The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-06-09
Sherman's Hornets Nest.
A scAru1NG LETTER FROM MoNTG oMERY
BLAIR.
FALKLAND, MARYLAND,l
Nav 81, 1875.

FALKLAND, MARYLAND,
May 81, 1875.
William H. Browne, ESQ.,, Editor of the
Southern Magazine, Baltimore, Md:
DEAR SIR: I thank you for your
kind offer Of yesterday to publish
any reply may desire to make to
Sherman's reflections on my brother
in your magazine. But I cannot now
command the time required to write
suitable article for your magazine,
nor do I think it necessary. The
people of this country will weigh
what General Sherman says only at
its worth, and properly estimate him
and my brother. All who know
Sherman know that he is of IN envi-
GUS nature, and his book would be
unlike anything else he had done if
it did not reveal this. l recollect no
generous eulogy by him Of any COM
rade, and the extracts published in
the Herald from his book are thor
oughly Shermanic. The purpose
with which he gives Halleck the
credit Of the Tennessee campaign
does not make it necessary to qualify
this criticism, for that was thrust
at Grant, to whom Sherman owes
everything: and whom Halleck super
seeded in the act Of following up his
blow at Donelson by the capture of
Nashville, and so rendered his victo-
ry fruitless.
Whatever may have been the opin-
ion of my brothers military capac-
ity, Sherman, under whom he served,
and whom he succeeded in the COM
mand of the Fifteenth Army Corps,
is the first to impute to him q selfish
purpose in joining the army. Being
the recognized leader of the military
organization which protected the St.
Louis Arsenal from seizure by the
State authorities during the winter
of 1860 and 1861, and the man who
took all the responsibility and shared
in all the danger of the capture OF
Camp jackson, which was the first
blow struck for the Union, he was
offered by Mr.. Lincoln, on General
Scott's recommendation, the first
Brigadier Generalship for that ser
vice. This he declined peremptorily
and insisted that it should be given
to Captain Lyon, the regular Officer
whose aid he had succeeded in OBJ
tanning to command the troops or
that occasion, after applying to Sher
man and failing to. obtain his servi
ces, who declined on the ground thai
he had no confidence in volunteer
troops, principle in which he stead
:, lily adhered, taking good care neye
to volunteer any service to the Gov
eminent or lift finger for it til
commissioned as Colonel in til,
, regular army.
Nor did my brother ever seek mil
itary promotion. It was only in re
spouse to urgent and personal appea
of Mr.. Stanton, after the second Bull
Run battle, when great discourage
ment was felt, and recruiting ha'
come to stand still, and it was nee
essary for the Government to avail
itself of the popularity of some Q
:" the public men in Congress, that Ii
and other Republican leaders LEI
" their seats to recruit in their dis
tricts. He succeeded in recruitin
seven regiments within very shol
. time, and it was with brigade frol
part of this force that, in 1862, h
stormed the works at Chickasa
Bluffs, which protected Vicksbur
and which he failed to hold only b
le cause Sherman failed to suppo
l. him.
~ / recall two other signal occasion
er when the force under my brother
!, command failed to secure the frui
! of well fought fields by reason
Sherman's timidity. One was
y Chattanooga. Having crossed t
river and beaten the enemy in fro
}, of them, the Fifteenth Corps was
id position to intercept Bragg's arm
he IN full retreat before Grant, b
re. Sherman ordered the corps to
n withdrawn, and let Bragg oscar
an Again, at Bentonville, where, VIII
of Johnston was attempting and fail
lie, to crush Slocum, my brothers corr
en- by rapid marching in the directi
ng of tile firing, was enabled to get ii
all his rear, SO as to have -effectually {
To- off his retreat, the division comms
of ded by Mower being actually in t
IN. camp which Johnston had left to
Ity tack Slocum, he was obliged by Sh