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194
THE COUNTRYMAN.
— I "ME . A—L
TUKNWOLD, GA., MARCH 7, 1865.
Message of Gov. Andrew
To a called Session of the Massachusetts
Legislature, read before that body on
the 15th day of February, 1865.
To the, Senate
and House of Representatives :
Since your adjournment in November,
«ur army of invasion, led by a bob! and
skillful general, have passed through the
Territory of Georgia, laid waste her fields,
burned many dwelling houses, destroyed
county records, applied the torch to gin-
houses, cotton, and other property, occu
pied her capital, and now hold the city of-
Savannah, which gives us a water base,
from which we may, in future, operate
upon the interior of the ill-advised Terri
tory mentioned above.
Such has been the success of our bold
and skillful general (Sherman) that the
distinguished rebels Hunter, Stophens,
and Campbell, are now thundering at our
doors for readmission into the best gov
ernment the world ever saw. In the read-
m ssion of these quondam states into the
union, as subjugated Territories, there is
a great question of state rights to he con-
aideied, and therefore I convene you, in
Heneral Assembly, in order to consider
upon what terms the sovereign state
of Massachusetts will consent to assist,
through her federal agent, the government
of the United States, in ruling over the re
volted provinces.
In order to determine what are the just
deserts of the subjugated Territories with
which we have to deal, I beg to call your
attention to the enormous crimes commit
ted by the revolted provinces, through
their so-called president, the rebel chief,
Jeff Davis. And when I shall have point
ed out to you his crimes, you will have a
bird’s-eye view of the crimes of the so-
called confederacy which be was unani
mously called to represent, by the wicked
rebels : and you will have no difficulty in
agreeing with me, that the severest pun
ishment, wt.ich we can get our consent to
inflict, will be too good for them.
As it is the policy of our government,
just at this time, to soft-sawder the Terri
tory of Georgia, I will show you how that
province has been treated by her so-called
president.
The army of Tennessee, which contain
ed a large number of Georgia troops, and
was relied on, as the only barrier to Sher
man’s advance, the removal of which left
Georgia at our mercy, was ordered off be
yond the Tennessee river,upon a campaign
which has terminated in disaster to the
rebels. In the midst of these misfortunes,
Georgia has been taunted by some of the
publicjottrnals of other Territories, because
her people did not drive back, and de
stroy our army. Those who do this injus
tice, fail to state the well-known fact, that
of all the tens of thousands of veteran in
fantry, including most of the vigor, and
manhood of the Territory, which she had
furnished for the so-callled confederate
service, but a'single regiment (the Geor
gia Regulars) of about three hundred ef
fective men, was permitted to be upon
her soil, during the march of General
Sherman from her northwestern border,
to the city of Savannah; and even that
gallant regiment was kept upon one of the
islands most of the time, and not permit
ted to unite with those who met our
troops. Nor were the places of Georgia’s
absent sons filled by troops from other Ter
ritories. One brigade of so-called confede
rate troops was sent, by Davis, (torn North
Carolina, which reached Georgia, after
her capital was in our possession.
Thus abandoned to her fate, and neglec
ted by the so-called confederate authori
ties, the Territory was left to defend her
self as best she could, against a victorious
army of nearly fifty thousand of the best-
trained veteran troops of the United
States, with only the Georgia reserves,
and militia, consisting of a few thousand
old men, and boys, while her army of
able-bodied, gallant sons, were held for
the defence of other Territories, and de
nied the privilege to return, and strike an
honest blow for their homes, their proper
ty, their wives, and their children.
While the so-called confederate reserves,
in other Territories, have been but little
of their time in the field, on active duty,
and the militia, consisting of boys, be
tween sixteen and seventeen, and old men,
between fifty and sixty, and agriculturists
detailed by the so-called confederate gov
ernment, have not, in roost of the Territo
ries, been called out at all, the so-called
confederate reserves, the reserve militia,
the detailed men, the exempts from the
so-called confederate service, and most of
the Territorial officers, civil, as well as
military, have, in Georgia, been kept in
the field almost constantly for the last
eight months.
