memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第79章

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speculators　flocked　down　the　Mississippi；　and　resorted　to　all　sorts　of　measures　to　obtain　cotton　from　the　interior；　often　purchasing　it　from　negroes　who　did　not　own　it；　but　who　knew　where　it　was　concealed。　　This　whole　business　was　taken　from　the　jurisdiction　of　the　military；　and　committed　to　Treasury　agents　appointed　by　Mr。　Chase。

Other　questions　absorbed　the　attention　of　military　commanders；　and　by　way　of　illustration　I　here　insert　a　few　letters　from　my　〃letter…book；〃　which　contains　hundreds　on　similar　subjects：

HEADQUARTERS　FIFTH　DIVISION　Memphis；　Tennessee；　August　11；　1862

Hon。　S。　P。　CHASE；　Secretary　of　the　Treasury。

Sir：　Your　letter　of　August　2d；　just　received；　invites　my　discussion　of　the　cotton　question。

I　will　write　plainly　and　slowly；　because　I　know　you　have　no　time　to　listen　to　trifles。　　This　is　no　trifle；　when　one　nation　is　at　war　with　another；　all　the　people　of　the　one　are　enemies　of　the　other：　then　the　rules　are　plain　and　easy　of　understanding。　　Most　unfortunately；　the　war　in　which　we　are　now　engaged　has　been　complicated　with　the　belief　on　the　one　hand　that　all　on　the　other　are　not　enemies。　　It　would　have　been　better　if；　at　the　outset；　this　mistake　had　not　been　made；　and　it　is　wrong　longer　to　be　misled　by　it。　　The　Government　of　the　United　States　may　now　safely　proceed　on　the　proper　rule　that　all　in　the　South　are　enemies　of　all　in　the　North；　and　not　only　are　they　unfriendly；　but　all　who　can　procure　arms　now　bear　them　as　organized　regiments；　or　as　guerrillas。　　There　is　not　a　garrison　in　Tennessee　where　a　man　can　go　beyond　the　sight　of　the　flag…staff　without　being　shot　or　captured。　　It　so　happened　that　these　people　had　cotton；　and；　whenever　they　apprehended　our　large　armies　would　move；　they　destroyed　the　cotton　in　the　belief　that；　of　course；　we　world　seize　it；　and　convert　it　to　our　use。　They　did　not　and　could　not　dream　that　we　would　pay　money　for　it。　It　had　been　condemned　to　destruction　by　their　own　acknowledged　government；　and　was　therefore　lost　to　their　people；　and　could　have　been；　without　injustice；　taken　by　us；　and　sent　away；　either　as　absolute　prize　of　war；　or　for　future　compensation。　　But　the　commercial　enterprise　of　the　Jews　soon　discovered　that　ten　cents　would　buy　a　pound　of　cotton　behind　our　army；　that　four　cents　would　take　it　to　Boston；　where　they　could　receive　thirty　cents　in　gold。　The　bait　was　too　tempting；　and　it　spread　like　fire；　when　here　they　discovered　that　salt；　bacon；　powder；　fire…arms；　percussion…caps；　etc。；　etc。；　were　worth　as　much　as　gold；　and；　strange　to　say；　this　traffic　was　not　only　permitted；　but　encouraged。　　Before　we　in　the　interior　could　know　it；　hundreds；　yea　thousands　of　barrels　of　salt　and　millions　of　dollars　had　been　disbursed；　and　I　have　no　doubt　that　Bragg's　army　at　Tupelo；　and　Van　Dorn's　at　Vicksburg；　received　enough　salt　to　make　bacon；　without　which　they　could　not　have　moved　their　armies　in　mass；　and　that　from　ten　to　twenty　thousand　fresh　arms；　and　a　due　supply　of　cartridges；　have　also　been　got；　I　am　equally　satisfied。　　As　soon　as　I　got　to　Memphis；　having　seen　the　effect　in　the　interior；　I　ordered　（only　as　to　my　own　command）　that　gold；　silver；　and　Treasury　notes；　were　contraband　of　war；　and　should　not　go　into　the　interior；　where　all　were　hostile。　　It　is　idle　to　talk　about　Union　men　here：　many　want　peace；　and　fear　war　and　its　results；　but　all　prefer　a　Southern；　independent　government；　and　are　fighting　or　working　for　it。　　Every　gold　dollar　that　was　spent　for　cotton；　was　sent　to　the　seaboard；　to　be　exchanged　for　bank…notes　and　Confederate　scrip；　which　will　buy　goods　here；　and　are　taken　in　ordinary　transactions。　　I　therefore　required　cotton　to　be　paid　for　in　such　notes；　by　an　obligation　to　pay　at　the　end　of　the　war；　or　by　a　deposit　of　the　price　in　the　hands　of　a　trustee；　viz。；　the　United　States　Quartermaster。　　Under　these　rules　cotton　is　being　obtained　about　as　fast　as　by　any　other　process；　and　yet　the　enemy　receives　no　〃aid　or　comfort。〃　　Under　the　〃gold〃　rule；　the　country　people　who　had　concealed　their　cotton　from　the　burners；　and　who　openly　scorned　our　greenbacks；　were　willing　enough　to　take　Tennessee　money；　which　will　buy　their　groceries；　but　now　that　the　trade　is　to　be　encouraged；　and　gold　paid　out；　I　admit　that　cotton　will　be　sent　in　by　our　open　enemies；　who　can　make　better　use　of　gold　than　they　can　of　their　hidden　bales　of　cotton。

