Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-06-15
LETTER FROM MIR. JET
FERSON DAVIS.
He Goes Vigorously for the
Scalp of Gen. sherman.

The st. Louis Times Of Friday pub |
fishes the following letter from Mr.
Jefferson Davis, addressed to Col. W. |
f. Mellen, a aformer confederate officer, |
touching certain matters in Gen. Sher- |
mans book:
MEMPHIS, Tenn, May q, 1S75.-i
My Dear Sir:-Please accept my
thanks for your kind letter of the 10Th |
instant, and the accompanying copy
of st. Louis paper containing an eX-
tract from the forthcoming work OF
Gen. w. I. Sherman. My absence
delayed the receipt of your letter and
this reply to it,
This malice that seeks to revive the
nefariously cOncOcted and roug since
exploded slander which connected my
name with the assassination Of Presi-
dent Lincoln 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 help
less. and murder of non-cOm batants,
and who closed his career of arson
with a false accusation against Gen.
Hampton in regard to the burning of
Columbia, South Carolina.
But the question arises, why did
General Sherman at the date of his
reported conversation with Gen. J. L.
Johnston suppose me capable of COM
piiCity in the assassination of Presi
dent Lincoln?
General Sherman never was person.
ally acquainted with me, and from
those who knew, either i'm the United
States army or in civil life, surely
learned nothing to justify such suspi-
ciOn. In the conduct of the war be-
tween the States. despite of many
baseless accusations, we can proudly
point to a record which shows a strict
adherence to tie 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 ma
liciOus traits of his own nature?
He reports q conversation with
President Lincoln. from which il to
be inferred desire TO have authority
for departing from 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
Confederacv's President and cabinet
officers, as set forth in the orders of
Col. Dahlgren, when he made his raid
against Richmond? If the good-na-
tured. characteristic replyof President
Lincoln taught him that murder was
AOt the approved measure, it seems to
have failed to inspire him with the
generosity and charity which is ever
found in noble minds, or with the
chiyalry which ever adQrns the char
acter of the true soldier and gentle
man.
Among the articles of the surrender
Of Gen. Jos. l.. Johnston there was one
prohibiting military expeditions in
the country cast of the ChattahOOchie
river. That was the best consideration
obtained for the surrender of armies,
arms, munitions, and manufactures
in that section, and it was in violation
of that article that the brigade of cal
vary, 10y which l was captured, was
securing the country and freely ia King
from the unprotected people the little
which was left to them for their fu-
ture subsistence. From the statement
of Gen. Sherman learn that a story
had been told, to the effect that l was
carrying in wagons millions of specie
to the South, and, therefore, we are
left to conclude, was made that eXpe-
ditiOn in violation Of the agreement of
surrender.
Though the story of the millions of
specie is now admitted by Gen. Sher-
man to have' been a fiction, the ad-
mission is made in such terms as
would lead the reader to suppose | had
| been travelling with wagon transpor-
tation, and had a few thousand dol
lars of specie in valise, But neither
suppOsition would be true. | had re-
Gently Joined the wagon train, and
was abOHt to leave it when captured
my only baggage was a valise, which
was packed on mule, and it contain
ed 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 whom it was taken, may he able
| to learn after he shall have assumed
| his functions as a Representative in
the United States Congress.
| Should the course of the command
| ing-general of the army, in attempting
| at this late day to resuscItate a defunct
| slander against the President of the
| late COnfederacy. and To which SLAM
der not even subOrned witnesses could
give the semblance of truth, be taken
as the exponent of the feelings of the
army, that arm of the general govern
ment would seem to be ill-suited to the
task, of late so largely assigned to it, of
preserI ing civil order and of restoring
harmony among the people of the
United States. For public considera-
tions iU is TO be hoped Jhat the inerad-
icable malignity of Sherman may be
an exec ption TO the prevailing senti-
ment of the United States army.
Again thanking you for your friend
ly consideration, L am very truly
| yours,
| JEFFERSON DAVIS,