Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-03-14
Wade Hampton'G Reply to General
Sherman


Sherman.
The dispatches yesterday morning gave
us the letter of General Sherman to Wade
Hampton in reference to the usages of war
as regards foragiug and foragers in an en-.
emy's country. The following is Hamp-
toms reply:
HEADQUARTERS IN THE FIELD,
February 81.
MGj. Gen. ". T. Sherman, US.A.
GENERAL-Your communication of the
24'h instant reached me to day. In it you
state that it has been officially reported
that your foraging parties were murdered
after capture, and you go on to say that
you had ordered similer number of pris-
ouers in your hands to be disposed of in
like manner-that is to say, you have or.
dered 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 itself in vindication of truth,
honor and justice, will agree with YOU in
pronounciug you guilty of murder if your
order is carried cut. Before discussing
this portion of your letter, l beg to assure
you that for every soldier of mine mur-
dered by yon, 1 shall execute at once two
OF yours. giving, in all cases, preference
to all officers who may be in my hands, In
reference to the statement you made re-
gardiug the death of your foragers, | have
only to say that l know nothing of it; that
no orders given by me authorize the killing
of prisoners after capture, and that do not
believe that my men killed any of yours,
except under circumstances in which it was
perfectly legitimate and proper that they
should kill them. 1t is part of the system
OF the thieves whom you designate as your
foragers to fire the dwellings of thoee citi-
zens whom they have robbed. To check
this inhuman system, which ia justly exc.
Grated by every civilized nation, l have
directed my men to shoot down all of -FOUR
men who are caught burning houses This
order shall remain in force as long as Won
disgrace the profession of the army BY al.
lowing your men to destroy private dwell
liDgs.
You say that cannot of course question
your right to forage on the country. It is
a right as old as history. do not, sir.
question this right, but there is right
even older than this, aud one more inalieu.
able-the right that every man has to de,
fend his home and to protect those who
are dependant upon him. and from nv
heart wish that every man and boy in my
country, who can FIRE gun, would shoot
down, as be would wild beast, the men
who are desolating their land, burniup
their houses, and insulting their women
You are particular in defining and claim
ing war rights May ask if you enume
rate among them the right to ERE upon
defenselcss city without notice; to burn
that city to the ground after it had been
surrendered by the authorities, who claim.
ed, though in vain, the protection which is
always accorded in civilized warfare to
nou-combatauts; to fire the dwelling
houses of citizens after rObbiug them, and
to perpetrate even darker crimes than
these, crimes too black to be mentioned2
You have permitted, if you have not or
dered, the commission of the offepses
against humanity and the rules of war
You fired into the city of Columbia with
out word of warning after its surrender
by the Mayor, who demanded protection 10
private property. You laid the whole CITY
In ashes, leaving amid its ruins thousands
of old men and helpless women aud chill
dren, who are are likely to perish of star
walton aud exposure.
Your line CT march can be traced bv the
lurid light of burning houses, and in more
than one household there is an agony far
more bitter than that of death. The Indian
scaIped his victims, regardless of sex or age,
but with all his barbarity, he always re-
sDected the persons Of his female captives.
Your soldiers, more savage than the Indi.
an insult those whose natural protectors
are absent.
In conclusion, have only to request
that whenever you have any of my men
disposed of or murdered, for the terms an.
pear to be synonymous with you, you will
let me hear OF it, in order that may know
what action to take in the matter.
In the meantime, shall hold fifty six of
your men as hostages for those whom you
have ordered to be.executed.
am yours, &c,
WADE Hampton. Lieut.. Gen.
OFFICIAL john NJ Orgy. A A. G.