I　may　not　appreciate　the　foreign　aspect　of　the　question；　but　my　views　on　this　may　be　ventured。　　If　England　ever　threatens　war　because　we　don't　furnish　her　cotton；　tell　her　plainly　if　she　can't　employ　and　feed　her　own　people；　to　send　them　here；　where　they　cannot　only　earn　an　honest　living；　but　soon　secure　independence　by　moderate　labor。　　We　are　not　bound　to　furnish　her　cotton。　　She　has　more　reason　to　fight　the　South　for　burning　that　cotton；　than　us　for　not　shipping　it。　　To　aid　the　South　on　this　ground　would　be　hypocrisy　which　the　world　would　detect　at　once。　　Let　her　make　her　ultimatum；　and　there　are　enough　generous　minds　in　Europe　that　will　counteract　her　in　the　balance。　　Of　course　her　motive　is　to　cripple　a　power　that　rivals　her　in　commerce　and　manufactures；　that　threatenes　even　to　usurp　her　history。　　In　twenty　more　years　of　prosperity；　it　will　require　a　close　calculation　to　determine　whether　England；　her　laws　and　history；　claim　for　a　home　the　Continent　of　America　or　the　Isle　of　Britain。　　Therefore；　finding　us　in　a　death…struggle　for　existence；　she　seems　to　seek　a　quarrel　to　destroy　both　parts　in　detail。

Southern　people　know　this　full　well；　and　will　only　accept　the　alliance　of　England　in　order　to　get　arms　and　manufactures　in　exchange　for　their　cotton。　　The　Southern　Confederacy　will　accept　no　other　mediation；　because　she　knows　full　well　that　in　Old　England　her　slaves　and　slavery　will　receive　no　more　encouragement　than　in　New　England。

France　certainly　does　not　need　our　cotton　enough　to　disturb　her　equilibrium；　and　her　mediation　would　be　entitled　to　a　more　respect　consideration　than　on　the　part　of　her　present　ally。　　But　I　feel　assured　the　French　will　not　encourage　rebellion　and　secession　anywhere　as　a　political　doctrine。　　Certainly　all　the　German　states　must　be　our　ardent　friends；　and；　in　case　of　European　intervention；　they　could　not　be　kept　down。

With　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。



HEADQUARTERS　FIFTH　DIVISION；　ARMY　OF　THE　TENNESSEE；　Memphis；　July　23；　1862

Dr。　E。　S。　PLUMMER　and　others；　Physician　　in　Memphis；　Signers　to　a　Petition。

GENTLEMEN　：　I　have　this　moment　received　your　communication；　and　assure　you　that　it　grieves　my　heart　thus　to　be　the　instrument　of　adding　to　the　seeming　cruelty　and　hardship　of　this　unnatural　war。

On　my　arrival　here；　I　found　my　predecessor　（General　Hovey）　had　issued　an　order　permitting　the　departure　south　of　all　persons　subject　to　the　conscript　law　of　the　Southern　Confederacy。　　Many　applications　have　been　made　to　me　to　modify　this　order；　but　I　regarded　it　as　a　condition　precedent　by　which　I　was　bound　in　honor；　and　therefore　I　have　made　no　changes　or　modifications；　nor　shall　I　determine　what　action　I　shall　adopt　in　relation　to　persons　unfriendly　to　our　cause　who　remain　after　the　time　limited　by　General　Hovey's　order　had　expired。　　It　is　now　sunset；　and　all　who　have　not　availed　themselves　of　General　Hovey's　authority；　and　who　remain　in　Memphis；　are　supposed　to　be　loyal　and　true　men。

I　will　only　say　that　I　cannot　allow　the　personal　convenience　of　even　a　large　class　of　ladies　to　influence　me　in　my　determination　to　make　Memphis　a　safe　place　of　operations　for　an　army；　and　all　people　who　are　unfriendly　should　forthwith　prepare　to　depart　in　such　direction　as　I　may　hereafter　indicate。

Surgeons　are　not　liable　to　be　made　prisoners　of　war；　but　they　should　not　reside　within　the　lines　of　an　army　which　they　regard　as　hostile。　　The　situation　would　be　too　delicate。

I　am；　with　great　respect；　your　obedient　servant；

W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General。


HEADQUARTERS；　MEMPHIS；　July　24；　1862

SAMUEL　SAWYER；　Esq。；　Editor　Union　Appeal；　Memphis。

DEAR　SIR　：　It　is　well　I　should　come　to　an　understanding　at　once　with　the　press　as　well　as　the　people　of　Memphis；　which　I　am　ordered　to　command；　which　means；　to　control　for　the　interest；　welfare；　and　glory　of　the　whole　Government