The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-02-17
Mlisfeaaneoas.
An Interesting Conversation with General
T Sherman.

An Interesting Conversation with Genera
Sherman.
A writer in the New York World who M
returned from recent visit to Savannah
gives the following interesting account OF
conversation he had with Gen. Sherman:
On my entrance in the room he rose frou
his seat and taking me by the hand-"Wha
is the matter with you. A.? What bring
you here? Speculation Oh! understand
YOU are cotton shark. Take care. l hay
decided to hang every one l can lay my hand
on. Cotton sharks have brought ruin on tn
country and on the army, and will not per
init them to carry on their schemes in saVan
hah." ...
disabused the Generalo Of this idea. AM
told him that my business was to set up some
kind of an Office in Savannah.
..Yes; l understand. You people OF 'ne
North believe that conquered city can be
Immediately converted into commercial
mart 10 the great benefit Of the Union cause.
I. think quito differently, believe that
whenever we call trade and industry into
captured cities we feed the rebel people out
of our own resources; 30 that, in the end
they gain more by their losses than we do by
our victories. II had my own way would
exclude trade from every captured city, and
convert every ono of them into military
post"
blow to the business community of the North.
crn States, who, having greatly suffered by
the war, neel some kind of compensation for
their losses" "And who, "said the General,
..in return for the privilege Of trading, will
supply the rebels with all kinds Of military
stores, from u leather belt ~ u blanket. The
business community. sir. will mako money,
even ut the expense Of our country's inter
ests and the honor Of our Gag. They will
make money anyhow. Look at the city Of
Memphis, for instance, open to trade imme-
diateiy after its surrender. What has been
the result Of the privileges granted to COM
merce on that occasion? Why, to give For
est all tho supplies no wanted, and ten or
twenty thousand men besides. know that
nv advice will be UNDECIDED: the pressure Of
the commercial class, an well aware, will
defeat the measures have suggested or can
recommend; still deem it my duty to clear
my own responsibility by protesting against
any effort having for its object the opening
of the port OF Savannah to American COM
msrce."
"General," replied, "your popularity in
the Northern States is 30 great, tina, yon
can, think. take such steps as you choose,
without fear Of seeing them thwarted by the
administration.
"Perhaps So" said he, "but mark this \: !
nm here for few days only; when | leave
the city the cotton sharks will pounce upon
it aud devour everything they can lay their
hands upon. As to the popularity you
speak Of, know very we'll Of what stuff it
is made. am popular long as am success
full. Not only the American press but tho
London papers, praise me now as the great
General OF the age, Why? Because have
crossed a great extent Of country. and by a
long and perilous march have caused On i'm
portant city to fall into our hands.
All this is very well, but suppose in the
campaign am about to undertake | meet
the combined forces of Lee. Beauregard, and
Hardee, and fail: what would be my fate
then? Why, every laurel have won, eye-
rything have done, would DO forgotten !;
there is not tree high enough to hang me
upon; I should DO dragged down from the
pillar of lame to rot in obscurity in some re-
mote corner Of the West; and the great gen.
eral would DO an impostor."
"But. General. with all our recent success
O.. and with all the plans in view, don't you
think the war is nearly at on enc? ?"
"At an end the war mt an end Well,
sir, If you want my opinion on that subject,
will state that 50 far from being at an end,
the war is only about to begin; the policy OF
giving up their sea and river coast cities, al.
though taking away some Of the prestige Of
the confederacy is making IL materially
stronger than il they retained them in their
possession; while the opening OF the same
cities to trade by tho federal government Is
efficiently supplying the rebels with oil the
goods they used to receive by blockade run
ners, at a cheaper price, and with less risk
and inconvenience to themselves"
Such is. in brief, the summary Of the con-
versation had with Gen. Sherman on tho
occasion Of my trip to Savannah, and have
given. IL not the exact language, ut least the
ideas expressed in my conversation with him.