Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-05-18
SHERMAN'S MARCH TO The SEA

DR.. Henry E. Shepherd of Baltimore
we'll known III Stanton, In last SIM.
days Sun tells of Sherman 8 march to
the sea, a bit of history of which the
United States ought to be almost az
much ashamed as the recent battle of
Mt. Jolo in The Philippines. when 500
MOros, consisting of Men, women and
children, were all slain. If they had
captured even one baby the situation
might have been somewhat redeemed,
just as some deceut act of Sherman Is
army might have sent one ray of re-
deem ing light into the gloom of that
disgraceful campaign. DIR. Shepherd
says:
In the cores pondence which passed
between Gen. Halleck, Federal Chief
of Staff. and Sherman, Dec. IS, 1864,
Halleck writes to Sherman at Savan-
nah:
SHOULD you capture Charleston. l
hope that by some accident the place
may be destroyed, and if little salt
should he sOwn on the site it may DIES
troy the growth of future crops of
notification and treason" (See Me
mOirs of Snerman' Vol. IL, page 223. J
To this infamous suggestion Sher-
man replied of the Oath of December:
Il will bear in mind your hint, and
do not think salt will be necessary.
When l move, the Fifteenth Corps will
be on the right of the right wing, and
their position will naturally bring
them into Charleston first, and if you
have watched the history of that
corps you will haye noticed that they
generally do their work pretty well.
In fact, the whole army is burning
with an Unsuitable desire to wreak ven
geance upon South Carolina, | almost
tremble for her fate. but feel that she
deserves all that is in store for her."
("Memoirs of Sherman" Vol. IL, page
227- 22S
In an address delivered at Salem,
Ohio, not long after the close of the
drama Sherman enuDciates and vlndi.
Gates bis theory of war in clear and
unequivOcal language:
1--WE; the army which he command
ed, were strung out from Nashville
clear down to Atlanta. Had | gone on
strlnging out our forces what danger
would there not have been of their at
lacking this little head Of the column
and crushing it Therefore | resolved
TO stop the game of guarding their
cities and to destroy their cities. We
were determined to produce results,
and now what were those results ? 70
make every man, woman and child in
the South feel that if they dared to
rebel against the flag of their country
they must die or submit"
In marked contrast with the Sher-
man and Halleck suggestions is the
order of Gen. Lee when in Pennsyl-
vania. says DIR. Shepherd:
When Lee entered Pennsylvania in
June, 1868. and its bounteous. smiling
valleys lay PROSTATE at our feet, be is
sued general order June 81, in which
The following language occurs:
1.-The duties exacted of us by civil
cation and Christianity are not less
obligatory in the country of the enemy
than in our own. The commanding
general considers that no greater dis
grace could befall the army, and
through it our whole people, than the
of barbarOuS outrages
upon the uDarmed and defenseless
and the wanton destruction of private
property that have marked the course
of the enemy in our own country. 1t
Will be remem bered that we make war
only upon armed men,"
Who, when the cloud of war has |
passed away, would not a thousand |
times rather have written the Lee or
der, than the words contained in |
either the Halleck or the Sherman