The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-06-30
sherman on JEFF Davis Book

New York, June 30 -Gen. W. T. Shcr
man has written to Mr. George 7. Lsnigau
of this city, under date of June Is, expires
sing some opinions on JEFF Davis new book
supplementary to the criticisms in his Hart
ford speech. The following is the msteria
portion tf the letter.: y Move
ments of flying columns from one base OF
district to another have been pracliced ever
since the world began. We have sent
such expeditions from Fort Leavenworlh
to the Indian country. to New Mexico,
to Utah, etc., hundreds of miles, and though
mine from Atlanta to Savannah-300 miles
AID from Savannah 10 Goldsboro-45O
miles-have been pronounced by JEFF Davis
as in violation of all the rules of war land
therefore ought to have failed though they
did not fai), that approved by himself aud
conducted by his military hero, Sidney
Johnston, from Fort Leavenworth TO Utsh
in 1851 200 miles-wss U. X. and emf
nently right.
!, of course, expected Jeff Davis to
attack Giant, Hooker, Lincoln, myself,
sid everybody who would not submit
to his oictstion; but his hits at JOe
Johnston and Hood are uugeneious in the
highest degree In one paragraph he dem.
onsIratcs the importance of Atlanta by
reason of It's arsenais, factories aid geo
graphical location; removes Joe Johnston
and appoints Hood to defend it, and then
abetes me for treating the place, when cap-
tured, as military conquest. Again, he
abuses Hood for his invasion of Tennessee,
and callsit a "wild.goosH cAose," etc. Now
know that when Jed Davis came to
Georgia to visit Hood, army, after it had
been driven out OF Atlanta, no
made the soldiers speech, which
was heard by one of my spies and
was reported to me the next day, TO the effect
that they were about to begiu csmpaign ia
which tho kentucky and Tennessee troops
would tread their native soil again, and by
cutting off my supplies would compel me to
retreat. and they would make that retreat
more disastrous than was Napoleon's from
NJ 'scow. He then knew that Hood WIS
going to invade Tennessee. That was in
September or October, 1864, two months be-
iors the event. He WAS then Gen. Hoods
commander in,cLief, and if his then contem-
plated invasion Of Tennessee was the action
of "mad-csp on the widest of wild.goose
chases," MIR. Davis was responsible.
think the weakest part of Davis "Rise
and Fall" is in his taking refuge in
possibilities-"what might have been
mad SO and so happened"-vz:
IT Sidsey Johnston had not have been killed,
we at Shiloh would not now be living; If
Stonewsll Jackson had been 10 Hoods place
there would not have been march to the
sea, etc. History deals with what was and
10, and 1t 10 folly TO dscuss what might have
been. Such discussions are idle and mis-
chievous. Davis was recognized as comman.
der-in.chief Of the confederate army, and bis
orders we're obeyed as absolutely as were
those of Mr.. Lincoln. He had the
widest possible range for bis choice
Of leaders and if he mikes
bad choice, on him, and him alone, rests the
responsibility. think bis reported remarks
at Indianapolis, June 10 inst, will damage
bis reputation even more than his history.
Supplemented to my Hartford speech, I
had a. the time 10 hand the original D jrt
OF the names every man, woman and child
who was removed from Atlanta to the South,
with the number of packages carried out
by each. l now have copy, and
have added up the quantities. Davis records
that tho 'fow articles" these poor exies we're
allowed to take away were plundered by the
squad sent along. l give the recspisulation,
and in dus time the whole will be published:
Adults (men and women) 705' children, S67;
servants Slaves 70; total, 1861. Packages
OF baggage, s,S42; horses, 8; cows 10; calves,
.. wagons, q drsys, 2; carriages, l; buggies /.
l am with respect, etc, w. Y. SHERMAN.