duct　in　California；　and；　fearing　that　I　may　use　that　information　against　him；　he　seeks　to　ward　off　its　effect　by　making　it　appear　that　I　am　his　personal　enemy；　am　jealous　of　him；　etc。　　I　know　of　no　other　reason　for　his　hostility　to　me。　　He　is　welcome　to　abuse　me　as　much　as　he　pleases；　I　don't　think　it　will　do　him　much　good；　or　me　much　harm。　　I　know　very　little　of　General　Howard；　but　believe　him　to　be　a　true；　honorable　man。　　Thomas　is　also　a　noble　old　war…horse。　　It　is　true；　as　you　say；　that　he　is　slow；　but　he　is　always　sure。
  I　have　not　seen　General　Grant　since　the　fall　of　Atlanta；　and　do　not　know　what　instructions　he　has　sent　you。　　I　fear　that　Canby　has　not　the　means　to　do　much　by　way　of　Mobile。　　The　military　effects　of　Banks's　disaster　are　now　showing　themselves　by　the　threatened　operations　of　Price　&　Co。　toward　Missouri；　thus　keeping　in　check　our　armies　west　of　the　Mississippi。
  With　many　thanks　for　your　kind　letter；　and　wishes　for　your　future　success；　yours　truly；
  H。　W。　　HALLECK。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　ATLANTA；　GEORGIA；　September　20；　1864。
  Major　General　HALLECK；　Chief　of　Staff；　Washington　D。C。
  GENERAL：　I　have　the　honor　herewith　to　submit　copies　of　a　correspondence　between　General　Hood；　of　the　Confederate　Army；　the　Mayor　of　Atlanta；　and　myself；　touching　the　removal　of　the　inhabitants　of　Atlanta。
  In　explanation　of　the　tone　which　marks　some　of　these　letters；　I　will　only　call　your　attention　to　the　fact　that；　after　I　had　announced　my　determination；　General　Hood　took　upon　himself　to　question　my　motives。　　I　could　not　tamely　submit　to　such　impertinence；　and　I　have　also　seen　that；　in　violation　of　all　official　usage；　he　has　published　in　the　Macon　newspapers　such　parts　of　the　correspondence　as　suited　his　purpose。　　This　could　have　had　no　other　object　than　to　create　a　feeling　on　the　part　of　the　people；　but　if　he　expects　to　resort　to　such　artifices；　I　think　I　can　meet　him　there　too。
  It　is　sufficient　for　my　Government　to　know　that　the　removal　of　the　inhabitants　has　been　made　with　liberality　and　fairness；　that　it　has　been　attended　with　no　force；　and　that　no　women　or　children　have　suffered；　unless　for　want　of　provisions　by　their　natural　protectors　and　friends。
  My　real　reasons　for　this　step　were：
  We　want　all　the　houses　of　Atlanta　for　military　storage　and　occupation。
  We　want　to　contract　the　lines　of　defense；　so　as　to　diminish　the　garrison　to　the　limit　necessary　to　defend　its　narrow　and　vital　parts；　instead　of　embracing；　as　the　lines　now　do；　the　vast　suburbs。　This　contraction　of　the　lines；　with　the　necessary　citadels　and　redoubts；　will　make　it　necessary　to　destroy　the　very　houses　used　by　families　as　residences。
  Atlanta　is　a　fortified　town；　was　stubbornly　defended；　and　fairly　captured。　　As　captors；　we　have　a　right　to　it。
  The　residence　here　of　a　poor　population　would　compel　us；　sooner　or　later；　to　feed　them　or　to　see　them　starve　under　our　eyes。
  The　residence　here　of　the　families　of　our　enemies　would　be　a　temptation　and　a　means　to　keep　up　a　correspondence　dangerous　and　hurtful　to　our　cause；　a　civil　population　calls　for　provost…guards；　and　absorbs　the　attention　of　officers　in　listening　to　everlasting　complaints　and　special　grievances　that　are　not　military。
  These　are　my　reasons；　and；　if　satisfactory　to　the　Government　of　the　United　States；　it　makes　no　difference　whether　it　pleases　General　Hood　and　his　people　or　not。　　I　am；　with　respect；　your　obedient　servant；
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　ATLANTA；　GEORGIA；　September　7；　1864。
  General　HOOD；　commanding　Confederate　Army。
  GENERAL：　I　have　deemed　it　to　the　interest　of　the　United　States　that　the　citizens　now　residing　in　Atlanta　should　remove；　those　who　prefer　it　to　go　south；　and　the　rest　north。　　For　the　latter　I　can　provide　food　and　transportation　to　points　of　their　election　in　Tennessee；　Kentucky；　or　farther　north。　　For　the　former　I　can　provide　transportation　by　cars　as　far　as　Rough　and　Ready；　and　also　wagons；　but；　that　their　removal　may　be　made　with　as　little　discomfort　as　possible；　it　will　be　necessary　for　you　to　help　the　familes　from　Rough　and　Ready　to　the　care　at　Lovejoy's。　　If　you　consent；　I　will　undertake　to　remove　all　the　families　in　Atlanta　who　prefer　to　go　south　to　Rough　and　Ready；　with　all　their　movable　effects；　viz。；　clothing；　trunks；　reasonable　furniture；　bedding；　etc。；　with　their　servants；　white　and　black；　with　the　proviso　that　no　force　shall　be　used　toward　the　blacks；　one　way　or　the　other。　　If　they　want　to　go　with　their　masters　or　mistresses；　they　may　do　so；　otherwise　they　will　be　sent　away；　unless　they　be　men；　when　they　may　be　employed　by　our　quartermaster。　　Atlanta　is　no　place　for　families　or　non…combatants；　and　I　have　no　desire　to　send　them　north　if　you　will　assist　in　conveying　them　south。　　If　this　proposition　meets　your　views；　I　will　consent　to　a　truce　in　the　neighborhood　of　Rough　and　Ready；　stipulating　that　any　wagons；　horses；　animals；　or　persons　sent　there　for　the　purposes　herein　stated；　shall　in　no　manner　be　harmed　or　molested；　you　in　your　turn　agreeing　that　any　care；　wagons；　or　carriages；　persons　or　animals　sent　to　the　same　point；　shall　not　be　interfered　with。　　Each　of　us　might　send　a　guard　of；　say；　one　hundred　men；　to　maintain　order；　and　limit　the　truce　to；　say；　two　days　after　a　certain　time　appointed。
