Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-03-10
/ lETTER FRoM aENERAL snnRMAa.
HEs Views OF the causes on the WAR and oT
EGs EnevffabRe Results.

The lollowing letter from General Sherman has
just been published:
HEapQuARgERs MILITARY DIyIsloN OF TnE Mrs
sIssPFl II THE FIELD, near Marietta, Georgia,
June 89th, 1s64-Mrs. Anna Gilman Bowen, Bal
timoFe, Maryland--Dear Madam: Your welcome
letter Of June IS came to nae here amid the sound
of battle, and, as you say, little did dream when
knew you playing as a schoolgirl on Sullivan
island beach, that / should controll a vast army
pointing, Ike the swarm of Alarie, towards the
plains Of the South. Why oh Why is this? IF /
know my own heart, it beats as warmly as ever to-
wards those kind and generous families that greeted
with such hospitality in days long pasr but
still present in memory and to-day, were Irankand
Mrs. Porcher, Eliza Gilman, Mary Lamb, and Mar
garet Blake, the Barksdales. the Quashis, the Pr3
ors, indeed any and all Of our cherished circle, their
ehildren or even their ehldrens children, to come
to me as Of old the stern feelings of duty and con-
uction would melt as snow before the genial SUM-
and believe could strip my own children that they
might be sheltered and yet they call me barbarian
vandal, and monster, and all the epthcts that lam
guage can invent that are significant OF malignity
and bate. AL pretend to say, on earth as in hea-
ven, man mus submit to sohe arbiter. III must
not throw off his allegiance tp his Government or
his God without just reason apd cause, The South
had no cause-not even. a prftext Indeed By her
uniustifable course, she has thrown away the proud
history Of the past and laid oper her faireouatry
the tread Of devastating war She bantered aud bull
lied us to the conflict Had we declined battle,
America would have sunk back, coward and cravan,
meriting the contempt Of al mankind, AS nation:
we were forced to accept battle, and that once be-
gun, it has gone On till THE war has assumed pro
portions at which even wein the hurly burly, some
times stand aghast / would not subiugate the
South in the sense so offeusively assumed, but
would make every citizen of the land obey the com.
mon ls. submit g the sags That We ao-no woFse
know, ard you know, that here wefe y6Sg men III
one day, now no longer young, but who control
their fellows who assumed 10 the gentlemen of the
South a superiority of courage and manhood, and
boastingly dehed us Of Northern birth to arms
Ged knows how reluctantly we accepted the is
sue;but once the issue joined, like in other ages.
the Northern race though slow to anger, once aroas
ed, are terrible than the more inRamnable Of
the south. Even yet my heart bleeds when I see
the tarnage Of battle the dessolafon Of homes the
bite anguish of families; but the very moment the
mepof the South say that instead Of appealing TO
war they should have appealed TO reason, to our
Co4sress, TO our courts to religion. and to the ex
peFfnce Of history then ! will say peace peace;
go hck to your point of error and resume your
plaes as American citizens, with all their proud
hedages. Whether ! shall live to see this pefiod
is foblematical: but you may, and may tell your
moter and sisters that never forgot one kind look
or geeting or ever wished to eace It's remembrance
butn putting on the arnor of war did il that our
eoIInon country should not perish in iniamy and
disbnor.
Inn married, have wife and six children living
IN hncaster, Ohio. My course has been an event
ful me- bat hone when the. clouds Of anger and
pason are dispersed aud truth emerges bright and
clet youa and all Who knew me in early years will
/ notblusa that we were once dear friends. Tell
Elm for ne that hope she may live to realize that
/ iheoetiRe Of secession is as monstrous IN our
ciTcodeas disohedience Was in the Divine law
/ Aushould the fortunes Of war ever bring you or,
YOU sisters, or any Of oRr old cliques. under The
sheer OF my authority, do not believe they viii
bai eaasf to regret i. Give my love toyour chill
Dire andthe assurance Of my respects to your hon-
oIehasbind Truly, w. T. SHERMAN I