The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-06-11
Gen. Sherman's Book.

General Sherman published his book
a generation too soon. The work should
have been left to his biographer, or il
he choose to be his own biographer. he
should have pigeon-holed the manu-.
script for at least a century before tbe
printer got hold OF it. There are too
many now living who have personal
knowledge of the events recorded in the
work, and the testimony of these, as il
is drawn out by the statements of the
work are anything but complimentary
to the fairness and impartiality of the
General of the army as historian. One
OF the strangest features is the freedom
and recklessness with which charges of
laundering and incompetency are
brought against his brother officers.
while the pages of the work NAV be
searched in vain for the record of a sim
gle error either of Judgment or execu-
ton on the part of author. Neither the
living nor the dead escape the pen-punc-
lures of this great military egotist, while
those things which the public were dis
posed to regard as mistakes on the part
of General Sherman are passed over in
silence, or some one else than Gen.
Sherman is made to bear the burden of
blame. No new light is shed by the
work upon the diagraceful surprise at
Shiloh, a fact which brings forth a rig.
orous criticism from ex-Confederate au-
thority. The Nashville Banner. to this
gravelike silence upon a subject upon
which the whole country were on the tip
toe of expectation, "has its say" in tbe
premises after the following style;
The significant silence of Gen. Sher-
mans Memoirs or the subject of their
authors surprise at the battle of Shiloh,
or Pittsburg Landing, is attracting the
attention of the critics of his work.
The Memphis Avalanche, whose editor
was an witness to the occurrence.
reminds Southern survivors of that fa.
nous battle, how ''a portion of Gen.
Albert Sidney Johnston's advance slept
on their arms Saturday night almost
within earshot of the Federal lines. and
early Sunday morning were charging on
their tents rousing from their slnmbers
the officers and men, none of whom
seemed to be aware that an enemy was
within half dozen miles. No pickets
were out; no preparations seem to have
been made for meeting an onset, though
there is official evidence that as late as
Friday Gen. Sherman was aware of the
presence of a large Confederate force
between Corinth and the Tennessee
River"
To which statements there are no lack
OF corroborative witnesses in Middle
The Confederate survi-
vors of the battle from the regiments
from this division of the State well re-
member that in the charge, which swept
The Federal forces down to the waters
edge Of the Tennessee River, the camps
through which they double-quicked in
pursuit bore unmistakable evidences of
having been precipitately abandoned.
breakfasts, smoking and un-
iouched, on spacious linen spreads, were
lurrledly abandoned, and some officers
'ots We're still warm where the game
lad recently lain. There can be no sort
II question but that the author of the
memoirs was eought mapping, and lost
heir breakfasts ON that memorable Sun
lay morning of April, 1862. As our
1emphls cotemporary we'll remarks, 8
Gen. Sherman may be pardoned for
on this point, but it is i'm
osslble to pass over facts so notorious;
esides attempts to suppress or explain =
lem away shake public confidence in (
rem. Sherman's reliability when treat !
lg matters that affect his fame" a