New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-17
4 LETTER OF sIIERMAN'S IN 1852.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CONDITION OF AFFAIRS
IN TENNESSEE AND NEIGHBORING STATES
Cleveloud Feb 1O.-Ex-Cnlted states Commissioner
4 J. Williams n member OF the Loyal Legion, has
given out for publication a letter written by General
sherman to his brother. senator John Sherman. in
1867. while the former at Memphis. It s inter
estlng at this time and IS Is follows:
Memphis, Tenn. Aug. 10. 1852.
Nv Dear Brother: I have not written To you for so
long that suppose you think have dropped the cor
rc,ponicucc. For sN weeks was marching along the
ins bridge and all sots Of work AZ last got here
AMI found the city contributing gold, arms; powder,
salt and everything the eDomy wanted. 1t was
smart trIc. on their part, thus "a give up Memphis,
that the desire Of gain 70 our Northern nerch.hs
stopped tits at once. aud declared gold, silver,
Treasury notes and salt as much eontrs1sid % dsS
powder. have one man under sentence Oh ae; W
for smuggling arms across the lines, ana nope hr;
Lincoln viii approve T. l'nt The inercenary SPIT, ."
our people IS too much aud my orders aie reversed
and ordered to encourage the trade IN cotton aug
all orders prohibiting gold silver and note, TO be pa'd
for II are annullcd by orders from Washington ,,,,.
Grant promptly ratified my order. and All military
men here saw at once that gold spcnt for cotton "sn
10 the purchase OF arms ana munitions OF NAT hme
what the lives Of our soldiers 70 the profits OF the
Alter whole wear Of bungling the country has at
last discovered that we want more men, All mIe~
Now l3OOOoOC Cthe General evidently intended Only
100000 men are required when 100000 was deemed
absurd hcfolc. 1t viii take time 20 work UP these raw
should Ice IN Jackson Meridian and Vicksburc. Stll
! must not grOWL nave puFpOs'y put ud' n dtu
have right to critici,c. save tlat am glid tIe
paper, have ~ last found ont are ut war and nave
a Formidable enemy - combat.
Of course approve the COufscatiOn Act ana
would be willing . rcyolut0nizc the Government SO as
n amend that art iclc of the Constitution which fOrbdN
the forfeiture Of land to thc heirs My full belief Is
we must cOiOnlzc the country de nOvO. beginning WIN
Kentucky ana Tennessee, and should remove four
million 81 people az once south OF the ONO RIVER
taking the farms and plantations Of the rebels. |
deplorr the j. much ever but II the thing has
to be done. LET thc De adequate. Don't eN-
poet 10 oycrrUu such country or subdue such a
people In one two or five years. II Is the task oil
half a century.
Although our army IS thus far South. il cannot
iir rom or gafrisCn our men are If lei or caprc
within SIGHT of lines. | have divisions here
mine and lIurbuts-aoout 1900 men; am building
a strong fort and think this Is % be one Of the
depot, and bases ~ operations for future movements
The los Of Hacck Is almost fatal. We have no
one TO replace him Instead OF having one head, We
have five six. all Independent OF each other eN
pcct enemies will mass their troops and fall upon
our detachment, before new reinfOrcemcntS come. !
cannot learn that there any large bodies of men
near lie here There are detachments at 'lly springs
IRE south and AL the people Of the country armed
3, crlcrrlas Curtis is at Helena, eighty miles SOUTH
and Grant at Corlnth Bragg's army from Trip0l
has moved u Chattanooga and proposes 10 march on
Nashville. Lexington and Cincinnati. They VIII have
about 5000 men. Iiucll is near Huntsville with
about 10000. and suppose attachments OF the new
lcvic, can hc put in Kentucky from Ohio and Indiana
in time. The weather IL very hot, and Bragg cannot
tronblc My own opinion Is. ought not to venture
TOO much Into the Interior until the rvor Is safely In
our po,session. when could land at any point and
strike inland To attempt to hold all the South would
colombo and settle as we 20 south for In Missouri
there Is as much strife as ever Enemies must be
killed or transported to some other country. Your
ancctionate brother, W. T. SHERMAN.