The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-06-17

Ger, concerning certain allegations contained
| in Gen. Sherman's memoirs:
Il MEMPHIS, Tenn, May q, 1875:
Mv Dear SIR Please accept my thanks tor
vour kind letter of the 18th instant, and the
accompanying copy Of a St. Louis paper con-
tanning an extract from the forthcoming WORK
of General ". T. Sherman. My absence de-
layed the receipt of your letter and this reply
to it.
The malice that seeks to revive the nefari-
ously concocted and long since exploded slander
which connected my name with the aslasslna-
ton of President Lincoln is quite in character
with the man who 80 conducted MS INVASION q
of the South as to render "Sherman's bummers"
the synonym of pillage, arson, cruelty to the
HELPLESS. and murder of non.combatants, and
who closed his career of arson with false
accusation against Gen. Hampton IN regar to
the burning of Columbia, S. q.
But the question arises, why did General
Sherman, at the date of his reported conversa-
ton with General Josepe E Johnston, suppose
me capable of completely in the assassination
of President Lincoln?
Gen. Sherman never was personally acqualn-
ted with me; and from those who knew me
either in the United States army or in evil
life, surely learned nothing to justify such
! suspicion. In the conduct of the war between
the States, despite of many baseless accuss-
tions, we can proudly point to record which
shows strict adherance 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 ones self, he escrlbed to me
the murderous and malicious traits OF his own
natu re ?
He reports a conversation with President
&c fo ho ipfa
to have authority for departing from the course
which, as soldier, he must have known was
usual and proper towards prisoners of war.
Did he hope to get instructions for the slaugh-
ter of the Confederate President and Cabinet
officers, as set forth in the order of Col.
Dahlgren when he made his raid against Rich
mond7 If the good-natured characteristic re-
ply of President Lincoln taught him that
murder was not the approved measure, it seems
to have failed to inspire him with the generos-
ity and charity which are ever found in noble
minds, or with the chivalry which ever adorns
the character of true soldier and gentleman.
Among the articles of surrender of Gen. }.
E. Johnston, there was one prohibiting militia
ry expeditions in the country east OF the Chat-
tahoochee river. That was the best consldera-
ton obtained for the surrender of armies, arms
munitions, and manufactures in that section,
and it was in violation of that article that the
brigades of cavalry, by which l was captured,
was securing the country and freely taking
from the unprotected people tie little which
was left them Tor their future subsistence
From the statement of Gen. Sherman we learn
that story had been told to the effect that
had been carrying in wagons millions of specie
to the South, and therefore we are left to con-
clude made that expedition 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 admission
Is made in such terms as would lead the reader
to suppose had been travelling with wagon
TRANSPORTATION, and had few thousand dollars
of specie in yalse. But neither supposltlon
would Be true. Ihad recently Joined the wagon
train, and was about to leave it when captured !;
nv only baggage was valise, which was packed
on mule, and it contained no specie. The
few thousand dollars of specie were in pair
of saddle-bags, belonging to Secretary Reagan;
Whether that money ever reached the United
States Treasury, Mr.. Reagan, from whom it was
taken, may be able to learn after ne shall have
assumed his functions as Representative IN
the United States Congress.
Should the course of the commanding gener-
al of the army in attempting, at this late day,
to resuscitate defunct slander against the
President of the late Confederacy, and to which
slander not even suborned witnesses could give
the semblance of truth, be taken as the expo
nent of the feeling of the arm of the General
Government would seem to be ill-suited to the
task, of late so largely assigned to it, of pre-
serving civil order and of restoring harmony
among the peoples of the United States. For
public considerations it is to be hoped that the
ineradicable malignity of Sherman gay be an
exception to the prevailing sentiments o. the
United States army.
Again thanking you for your friendly consid-
Grafton, I am very truly yours,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.