Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-09
GENERAL SIBERIAN.
The Charges OF Burning a Cotton Fac
tory and an Ursuline Monastery
ReViVed-Ars. Sherman to
his Rescue.
Letters from the General and his Wife
Answer Of the Louisville COu.
rier-JOurnal-Scraps OF
history

LOUISVILLE, July S.-Some days ago
letter was published in the Courier
Journal from Georgia, charging that
General Sherman personally directed
the burning OF a cotton factory at Eaton.
ton, Georgia, and afterward the burning
OF a monastery at Columbia, South Car
DINA. In this mornings COlErieT-JOltT-
nal is published letter from Mrs. Sher-
man denying the charges, in the course
Of which she says:
1.-THE CO'LTieT-J Journal says he perpe-
trated an enormity himself in applying
the torch to factory, during which
time he was also guilty st blasphemy. l
say General Sherman never was guilty
of blasphemy or profanity, and the men
of the Courier Journal knew, when they
published that article, that he had never
applied the torch to a building. When
the convent Of the Ursula nuns, at Co.
lumbia, South Carolina, was reported TO
be in danger OF burning General Sher-
man sent my brother, General Charles
Ewing, of his staff, and q commissary
officer, Major J. w. COrnyn, both Cath
Olics. with orders and authority to DO all
that could be done for the sisters and
those under their charge. They exc
cuted their orders with zeal and kind
ness, and under continued instructions
from General Sherman, they assigned
to them a goOdly share of cOmmissary
stores and attended to their wants until
the army left the place"
There also will be published in to-mOr-
rows COIrieT~,JOurradt q letter from
General Sherman denying the charges,
and in commenting upon another state
ment made in the letter referred to he
says:
MRS. Sherman is, and always has
been Catholic, and has extended char
ity to all alike, Catholic and Protestant,
with lavishness that actually impov-
erishes US. To question the purity Of
her motives is certainly most unmanIy
way to reflect on me-"
The Courier Journal, commenting
upon Mrs. Sherman's letter, says: awe
shall not perpetrate the ungallsntry Of
single comment on the very earnest and
womanly way in which this estimable
lady comes to the defense OF her hu5.
band, except to remind her that the ar
ticle Of which she complains appeared
among our correspondence, to which we
allow considerable latitude, and was
not sanctioned or indorsed by any eX-
preston OF our own. Mrs. Sherman
has been long enough in public life to
underst and that public men are public
property; that their acts are subjects for
fair criticism; that every charge that
may be untrue is not necessarily ma
licious; and that no man need be afraid
of falsehood. The famous march to the
sea was the occasion OF much cruelty
and suffering. We do not pretend to
know how much of this might be soft
ened or averted by General Sherman,
but the truth of history requires the i'm
partial presentment of everything
throwing light on the subject land where
caluminies are put forward they can be
refuted. So far from sffording us pleasure
to have the story which appeared in one
of our Georgia let ters confirmed, moth
ing would crafty us more than to have
it thoroughly refuted.