The Portland daily press., 1865-06-05
Monday Morning, June 5, 1865.
Gen. sherman's Report and Letters.

HNttf iAas4 atI ~
ts LETTER TO GEN. GRANT. acsiaiua
On the 2sth Of April General Sherman ad.
dressed the following letter to General Grant
HEADQUARTERS, MILITARY DIvIs1oN)
OF THE MISSISSIPPI, IN THE FIELD,
. s4sd stai Raleigh, N. c., April 28, 1865 J
General: Since you left me yesterday /
have seen the New York Times OF the oath.
containing budget of military news authen-
ticated by the signature OF the Secretary OF
War, which is grouped in such way as to
give very erroneous impressions. 1t en-
braces q copy Of the basis OF agreement be-
tween myself and General Johnston, OF April
Is, with commentaries, which it will be time
enough to discuss two or three years hence.
after the government has experimental little
more in the machinery by which power reaches
the scattered people of the vast area of coun-
try known as the South. But, In the mean
time, / do think that my rank, if not past SER
vice, entitled me at least to the respect of keep
ing secret what was known 10 none but the
Cabinet until further inquiry could have been
made, instead OF giving publicity to documents
never saw, and drawing inferences wide Of
the truth. never saw or had furnished me a
copy OF Presidents Lihcolh's despatch to you
of the 5th of March until alter disagreement; I;
nor did Mr. Stanton, or any human being ev-
"a COutCJ W uAO 1to buBblauCc 0E HufllllDS
like 1t. But, on the contrary, / had seen GEN
eral Weitzeps invitation to the Virginia legis-
lature, made in MIR. Lincoln's very presence,
and had failed to discover any other official
notice OF plan of reconstruction, or any idea
calculated to alay the fears of the people OF
the South,s that alter the destruction Of the
armies and civil authorities they would be left
without any government at all. We should
not drive people into anarchy, and 1t Is sim
ply impossible ior our military power to reach
all the resources OF their unhappy country. /
confess did not wish to break General John
etons army into bands of armed men, moving
about without purpose, and capable only OF
infinite mischief. But you saw on your arriv-
al that l had my army so dispo ei that his es-
cape was only possible In q disorganized shape,
and as you did not choose to direct military
operations in this quarter, infer you were
satisfied with the military situation. At all
events, the instant learned, what was proper
enough, the disapproval of the President, /
acted in such a manner as to compel the sur
render of Gene ral Johnston's whole army on
the same terms you prescribed to General
Lees army when you had 1t surrounded and
In your absolute power. g.Asssgs4
Mr.. Stanton, in stating that my orders to
General Stoneman were likely to result in the
escape Of Mr.. Davis to Mexico or Europe, is
Ia deep error. Stoneman was not at Salisbury
then, but had gone back to Statewide. DAVIS
was supposed 20 be between US, and therefore
Stoneman was beyond him. BY turning to-
wards me he was approaching Davis, and had
he joined me, as ordered, l would have had
mounted force greatly needed for that and
other purposes; but even now l don't know
that Mr.. Stanton wants Davis caught; and as
my official papers, deemed sacred, are hastily
published to the world, it will be imprudent
for me to state what has been done in that re-
spect, as the editor Of the Times has. 1t may
be logically and fairly drawn from this singu-
lar document the conclusion that lam insub-
ordinate, can only deny the intention. I
have never in my life questioned or disobeyed
an order, though many and many time have
l risked my life, my health and reputation, in
obeying orders or even hints to execute plans
and purposes not 10 my liking. III is@ nat fair
to withhold from me plans and policy, If any
there be, and expect me to guess at them, as
facts and events appear quite different from
different standpoints. sst7 aatfs1
For four years have been In camp dealing
with soldiers, and I can assure you that the
conclusion at which the Cabinet arrived with
such singular unanimity differs from mine. l
conferred freely with the best officers In this
army as to the pofrts involved in this contro-
Versy, and strange to say, they were singulafly
unanimous Ia the other conclusion; and they
will learn with pain and amazement that am
deemed insubordinate and wanting in com
mon sense; that /, who, in the complication
of last year, worked day and night, summer
and winter, for the cause and the administra-
tion, and who have brought an army OF seven
ty thousand men in magnificent style across a
country deemed impossible, and placed ii ust
where 1t was wanted almost on the day ap-
pointed, have brought discredit on our govern
ment. do not wish to boast Of this; but
do say that it entitled me to the courtesy Of
being consulted before publishing TO the world
a proposition rightfully submitted to higher
authority for adjudication, and then accompa'
MED by other statements which invited the
press to be let loose upon me. 1t is true that
non combatants-men who sleep In comfort
and security while we watch on the distant
lines-are better able to judge than we poor
soldiers, who rarely see newspaper, hardly
hear from our families, or stop long enough to
envy not the task of reconstruction, ant
am delighted that the Secretary has relieved
me of it. As you did mot undertake TO IS
sumo the managementaof the affairs OF thi
army, infer, on personal inspection, YOU
mind arrived at different coz clusion from
that of the Secretary of War. / will, there
fore. go on and execute your orders to thei
concusicn, and when done will with intens,
satisfaction, leave to the civil authorities the
execution of the task of which they seem Il
me so Jealous; but, as an honest man and sol
der, invite them to follow my path, for the,
may see something and hear something thai
may disturb their philosophy. With sincer
respect, w. 4. SHERMAN:
.,sasi ssras Major, General Commanding.
Lieutenant General us. Grant, General il
Cheif, Washington, DC.
~ p. S.-As Mr.. Stanton's singulnr paper ha
been published, / demand that this also be mad
public, though / am in no manner responsible
to the press, but to the law and my prope
superiors. w. T. SHERMAN,
ni tsa4 l.as is Major-GeneFal Commanding.
lias EXTRACTS FROM sHERMAN's REPORT.
. s.1S .g2fe +, INTERv1Ew WITH JOHNSTON.
70 81 agreed to meet General Johnston in per
son at q point intermediate between our pick
cts, on the 17th, at noon, provided the pos
tion Of the troops remained stdtu quo.
was both willing and anxious to consume
few days, as it would enable Colonel Wrigh
to finish our railroad to Raleigh. Two bridg
es had to be built and twelve miles of nel
road made. We had no iron except by tax
ing up the branch from Goldsborough TO Wei
don. Instead of losing by time gained in eve
~ way, for every hour Of delay possible wer
required. to reconstruct the railroad to on
rear and improve the condition of our wagon
road to the front, SO desirable in case the ne
gotiations failed, and we be forced to max
the race of near two hundred miles to hea
of or catch Johnston, then retreating towar
Charlotte. sft
HAt noon Of the day appointed I met Ger
Johnston for the first time in nv life. althoug
we had been exchanging shots continual
since May, 1868. Our interview was fran
and soldier-like, and he gave me to unde
stand that further war on the part Of the Cor
federabe troops was folly; that the cause. wa
lost, and that every life sacrificed after NJ
a1rrrnrAnr nf I.nn,s arrnu ,rna fhn hiorlnasA -