MANSFIELD, OHIO, July
24, 1864.
My Dear Brother:
I have
not written you for some time as I knew you were so well occupied and hoped by
this time you have attained the goal of your present movements, Atlanta. We all
feel that upon Grant and you, and the armies under your command, the fate of
this country depends. If you are successful, it is ardently hoped that peace
may soon follow with a restored union. If you fail, the wisest can hope for
nothing but a long train of disasters and the strife of factions. All our
people cling to the hope of success, and seem perfectly willing to submit to
taxation, bad administration, and every ill short of disunion. Whether it is
the result of education, the constant warnings of the early Southern statesman,
or the reason of the thing, everybody here dreads the breaking up of the union
as the beginning of anarchy. The very thing they fight for in the South is for
them, and for us, the worst calamity. What can be more terrible than the fate
of Kentucky and Missouri. A man cannot go to bed at night, except in fear of
the knife and torch. This lawlessness will extend all over the country if we do
not have military success. All the clamor the Copperheads can make about
personal liberty doesn't affect the people, if they can only see security and success.
Bad precedents in time of war will easily be corrected by peace. But the
anarchy of unsuccessful war will reduce us to a pitiable state, in which we
shall easily fall victims to demagogism or tyranny. Every one feels that you
have done your part nobly. Grant has not had such success. No doubt he has done
as well as any one could with his resources and such adversaries. Still he has
not taken Richmond, and I fear will not this campaign. . . .
I congratulate you on the ability and success of your campaign.
I see many officers, and they all speak of it, not only as a success but as a
scientific success, evincing abilities of a high order. I found on a short
visit to Cincinnati that you were very popular there. I saw Anderson, Swords,
Dunn, and a host of others, all of whom entertained great kindness for you. . .
.
Affectionately yours,
JOHN SHERMAN.
SOURCE: Rachel Sherman Thorndike, Editor, The
Sherman Letters: Correspondence Between General and Senator Sherman from 1837
to 1891, p. 236-7
No comments:
Post a Comment