The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-06-23
THE "TRUTH OF HISTORY.
Gen. Sherman's n tfmasfOn Of 1Tr
Davis Completely in the As
saasimaGiOn of Presi-
dent Lincoln.
What 5EP. Dav - has Go say OF Sew
eral Utterly Gnsub-Iamtial
Assertions.

eraa UG1erIy Unsub-Iantial
Assertions. ua sa.
MEMpHTs, Tx, May 27, 1873.
Col. ". r. Mellen.
thanks for your kind letter Of the 1871
inst, and the accompanying copy of {
st. Louis paper containing an extract
1 from the forthcoming work of Gen. w
L. Sherman. My absence delayed the
receipt of your letter and this reply to it
The malice that seeks to revive the ne
fariously concocted and long since ex
ploded SANDER which connected my name
with the assassination of President Lin
coin, is quite in character with the man
who so conducted his invasion of the
South as to render "Sherman's bummers'
the synonym of pillage, arson, cruelty to
the helpless, and murder Of nOn-cOmbat-
ants, and who closed his career of arson
with false accusation against General
Hampton in regard to the burning of
Columbia, s. c.
But the question arises, why did Gen
Sherman at the date of his reported con-
versation with Gen. J. f. Johnston,
suppose me capable of completely in the
assassination OF President Lincoln?
Gen. Sherman never was personally
acquainted with me- and from those who
knew me, either in the u. S. Army or
in civil life, surely learned nothing to
justify such suspicion. In the conduct
of the war between the States, despite OF
many baseless accusations, we can proud
lY point to a record which shows a strict
adherence to the usages of war between
civilized nations. On what, then, did
the suspicion of Gen. Sherman rest?
Was it not that, proceeding on the rule
of judging others by oneself, he ascribed
to me the murderous and malicious traits
of his own nature?
He reports a conversation with Presi-
dent Lincoln, from which is to.be inferred
Il desire to have authority for departing
from the course which, as a soldier, he
must have known was usual and proper
towards prisoners of war. Did he hope
to get Instructions for the slaughter of
the confederacys President and Cabinet
officers, as set forth in the orders OF Col
Dahlgren, when he made his raid against
Richmond? If the good-natured charac-
teristic reply of President Lincoln taught
him that murder was not the approved
measure, it seems to- have failed to in
spire 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 gentle
man.
Among the articles of the surrender of
Gen. j. E. Johnston, there was one
military expeditions in the
country east of the Chattahoochie river
That was the best consideration obtained
for the surrender of armies, arms, NUM- |
tions and manufactures in that section, |
and it was in violation of that article that
the brigade Of cavalry, by which | was
captured, was securing the country and |
freely taking from the unprotected peo
pie the little which was left to them for
statement of Gen. Sherman 1--WE learn |
that 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 ex
petition in violation of the agreement of
surrender. Though the story of the /
millions of specie is now admitted by Gen.
Sherman to have been fiction, the adj I
mission is made in such terms as would /
lead the reader to suppose L had been |
with wagon transportation, and I
had few thousand dollars of specie in |
a valise. But neither supposition would /
be true. / had recently joined the wagon
train, and was about to leave it when |
my only baggage was valise,
which was packed on mule, and it con- |
tanned no specie. The few thousand dol |
lars of specie were in a pair Of saddle |
bags, belonging to Secretary Reagan. /
Whether that money ever reached the !
United States treasury, Mr.. Reagan from I
whom it was taken, may be able to learn
after he shall have assumed his functions /
as representative in the United States /
congress.
Should the course of the commanding
general of the army, in attempting, at
this late day, to resuscitate a defunct |
SANDER against the president of the late |
and to which SANDER not 1
even suborned witnesses could give the /
semblance of truth, be taken as the |
of the feeling of the army, |
that army of the general government I
would seem to be ill-suited to the task, .
of late so largely assigned to it, of pre-
serving civil order, and of restoring har- !
mony among the people of the United .
States. For public considerations it is
to be hoped that the ineradicabIe malig-
nifty of Sherman may be an exception to /
the prevailing sentiments of the United .
States army
Again thanking you for your friendly .
am very truly yours.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.