The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-22

But. as n this were not enough. the
News and Courier in its editorial columns
reviews tic records Of Generals sherman
and sheridan and recalls harsh express
slops and harshcr acts Of these two gen
erals over which their friends would
doubtless prefer 10 throw The mantle Of
oblivion.
We quote:
sherman wrote TO General Hardee at
Savannah
should be forced to resort TO assault,
and the slower and surer process OF sar-
walton. ! shall then fell justified In re-
sorting to the harshest measures. ana
shall make little effort TO restrain my
army-burning to avenge natiohai
wrong they attach TO Savannah ana other
large cities. which have been so proinl-
nent in dragging our country Into cifH
war"
Sherman afterwards wrote 10 General
Halleck that the whole army Is burning
with IAN Unsuitable desire to wreak ven
geance upon South Carolina" and that
though he tremblsd at her fate, he iet
that she deserved all that was in store
for her. Whitelaw Reid. the war cores
pondent Of Northern newspapers ana now
the editor OF the New York Tribune char-
acterized the burning Of Columbia as
the most mOnstrOus barbarity or the
barbarous march" John G. Ropes. the
Massachusetts historian. says that Sher-
man conducted war on obsolete ana
barbarous principles" Sherman deliber-
ately announced his purpose 10 make OLD
and young, rich and poor feel the harD
hand of war and thirty-three years at
ter his "barbarous march he finds IN
South Carolina. which was devastated
an apOlogist and defender. who declares
that war has a hard hand. and they
who deliberately bring it on should be
made 10 feel it's terrible weight
il Is true. as Mr.. Robinson says. thar
Sherman did not destroy by the slow and
horrible process OF starvation 100000 NOR
fensive and defenceless nOn-cOmbatants-
men. women and children. but that was
not his fault. lie threatened Savannah
with 1.-The slower and surer process or
starvation" and when the Mayor or Al
lanta appealed TO him on the ground OF
humanity TO revoke or modify his order
directing all the civilians living In Attain
Ia. male and female. to leave the city
within five days, his reply was:
Il give full credit to your statements OF
the distress that will be occasioned by H.
VET
cause my orders are not designed 10 meet
the humanties OF the case.
In her account OF Sherman's work ID
Jefferson county. Georgia. Mrs. Nora M'
Canning. Of Macon. writes as follows on
"Our Women in the War;
eve soon discovered that almost every
thing we had hidden had been found and
either carried on or wantonly destroyed.
All around the grove were carcasses OF
COWS. sheep and hoks, some with only the
hindquarters gone, and the rest lett 10
spoil. There were piles Of carcasses all
around where the army had camped.
Some Of them had been killed and LETT
without being touched
In his Official report. Sherman said that
of the 800 900 900 worth Of property de-
stroyed i'm Georgia. only S20,0oOO0 Injured
to our advantage" the remainder being
simple waste ana destruction
In 1864 a committee consisting Of thirty
six citizens and the same number OF mag
istrates. appointed by the County Court
of Rockingham county, Virginia, for the
purpose Of making an estimate OF the
losses Of that county by the execution OF
General Sheridan's orders. made an in
vestigation and reported as follows:
Dwelling houses burned, 90; barns
burned. $50: mills burned 81; fences de-
stroyed (miles), 1907 bushels Of wheat de-
stroved. 100. 900: bushels OF corn destroyed
80 O0O tons Of hay destroyed SOB: cattle
carried OF. !. 80. horses carried or. L15O'
sheep carried off. 400; hogs carried on
1850; factories burned, g. furnaces burned
l."
II Is clear from this showing. we think.
that IL was not Sheridans fault that an
the people OF Rockingham county Nir-
glnia did not die of starvation. His or
o.
signed to meet the humanities Of the
case" The spirit which inspired them
in the conduct Of their military opera
tions in Georgia and Virginia, was the
spirit that controlled Weyler in his cam
paign in Cuba.
The war is over and this country is
again united. II there had been any
doubt of this It has all been removed
within the past few months when the
South has given every attestation Of her
loyalty TO the flag, and when the North
has glorifed a Confederate brlgader.
We do not reproduce this article, there
fore. for the purpose OF stirring up
strife but because IT seems to ms most
opportune time to bring the Northern
people 10 reflection, and now when they
are about TO 80 to war in order to liberate
the Cuban rebels and to put stop 10
the horrors Of war, at this time, We
say. when Weyler's methods are de-
nounced, and when Cuban rebels are eX-
tolItd as noblemen and patriots, 1t Is well
enough TO bring our Northern brethren
face to face with the fact that those
whom they denounced as southern
rebels were as noble patriots as ever
lived. and that the war which the United
States Government waged against the
Southern people was not altogether I'M
Ike the war which Spain has waged
against her rebellious colonists in Cuba
These observations seem TO MS pecu-
Harly appropriate, in view of the fact
that the Iowa state Register refers TO
| Fitz Lee as the prodigal returned.
|