The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1869-05-07
GENERAL SHERMAN.

| Star the following letter of Gen. Shcr-
man, writtcnjust before the close of the
war. We have no doubt the General,
as we'll as most of the Federal Army,
was moved by the highest sense of duty
and have nothing to complain of but the
fact that he deemed the most ruthless
warfarcsnpon our people the speedicst
road to peace:
HEADo'Rs MILITARY DRY. OF THE MISSISSIPPI, }
In the Field, Near Marietta, Ga.
June 30, 1864.
Mrs. ANNA GILMAN Bowen, Balti-
more, Md.-Dcar Madam Your well
como letter Of June 18th, came to me
here amid the sound of battle; and as
you say, little did dream, when ! knew
you playing as school girl on Suliiyas's
Island beach that should control a vast
army, pointing, like the swarms Of Alaric
towards the plainsfof the South. Why
oh, why is this If know my own
heart, if beats as warmly as ever to-
wards those kind and generous families
that greeted us with such warm hospi-
tally in days long passed, but still
present in memory. And to-day were
Frank and Mrs. Porchcr, and Eliza Gil
man, and Mary Lamb, and Margaret
Blake, the Barksdales, the Quasbis, the
Pryors, indeed, any and all Of our cher
ished circles, their children, or even
their children's children, to come to me
as of old, the stern feelings of duty and
conviction would melt as snow before
, the genial sun; and believe would
strip my own children that they might
be shcltcred-and yet they call me a
barbarian, vandal and monster, and all
the cpithcts that language can invent
that are significant of malignity and
hate All pretend to say is, on earth
as in heaven, man must have some arbi-
ter. lie must not throw off his allegi
ancc to his government or his allegiance
or his God without just reason and
cause. The South had no cause-not
even prctcxt. Indeed, by her unjus-
, tifable course, she has thrown away her
proud history of the past, and laid open
her fair country to the tread of devas.at-
ing war. She bantered and bullied us to
! the conflict. Had we declined battle,
, America would have sunk back cowed
and craven, mcriting the contempt of all
mankind. As nation, we were forced
to accept battle, and that once begun, it
! has gone on till the war has assumed
I proportions at which even we in the
hurly- burly, sometimes stand aghast.
I | would not subjugate the South in the
sense so Extensively assumed, but |
| would make every citizen of tho land
, obey the common law-submt to the
same that we do-no worse, no better
, our equals and not our superiors. L
,, know, and you know, that there were
young men in our day--now no longer
young, but who control their fellows
who assumed to the gentlemen of the
South superiority of courage and man
} hood, and boastingly dcfcd us of North
crn birth TO arms. God knows how re-
luctantly We accepted the issue; but
once the issue joined, like in other ages,
the Northern race, though slow to anger,
once aroused, are moro terrible than
the more inhammable people of the
South. Even yet, my heart bleeds when
| see the carnage of battle, the desola-
ton of homes, the bitter anguish of fami-
lies; but the very moment that the men
of the South say that instead of appeal
ing to war, they should have appealed
to reason, to our Congress, to our courts,
to religion, and to the experience of
history, then will | say, peacc-pcace.
Go back to your point Of error, and re-
sumo your places as American citizens,
with all their proud heritages. Wheth-
err | shall live to see this period is
problematical-bu you may; and may
tell your mother and sisters that / never
forgot one kind look or greeting, or over
wished to efface its remembrance; but
in putting on the armor of war, did it
that our common country should not
perish in infamy and dishonor.
/ am married--have a wife and six
children living in Lancaster. Ohio. My
course has been an eventful one; / hope
when the clouds of anger and passion
are dispersed, and truth energies: bright
and clear, you and all who knew me in
carly years, will not blush that we were
once dear friends. Tell Eliza for me,
that l hope she may live to realize that
the doctrine Of Secession is as mon
strous in our civil code as disobedience
was in the divine law. And should the
fortunes of war ever bring you or your
sisters, or any of our old clique, under
the shelter of my authority, do no. be-
lieve they will have cause to regret it.
Give my love to your children and the
assurance of my respects to your honor
e cd husband. Truly,
! w. L. SHERMAN.