Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-10-02
The orr-sickles Correspondence.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBIA, S. c., Sept. Is, 1867. !

MAJ. Gen. D. E. Sickles, Charleston, S. G.:
SIR: have learned from the public press,
although 1 have received no official notice of
the fact, that you have been relieved from the
command of the second military district, en-
bracing this State and North Carolina, and
that by order of the President Maj. Gen.
Candy has succeeded to the same.
I desire to express to you the regret feel,
personally and officially, OF the course taken
by the President and his advisers in this mat
ter. There are many of the orders which
have been issued by you since the passage OF
the reconstruction bill IN May last, which did
not meet my approval, but it is due to you
and your official action that [ should bear
voluntary testimony to the wisdom and sue
cess Of your administration, and to express
the opinion that almost unlimited powers with
which you were invested by the acts OF Con-
gress have been executed with moderation
and forbcarance. Your General Order No.
10, SO far as this State IS concerned, was, last
spring, in my opinion, absolutely necessary
looking to the impoverished condition Of the
country, the shortness Of the provisions and
staple crops last year, to the great pecuniary
distress pervading the country, and to the
necessity of protecting the small means o.
farmers and planters at that time from pro-
cess Of the courts. They were thereby ena-
bled to subsist their families and grow the
present crop. This crop ~romises to be tn,
most important and largest which has been
grown for many years, and when harvested
you could, without hazard or apprehension,
have executed your purpose, as declared to
me, of modifying General Order No. 10, 50
that creditors could have enforced their de-
mands without prosecuting during the gene
rel distress. 1t is also due you that [ shoald
say, in my own judgment, if General Order
No. 10 bad not been issued last spring a very
considerable increase in the humber of troops
in this State would have been necessary, to
have been stationed at many OF The court,
houses to preserve the safely of the sherlfis
in executing ally civil process which had been
placed in their hands, or which they had been
ordered to levy by thought'ess or hcartless
creditors. In MY opinion, General Order No;
10 received the approval cf very large naz
iority of the citizens Of South Carolina, and
your general administration as commandant
Of this district is approved by majority
pearly as great. In all tie ofliciai intercourse
we have had beg to tender you my thanks
Gor.the uniform kindness and courtesy with
which have Leen treated, personally, and for
the disposition you have awa;s manifested
to make the burdens Of military government
u. light upon tho people whom represent6s
it was possible urder the circumstances.
lave not the pleasure Of q personal &C
quaintancc with your successor, Gen. Canhy
bu, hope my official relations with him may
be marked with the same harlnony and kina
feeling which has characterized our inter
conrse for nearly two years past.
| have the homer TO be, General,
Very truly and respectfully,
Your obldicnt servant,
ISicnedl JAMES j.. ORR,
Govprno. Of South Caroline.