ARMY OPERATIONS. 



91 



who desire a Government and those who insist on 

 war and its desolation. 



You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm 

 as against these terrible hardships 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 br 

 admitting that it began in error, and is perpetuated 

 in pride. We don't want your negroes, or your 

 horses, or your land, or any thing you have, but we 

 do want and will have a just obedience to the laws of 

 the United States. That we will have, and if it in- 

 volves the destruction of your improvements, we 

 cannot help it. You have' heretofore read pubh'c 

 sentiment in your newspapers, that live by falsehood 

 and excitement, and the quicker you seek for truth 

 in other quarters, the better for you. 



I repeat, then, that, by the original compact of 

 government, the United States had certain rights in 

 Georgia which have never been relinquished and 

 never will be ; that the South began war by seizing 

 forts, arsenals, mints, custom-houses, &c., &c., long 

 before Mr. Lincoln was installed, and before the 

 South had one jot or tittle of provocation. I myself 

 have seen in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee," and 

 Mississippi hundreds and thousands of women and 

 children fleeing from your armies and desperadoes, 

 hungry and with bleeding feet. In Memphis, Yicks- 

 bnrg, and Mississippi, we fed thousands upon thou- 

 sands of the families of rebel soldiers left on our 

 hands, and whom we could not see starve. Now that 

 war comes home to you, you feel very different ; you 

 deprecate its horrors, but did not feel them when you 

 sent car-loads of soldiers and ammunition, and 

 molded shell and shot, to carry war into Kentucky 

 and Tennessee, and desolate the homes of hundred's 

 and thousands of good people, who only asked to live 

 in peace at their old homes, and under the Govern- 

 ment of their inheritance. 



But these comparisons are idle. I want peace, and 

 believe it can only be reached through Union and 

 war ; and I will ever conduct war purely with a view 

 to perfect and early success. 



But, my dear sirs, when that peace does come, 

 you may call on me for any thing. Then will I share 

 with you the last cracker, and watch with you to 

 shield your homes and families against dange'r from 

 every quarter. Now you must go, and take with vou 

 the old and feeble, feed and nurse them, and build 

 for them in more quiet places proper habitations to 

 shield them against the weather until the mad pas- 

 sions of men cool down, and allow the Union and 

 peace once more to settle on your old homes at At- 

 lanta. Yours in haste, 



W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General. 



la another communication to the Mayor Gen. 

 Sherman ordered the latter to announce to the 

 citizens : 



The Government will furnish transportation south 

 as far as Rough j.nd Ready ; north, as far as Chatta- 

 nooga, All citizens may take their movable propertv 

 with them. Transportation will be furnished for all 

 movables. Negroes who wish to do so may go with 

 their masters; other male negroes will b"e put in 

 Government employ, and the women and children 

 sent outside the lines. 



For the purpose of contributing to the com- 

 fort of those who were under orders to remove, 

 an extension of the truce was subsequently ob- 

 tained. The difficult and delicate task of su- 

 perintending the departure of these persons 

 was not effected without charges of cruelty and 

 peculation against the Federal officers, "with 

 which for several weeks the Southern press 

 teemed. The following letter from Gen. Sher- 

 man on the subject shows how little foundation 

 the calumniators had to build upon : 



ATLA>TA. September 5.",th. 1 -04. 

 To the Louisville Agent of the JT. 1 , Associated Press : 



Your press despatches of the 21st embrace one 

 from Macon of the 14th, announcing the arrival of 

 the first train of refugees from Atlanta, with this ad- 

 dition, "that thev were robbed of every thing before 

 being sent into the rebel lines." Of course this is 

 false, and it is idle to correct it as far as the rebels 

 are concerned, for they proposed it as a falsehood to 

 create a mischievous public opinion. 



The truth is that during the truce 446 families were 

 moved south, making 705 adults, 860 children, and 

 470 servants, with 1,851 pounds of furniture and 

 household goods on the average to each family, of 

 which we have a perfect recollection by name* and 

 articles. At the end of the truce. Col. W"arner, of my 

 staff, who had general supervision of my business, 

 received from Major Clan, of Gen. Hood's staff, the 

 following letter : 



EOTTGH AXD READY, September 21. : 



Colonel: Our official communication being about to close, 

 you will permit me to bear testimony to the uniform courtesy 

 you have shown on all occasions to me and my people, and 

 the promptness with which you have corrected all irregulari- 

 ties arising in our intercourse. Hoping at some future time 

 to be able to reciprocate your eourteousness, and in many in- 

 stances your positive kin<! 

 I am, with respect, your obedient sen-ant, 



W. T. CLAN. Ma'ipr and A. A. G. of Gen. Hood's Staff. 

 Lieut, Col. WILLARD WABSEE, of Gen. Sherman's Stan; 



I would not notice this, but I know the people of 

 the North, liable to be misled by a falsehood calcu- 

 lated for special purposes, and by a desperate enemy, 

 will be relieved by this assurance, that not only care, 

 but real kindness, has been extended to families who 

 lost their homes by the acts of their male protectors. 

 W. T. SHERMAN, Maj.-Gen. Commanding. 



The Army of the Potomac, under Gen. Meade, 



in its reorganization was reduced to three corps. 



red on previous pages. Maj.-Gen. Warren 



was assigned to the command of the 5th army 



corps. 



The consolidation of divisions and arrange- 

 ment of brigades was made as follows : The 

 commanding officer of the 1st division of the 

 old 5th corps was ordered to consolidate the 

 three brigades into two brigade*, to be desig- 

 nated as the 1st and 2d brigades, 1st division, 

 5th army corps. The old 2d division, 5th 

 corps, was consolidated into one brigade, and 

 designated as the 3d brigade, 1st division, 5th 

 corps, commanded by Brig.-Gen. R. B. Ayres. 

 The old 3d division, 5th corps, remained as the 

 new 3d division, 5th army corps. The 2d bri- 

 gade of the 3d division, 1st army corps, was 

 transferred to the 2d division, 1st army 

 corps, and this division afterwards designated 

 as the 2d division, 5th army corps. The 1st 

 brigade of the 3d division, 1st army corps, was 

 transferred to the 1st division, 1st army corps, 

 and this division afterwards designated as the 

 4th division, 5th army corps. The designating 

 flags of the old 3d brigade, 1st division, 5th 

 army corps ; of the old 2d division. 5th army 

 corps' ; of the old 2d brigade 2d division, 5th 

 army corps, and of the 3d division, 1st army 

 corps, were ordered to be turned in to the corps 

 quartermaster. 



The following was the assignment of general 

 officers to commands in the consolidated corps : 



1 Brig.-Geiu J. S. "Wadsworth, commanding 4th 

 division. 



2 Brig.-Gen. S. W. Crawford, commanding 3d 

 division. 