  I　have　authorized　the　mayor　to　choose　two　citizens　to　convey　to　you　this　letter；　with　such　documents　as　the　mayor　may　forward　in　explanation；　and　shall　await　your　reply。　　I　have　the　honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant。
  W。　T。　SHERMAN；　Major…General　commanding。
  Major　General　W。　T。　SHERMAN；　commanding　United　States　Forces　in　Georgia
  GENERAL：　Your　letter　of　yesterday's　date；　borne　by　James　M。　Ball　and　James　R。　Crew；　citizens　of　Atlanta；　is　received。　　You　say　therein；　〃I　deem　it　to　be　to　the　interest　of　the　United　States　that　the　citizens　now　residing　in　Atlanta　should　remove；〃　etc。　　I　do　not　consider　that　I　have　any　alternative　in　this　matter。　　I　therefore　accept　your　proposition　to　declare　a　trace　of　two　days；　or　such　time　as　may　be　necessary　to　accomplish　the　purpose　mentioned；　and　shall　render　all　assistance　in　my　power　to　expedite　the　transportation　of　citizens　in　this　direction。　　I　suggest　that　a　staff…officer　be　appointed　by　you　to　superintend　the　removal　from　the　city　to　Rough　and　Ready；　while　I　appoint　a　like　officer　to　control　their　removal　farther　south；　that　a　guard　of　one　hundred　men　be　sent　by　either　party　as　you　propose；　to　maintain　order　at　that　place；　and　that　the　removal　begin　on　Monday　next。
  And　now；　sir；　permit　me　to　say　that　the　unprecedented　measure　you　propose　transcends；　in　studied　and　ingenious　cruelty；　all　acts　ever　before　brought　to　my　attention　in　the　dark　history　of　war。
  In　the　name　of　God　and　humanity；　I　protest；　believing　that　you　will　find　that　you　are　expelling　from　their　homes　and　firesides　the　wives　and　children　of　a　brave　people。　　I　am；　general；　very　respectfully；　your　obedient　servant；
  J。　B。　HOOD；　General。
  HEADQUARTERS　MILITARY　DIVISION　OF　THE　MISSISSIPPI　IN　THE　FIELD；　ATLANTA；　GEORGIA；　September　10；　1864。
  General　J。　B。　HOOD；　commanding　Army　of　Tennessee；　Confederate　Army。
  GENERAL：　I　have　the　honor　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　your　letter　of　this　date；　at　the　hands　of　Messrs。　　Ball　and　Crew；　consenting　to　the　arrangements　I　had　proposed　to　facilitate　the　removal　south　of　the　people　of　Atlanta；　who　prefer　to　go　in　that　direction。　　I　inclose　you　a　copy　of　my　orders；　which　will；　I　am　satisfied；　accomplish　my　purpose　perfectly。
  You　style　the　measures　proposed　〃unprecedented；〃　and　appeal　to　the　dark　history　of　war　for　a　parallel；　as　an　act　of　〃studied　and　ingenious　cruelty。〃　　It　is　not　unprecedented；　for　General　Johnston　himself　very　wisely　and　properly　removed　the　families　all　the　way　from　Dalton　down；　and　I　see　no　reason　why　Atlanta　should　be　excepted。　　Nor　is　it　necessary　to　appeal　to　the　dark　history　of　war；　when　recent　and　modern　examples　are　so　handy。　　You　yourself　burned　dwelling…houses　along　your　parapet；　and　I　have　seen　to…day　fifty　houses　that　you　have　rendered　uninhabitable　because　they　stood　in　the　way　of　your　forts　and　men。　　You　defended　Atlanta　on　a　line　so　close　to　town　that　every　cannon…shot　and　many　musket…shots　from　our　line　of　investment；　that　overshot　their　mark；　went　into　the　habitations　of　women　and　children。　　General　Hardee　did　the　same　at　Jonesboro；　and　General　Johnston　did　the　same；　last　summer；　at　Jackson；　Mississippi。　　I　have　not　accused　you　of　heartless　cruelty；　but　merely　instance　these　cases　of　very　recent　occurrence；　and　could　go　on　and　enumerate　hundreds　of　others；　and　challenge　any　fair　man　to　judge　which　of　us　has　the　heart　of　pity　for　the　families　of　a　〃brave　people。〃
  I　say　that　it　is　kindness　to　these　families　of　Atlanta　to　remove　them　now；　at　once；　from　scenes　that　women　and　children　should　not　be　exposed　to；　and　the　〃brave　people〃　should　scorn　to　commit　their　wives　and　children　to　the　rude　barbarians　who　thus；　as　you　say；　violate　the　laws　of　war；　as　illustrated　in　the　pages　of　its　dark　history。
  In　the　name　of　common…sense；　I　ask　you　not　to　appeal　to　a　just　God　in　such　a　sacrilegious　manner。　　You　who；　in　the　midst　of　peace　and　prosper