Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-10
SHEKNAN'S MEMOIRS.
he GTeRt Hsrcher 10 the Sea Con-
Victed out OF his Own Mouth
Extracts that Don't Falsify
the Facts.
What Halleck Wanted Done in Charles.
ton Contaminated IN Columbia
SheFman's Confession in
Plain Words.

EDITORS Appeal notice in your
issue Of Friday an Indignant re-
ply from Mrs. General Sherman 10 the
charge of g. cUrTespO. dent OF the Courier.
! Journal that her husband had personally
ordered the burning o. Columbia, South
/ Carolina. Now DON'T believe for q mo-
ment that General Sherman ordered the
burning of that city, but the following
extracts from his Memoirs, written by
/ himself will throw some light on the
question Of who is responsible for il.
On page 223 of his Memoirs the follow
ing is the conclusion OF a letter from
H. w. Halleck, mgjOT-geneTal, chief
OF staff, dated Washington, December
IS, 1854, addressed to Sherman st Sa-
vannah: "Should you capture Charles
ton, hope that by some accident (the
italics are his own the place may be de-
siroyed, and il q little salt should be
sown upon. lis site, ID may prevent the
growth Of future crops OF notification
and secession In answer to which
Sherman writes, under date OF Deem
Der q. 1864 (see psge 227 Of Memoirs, }:
" will bear in mimi your hint as To
Charleston, and do not think salt viii
be necessary. When ] move the if
tenth corps will be on the right OF the
right wing, and their position will nat
UTally bring them into Charleston first;
and if you have watched the history OF
that corps you will have remarked that
they generally DO their work pretty well.
The truth is, the whole army is burning
with an Unsuitable desire u wTeak ven
geance upon South Carolina. I almost
tremble al her fate, but l feel that she
deserves all that seems in store for Der.
1 look upon Columbia IS quite as bad as
Charleston, and doubt if we shall spare
the public buildings there as we did st
Milledgeville.U Now this letter was
written two months before the CAPTURE
Of Columbia, as that famous fifteenth
cOrpsn entered Columbia on the morn
ing Of February 18th, when some cotton
near the depot was found to be on fire,
but was eXtinguished by the soldiers and
citizens; and the fire that destroyed the
city, according to Sherman, broke out
after dark of that day, and is attributed
by him to revival of the
fire in this cotton. And the fact
that the mixed commission on Ameri-
can and British claims failed to estab-
lish the fact that the cotton was burned
by his orders, is given as conclusive
evidence that "the destruction of prop
city III OO4uulblA Nbi1hE ALldL 41lt34lJ hlN
not result from the acts OF the general
government OF the United States,n to
which Sherman adds: "That is to say,
my army" In view of subsequent dis
closures as to the character of the agents
Of the aforesaid general government of
the United States, who were il possess
sion at the time this mixed com omission
attempted to get at this matter, and tax
ing into consideration the enormous
amount at stake, to say nothing Of the
Odium sought to be covered up, is ii I'M
reasonable to suppose that truth, which
is said to be at the bottom of well, was
never pumped up or brought to the light
of day, and that by the subornation OF
willing witnesses Sherman was excul-
p8ted? But taking the extracts I have
quoted, and the following one from page
~ of his Memoirs, l cannot conceive
how any one can reasonably entertain
doubt but that Sherman was responsible
for the burning, though, of course, he
never gave direct order to that effect,
but simply wiDked at it: "In my Off
cial report OF the condagra.iOn | dis
tinctly charged it to General Wade
Hampton, and confess I did so pointed
ly to shake the faith Of his people in
him, for he was, in my opinion, q bragg
CART, and protested to be the special
champion of South Carolina" The
above extracts are respectfully furnished
for the information and approval of
Mrs. General Sherman. REB.