Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-06-17
LETTER FROM JEFFERSON DAVIS.

fishes the following letter from Jeffer
son Davis, address to Col. W. i. Nellen
former Confederate officer, touching
certain matters in Gen. Sherman's book:
MEMPHIS Tenn, May 81, 1875.-My
Dear Sir: Pleas accept my tharks for
your kind letter Of the 10Th instant,
and the accompanying copy Of a st.
Louis paper containing an extract from
the forthcoming work Of Gen. w. T.
Sherman. My absence delayed the re-
cipt Of your letter and this reply to it.
The malice that seeks to revive the
nefariously coneocted and long since
exploded SANDER which connected my
name with the assassination Of Presi-
dent Lincoln is quite in character with
the nan who so conducted his Invasion
of the South as to render F'oherman's
BURNERS the synonym Of pillage,
arson, crHelty to the helpless and mur~
der Of non combatants1 and who closed
his career of arson with false aceusa-
ton against General Hampton in re-
gard to the burning Of Columbia,
South Carolina.
But the question arises, why did
Gen Sherman ct the date of his re .
ported conversation with Gen. J. E.
Johnston suppose me capaba]e of CONS
plicity in the assassination of President
Lincoln?
General Sherman never was per-
sonally acquainted with me, and from
those who knew me, either in the
United Stats army or in civil life, sures
ly learned nothing to justify such sns-
picion. In the conduct of the war
between the States, despite Of many
baseless accusations, we can proudly
point TO a record which shows q stlict
adherence to the usagcs of war between
civilized nations. On what, then, did
the suspicion of Gen. Sherman rest
Was itnot that proceeding on the rule
of judging others by oneself, he ascrib
ed to ne the murderous and malicious
traits Of his own nature?
p, He reports a conversation witt
President Lincoln, from which is to be
inferred desire to have authority fol-
departing from the course which as a
soldier he must have known was usual
and proper towards prisoners of wal
Did he hope to get instructions for the
slaughter of the Contederacy's Presi
dent and cabinet officers, as set forth
in the orders Of Col Dahlgren, wher
he made his raid against Richmond
If the good natured, characteristic
reply of President Lincoln taught hin
that murder was not the approved
measure, it seems to have failed to in
spire him with the generosity an(
charity which is ever found in noble
minds or with the chivalry which
ever adorns the character of the true
soldier and gentleman.
Among the articles of the surrender
of General J. E. Johnson there Wa.
one prohibiting military expeditions IL
the country east of the Chattahoochit
river. That was the best consideration
obtained for the surrender of armies
arms, munitions and manufactures il
that section, and it was in violation O
that article that the brigade Of cavalry,
by which ! was captured, was scourin!
the country and freely taking from the
unprotected people the little which wa
left to them for their future subsis
tence. From the statement Of Gen
Sherman we learn that a story ha(
been told, to the effect that | wa
carrying in wagons millions Of speci
to the South, and, therefore, we ar
left to conclude, was made that expe
dition in vi olation of the agreement 0
surrender. Though the story Of TIL
millions of specie is now admitted b.
Gen Sherman to have been fiction
the admission is made in such terms a
would lead the re ader to suppose l ha'
been travelling with wagon transporta
ton, and had a few thousand dollars 0
specie in valise. But neither sup
position would be true. had recent
| ly joined the wagon train, and wa
about to leave it when captured; m,
only baggage was a valise, which wa
packed on a mule, and it contained II
specie. The few thousand dollars 0
specie were in pair of sadd)ebag
belonging to Secretary Reagan
Whether that money ever reached thu
United States treasury Mr.. Reagan
from whom it was taken, may be abl
to learn after he shall have assumed
his functions as Representative in tn
United States Congress.
| Should the course of the command
| ing general of the army, in attemptln!
at this late day to resuscitate defunc
SANDER against the President of tn
late Confederacy, and to which slande
not even suborued witnesses could give
the semblance of truth, be taken as the
exponent of the feeling Of the army
that 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 people Of thu
United States. For public consider
ations it is to be hoped that the incred
liable malignity Of Sherman may be al
exception to the prevailing sentiments
of the United States army.
Again thanking you for your friend
ly consideration,
| am very truly yours,
! JEFFERSON DAVIS.