The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-06-10
THE "TRUTI az HISTORY"


Davis Completely IN the AssnHsipa
iioB Of President Lincoln what Mr.
Dayia HAS 10 rny Of several utterly
Unsubsiabiiaied Assertions.
~, Louis Tlmea,l
We are permitted 10 make public the
following very interesting letter from
Jefferson Davis, In answer 10 charge
made by General Sherman In his late
ly published book Of memoirs
MEMPHIS, Tom, May n, 1876.
Colonel W. y, Mellon
Ny DEAR SIX Please accept my
thanks for your Kind letter Of the 10Th
instant, aud the accompanying copy
Off ~, Louis pnper containing mn cX-
tract from the forthcoming work Of
General w. y. sherman. My absence
delayed the receipt ofyour letter aud
this reply 10 II.
The malice that seeks 10 revive the
nciarlously connected and long since
exploded Islander which connected my
name with the assassination Of Presl-
dent Lincoln, IN quito In character
with the man whose conducted his In
vasi0n Of the south ~ 10 render "Sher-
mans buinmersn the synonym Of pill
lagc, arson, cruelty 10 the helpless,
mud murder OF non-c0mbntants, aud
who closed his career Of arson with q
false accusation against General llamp-
ton In regard to the burning Of Column
bla, y. &,
But the question arises, why did
General sherman NJ the date of his re-
ported conversation with General j.
u. Johnson, suppose me capable of
completely In the assassination OF Pres
ident Lincoln?
General sherman never was person.
ally acquainted with me; and from
those who knew me, either In the
Unitod States army or In civil life,
surely learned nothing TO Justify such
suspicion. In the conduct of tho war
between the states, despite of many
baseless accusations, we can proudly
point TO "a record, which shows strict
adherence to the usages Of war be-
tween civilized nations. On what,
then, did the suspicion OF General
sherman rest? Was II not that, pro-
ceedlng on the rule of judging others
by oneself he ascribed TO me the MUIR
derous and malicious traits of his own
nature?
He reports conversation with Pres
ldent Lincoln, from which II Is TO be
Inferred desire TO have authority for
departing from the course, which as Il
soldier he must have known was usual
aud proper towards prisoners of war.
Did he hope to get instructions for the
slaughter of the confederacy's presi-
dent and cabinet officers, as set forth
In the orders of Colonel Dahlgren.
when he made his raid against Rich
mond? If the good-naturcd charac-
teristic reply of President Lincoln
taught him that murder was not the
approved measure, IL seems to have
inspired him with the generosity and
charity which Is ever found in noble
minds, or with the chivalry which
ever adorns the character of the true
soldier and gentleman.
Among the articles of the surrender
of General j. Il. Johnson, there was
one prohibiting military expeditions In
the country east of the Chattahoochie
river. That was the best consideration
obtained for the surrender OF
armies, arms, munitions and manu-
factories In that section, and il was in
violation of that article that the brig
AIDE of cavalry, by which | was cap
tured, was securing the country and
freely taking from the unprotected
people the little which was LETT to them
Tor their future subsistence. From the
statement of General Sherman we learn
that q story had been told to the effect
that | was carrying in wagons millions
of specie to the south, and therefore
we are left to conclude, was made that
expedition in violation of the agree
ment of surrender. Though the story
Of the millions of specie is now ad-
mitted by General Sherman TO have
been fiction, the admission is made
IN such terms as would lead the
reader to suppose had been travelling
with wagon transportation, and had a
rev thousand dollars OF specie in
vaiise. But neither supp osition would
oe true. l had recently joined the
wagon train, and was about to leav4 It
when captured my only baggage was
a vailse, which was packed on mule,
ana II contained no specie. The few
'n1usou eo'iars oi sPecie We're in a