The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-01-01
The Georgia E1empts. .

- ftiudA 70 tud1 Vi al AIOL1 tA0 toCatc
Of Ohio. l am, with respect, yours
truly, w. 7. SHERMAN, Maj. Gen.
The Georgia EXemDts.
LETTER FROM Gov. BRowE, OF GEORGIA
Executive DEP'r, MACON, Ga, Dec 9.
Hon. Waller r. Staples, Of Virginia:
SIR-In what purports to be "a pub
lished synopsis Of a recent discussion in
the House of Representatives, in Con
gress, you are reported to have stated
that the number Of persons exempt
from conscription by me IN this State,
including the militia in State service,
amounts to about fifteen thousand
men.
As this publication has produced a
very erroneous impression upon the
public mind, and as I cannot suppose
you intend 10 misFepresent or to do in
justice TO a State which has done her
whole duty to the cause and TO the
coniederacy, and which, I think may
say without disparagement, has had
under arms during the past summer
and fall a larger portion Of her white
male population than any other State
III the confederscy, | take liberty TO
publish this note addressed to you, to
correct an error. into which you have
fallen.
or the fifteen thousand men to whom
you refer, all but about fourteen hun
dred and fifty are the militia who now
are, and most Of them for months past
have been, IN active service under the
command and control of a confederate
general, confronting the enemy.
These fourteen hundred and fifty are
comprised Of Judges Of Supreme and
Superior Courts, justices Of the inferior
courts, sberiils, clerks, ordinarIes, tax
collectors and receivers, and are 40
lutely necessary 10 the existence of
the State government A large proper
ton Of then are over fifty years Of age,
and would not, if put ouCeof Office, be
subject to confederate conscriptlon.
The militia organized, and II service,
are composed partly OF county officers
under fifty years Of age, partly Of Cen
ieacrate bonded exempts, and pardy
OF men detailed by the Confederate
government as agriculturalists, dc, who
are held by the Supreme Court OF this
State TO be subject 70 militia duty, s0d
have been ordered by me into active
service as part Of the militia Much
the larger part, however, IS composed
OF boys between sixteen and seventeen,
and old men between fifty and fifty
FIVE years of age, who, under the laws
of Congress, are not subject to Confed-
crate service. All these must, in your
estimate, be set down as exempt by the
Governor from service in the COntede-
Fate armies, when they are, in fact, ex
empt both by the laws of Congress and
Of the State Legislature l will remark
further, In this connection, that the
State officers in Georgia are declared
exempt from Consumption, not by the
authority of the Governor, but by
Joint resolution of the General Ascend
sy Of the State Georgia seeded from
the old Union to protect her rights and
maintain her sovereignty, and she will,
IN her new alliance, neither permit the
entire machinery of her State gov
eminent to be stopped" her courts
of Justice to be closed" the "authority
of her magistrates suspended" nor her
State lines to be obliterated'
Nearly Fifty regiments Of her sons
have spent years under arms in Nir-
GINA, and those of them who survive,
are now defending the capital of that
glorious old commonwealth while a
powerful army marches through their
own beloved State; occupies and desc
crates their own capital burns their
cities and villages, destroy hundreds
of miles of railroads Of their State, and
plumbers their own property, leaving
their wives and children without bread
Their Executive asks for aid, aud
especially that the sons of Georgia may
be permitted to return and stake a
blow in her defence. It's denied and
she is left without an infantry force,
while her capital is the headquarters OF
General Sherman, to confront his pow
erful army, except the Confederate re-
verses In the State and the State Off
GERS and militia reserves, amounting IN
the aggregate to few thousand men,
many OF them with but little physical
strength to endure the hardships OF
the camp. Not thousand men of all
her large number of spendid regiments
and baJtalions Of veteran infantry, 10
Confederate service, were left upon her
soil, or permitted, prior to the oeou-
pancy OF her capital by the enemy, TO
return to her when her territory was
being overr1n, her cities, towns, villages
and private dwellings sacked and
| burned.
With these fsots before you, leave
it to your own judgment as a man Of
| csndor, which your character, as Viz
/ ginia representative, authorizes me to
assume, whether your published re-
marks do justice 10 a State whose sons
! have acted calamity upon the soil of
! Virginia, and whether my State should,
/ with her late sad experience, turn over
20 Confederate control her State cfi-
! cers, and her old men and boys, 10 be
/ taken from her limits; which would
leave her perfectly powerless even to
ward of blows from vital points, should
( the armies Of the enemy again pass
( over her territory.
Had the sons OF Georgia been per.
uitted toretUrn TO the soil Of Georgia,
50 asked by her Executive q sho-g time
since, the army of General Sherman
would never have passed over it nor
deseerated her capital Very respect