The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-03-22

for forage or provisions, and therefore m ust
collect directly off the people. have no
doubt this is the occasion of much misbe-
havior on The pari of our men, but | cannot
permit an enemy 10 Judge or punish with
wholesale murder.
Personally, ! regret the bitter feelings en-
gendered by this war but they were 10 be
expected, and simply .alIege that those
who struck the first blow, and made war
inevitable, ought not in fairness 10 reproach
us for the natural consequences. | merely
assert our war right 10 forage, and may re-
lie for life. J am, with respect, your obe-
dienl servant.
w. t. SHERMAN, Maj Gen. U. S. A.
Headquarters in the Field !
February 81, 1865.
Maj. General w. T. Sherman, u S. A:
General Your communication OF The
gath instant reached me to-day. In it you
stale that ii has been officially reported that
your toraging parties were murdered" af-
ter capture, and you go on TO say that you
had ordered a similar number of prisoners
in your hands 10 be disposed ofin like man
nsr. That is to say, you have ordered a
number of Confederate soldiers TO be "mur-
Gered."
You characterize your order in proper
terms, for the public voice even in your
own country, where seldom il daresy yexpress
i,sel! in vindication of truth, honor or Jus
lice, will surely agree with you in pronoun-
cling you guilty of murder, if your order is
carried out.
Before dismissing this portion of your let
ter. beg 10 assure you that for every SOL
dier OF mine murdered" by you, shall
have executed at once two of yours, giving
in all cases, preference 10 any officers who
may be in my hands.
In reference 10 ;he statement you make
regarding the death of your foragers, have
only TO say that know nothing of il that
no orders given by me authorize the killing
OF prisoners after capture, and that | do not
beIlele that my men killed any of yours ex-
cept under circumstances in which it was
perfectly Legitimate and proper they should
kill them.
Ii is part of ;he system of thieves, whom
you designate as ioragers, 10 fire the dwell
lings Of those citizens whom they have rob.
bed
To check this inhuman system, which is
justly execraIed by every civilized nation
! have directed me men to shoot down all
of your men who are caught burning houses
This order shall remain III force as long as
you disgrace The profession of arms by al
lowing your men to destroy private dwell
lings.
You say that cannot, OF course, question
your right 10 forage on The country ''It is
a right as old as history" | do not, sir,
question This right Bat there is a right
older even than this, and more inalIeG able
the right that every man has TO defend
his home, and TO protect those who are de-
pendent upon him. And from my
heart | wish that every old man and
boy in my couAlry, who can fire guu,
would shoot down, as he would wild beast
the men who are desolating their land,
burning their houses and insulting their wo
men.
You are particular in defining and claim
ing "war right" May | ask if you emu
merste among them the right TO fire upon
defenceless city without notice TO burn
that city 10 the ground alter it had been
surrendered by The authorities, who claimed
n
ways accorded in civilized warfare 10 non
combatanis; 10 fire the dwelling houses of
citizens after robbing Them, and TO perpe
trale even darker crimes Than these-crines
Too black 10 be mentioned
You have permitted, if you have not or
deTed, the commission OF these offenses
against humanity and the rules of war. You
flred into the city of Columbia without a
word OF warning. After lis surrerGer by
The Mayor, who demanded protection 10
private properly, you laid the whole city in
ashes, leaving amid its ruins thousands of
old men and helpless women and children,
who are likely 10 perish OF starvation and
exposure. Your line OF March can be traced
by The lurid light of burning houses, and in
more than one household there is an agony
lar more bitter than that OF death.
lhe Indian scalped his victim regardless
OF sex OF age. but, with all his barbarity, be
always respected the persons OF his female
caPtiVes. Your soldiers, m ore savage than
The Indian, insult those whose natural pro-
ieciors are absent.
| In conclu sion, have only to request that
| WhRneHar Won haYa anN of NV man .fdis-