Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-01
LETTER FROM GEN SHERMAN.
He would not Su bjugatc the South In
IAN offensive sense.
HEADo'Rs MIL. Div OF THE MIssIssIPPI.l

HEADo'Rs Mil. DIV OF THE MIssIssIPPI.l
In THE FIELD NEAR MARIETTA, Ca, June 80.
Mrs Anna Gilman Boren, baltimore, Nd:
DEAR MADAxE--Your welcome letter of June
18th came to me here amid the sound of battle.
and. as you say. little did dream, when | knew
YOU playing as school girl on Sullivan's island
beach, that should control vast army, point
ing like the swan Of Alaric toward the plains of
the south Why, oh why is this Ii l know
now own heart il beats warmly as ever toward
those kind and generous families that greeted Us
with such warm hospitality in days long past.
but still present in memory; and to-day, Frank
Mrs. Porcher, and Eliza Gilman, and Mary
Lamb, and Margaret Blake. the Barksdsles.
Quasms, the PryOrs, indeed any and all Of our
cherished circle, their children, or even their chill
drens children, to come TO me as of old, the
stern feelings of duty and conviction would melt
as snow before a genial sun, and / believe i
would strip nv own children that they might be
sheltered; and yet they call me barbarian, van
DIAL. and monster, and all the epithets that
language can invent that are significant Of ma
Lightly and hate
All pretend TO say on earth as in heaven.
man must submit 10 some aTbiter. He must not
throw off his allegiance to his government or his
God without just reason and cause. The south
had no cause not even pretext Indeed, by
her uDjustifsble course she has thrown away the
proud history of the past. and laid open her fair
country TO the tread Of devastating war She
bantere1 and bullied US TO the conflict. Had we
declined battle. America would have sunk back
coward and craven, meriting the contempt of all
mankind. As nation, we were forced TO &C
cept battle, and that once begun. it has gone on
till the war has assumed proportions at which
even we in the hurry burly sometimes stand
aghast. would not suhugate the south in the
sense so Extensively assumed. but / would make
every citizen of the land obey the common law
submit to the same that we do-no worse no
better-our equals and not our ssperors.
know and you know that there were young
men in our day, now no longer young, but who
control their fellows, who assumed to the gentle
men Of the south a superiority of courage and
manhood and boastingly defed Us of northern
birth to arms. God knows how reluctantly We
accepted the issue, but once the issue joined, like
in other ages. the northern race, though slow 10
| anger once aroused. are more terrible than the
more infammable Of the south. Even yet my
! heart bleeds when | see the carnage of battle
| the desolation of homes. the bitter anguish Of
| families; but the very moment the men of the
| south say that instead of appealing 10 war they
should have appealed TO reason, to our congress
to our courts, to religion, and TO the experience
of history. then will l say peace-peace; &c
back TO point of error and resume your places a:
American citizens, with sill their proud heritages
Whether live to see this period is problenat
| ical, but you may, and may tell your mother
and sisters that never forgot one kind look OF
greeting, or ever wished TO efface it's remem
brance; but in putting on the armor of war die
il that our common country should not perish In
infamy aud dishonor j am married, have 8
wife and six children living in Lancaster, Ohio
Nv course has been an eventful one, but | hope
har,f h. d Of md ara ia
persed. and truth .merges bright and clear, you
and all who knew me in early years will not
blush that were once dear friends. Tell Eliza
for me. that hope she may live TO realize thai
the doctrine of secession" i. monstrous in
our civil code disobedience was in the Divine
law And should the fortunes OF war ever bring
you or your sisters or any of our old clique under
the shelter of my authority. do not believe the,
will have cause to regret il. Give my love &c
your children, and the assurance of nv respect:
20 your honorable husband.
Truly, W T. SHERMAN.