The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-06-14

Having answsa1& the points forced
upon me BY your letter OF the 9Th Of
september. I cloD this correspondence
with you: and. notwithstanding YOUR
COZ upon nysappeal to God in
the cause Of humanity, again humbly
and reverently invoke His Almighty aid
In defense Of justice: and right.
Respectfully. your obedient servant,
u. b. Hood. General
sAermaa Concludes.
Headquarters Military Division Of the
Mississippi.
Atlanta, Ga, Sept. II. 1854.
Gen. J. B. Hood. Commanding Army
of Tennessee.
General: Yours OF Sept IL is re-
ceived, and has been carefully perused.
I agree with you that this discussion
by two soldiers is out of place and prof
itless; but you must admit that you be-
gan the controversy by characterizing
an official act Of mine in unfair and i'm
proper terms. I reiterate my former
answer, and to the only new matter
contained in your rejoinder add: We
have no negro allies in this army: not
single negro soldier left Chattanooga
with this army, or is with 1t now. There
are a few guarding Chattanooga, which
Gen. Stedman sent at one time to drive
Wheeler out of Dalton.
II was not bound by the laws of war
/
fortified town. with magazines, ar
senals. foundries and public stores you
were bound to take notice. See the
books.
This is the conclusion of our corre-
spondence, which did not begin, and
terminate with satisfaction.
Il am, with respect, your obedient
servant,
'W. T. Sherman, Major-General Com
manding."
Hood Continues.
preferred here to close the discus
sion, and therefore made no reply to
his last communication inviting me to
''see the books"
l will at present, however, consider
this subject, and cite a few authorities
upon the abOve-disputed points, in or
der to show that Gen. Sherman's con-
duct, in this instance, was in violation
OF the laws which should govern Ma
tons in time Of war.
Atlanta could not properly be desig-
mated regularly fortified city 1t was
simply protected by temporary breast
works, OF the same character as those
used by Johnston and Sherman during
the preceding campaign. The fortifica-
tions consisted of a ditch, with log to
act as protection to the heads of the
men whilst firing, and Of brushwood
when it could be obtained. thrown out
In front as an obstruction to a rapid
advance of the enemy. A large portion
OF the line. which passed through open
fields, was devoid of this latter safe
guard. Moreover, only a few of the
heavy guns and batteries were covered
by embankments with embrasures.
Fortifications it Is well known, are
divided into two classes-temporary and
permanent. Those / have described
around Atlanta, come under the head
nf 10 fret al lott
structed of the best material, iron and
stone. with parapet. deep and wide
ditch and glacis, similar to the fortifica-
tons on Governors Island and those
OF Fortress Monroe. In the construc-
ton Of permanent works every exertion
is made to render them as strong and
durable as possible
1t might be supposed, from Gen.
Sherman's Memoirs, that Atlanta was
not only a thOr0ugh1y-fortified town,
but was provisiOned to endure a siege
OF a year or more, after all commune
cation was cut of; that 1t possessed ar
senals and machineeshops as extensive
as those in Richmond and Macon-an
illusion created probably by dilapi-
dated foundry. near the Augusta road,
which had been In use prior to the war
Gen. Sherman therefore cannot assert,
In order to justify certain acts, that
Atlanta was a regularly fortified town.
And whereas / manched out at night,
allowing him the following day 10 enter
the city,. unOppOsed.a as he himself ac-
knowledges, and whereas no provoca-
ton was given, by the authorities, civil
or military, he can in no manner claim
that extreme war measures were a ne
cessity.
1t has been areued that WELLINGTON
sanctioned extreme measures against
the Basques, at the time he was op-
posed to Marshal Soult, at Bayonne, IN
1914. Wellington perceived that, by
pillage and cruel treatment, his Span
ish allies, under Nina and Morilla, were
arousing the Basques to arms, and at
once ordered the Spanish troops to abb
stain from such odious conduct. He