The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-06-03
COLUMBIA, So.
Thursday Morning, June 8, 1876.

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SHoDDY SHERMAN. -Sherman's war
book, full of glorifcation of himself, at
the expense of truth and justice to
others, has called forth variety of COM
ments from the press. Some (the at
taches to the coat-tails of rising great
ness) see in it but an opportunity to
laud and glorify the big hummer; while.
others, who have little to do in the way
of political axe-grinding, do not hesitate
to condemn, in most unqualified terms,
this rushing into print of n man whose
permanent military mementoes are q
black track of desolation from Atlanta to
the sea and the ashes which marked his
ride through our once beautiful capital.
Such is evidently the opinion of the Gin
cinnati Gazette, the leading Radical Re-
publican paper of the West, when it
says:
"The General who began his career as
commander of military district by n
panic which justified the report that his
mind was unbalanced; who, as soon as
trusted with the dispositions of nm army
in the field, sacrificed it by an utter lack
Of generalship and rational forethought:
who never won victory nor ordered on
attack that was not disastrous to his own
superior forces; but who, through extra
ordinary fayoritism, and falsehood, has
been rewarded by military rank created
especially to distinguish great military
genius and great military services, has
undertaken, ten years after the close of
the war, to write down the regulations Of
the officers and soldiers who achieved
that for which he received the honors
and rewards, by pretended memoir so
wildly untruthful, 80 studiously and
cunningly perverse of the facts of his
tory, and 80 Indignantly calumnious ns
to amaze the general reader Even if his
statements were true, tho honors which
have been heaped upon him, and the
magnanimity which would naturally su-
pervene in n manly mind after the. lapse
of such time, would prevent such a
one from writing a history for such a
censorious purpose. If the history he
gives were true, his inquest and com
demnation of everybody would be IN
ignoble act. But when to this is added
a wild untruthfulness, the conviction is
irresistible that thenlind which could do
this did never have moral balance, or
has lost it altogether"
Some of General Shorman's critics. we
observe, call attention to the fact that he
says nothing in his memoirs of his sur
prise ut Shiloh. In connection with this.
the Memphis Avdldnche calls attention
to the fact, remembered by every South
ern survivor of the memorable battles of
the 9Th and 7th of April, 1862, that Shi-
lob was probably the most complete
Federal surprise of the war. A portion
Of General Albert Sydney Johnston's ad-
vance 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 slumbers the officers and men, none
or whom seemed to be aware that nm
enemy was within half dozen miles.
No pickets were ont, no preparation
seems to have been made for meeting ON
onset, though there is official evidence
that rs late as Friday General Sherman
was aware of the presence of large
Confederate force between Corinth and
the Tennessee River. Sherman may be
pardoned for sensitiveness on this point,
but 1t IS impossible to pass over facts SO
notorious, particularly aA attempts to
suppress or explain them away are cal
culated to shake public confidence in
General Sherman's reliability when treat
ing of any matters which affect his
fame. Fighting Joe" Hooker takes n
whack at Tecumseh Sherman. He says
Gen. Thomas was the great general of
the army, but the real hero of the war
was Fnrrngut Sherman he regards as n
vain and rretentious hnmhug, who has
been rewarded far beyond his merits or
achievements. Gen. Hooker truthfully
observes that Sherman s'made war like
brlgand, while many other generals
never forgot that they were making war
on their own countrymen, and that
some day his raid throrgh Georgia and
carolina will be stamped As q disgraceful
net by the whole civilized world
BEEcHER-TILToN--Judge Porter spoke
five days in the Beecher trial Only one
of the jurors sickened under the nauseat-
ing Srial. 1t speaks we'll for the stomachs
OF Gotham men. Christendom and