The Press., 1898-03-17
SHERMAN WAS KIND.
A SOUTHERN POETS REcoLLEcTiohs
 OF THE GENERAL.

Frank l.. Stanton Recalls Some Incidents
 erAl sherman's Goodness to the Elder Stanton, Who Was Very Ell In Savannah.
 Frank l.. Stanton, the popular Georgia poet. always speaks up for General Sher- man when he hears any severe criticism of that famous commanders methods.
 The story told by Stanton has never found its way into print, but it deserves place among the minor incidents and "reminiscences of the war period.
 "When Savannah fell" T" said Stanton. "1 was a little chap about 6 years old. The confusion and tumult in the streets frightened me, and was afraid to go very far from the house.
 "Young as I was, understood that something very serious had occurred. Instead of seeing Confederate soldiers parading the streets with few Federal prisoners saw thousands of Federals swarming through the town, and they had a great many Confederates under gnard. A "The situation had been reversed. That was plain, even to a child.
 "My father was very i'll, in the last stages of consumption, and my mother was worn out with anxiety and the cares of the household. Our neighbors were panic stricken, and everybody seemed to be expecting some awful ca lamity.
 | "Penned up there as we had been for a long time, without supplies and with out any money except worthless Confed- crate currency, the outlook was gloomy enough. How was my sick father4o get the things he needed? That was the problem with my mother.
 Somebody told General Sherman about my father and mentioned the fact that he was kinsman of very distin- guished and powerful officer on the Un- ion side.
 "One day when entered my father's room found three Federal officers sit ting there in pleasant conversation with the invalid and my mother. AZ
 "I was scared and started to run, but one of the strangers, @ middle aged man with @ roughly trimmed brown beard, called me back. He asked my name, and before knew it had me on his knee, and he said so many nice things to me that took quite a fancy to him. 's | "He was General Sherman, and he had called with two of his staff officers to see my father. When the visitors left, the general told my mother at the door that he knew all about the inoon- veniences of a siege and insisted upon sending from the army stores something that would suit 8 sick man. "Under the circumstances such an | offer could not be declined. It was @ picnic for the children of the family, can tell you.
 "After that. while the general WAS in the city, something was sent to: the house every day. Brandy, wine, loaf sugar, lemons, beef, chickens, coffee, vegetables and don't know what else came in generous quantities. We had plenty for the family and for our near est nighbors.
 "Nor was that all. The general sent one of the best physicians in the hos pital service, and the last days of my father were made far more comfortable than we had hoped for under the ad- verse conditions of those dark days.
 General Sherman came to the house once more before he left Savannah. ] cannot remember what he said. but he was sympathetic and he said something about the pleasure it gave him to aid a relative of his distinguished friend at Washington.
 "At that time was very fond of 6 showy uniform, and it vexed my child ish mind to see my friend the general always dressed so shabbily. His ssaf1 officers presented a better appearance, and some of them were really gorgeous in their spectacular rig.
 "The other boys and the negroes agreed with me that the commander must be in very hard luck or he would certainly dress better. Still, I4was then convinced that he was 8 wonderfully wise man. With my pockets full of his loaf sugar, which had surrsptitiously abstracted from the pantry, I would have been ungrateful if had formed any other opinion.
 Sherman left the city and marched onward through the Carolinas, a1d that ended the war. s.# ..@
 "No, I never saw him again. My ia. ther died, and I lived in different places, my work keeping me 90 busy stnt I had no time to think of the general or any. body else not connected with my imme- diate business. I wish now that I had seen him before he passed away. As ii is, can only recall him as he appeared to my boyish and wondering eyes, un. der circumstances which did not give me an opportunity to study him. Nc matter what may be said of his conduct in war. I cannot help liking him. He was a good friend just when we most needed one. "-Chicago Times Herald.