Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-09

SOipS anu ulNlbloH commanders, anu say
publicly and emphaticaliy, Davis to the con-
trary notwithstanding, that l approve Of
General Grants movements from Washing
ton to Richmond by land instead of by
water. War is an awful game and demands
death and destruction. A certain amount
of fighting and killing had to be done. and
the banks OF the Rapidan and Mattapony
wereias good places for 1t as those of the
James and the App omsttox. So far as l
am capable of judging, General Badeau has
told his story of the battles from the Wilder
ness TO Appomattox Court House clearly aud
well. l know that heart burnings are gen
Grated by allusions to personal traits of
character, but do not see how General
Badeau could otherwise have accounted for
the actual results. | assuredly rose from
the perusal of his volume with higher es
innate OF the great Army of the Potomac
than had before, and am now better pre-
pared to unite with you in celebrations of
Its perseverance,, its might, courage and
heroism. To have your names inscribed on
It's rolls is an honor that your children will
value more than you do.
''As to Mr.. Davis Rise and Fall of the
Southern Confederacy,' l confess l have
not seen the volume, only copious extracts
In the New York Herald, OF June 81, and
hardly know whether to treat them serious
ly or jocosely. 1t was not expected that he
ened him so Iudely from his dream of
empire. But surely in stating facts be
ought to have approximated to the truth
even as to his enemies. Assuming ths the
quotations published in the Herald are au-
then'ic, wish to say that it was lucky for
MIR. Davis that Gen. Johnston in Nav, 1864.
did not obey his orders and assume the Of
fensive srom Dalton to the north side OF
Tennessee river. One would suppose that
after the experience of both Johnston and
Hood, whose courage snd skill
no man disputes, even Mr.. Davis
would be convinced that the aggressive
campaign, foreshadowed in his several gen.
eral propositions of April 16, 1864, was the
veriest nonsense. Johnston did not have at
Dalton 900 men, and Mr.. Davis ought to
have known it, and Johnston on the spot
was better qualified to judge than Mr..
Davis at Richmond.
Gas to the removal of the non.combatapt
population from Atlanta, Mr.. Davis saws
that since Alva's atrocities in the Neither
laLds, 10 the sixteenth century, there has
been nothing to compare with it for cruelty
He had right to pablish such words In
1864, when extraordinary language wSs
needed to arouse the sinking energies of
his people (as be calls them). But at this
late date It is simply absurd. Not a man,
woman or child was harmed in that re-
mOysl. Major Clare, of the Confederate
army, appointed by Gen. Hood and Gen.
Willard Warner, of my staff, now residing
III Tecumseb, Cherokee county, Alabama,
certified jointly to me this fact" Gen.
S ierman then read Major Clare's report in
full, and said he thought Mr.. Davis would
hear from Gen. Warner 10 good time.
Major Clare's report was to the effect that
all available transportation was placed at
the service of non combatants to evacuate
Atlanta, but that those whom it was in
tended to benefit were slow to avail them
selves of it, notwithstanding his warnings
against delay, and that out of this circum-
stance arose great deal of hardship, which
might have been avoided. The list of per-
sons removed, enclosed with Major Clare's
report, shows the following totals: Men 98,
women 395, children COS, servants 20; grand
total l 8. General Sherman here exhib-
tied an original report of Colonel Wm. g.
LeDuc, United S aes Quartermaster Twen-
tieth Corps, late Commissioner of Agricul-
ture, showing that the number of persons
sent South was 7C5 adults, 79 servants, S67
chi dren, total 1,651, with the full
names of each, with the number of pack:
ages for each, aggregatiDg 65l, all of
which was transported by United States
troops twenty miles, and not a single
piece was broken or molested.
"Again, Mr.. Davis recordsithat the officers
and men sent to escort and convey the nom
combatants to Rough and Ready Station
robbed them Of the few articles OF value
they had been permitted to take from their
homes. This is simply untrue, and Mr.
Davis ought TO have known 1t to be
so, for Major Clare, of the Con-
federste army, bore public testimony
TO the kindness of the escort, and General
| Warner, since a Senator from Alabama,
well known and universally respected, who
is still living In Alabama, was then and is
still responsible, and is far better qualified
| to tes.fYy to the facts than Mr.. Davis, who
was a thousand miles away. / am
responsible for the order of removal,
and it was right. 1t wss eminently humane
to remove the non ocmbatant population
/ from the theatre of war. 1t produced the
| effect intended and FASTENED the conclu -
sion OF the war, a bloody war, which Mr..
/ Davis, according to his own account, would
never have terminated as long as he could
have saved his own life.
| "As to the burning of Columbia, he inti-
mates that have endeavored to escape re-
sponsbility for that act. and refers to the
| excesses OF Wallepstein's army in
the Thirty Years. War. Mr.. Davis was
not Ia Columbia during that fire,
nor was Gen. Hampton. I was, and so
was General o. o. Howard. SO were Gen
erals John A. Logan, VIM. B. Woods, now a
Justice of the Supreme Court, and his
DIOluGIy OUdllCo W UOOOos anu lt,OOO uOu6Sta
good, true Union soldiers. Mr.. Davis ig-
nores all these aud adopts the solitary state
ment of Wade Hampton, who got away snd
was not there at all after his troops had set
fire to the bridges, depot and the cotton in the
streets of his own city, all of which were burn
ed down or were burning when our troops
entered the city. The house occupied by
me, Blanton Duncan's, was still standing
when the army left the city. The house
Enotpu ho Hamnfnn hapni0n Oant1nfed
by Gen. Logan, was still standing, and the
college where Gen. Howard was qaarteFed
wes not bhrned. The fire originated In
Richardson street, near where | saw with
my own eyes burning cotton bales, WHICH
had been set on fire by the Con-
federate cavalry. was supreme
in command inside of Colum-
bia during the night Of the con1agration,
and | allow no man, not eFen JEFF. Davis,
to question my statement of the facts as
seen by myself. The fire in Columbia on
the night of February 18th, 1865, in my
judgment, then and now, was caused by
particles of burning Gotten blown against 9
fence and sheds, which spread to the
houses and finally consumed the centre but
not the whole of the town. The cotton was
unquestionably set on fire by Confederate
cavalry. which fire was partially subdued by
our troops in the dag titIe whilst the trains
passing. But after the trains had passed
and the night begun the men ceased to carry
Water. The fire spread anew and finally
reachsd c shed or fence, and the houses,
built OF pitch pine, burned with rapiditY
and fury under tornado of wind. What
of Columbia remained the next morn
ing was wholly due to Gen. Logan's
troops. Without them not a house would
have escaped. Almost identicallY the same
thing occurred In Richmond. (See Badeau,
Vol Ill, page 5SS,f I made a report Of the
facts 70 Sfny governtaent, which was &C
cepted, aud there my responsibility ended.
Still cheerfully admit that history may go
further, provided the actual truth be sought
fer, ] want to know the truth as much as
any man. Had ihteaded 10 Barn 6oiun-
bia would have done it Just as Iwonld
have done any other act of war, aud there
would have been no concealment about it.