Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1910-06-29
HISTORIC DOCUENTsl $.
Letter. That Show De Villainy
of Sherman AZ Wei as
the True Bravery Of
Hampton.

ton MAJ form some idea Of the
sronblous days OF the sixsies, The
Advertiser publishes two letters
that passed between Cen Sherman
and Gen. Hampton that were pub
lished In the Augusta Chronicles
Sundayslsst. The documents also
have q historic value and should be
preserved.
The following correspondence be
tIseen General Sherman, The modern
Duke Of Alya, and General Wade
Hampton, should be OF interest to
tie young men, not only OF the
South but ofthe North as well. II
shows something Of the firm and
desperate determination Of the Com
federate soldiers 60 protect the hon
or Of Southern ladies even at the
risk of war to the death.
The incident; to which allusion is
made by General Hampton in this
correspondence wasan outrage COM
mitted at Feasteryille bga lieuten-
ant in Sherman's army, who was.
soon afterward shetforit. He kill,
cd the father Of the house and the
outrage following, left the beanfiz
full daughter awhite-haired imbeciae
It's because of outrageslik this.
that Southern men cannot under
stand why some Notthern people
greet Southern guests with the air,
Marching Through Georgia" They.
seem to think it appropriate They
would not if they knew the inhumran
deeds it recalls: B
headquarters in the Field, Feb.
Gath, 1855.
Lieutenant General Wade Hamps
SIS ton, Commanding Cavalry Forces
Confederate States Army.
General: It is officially reported
10 me that our foraging parties are
murdered after capture and labeled
Death to- all fGragers.' One il
stance Of "a ieutsnantan and severn men,
near ChesteTyille, and another Of
twerty, near a resine eighty rods
from theslnain road, shout three.
MICS from d astevi have OF
Sdsrsda ssH asisbSrs pfisonsrs
incur handssto bs disposed of in
ike manner. hold about 1000,
prisoners, captured in ysrious ways,
and can stand it as long as You, and
would suggest thai you give notice
TO the peop1e,at iis.gge TINT every life
taken BY them simply resuiitssin the
death Of one of your Confederates.
OF course, you cannot question my
right to forage on the country" 1t
il. q war right as old as history. The
manner of exercising it varies with
circumstances, and if civil authori-
ties will supply my acquisitions q
will forbidaa ali foraging. But / can
find no civil authorities who canre-
spond to my calls for forage or pro-
visions; therefore, / must collect d.
rectly of the people. I have no
doubt this is the occasion of much
misbehayior on the part of our men,;
but ] cannot permit an enemy to
Judge or punish with wholesale
murder. Personally, I regret the
bitter feelings engendered by this
war, but they are to be expected,
and simply allege that those who
struck the first blow and made war
inevitable, ought not in fairness to
reproach US for natural consequent
ces. ] merely assert my war right
70 forage and my resolve to protect
my foragers to the extent of life for
life.
] am, with respect, your obedieht
servant, w. 7. SHERMAN,
Major General United States Army.
To this bombastic illumination
General Hampton returned the fol
lowing answer:
Headquarters in the Field, Feb.
l26th, 1865.
Major General w. T. Sherman,
United States Army.
General: Your communication
of the Gath instant reached me to-
day. In it you officially reported
that your foraging parties are muir
dered after capture" You go on to
say that you have ordered similar
number of prisoners in cur hands to
be disposed of in like manner
that is to say you have ordered a
number of Confederate soldiers to
be murdered" You characterize
your order in proper terms, for the
public voice, even in your own coun-
try, where it seldom dares to ex-
press in yindication of truth, honor,
or justice will surely agree with you
in pronouncing you guilty of muir
der ifiyour order is carried out. Be-
fore dismissing this portion of your
letter, I beg to assure you that for
every soldier of mine murdered"
by yon, / shall have executed at
once two of yours, giving in all
cases preference to any officers who
-ou ho IN NV hap1o