The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-08-02
Sherman "a An Instructor In SOldicry
HOnor-..No Fit Place for yirginians...
Our Own Military Academy the
Place to Teach our Yenth.

in conversation, the Cockney drawl of
Dundrcary; and he attributes this vul-
gar affectation to the want OF native
dignity natural In those young men,
because, he tells US, they are of a diff
ferent class In society from those who
used to graduate In the National Acad-
cmy. We can we'll appreciate the
force Of This explanation. 1t does equal
credit to the intelligence and the frank
ness Of the writer, and affords corrob-
orative evidence of the deterioration
Of the tone Of our army officers since
the war began, and, as our correspond.
cnt puts it, since the sons of gentle
men ceased to accept appointments to
West Point.
There has been II grand banquet of
the alumni of the Academy during the
anniversary festivities, and Grant and
Sherman and many other alumni were
present, and Sherman gave utterance
on that occasion to one of his charac-
teristic pithy epigrams, which is re-
ported duly, and affords us theme for
some reflection. The great soldier on
that festive occasion, when the alumni
were assembled near their Alma Mater
to congratulate themselves and each
other on their surprising excellencies,
is reported to have said that s'NIilitary
honor Is II very different thing from the
honor of politicians"
This DeIphic Oracle gives US a pause
What Is the meaning of 1t? Are
the young men to understand from
their chief that the illustrations OF
honor afforded by his record are to be
their guide, or are they to emulate the
benetlctarfes Of the Credit Mobiifer, for
instance?
! We really think they may do less
harm in their day and generation II
they will continue to eat sugar-candy
stead of en1ulating either tho civic or
the military models suggested by Gcn-
eral Sherman's little speech.
! Viewed by the standard OF honor
| used by the military men of this age
prior to the late war, General Sher-
mans record will be found very un-
| worthy of imitation.
II we except General Butler, per-
hals no commander more cruelty viO-
lated the principles Of humanity than
Gen. Sherman did. His own words
and his own correspondence shall con-
denim him. Although tho government
has suppressed n portion of his military
correspondence, for reasons we may
conjecture, enough remains to show
that Sherman's ideas of military hon
VI Aio NCAS uhsA Oc
carefully eliminated from any model
designed for the education of young
soldiers.
We will give some ''gleanings from
General Sherman's dispatches," which
seem to Justify our opinion OF his prln-
ciples of war.
July 7th, 1864: 'sTheir utter destruc-
ton factories in Georgia) is right, and
meets my entire approval; and to
make the matter complete you will
arrest the owners and employees and
send them under guard, charged with
treason, to Marietta.
"Should you, under the impulse of an
ger, natural at contemplating such per-
fidy, hang the wretch, approve tho
| act beforehand
July I4th: TO General J. Il. Smith !:
of you entertain bare Suspicion
against any family send Ii to the North.
II guerillas trouble the roads or the
rivers they should be shot without
! mercy.''
September sth, 1864: al won't al
low trade or manufactures OF any kind,
but will remove tho present popula-
! tion and make Atlanta n purely mill
tary town" This barbarous threat
was actually executed by him.
J Nov. IL, 1864 "Last night we burn
eu 1tOIne, and In TWO more days we
will have Atlanta"
Dec. s, 1864: "Blair can burn the
bridges and culverts and burn enough
barns to mark the progress OF the head
Of his column
Dec. %: To General Grant-"If you
can hold Lee, can go on and smash
South Carolina all to pieces"
| This seems n very unfair division OF
labor. When General IIalleck sug-
gests to him to have Charleston de-
stroyed by "some accident" and to
SOW salt upon Its site,
Sherman replies, Dec. "a,
"We are not only fighting hostile
armies, but a hostile people ; and we
must make old and young, rich and
poor, feel the hard hand OF war;
To terrified lady, who remonstra
ted against the cruelty OF his acts, he i
said to have replied, "Madam, wa
, means cruelty"
} His dispatches and correspondence
between the 10th and 21st Decembe
have been suppressed bp the Govern
mont.