Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-06
SHERMAN UNDER FIRE.
The Caxsttc I'D. Pr has Something to SAY of
tho General of the Army.

Washington Capital.
We republish in another column of to-
days issue characteristic letter from the |
pen of General Sherman, in reply to our
statement of the Tom Worthington case.
We feel sorry for the General. His re-
Spouse to the grave charge preferred of being
responsible for the surprise and massacre at
Shiloh, and abuse of the one man whose
heroic conduct on that occasion saved the
remnent of our army, is so weak that we
might leave it as it stands, without comment
or criticism.
It will be observed that he avoids the main
question for a number of trivial side issues,
that indicates that his STACEY with the pen
is about equal to his abilities as soldier.
Before approaching the one question of
interest to the public, let us dispose of some
OF this fringe-work with which he seeks to
cover his own shortcomings.
He says that the scene described as occur
ring upon the avenue, when he rode by with
arms folded, IN his carriage, behind his high
stepping bays, is pure fiction, for that his
horses are not bays-he might have added,
nor housekeeping that he did not drive
along the avenue any day that week. In
confessing to the fact that he has horses,
bay or otherwise, that he rides or can ride
along the avenue, while Colonel Tom Worth
ington drags along on foot, poor, ragged and
wretched, does not seem to strike this epau-
leted hero of surprise and disaster as the gist
of our story. The week, or the day of the
week, any one of the throng upon Pennsyl-
vanla avenue may have observed this scene
Is q matter of small consequence.
Of like sort is his personal attack upon US
as soldier upon the Union side in the late
war. He says he did not hear of us at Shi-
lob, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta, or
anywhere else where there was fighting or
danger. This is likely to be true.
We entered the army at the first
call for volunteers, knowing as little Of
the art of war as General Sherman himself.
But we differed from this great man
in modestly striving to learn under musket
what he graduated into at the expense of
the government without knowing or being
able to learn. We were not a sutler (more's
the pity y nor wagonmaster, nor a provost
marshal; but we did act as judge advocate
in the investigation, or rather persecution,
set on foot by politicians, such as the late
President johnson and Senator Morton, of
that gallant little soldier, Don Carlos Buell.,
whose forced march Contrary to orders) and
unexpected appearance at the battle field of
Shiloh saved Sherman and Grant from a
court martial, and turned their shameful
| disaster into brilliant victory.
All, General Sherman, there are more men
trudging along now on foot, poor and OBJ
scure. than Tom Worthington, to whom the
republic owes to-day it's existence, and re-
pays them with neglect, while you ride down
did not win many laurels in the art of kill
ing, but we did our duty to the best of our
poor ability, and while our na1ae goes down
amid the thousands whose graves may be
marked as unknown, we have the satisfaction
of knowing that our hands are unstained
with the blood of poor fellows slaughtered
through our neglect or rash folly, while our
| pillow at night is not haunted with shadows
| of the mourning housesolds over the land.
All this, however, has nothing to do with
what we claim in behalf Colonel Tom Worth
ington; and the general only aggravates his
case by adding insult to injury in assaultine
the poor old soldier by reference to thai
miserable business of the court-martial
"When victim is to be sacrificed say
Sterne, 'sticks can be readily gathered from
the nearest hedge with which to build tn
fire. Colonel Tom Worthington may hav
been drunk, and he certainly did use Ian
guage unbecoming an officer and gentle
man-at least we suppose so-but he did hi
duty.
That offense known to the military worl,
as conduct unbecoming an office and gen
tleman is 50 indefinite that it fits almost an,
case except that of West Pointer. It wa
an offense volunteers were continually guilt,
of, but the gentlemen of the regular army d,
not and can not commit it.
But we only suggest that, drunk or sober
l l. h. ~ !. U Il
iment in hand upon the key-point of tina
disastrous field of Shiloh, and through hi
; gallant fighting won the precious three hour
that enabled other regiments to form an
come to his support General Beauregar
lay caused by this obstinate resistance pre-
vented the total humiliation of our army, TO
, it enabled our forces to hold the field unit
Buell. and Nelson could come to the rescue.
That this great military hero, who los
more men in killed between Chattanooga
and Atlanta than johnson (his enemy ha
, in command, sanctioned the cutting of tn
army in two halves, and moved his advance
half into the enemy's country, beyond tn
support of the other half; that he went int
camp at Shiloh as carelessly as if he wer
in command of a mob in Central Ohio; ths
he took no steps to find how near the enem
was, and no precaution against an attacl
that he was surprised in his quarters, wit
some of his army asleep and others gettin
their breakfast, are questions of far NOR
J, importance than the charge of drunkenness
or profanity on Colonel Tom Worthingtor
. We have the name of the officer who ga
Hoped to General Sherman headquarters an
told that gentleman that the enemy we
t upon US in force. We have the evidence tn;
g this was pooh-poohed, and when the roar
b battle became SO loud and continuous tn;
z he was forced to mount his horse and rid
out, and when he saw the long line com
cleaning on, dealing death and destructlo
to the unprotected camp, he expressed b
surprise by throwing up his hands and or.
ing out, "My Godp'
Certainly, as a historian, we purpose prae
ticing modesty. The fact is, we claim
: little as historian as soldier, but we ca
tell General Sherman that the historical pc
which puts to record such terrible disaster
. is as fixed as fate, and cold and impartial ;
:, that slow-moving finger of public SEQ,
spoken of by the poet.
We are accustomed to couple generosi
Z, with courage, and we believe that hs
> Thomas, Buell., Rosencrans or Pope been
g Sherman's place at Shiloh, he would ha'
: patted Tom Worthington on the back, ar
= said here is the brave old soldier whose COO
ness and courage saved our army at Shilo
But the man who deliberately, in publ
II assembly, denounced our people as mo
le without the restraining influences of Il
% regular army is not of this sort.
% The Democracy Of the seuond District.
[St. Cloud Times.
'. The Lake City Sentinel (Dem.) in looki,
d over the field for suitable Democratic ca
" didate for Congress of the second district {