Year: 1864

HEApo'Rs DIVISION OF THE MIssIssIPpI
H'i In THE FIELD, ATLANTA, Ga.
--9T~ai set September IL, 1864.
James NJ. Calhoun, Mayor E. L. Rawson and
s. G. Wells, representing the City Council of


Atlanta 10 - fs"


GENTLEMEN-I have your letter of


the l1th, in the nature Of a petition to


revoke my orders removing all the in


habitants from Atlanta. l have read it


carefully, and give full credit to your


statements of the distress that will be


occasioned by it, and yet shall not re-


woke my order, simply because my Or


ders are not designed to meet the hui


manities Of the case, but to prepare for


the future struggles in which millions,


yea hundreds OF millions of good peo-


pie outside of Atlanta, have deep in


terest. We must have Peace, not only


at Atlanta, but in all America. To Sc


cure this we must stop the war shat


now desolates our once happy and fa-


vored country. To stop war, we must


defeat the rebel armies that are array


ed against the laws and Constitution,


which all must respect and obey. To


defeat these armies we must prepare


the way to reach. them in their recesses,
provided. with the arms and instruments


which enable us to accomplish onr pur-


pose.


Now, know the vindictive nature
of our enemy, and that we may have
years of military operations from this
quarter, and therefore deem it wise and
prudent to prepare in time. The use
of Atlanta for warlike purposes is not
consistent with its character as home
for families. There will be no manu-
features, commerce or agriculture here
for the maintenance of families, and
sooner or later want will compel the
inhabitants to go. Why not go now,
when all the arrangements are compile
ted for the transfer, instead of waiting
till the plunging shot Of contending ar
mics will renew the scenes of the past
month? Ofcourse, do not apprehend
any such thing at this moment, but you
do not suppose this army will be here
till the war is over / cannot discuss
this subject with you fairly, because /
cannot impart to you what propose
to do, but l assert that my military plans
make IL necessary for the inhdbitants TO
go away, and lean only renew my offer
of services to make their exodus in any
direction as easy and comfortable as
possible. You cannot qualify war in
harsher terms than / will. 1oi fi.t


War is cruelty, and you, cannot re-
fine it; and those who brought war on
our country deserve all the curses. and
a people can pour out. !
know l had no hand in making this
war, and know Twill make more sac
rifices to-day than any Of you to secure
peace. But youcannot have peace and
a dirision Of oar country. If the United |
States submits to division now, it |
will not stop, but will go on till zoe reap
the fate of Msrico, eternal rar. The
United States does and must assert its
wherever it has power if it
relaxes one bit to preserve it, IL Is gone,
and know that such is not the nation
al feeling. That this feeling assumes
various shapes, but always comes back
to that of Union. Once admit the Un-
ion, once more acknowledge the author
ity of the National Government, and
instead Of devoting your houses, and
streets, and roads to the dread uses of
war, i, and this army at once become
your protectors and supporters, shield
ing you from danger, let it come from |
what quarter it may. / know that a
few individuals cannot resist torrent
of error ann passion such as has swept
tho South into rebellion; but you can
point out, so that we may know those
who desire Q government, and those
who insist on war and its desolation.
You might as well appeal against the
storm rs against these terrible
Of war;. They are inevitable,
and the only way the people of Atlanta
can hope once more to live in peace
and quiet at home is to stop this war,
which can alone be done by admitting
that it began in error and is perpetual
ted in pride. We don't want your ne
groes or your horses, or your houses,
or your land, or anything you have
but we do want and will have a just
obedience to the 'aps of The Uaited States.
That we viii have, and fit involves
the destruction of your improvements