The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1898-04-14

- TO-, OI DOstOu, lucI0 - AL 4utSA SoI
inc review of Gen. Sherman's- military
career by John G. Ropes, one Of the
tairest and most truthful of Northern
historians. Mr., Ropes says that sit
would not be right to close a reVle"
of Gen. Shermsn's character and SER
vices without referring to his often
announced policy Of devastation. 1t
can hardly be doubted that desire to
infict punishment on the people of the
South for their course in breaking up
the Union was a strong element IN
favor of his project of marching across
the country" 10 Gen. Grant he tele-
graphed on October 9, 1864:
"Until we can repopulste Georgia,
it is uselesf to occupy it; but the utte:,
destruction Of it's roads, houses and
sources. I can make the
march, and make Georgia howl"
To Gen. Schofeld, be te'egraphed on
October II:
+ 81 will make the interior of Georgia
feel the weight of war"
To Gen. Beckwith on October ~:
81 propose to abandon Atlanta and
the railroad back to Chattanooga, aud
sally forth 10 ruin Georgia 1ao bring
up on the seashore."
! To Gen. Hardee, the Confederate
commander at Savannah, he wrote:
"Should be forced to resort to as
sault, and the sloMer and surer process
OF starvation, I shall then feel justified
in resortlng to the harshest measures,
and shall make little effort to restrain
nv army-burning is avenge national
wrong they attach to Savannah and
other large cities, which have been so
prominent ir dragging our country
iate civil war"
To Gen. Grant on December IS, he
wrote:
"With Savannah in our possession
at some future time if not now, we
can punish South Carolina as she de-
serves, and as thousands Of people in
Georgia hoped we would do. | dc
sincerely believe that the whole United
States, North and South, would re-
ioice to have this army turned loose
on South Carolina to deyastate that
State, in tbs manner we have done IN
Georgia, and it would have e direct
and immediate bearing on your cam
paign in Virginia
To Gen. iIalleck he wrote on De-
cember "a:
sI attach more importance to these
deep incisioGs into the enem}'s coun-
try. because this war differs from
Enronesn wars in this particular. We
are not only fighting hostile s'mies,
but a hostile people, and must make
old and young, rich and poor, feel the
hard hand Of war. as well as their
organized armies. The truth is
the whole army is is burning with sn
insatible desire to Wreas vengeance
upon South Carolina. Ialmost tremble
at her fate, but feel th.t she deserves
I'll that satiab.e desire to Wreak ven
seance upon Columbia as quite az bad
SCharlestor, and I doubt if we shah
!. SSS~.he public buildings there, as I'VE
, did st st>>dgeTille."
: Mr.. RopesSys:
. "It seems toSs&Sat Gen Shsr1rs-A-
f in the passages cited ee',iai
ciate in distirct terms the principle tha
the infection Of such punishment by
. general commanding an army is with
Il in bis right; that is, that il is sane
s toned by the laws of modern civilized
y warfare. II we are correct in attribut
!. ing this position to Sh. rnan, We canno
loss the opportunity Of pointing ou
t that the authorities are against him
: l. fisherman purposely destroyed
or connived at the destruction G
property which was not needed for th'
supply of his army, or Of the enemy
army, he violated one Of the funda
mental canous Of modern warfare
and just s. far as he directed or per
= nitted this, be conducted war On oh
:, solete and barbarous principles"
= ) In his official report Gen Sherman
estimated the sntire damage done te
the State OF Georgia at 500, 100000
. . Of which only $20,000,9e0 "inured tc
= our advantage" the remainder bsins
= "aimple waste and destruction" Mr.
! ! Ropes says, and it is worth eapecisl
emphasis here, that Sherman's "hold
on his army was perfect; there wa:
nothing that the msn would not do al
,, bis bidding" He destroyed 800, 0,000,.
; 600 worth Of property in Georg':; be
left 8 track OF deeolal o.. in Soatt
Carolina; he made cold and young,
rich and poor, feei the hard hand OF
war;" be turned bis arEy loose on
South Carolina to devastate that State
in the manner We have done in Geor-
gia;" he trenoled for ths fats of South
Carolina, but felt that she deserved all
be had in store for her. Ia say ing
that Weyler's methods in Cuba were
uot more criminal than Sherman's
methods on his "mareh to the sea-"
the Evening Post stated horrible fact
10 :he simplicity of truth.
The comparison Of Weyler to Sberi-
dan in the Shenandoah Valley was to
the prejudice of Weyler. The story
of Sberidan's bratality is written in
the official reports. What be did not
require for the supply of his army was
"siDpiy waste and dsstruction"- and
80 thoroughly was his work done that
even the crows had to carry their
rations with hem in flying over the
desolated region.
The Sherman and Sheridan methods
were even more savage than Weylsr's.
They were at war In their own country
and against the people of their own
race and civilization. They were
fighting against the armies and people
of an organized Government, operat-
ins under written constitution, with
its executive, legislative and Judicial
departments completely appointed,
and with its armies ready always to
give battle III the open field; govern
ment which WAS. in fact, recogniZed