Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-17
A Soldiers Reunion in North Caro-.
lima. ' Mz4
General shernan's Reply to an In
yitation to Attend.
SOUTHERN SOLDIERS, REUNION.
General sherm.n's Reply to an Invita-,
tien to Attend Reunion OF Federal
and Confederate Armies at Salisbury.

t1oh TO Attend q Reunion Of Federal
and Confederate Armies At Salisbury.
Salisbury, n. c., Sept. l6.-The reunion
OF survivors Of the confederate and federal
armies arranged to take place here on Oc-
tober 23d ls attracting . great deal of at.
tention. Invitations have been sent to all
prominent officers Of the two armies. 1t.
Gen. T. II. Sheridan in reply to his invita-
ton to be present courteously declined,
pleading official, duties, and expressing bis
sympathies for the success of the move
ment. The reply Of General Sherman is as
follows:
The time is too remote for me to make a
promise, but l assure you that it would be
most amicable to me personally and 80.
cially to meet you on any suitable occasion.
There is no use in my mincine terms.
Whenever and wherever the honest men
Of North Carolina meet to allay sectional
and party animosilies and to cultivate feel
ings Of fraternity and respect for their fell
low citizens of the United States it will be
to me most tempting to come to Salisbury
before with a vast army leaving desolation
behind, but must not be construed as as
senting to the proposition that confederate
and union men were alike worthy of cele-
bration for the terrible history of l86l-'65.
l would much prefer to come on some civil
occasion when all are absolutely equal, all
alike interested in the present and future
glory Of our common country. There were
very few union soldiers in North Carolina
during the war, though We believed the
people generally we're opposed to secession
and war; so that your meeting, if confined
to the surviving soldiers Of North Carolina
will be in fact confederate reunion, where
would certainly be out of place. All
soldiers in their social reunions glorify
their deeds of heroism, and this reunion
will hardly be an exception, and it would
be a strange sight for Gen. Sherman to
cheer the victories of his enemy and res
pond 10 the claim that because soldiers of
North Carolina were brave and true to
their state and section their cause was a.
sacred as ours, which finally triumphed
and made our union more glorious and
more resplenent than before. Were pre-
sent and you should suppress this natural
feeling, l would feel myself an intruder.
marring the actual happiness of a festive
occasion. l know that the soldier element
we're the first to lay aside the angry parti-
zan feeling Of the war and are now leaders
in the new epoch which is soon to add
wealth and prosperity to our whole coun-
try; and when some occasion arises when
We may all meet on common ground in
North Carolina to celebrate some revolu
tionary event or to, encourage SOME modern
enterprise it will give me great pleaaure to
come to Salisbury, to Raleigh, to Guilford
court house, or any other place in the old
north etate. 81
Wishing you an agreeable reunion, but
asking you to excuse me, am with respect
Yours, most truly. s..
W. T.SHERMAN. q