of the
great North could not realize the fact.
III poar4r..ra..9 la..a., - g., .
rlson Of the United States troops i'm a fort
built by the common Treasury Of the
'Choic country. Then, as by mighty up
heayai. tie people rose and began to
think OF war, and not until then. re-
signed my post in Louisiana, in March,
lSGl, because of the public act on the part
Of The State in selzIng the United States
arsenal al Baton Rouge, and went to st.
Louis, where | readily got lucrative en-
that some change would
,ct avert the war. But 1t came, and |
and al Ot military education had 10 close.
repeat tnat then, as now, had as much
owe for the honest people of the Sou.h
ts any man living. Had they remained
rue to the country | would have resisted,
ven with arms, any attack upon THEN
1ghts-eVen their slave rights. But when.
IS people, they tore down our old flag
md spit upon it, and called Us towards,
md dared Us To the contest. then took
4p asms to maintain the integrity of our
5ount try. and punish the men who cbal-
enged Us to the conflict. Is this not a
rue picture! SupposIng the North had
patiently submitted, what would have
been the verdict of history and the world?
Nothing else but the North was craven
md coward. VIII you say the North Is
raven ANA coward now Cruel and inhu-
nan ss this war has been, and may still
continue 10 be, il was forced upon US.
y G had no choice. And we have no choice
-et. We must 90 on even TO The end of
ime even If it results in taking a mill
on OF lives and deSolating the whole land,
eaying desert behind. We must main
ain the integrity of cur country. And
he day viii come when the little grand
;hIld you love SO well will bless us who
ought, that the United States of Ameri-
a should not sink into inlamy and worse
han Mexican anarchy by the act of
Southern politicians, who care no more
or you, or such as you, than they care
or HOttentOts. | have never underraUed
-A[ A--etf b4LAsNaC "a AlAAo hdIs tOI L KNOW /
he size of the South and the difficulty
4 operating in it. But | also know that
he Northern races have, ever since the |
var began, had more patience and perse- |
erance than the Southern races. And |
o will ii be now-we will persevere to |
he end. All mankind shall recognize in |
Is brave and stubborn race, and not TO |
,e deferred by the magnitude of the dan
er. Only three years passed, and that |
5 but a minute in nations life. and see /
yhere we are. Where are the naughty |
'lanters OF Louisiana who compared our
Iard working, intelligent whites of the
! lorth with their negroes? The defeats
7e have sustained have hardly made a
'ause IN our course, and the Yaunted /
raves of Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisia-
IA, Missouri, etc, instead of walking
over the freem en- of the North
Ie engaged in stealing horses and rob-
ing poor ola people for a living, while
ur armies now tread in every Southern
tate, and the biggest armies in Virginia
nd Georgia lie behind torts and dare not
ONE out and fight us towards of the
,orth, who have come five hundred miles
ltO their country to accept theiI chal-
enge. But, my dear old friend, I haye
oTed you too much-my handwriting is
ot plain, but you have time to study it
ut, and, as you can understand, have
great deal of writing TO do, and it must
e in hurry. Think Of what | have
ritten. Talk it over with your neigh
ors, and ask yourselves if, in your trials
nd tribulations, you have suffered more
ON the Union soldiers than you would
ad you built your barn where lightning
as sure to burn and tear it down. Did .
Ou not al invoke the punishment of an
God and Government? | care
ot a straw for niggers The moment the
aster rebels. the negro is free af course,
r he is a slave only by law, and the law
,oBen, he is free. /
l command in all Tennessee, Ken
lcky, Mississippi, Alabama, and Geor- {
q. The paper inclose will be of SER
ce to you. Love TO Mrs. Martin.
W. T. SHERMAN