New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-05
A FALSE PARALLEL
Devastation in Our Civil War in NJ
Way Comparable to German
Methods.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR: The letters Of Professor Yandell Be,
derson. in which he undertakes 10 find in n
devastation caused during the Civil War b
cur armies in the South parallel TO z.
actions Of the Germans in Belgium, Frsra
and England give one an unfavorsble ~
preston Of the capacity Of III. professor f''
historical research or for accuracy OF STATE
nent.
He apnears not 70 understand that the 10
Gic.ment that has been made against the pro-
cedure OF Germany rests chiefly (sthous'
BY no means exclusively on the things d'i'
under Official orders and in accordance VIE
the avowed policy Of impressng and di'm''.
ing It's antagonists with the "frighaalns"
80 It's methods.
The charge against Germany IS that IN u,
deliberate shooting Of citizens, in the U" :"
Zopoelins for assauiting undefended VOW"
lof no military Importance and D! w
action Of submarines in sinking lvi'''''
warning and without examination OF psPe"
or Of imaginary armaments) passenger Wv
sells, she is making war against non-e'1
batants and is, with deliberate purpose ~
with no possible military result "''D'
women and children.
Il ought not 20 be necessary to pom. "
al this time, when the detailed record Of "
Civil War has for years been svsilso" J"
all readers including even professors W
tho order books Of our armies contain no
structions Of this character. for the hnP'
reason that the American governments y,
no such policy. The American people "o.
not have stood FOR any such methods ID .''+
ard they do no: propose 70 eondone '''-
now
was with the troops that in lSo1 0e'.
MED New Orleans: ard in 1854 ! was Wa
Sheridan in Virginia. During the last mon.
of the war served with Shermsn's arn'.
IN North Carolina, and later as pos'aaI'"-'
Of Savannah.
II our commanders in taking po'sess'''
New Orleans or Winchester or Goldsoo'o "
Savannah had deliberately burn,i gre" gus
ters Of the towns, had Put under ARE"
hostages the mayors and groups OF ESQ.,
citizens. and later. or the ground OF '"'s
cling shooting by people in the town VI
the adjacent districts, had executed =,
Der Of these hostages, their seuon
properly have been paralleled with 'n'.
the German commanders at LouVsin
schot, Termonde and other Belgian co.
The mere reference 20 the methods '"
-
pied shows the futility OF the statement ~
American troops were behaving at IN" -"
as the German armies are to-day :
| myself had occasion, in the 's""
Virginia. acting under instructions 70 ~.
houses from being destroyed when 'ns
cent barns. filed with forage. were 0',-
but in three years Of service | never
&c an officer beirg called upon 10 p prov.
woman against mistreatment by our sV '.,s,.
Professor Henderson has had the w" ~.
tuity of reading the evidence that h's .,,ly
50 carefully analysed Snd 50 tempe 80.
presented in the official report by ,ne e.S,,
mission IN Paris, in the pamphlet Oh -.
u which are given IN fac-simile INC .,..,,s
German documents and IN the e'"I az.
summary or deeCS tnat can "'.' A.nurs'
terized as damnable, which has oeeh n,S,,
together by the committee "orA'ns ..cs
the direction Of Lord Bryce. ms" ,orlG
words carry weight throughout 'ne ,.,,,a
No such Indictment has been pcs ,,s,
against a state calling itself eivliILeu ,,s
the time Of the invasion of the ,;y,s
under equally barbarous Instructions
by LOUIS -. -. eA,if
An American holding a professor > -, !,
in one OF our great Institutions ousn, S,,,,.
permit himself, in speaking Of the %. I'D
ton Of the Civil War as eompsrsS. asa.
these deeds in Belgium, TO trsduee w.
tation of the American volunteer ANN
GEORGE HAVEN PuIyv
Late Major 10th Regiment ~ /,
New York. June 8, 1915.