The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-09-27
ALetter from Gan. Sherman

lanta, by his friend Gen. Sherman The letter is very
interesting. We repubshit:
HEADQ'Rs MILITARY .Dly.j or THE MISSISSIPPI
i IL THE FIELD, EEsR ATLANTA, Ga.
Daniel NJ Martin, Sand Noun :ain
IN Dear Friead-Whenin,L arkinsville, last winter
I enquired after you and could Jet no positive answer
wish YOU had sent me your LITTER of January 90
which have just receved--fGrI conld have made YOU
feel at ease at once. Indeed DO well remember our
old times about Belleonte anil the ride we took to
the corn mills, and the LITTLE farm where / admired
the handsome colt and tried to buy it. Time has
worn on, and you old man. in want and suffer
ing, and l, also no longer young, but leading hos
tile army on the very road c;me when | left Belle
fonte, and at this momen pouring into Atlanta the
dread missiles OF war; seekngtthe yas Of its people
| And yet am the same William Tecimseh Sherman
you knew in 1911, with as VAIN heart as ever and
anxious that peace and p#ntS shall prevail in this
land, and, to proveit defy eiI. Davis Gen Lee or
Gen Hood to make the sacrifice WILL personally and
officially
will to-day lay down MY piower and my honor
already won-will strip myself naked and my wife and
child stark naked in the wbrll we came and begin
life anew, if the people of he}soat viii but cease Che
war, elect their members OF congress and let them
settle, by argument and relsod the questions growing
out OF Slavery instead Of trying to divide our country
INTO two angry halves, to qare and fight to the end Of
time. Our country cannot be divided by an east and
west line, and must be ono, and if WI must fight let
US fight It out now, and not haqueat it to our chill
ii he
army and lived in Caliafornia. till 1857 when | came
back with my wife and three s3hidren who wanted to
be near home-Mr. Ewng's not Mr.. Corwfn's-but 7
had the old army so ground in my composition that
civil pursuits were too tause and accepted an offer
as president of the Louis4na military academy-
Therefore, at the time of Lifcon's election, was at
Alexandria, on Red river.
saw, and you must haze seen, that the soutbor,
politicians wanted bring ABOUT secession-senaro
ton. They could have elected Mr. Douglass but tbov
co man afraHf that Mr. T T,o o1rf, AZ, -.
ain and after they had succeeded in acconlplishne,
it. was it honest fair for them to alleee it as cans
Of war? Did not Mr.. Breckenridge, rs Vice President
in his seat, declare Mr. Lincoln The lawfully eectai
president Of the United Stats? Was it ever preten-
ded the president was our government? Don't Won
know that congress makes lhws, the supreme c0urt
judges them, and the president only executes them
Don't you know that Mr.. Lincoln Of himself couId
not take away your rights Now, was in Louisiana.
and while the planters and industrious peone were
happy and prosperous the politicians and btsybodios
were schemin9 and plotting and cot the legislature to
pass secession ordinance shich was submitted 10 the
people, who voted against ityet THE politicians voted
the State out proceeded to take possession of the
United States mint the forts the argenal-and tors
down our flag and nsultel IL Thaa too before Mr.
Lincoln got to Washington. I saw these thngs and
begged Bragg aud BeauregGrd and governor Moor
and host OF personal rienGs to beware Tn mo- no.
high treason. But they answered The north ,g"
made up of mean manufacturers oftradars offor,,ors
who would not fight Tile people DE- the north 7oga
dreamed of interfering with the slaves or nronnr f
the south. They simply voted as jbev had rigIt ~
do, and they could not understand yv the peonia If
the south should begin to take possession of the rts
States forts and arsenals llour government had done
something wrong-somethHg Oppressive The sopth
began the You know it, 4 ana n3Ifions NJ
Others living at the SOUTH know it. but tie DeonIe If
the north innocent of IL as your little GRAND
children. Even after forts had been taken 6nbIi..
arms stolen from our arsenas and distributed amono.
the angry militia, the braveand honest freenen oftbe
north could not realize the fact aad did not until
Beauregard began to fire upon garrison of United
States troops in a fort built by the common treasury
OF the whole country. Ihen, as bya mi gIty unbeava
the. people rose and began to think of var and noe
until then
resigned that post in Louisiana in March 1861.
because OF inc public act on tue part Of the State in
seZlng the United States arsenal Baton Romeo and
went to st Louis whore readily cot lucrative ON.
ploymer hoping that s5mi, change wou!s VA ,vart
war. But 1t came, and |, and all of military educa
-on' mad to choose repeat, that then, as now, I
lad as much love for tho honest people of the sotb
Is any man living. Had they remained true to fine
country would have resisted even with arms ar1r
ttac[ upon their rights. lSut when as people, thew
ore down our old flag, ard spit upon it, and called rs
owards, and dared to the contest then fool mn
rms to maintain che integrity of our country orT
uhlsh the men who challenged us to the conflict +
his not a true picture? Suppose the north Ind ma
lently submitted what would nave been the verdict of
history and the world? Nothing else but that tbn
he north IS craven and coward now
0fuel ana hhunan rs this war bias been and nav
I'LL continue to be, 1t was forced upon u.s. We had
. euoce' ana we have 10 choice yet. We must
Q on even to the end Of time, even if it result il,
liking million of lives and desoIatino tha rrboi.
md, leaving a desert behiad We must maintain thr,
ltegrity OF our county. And HE dav viii CONE
hen the little grandchild you love so well win HES
VINO loas1t, that the United States of America
louId not sink into iniamr and worse than Mavicor
larchy, by the act of southern politicians who car(
o more for you, Or such az you, than they care tr
ottcntots. have neTer moderated the magnitndr,
Gis war; lor know the!size of the south and tho
ihcuity OF operating in it, But also know that fhe
0rhern races have, ever since war BEGAN had n,oro
'tienee and perseverance than the southern races
nd SO will it be now; we will persevere to tbe end
Il mankind shall recognize in us brave and stubborn
% no. 70 oe deferred ~ the magnitude Of the dan
T. only three years haEe passed. and that is but 81
mute IN nations life and seo where we are
mere are the naughty Planters Of Louisiana who
impaired our Woodworking intelligent whites Of the
nth with their negroes?
The defeats we have sustained Eavo b71,
use IN our course, and the vaUnted braves of IT,
55ce' mssIssppl Louisiana, Missouri etc instead of
liking rouSh-shod over tEe freeuen of the 1or+I, or
5a5eu n stealing horses ana robbng poor old peo
tor y AlNlnS while oar armies tread in every south
Htate, ara your biggest armies in Vironis arl
0fSa ne behind forts. ad dare not fight Us coward
tue hofth, VINO have come five hundred miles inf,
II country to accept their challenge.
out my dear old friend, Ihave bored YOU too much
! handwriting is not plain, but you have time
a 5 It out and as You gan understand, have
at deal al, ct writing to &C. and it must be done in
!. 1nln'' OF what have written Talk it owe
= S1uI he5hbors and ask yourselves if, in Won
lis and fluctuations, you have suffered moro En,
Union sodiery thau YOU would had Tor bS;
II barn where lightning wss sure 10 bnrn cr to,y
WI. Their course has nrovotef tI9n +,1r,isi,,
m indignant God and government caro- not
lw for niggers The ,.gontent III Toosto 49,,
,ro is free, of course RIA sa slave OIL,
the law broken he il free S--'' " !"
IoYe to Mrs Martin
w. T. SHERMAN Brarot 1T,;or c,o,.-.i