The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1875-07-16
JEFF, DAyIS.---HE GOES VIGOROUSLY FOR
THE SCALP cF GEN. SHEKMAN wv

5SAIF IS eeES aENy y5G9ESgsEY 5GGkMxEY
The st Louis Times, of Friday, publishes
the following letter from Mr.. Jefferson Dn.
Wis, addressed to Col w. Il. Mcllcn. a for.
mer Confederate officer touching certain
matters in Gen. Shcrman's book:
MEMPHIS, Tenn, May ~.
= DEAR SIR: Please accept my thanks
tor your kind letter Of 10Th instant, and the
accompanying copy OF st. Louis paper
containing an extract from the Forthcoming
work of Cen. W. L. Sherman. My absence
delayed the receipt of your letter and this
reply TO it.
The malice that seeks to revive the ne
iariously conocctcd and long since exploded
SANDER which connected my name with the
assassination of President Lincoln is quite
IN character with the man who SO conduct.
cd his invasion Of the South as to render
ohcrmans bummcrs' the synonym of pil-
lagc, arson cruelty to the hcl pncss, and muir
dcf OF non-combatants, and who closed his
career OF arson with false accusation
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 conycr.
Sla9ttieR l9ti WITH LtA.'m3I 3I,ntfty In tne usssss1nk
ton Ul IrCSluent LlhcOn
Gen Sherman never was personally ac-
quaiutcd with nc, and from, those who knew
me, either in the United States army or in
civil life, surely learned nothing to justify
such suspicion Ia the conduct of the war
between the States, despite ofmany basclcSs
accusations, VIC. can proudly point to a record
which shows a strict adherence to the usagcs
Of war between civilized nations. On what
then did the suspicion of General Sherman
rest? Was it not that, proceeding on the
rule of Judging others by oneself, he ascrib-
ed to me the mUrdcrouS and malicious traits
of his own nature?
He reports conversation with President
Lincoln, from which is to be inferred de-
sire to have authority for departing from
the course which as soldier he must have
known was usual and proper towards prison
crs of war. Did he hope to get instructions
for the slaughter of the coniGdcracy's Pres
idcnt and Cabinet officers as set forth in
the orders OF Col Dahlgrccn, when he made
his raid against Richmond. If the good
naturcd, characteristic reply of President
Lincoln taught him that murder was not the
approved measure, it seems to have failed to
inspire him with the generosity and chivalry
which ever adorns the character of the true
soldier and gentleman
Among the articles of the surrender Of
General y. r.. johnson, there was one pro-
hibiting military expeditions in the country
cast OF the Ca:tahoochic river. That was
the best consideration obtained for the sur
render Of armies, arms, munitions and
manufactures i'll that section, and it was in
violation OF that article that the brigade of
cavalry, by which | was captured, was
securing the country and freely tax ing from
the unprotected people the little which was
left to them for their future sui sistcncc.
From the statement Of General Sherman,
VIC learn that story had been told to tvs
effect that | was carrying in wagons mil)ioA
OF specie to the South, and therefore wc
are left to conclude, was made that cxpedi-
tlon i'll violation Of the agreement of sur
render. Though the story of the millions
OF specie is now admitted by General Sher-
man to have been fiction, the admission is
made III such terms as would lead the road
or to suppose had been travelling with
wagon transportation and had a few thous-
and dollars of specie in valsc But
neither supposition wo"ld be true. | had
recently joined the wagon train, and was
about to leave il when captured ; my only
baggage WAS Il valisc, which was packed On
mule and it contained no specie The few
thousand dollars OF specie were in pair of
'saddlc-bags belonging to Secretary Reagan.
W neither that money ever reached the Uni
ted States Treasury NIr Reagan, from whom
II was taken, may be able to learn after he
shall have assumed his functions as Repre-
sentative in the United States Congress
shouId the course Of the commandin.,
general Of the army, in attempting at this
late day to rcsuscitatc n dcfunct SANDER
against the President Oft the late ConfcGcracy,
and to which SANDER not even suborncd
witnesses could give the scmblancc of truth,
he taken as the exponent Of the feelings of
the army, that arm of the general govern
mcmt would seem to be ll.suitcd to the tas
OF late so largely assigned toit, ofprcscrving
civil order and OF restoring harmony among
the people of the United States. For public
considerations it is to be hoped that the in