The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-07-07
OUR OWN FRIGITFULNESS in
WAR.
Not That 1t Was More or Less, But
RecOllectiOns of 1t Should Temper
What We Think OF Other People.

sVS VI OtIICT IcODIc.
(By Martha McCulloch-W Williams.)
Hohokus N. Y, June Z, 1915.
To the Editor of The New York Times.
The future historian will have
much to thank you for; in your col
umns he will find illumination as to
the real conduct and meaning of the
civil war. BY this illumination he
will understand that Sherman's so fa-
nous definition was meant to be TAX
en- in wholly Pickwickian sense, and
that Sheridan's boast, 1.-THE crow
flying after me down the valley will
have to cary his rations," was no
more than a bit of harmless gas
conade.
For has not Mr.. George Haven Put
nam authoritatively absolved both
from any taint Of real harshness? The
march to the sea was no more than
combination of pleasure jaunt and
missionary effort, designed to show
tn benighted inhabitants the exceed
ing beauties and virtues of 'culchaw"
as practiced and understood north of
Mason and DiXon's line. Funny how
like, except for the spelling, are
"culchaw' and "kultur." 1 mean in
effect upon those to whom they were
administered.
-Atsthe risk= of appearing~graspipg,
a glutton for information, l beg of
Mr.. Putnam to clarity for us addition
ally the sack and burning of Colum-
bia. South Cardinals capital, and Gen.
Buffers order, issued in New Orleans,
that any woman manifesting disfavor
for the invaders should be regarded
and treated as woman of the town!
They are things that have puzzled me-
NOW have fresh puzzle namely,
where General Weyler "a volunteer
nd on Shermans staff, learned the
art of war as he afterward practiced
it in Cuba. In my blindness 1 had
thought he was putting in practice the
lessons Of experience. This must be
impossible, since Mrs. Mary Cadawald-
er Jones bears testimony, three
months after the fact, that the peo-
pie of Georgia had nothing but star
vation to complain of as a result of
the march to the sea-" Possibly this
is result of long distance observa-
ton; l doubt if the lady followed
backward the track of the army. But
the Bryce report makes it plain that
only throug., long distance observa-
ton after the fact does one get at
real truth.
Now, as to neither Sherman nor
Sheridan have l any frst-hand knowl-
edge. But, on the strength Of three
years in debatable land, the blue
grass of Middle Tennessee, 1 have all
this fifty years been laboring under
the miscOnception that the civil war
was something harsher than a kinder
Carton experiment in humanity by
force of arms. Mr.. Putnam states
that he never knew an official called
on to protect a Southern woman from
private soldier. Neither did L; but
do know of a case where q young
woman. well born and bred, unim-
peachable in reputation and position,
lcapcd at midnight from second
story window into snow bank and
ran barefoot, in night clothes, a mile
to escape Federal Captain who had
broken in the door of the house.
come for that big girl of hers, and
meant to have her in spite Off,"
This was within three miles Of my
fathers plantation and four miles
of Clarksville. Tenn. a fortified post.
withhold the name out of regard
for descendants and kinfollS of the
lady, but will give it and make oath
to the facts privately for any doubt
er.
Mr.. Putnam says further no outrage
had official sanction. Again he let's
light into my darkened understand
ing Shortly after the fall Of Fort
Donelson put us under Federal do
minatiOn there was issued from
headquarters an order requiring every
white person above Is to appear be-
fore the nearest Provost Marshal and
swear allegiance to the Federal Gov
ernmcnt, else be banishcd-sent