Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-06-11
From the st. Louis Times.
DAVIS ON SHfERNIaN
The eN-t%sfcGerate Presidents,
lions about the General a.
ARMY and hi book cue
MEMPHIS, Tenn. MAY q 1o-,

KiOns about the General nx
Army and his book "e
MEMPHIS. Tenn, May q. ls75
Col. w. F. MELLEN NV Dea,c:.
Please accept my thanks for your kind
letter OF the 18th instant, and tha ao
companying copy of st. Louis navy" a.
containing an extract from the I'll
coming work of General " n shou
man. My absence delayed the reca;n.
of your letter aud this reply to il
The malice that seeks to revive .,o
nefarlously concocted and long s;noo
exploded SANDER which connected n,o
name with the assassination of p.oa
dent Lincoln is quite in character VIII
the man who so conducted his invss;on
of the South as to render ssSherm.n,.
hummer" the synonym of nilI.oo
arson. cruelty to the helpless, aud mnr.
der Of non-combatants,s and who closed
his career of arson with false aeon.
sation against Gen. Hampton in regard
to the burning of Columbia, s. G..
But the question arises, why did
General sherman, at the date of his
reported conversation with General
Joseph E. Johnston, suppose me
capable of completely in the as
sassination OF President Lincoln
Gen. Sherman never was personally
acquainted with me; and from those
who knew me either in the United
States army or in civil life. surely
learned nothing to Justify such suspi-
ci0n. In the conduct of the war be-
tween the States, despite of many
baseless ACQUISITIONS, We can proudly
point to a record which shows strict
adherence to the usages of war be-
tween civilized nations. On what.
then did the suspicion of Gen. Sher-
man rest? Was it Lot that, proceed
ing on the rule of Judging others by
ones self, he ascribed to me the muir
derous and malicious traits of his own
nature?
He reports q conversation with Pres
ident Lincoln, from which is to be in
departing from the course which, as q
al and proper towards prisoners of
war. Did he hope to get instructions
for the slaughter of the Confederate
President and Cabinet officers, as set
forth in the orders ofCoL Dahlgrtn when
he made his raid against Richmond? If
the good-natured characteristic reply
of President Lincoln taught him that
murder was not the approved meas
ure, it seems to have failed to inspire
him with the generosity and charity
which are ever found in noble
minds, or with the chivalry
nhich ever adOrns the character of q
true soldier aud gentleman.
Among the articles of surrender of
Gen. j. E. Johnston. therere was one
prohibiting military expeditions In the
country east of the Chattahoochee
river. That was the best considera-
ton obtained for the surrender of
armies, arms, munitions, and manufac-
tories IN that section, and it was in
violation of that article that the bri-
gades of cavalry, by which 1 was cap
| tured, was securing the country and
freely taking from the unprotected
people the little which Was left them
for their future subsistence. From
| the statement of Gen. Sherman We
effect that / had been carrying in
wagons millions of specie to the South,
and therefore we are left to conclude
was made that EXPEDITION in violation
Of the agreement of surrender.
Though the story of the millions Of
specie Is now admitted by General
Sherman to have been fiction, the
admission is made in such terms as
would lead the reader to suppose l
had been travelling with wagon
transportation, and had a few thpus
and dollars of specie in valise. But
neither supposition would be true.
had recently joined the wagon train,
and was about to leave it when cap
tured; my only baggage was valise,
which was packed on mule, and 1t
contained no specie. The few thou
sand 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 he shall have
assumed his functions as Represen'
tative in the United States Congress
Should the course of the command
ing general of the army, in attempting
at this late day, to resuscltate dc.
funct SANDER against the President OF
| the late COME ieracy, and to when
SANDER not even subOrned witnesses
could give the semblance of truth, be
taken as the exponent of the feeling OF
the army, that arm of the Genera
| Government would seem to be III
suited to the task, of late SO largely
assigned to it, of preserving civil or
| der, and of restoring harmony among
| the peoples of the United States. FOE
| public considerations it is to be hoped
that the ineradicable malignity OF
Sherman may be an exception TO the
| prevailing sentiments OF the Ohi'eu
States army.
Again thanking You for your friend
IL consideration, am very trul y yours
JEFFERSON DAVIS.