The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-01-22

A Leaf rroG tic History oil thS VIZ
fIampton's Hcp!y 10 sherman ihr"'
TO Murder Confederate |ri-"nsr'
War.
| The Charlotte Daily News quote
from the Daily North Carolinian
March IS, 1865, the following a:coun
of the correspondence between Gen
Hamton and Gen. Sherman in refer
ence to the treatment Of some OF Snef
mans bummers:
Sherman writes that his focagin:
parties are murdered after capture ans
labelled death IL ii forager$. 81
goes on 20 sag-"One Instance oi
lieulcuaut aud sev-r men, near G2es
terville, aud .lnothor o. twenty, lea'
q ravine eighty rods from the malG
road, about three miles from Feaster'
| Vile. / have ordered similar rum
Der of prisoners in our haGds to be dis
posed of in Ike manner. l mold
about one thousand prisoners, captur
ed in various ways, and can stand j!
as long as you, but l hardly think
these murders are committed with
your knowledge and | would suggest
that you give notice TO the people a
large that every life teken by them
simply results in the death of one OF
yours"
In his reply Gen. Hampton says:
"Your communication Of the 18th
inst. reached ne today. In it ycu state
that it has been officially reported
that your lorag!ng parties were MUIR
dered' after capture and you go On to
say thst you rad ordered similar
number of prisoners in our hands TO be
disposed of III like manner That is
to say, you have ordered a number Of
Confederate soldiers to be murdered
you characterize your order in
proper terms, tor the public voice,
even in your own country, where it
seldom dares to express itseifin vim.
dication cftruth, honor and .i,S'ice will
surely agree with you in pronouncing
you guilty Of murder, if your order is
carried out.
Before dismissing this portion Of
your letter, I beg to assure you that
for every soldier Of mine murdered
by you, shall have at once executed
two of yours, giving in all cases, pref
erence 10 any officers who Inay be in
my hands.
.'In reference to the statement you
make regarding the death Of your for
ayers, l have only to say that | know
nothing of it: that no order given by
me authorizes the killing OF prisoners
after capture, and I do not believe that
my men killed any Of yours except
under circumstances in which it was
perfectly legitimate and proper That
hey should kill them.
at is part of the system of the
thieves whom you designate as your
;oragers to fire the dwellings of those
citizens whom they have robbed.
40 check this irhuman system,
which is justly execrated by every |
civilized nation, l have directed my |
men to shoot down all your men who
ire caught burning houses. This or
Ter shall remain in force as long as
iou disgrace the profession Of arms
~ allowing your meH w uoStAoJ PAf
rate dwellings. x The In
lian scalped his victim regardless Of
lex or age, but W ith all his barbarlty
le always respected the persons of his
emale captives. Your soldiers, more
avage than the Indians, insult those
whose natural protectors are absent. |
In conclusion, I have only to re-
Iuest that whenever you have any OF
ny men disposed Of or murdered,
or the terms appear to be synony.
nous with you, you willlet me hear OF
t, in order that may know what &C
ion to take in the matter. In the !
meantime shall hold fifty six ofyour
nen as hostages for those yon have or.
lered to be executed"