The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-24

lie Tavors Seizure and Permanent Confisca
ton Of Southern Lands.

Ex-Unitcd States Commissioner 4. J. vii
Iiams. a member Of the Loyal Legion. gave
ont for publication at Cleveland. o.. a few
DAYS ago. a letter written by General Sber-
man 10 his brother. Senator John sherman,
in 1862. while the former was at Memphis.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Aug. -. 1862
My DEAR BROTHEB: have not written %
You for so long that | suppose You think l
have dropped the correspondence. For
six weeks ! was marching along the
ing roads. building bridges. and all
sorts Of work. Al last | got here and
found the city contributing gold, arms, pow
der salt, and everything the enemy wanted.
Ii was a smart trick on their part. thus 10 give
I'D Memphis that the desire Of gain To ourNOrth
ern merchants should supply them with the
things needed in war. stopped this at once;
and declared gold. silver. treasury notes, and
salt as much cOntraband Of war a. powder. l
have one man under sentence of death
for smuggling arms across the line, ana nope
Mr.. Lincoln will approve It. But the
mercenary spirit OF our people IS 700 much;
andI nv orders are reversed and am ordered
10 encourage the trade IN cotton, and all
orders prohibiting gold, silver and notes 10 be
paid for IL are annulled by orders from Wash
incton. Grant promptly ratified my order.
and all military men here saw at once that
gold spent for cotton went 10 the purchase OF
arms and munitions Of war. But what are the
lives Of our soldiers TO the profits Of the mer-
chants
After a whole year Of bungling the country
has al last discovered that We want more men.
All knew II last fall az well as now, but 1t WAS
not popular. Now 100000 lthe General
evidently intended only l,5OO00l men are
required when 700 900 was deemed absurd be-
fore. IL will take time 10 work up these raw
hot
when We should be IN Jackson, Meridian. and
NicksDurg Still must not growl. | have
purposcly put back. and have no night 10
criticise save that | am glad the papers have
al last found ont We are at war and have for
midable enemy 70 combat.
OF course | approve the COnfscati0n act.
and would be willing t. reyolutlOnlZc the
Government so As 10 amend that article OF
the Constitution which fOrblds the forfeiture
Of land 10 the heirs Ny full belief Is We
must cOlOniZe the country de nOyO. beginning
with kentucky and Tennessee. and should
remove 4. O0O. 600 az our people at once south
Of the Ohio river, taking the farms and planta-
lions Of the rebels. | deplOre the war - much
as ever. bu, II the thing has % be done. let
the means be adequate. Don't eXpect to over
run such country or subdue such people
IN one Two, OF hye years. II is tie task OF
half "a century.
Although our army Is thus far South, II can
not str from our gafrlSOn-. Our men are Kill
ed or captured within sight Of our lines
have two divisions mere NINE and hurDurt's
about -. 1900 mem am building a strong fort
aud think this is 10 be one II the depOts aud
bases Of operations for future movements.
The loss OF llallOck Is almost fatal. We
have no one 10 replace hun. Instead Of having
one head. we have nve or SIX. all independent
Of each other. / expect our enemies Will mass
their troops and fail upon our attachments
before new endorsements come. | cannot
learn that there are any large bodies Of men
near us here. There are detachments at Holly
Springs and Seuatobla. the present terminal
OF the railroads from the South: and all the
people OF the country are armed as guerrillas
Curtis IS at Helana. eighty miles south. and
Grant at Corinth Brags's army from Irlpoli
has moved 50 Chattanooga and proposes TO
march on Nashville. Lexington and Clucinna-
Il. They VIII have about $1,000 men. Buell.
is near Huntsville with about 10000. and
suppose detachments of the new levies can
be put IN Kentucky from Ohio and Indiana in
time. The weather Is very hot and Bragg
can't move his forces very fast: but | fear
he viii give trouble. Ny own opinion is
We ought not TO venture too much into the in
terror until the river is safely in our posses
sion, when We could land at any point and
strike inland. To attempt 10 hold all the
South would demand al army too large even
10 think OF. We must colOniZe and settle rs
wego South. for in Missouri there is IA much
strife ever. Enemies must be killed or
transported TO some other country. Your
afectiOnate brother. W. L. SHERMAN.