These troops, of classes not ordered out
elsewhere, were placed under the control
of the so-called confederate general, com
manding the department, and participat
ed in every important fight, from Kenne-
saw, in Georgia, to Grahamville, or Hon
ey Hill, in South Carolina. The impor
tant victory, at the latter place, vvas
achieved by the Georgia militia, the Geor
gia reserves, the Georgia state line, the
47th Georgia regiment, and a very small
number of South Carolinians, all com
manded by that abie, and' accomplished
officer, Major General G. W. Smith, of
the Georgia militia. As I have seen no
so-called confederate official account of
this important engagement, which gives
the credit where it is justly due, I mention
these facts as part of the history of Geor
gia.
If all the sons of Georgia, under arms
in other states, of which nearly fifty reg
iments were in Virginia, besides those in
the Carolinas, Florida, and Tennessee, had
been permitted to meet the foe upon her
own soil, without other assistance, Gene
ral Sherman’s army could never have
passed from her mountains to her seaboard,
and destroyed their property, and their
homes. He had nearly four hundred
miles to march over an enemy’s country ;
and he was entirely dependent upon his
wagon-train, which he carried with him,
for a supply of ammunition, witnout the
possibility of replenishing, after what be
had was consumed. Had he been resist
ed, from the start, by a competent force;
and compelled to fight, his ordnance stores,
must soon have been exhausted,, and he'
forced to an unconditional surrender.-
Such another opportunity to strike our'
troops a stunning bliYw, will not probably
occur during, the war. The destruction
of this army, would have re inspired the
rebels with hope, depressed the spirits of
unionists, and might have prepared ther
way, speedily, for the negotiation of
peace, upon rebel terms. It could havo
been done by the Georgia trodps, if per
mitted. It shoutd have been done at the
expense, if necessary, of the evacuation
of Richmond, and the use of Gen. Lee's-
whole army thrown rapidly into Georgia,,
lor that purpose. No one woijfd rejoice
more than I, to see that city, which has-
been so long, and so nobly defended, sur
render to our arms : but, it must be ad-'
mitted, since the devastation of the coun
try beyond, that it is now only a strong
out-post, of little military importance;
compared with the great interior. It must
also be admitted that Richmond is render
ed insecure by the successes of General
Sherman, in the interior, and the position
he has gained in the rear of that, and
other strongholds, which were relied on*
for defence. If his unobstructed move
ment, through Georgia, must result in the
loss of Richmond, how much better it
would have been for the rebels, if they
had given the evacuation of Richmond,
for the destruction of our army.
I have felt it my duty to refer to these
facts, in justice to Georgia, of which it
may be safely said, she has had a larger
proportion of her white male population
under arms, for the last eight months, in
defence of the rebel cause, than any other
Territory in the so-called confederacy. On
account of the attachment of her people
to the cause of state sovereignty, and con
stitutional liberty, and their remonstrances-
against unjustifiable usurpations of power,
by the so-called confederate government,
Georgia has been systematically, if not
wilfully misrepresented by rebel officials,
and organs, who give circulation to the
most reckless and unjust comments upon
the conduct of the people of the Territory,
and her government, without the magna
nimity, or common honesty to publish the
facts, when laid before them, which show
their statements to be without any real
foundation in fact. As an instance, I
mention the fact that it has been industri
ously circulated that the governor of the
Territory had kept fifteen thousand men
out of service, under the exemption acta.
He corrected this misrepresentation by &
published statement, which showed that
he had put into service classes of persons
not ordered out in other rebt-llious Terri
tories, and that the whole number of ter
ritorial officers in Georgia, who have been
held, under the legislation of the Territo
ry, to be exempt from military seryice,
was only 1,450, of whom a large propor
tion are over military age. This correc
tion was passed in silence, by many who
had given publicity to the groundless
charge, which was intended to be injuri
ous to the governor of th* Territory, to