The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-03-20

you that for every soldier Of mine
murdered" by you, | shall have ex-
eCuieu at once two of yours, giving in
all cases preference to any officers who
may be in my hands.
In reference to the statement YOU
make regarding the death of your
foragers, | have only to say that |
know nothing about it; that no orders
given by me authorize the killing of
prisoners after capture, aLI that | do
not believe my men killed any of yours,
except under circumstances in which
1t was perfectly legitimate and proper
That they should kill them. 1t is a
part of the system of the thieves,
whom you designate as your foragcrs,
to lire the dwellings of those citizens
whom they have robbed. TO check
thls lnhuman system, which is Justly
eXecrated by every civilized nation, /
have directed my men to shoot down all
OF your men who are caught burning
houses. This order shall remain i'm
force as long as you disgrace the pro.
iesslon OF arms by allowing your men
TO destroy private dwellings.
You say that | cannot of course |
question your right to forage on the |
country" it is right as old as his
tory" L do not, Sir, question this
light. But there is right older even
than this, and one more inalicnable--
the right that every man has to defend
MS home and to protect those who are
dependent upon him; and from my
heart, ] wish that every old man and
BOY IN my county who can fire gun
would shoot down as he would a wild
oeast, the men who are desolating their
land, burning their homes and insult
ing their women.
You are particular in defining and
claiming " war rights" May | ask If
you enumerate among these the right
o lire upon defenceless city without
notlce; to burn that city to the ground
'fter 1t had been surrendered by the
nhaDltants, who claimed, though in
yam, that protection which is always
accorded In civilized warfare to non :
to fire the dwelling houses :
IL citizens after robbing them; and 10 i
,erpetrate even darker crimes than +
nese Grimes too black to be men ,
ioned.
You have permitted, if you have not G
'rdercd the commission of these Of
ences against humanity and the rules ,
u war; you fired on the city of Colum. +
ia without word of warning: after i
Is surrender by the mayor, who de-
handed protection to private property, 7
ou lald the whole city in ashes, leav- i
ny amidst its lulns thousands of old I
nen and helpless women and children, +
Who alc likely to perish of starvation :,
nd exposure. Your line of march q
an be traced by the lurid light OF :
houses, tud in more than one r
ouSchold there is now an agony worse
han that of death. The Indian
calpcd his victim regardless Of age or
eX, but with all his barbarty he al
rays respected the persons of his
cmale captivcs. Your soldiers, more 7
aVage than the Indian, insult those I
'hose natural protectors arc absent
In conclusion, have only to request I
hat whenever you have any of my q
nen murdered" or disposed Of" i
or the terms appear synonymous with 7
on, you Will let me hear of it, that |
nay know what action to take in the Il
natter. In the meantime | shall hold C
lty-siX OF your men as hostages for c
nose you have ordered TO be executed. v
am yours, ETC.,
WADE HAMPTON,
Liculenant- General
In the face of this threat of retalia- c
ion it is safe to say that Sherman re- |
onsidered his ill-advised proposition G
murder" his dcfcnccless Prison