Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 12.djvu/582

572 Another of General Sherman's recent slanders is his charging General Albert Sidney Johnston with a "conspiracy" to turn over to the Confederacy the troops he commanded on the Pacific Coast at the breaking out of the war.

Colonel William Preston Johnston (the gallant and accomplished son of the great soldier and stainless gentleman) promptly branded this statement as false, and its author as a slanderer. General Sherman's own witness failed him, and, indeed, gave strong testimony against him, and he was forced to admit that he was, in this case, mistaken.

But we need go into no further details. If our readers will recall what we have published concerning General Sherman's connection with the burning of Columbia, and the conflicting statements he has made concerning it, and if they will turn to his own Memoirs, Vol. II, page 278, and see how he coolly publishes to the world an admission that in his official report he was guilty of willful and deliberate falsehood in charging General Wade Hampton with burning Columbia, when he knew that he did not, "in order to shake the faith of his people in him" [Hampton] — we say that if they will only look a little into the record of this champion slanderer of the South, they will not be surprised at any reckless statement which he may make.

— In sending Professor J. J. White, of Lexington, Va., a contribution of $1,000 towards making up the last $6,000 necessary to complete the Lee Mausoleum, Mr. W. W. Corcoran, the noble philanthropist, paid General Lee the following graceful and feeling tribute, which is worthy of a place in our records:

"It is, perhaps, superfluous to add that it affords me a melancholy satisfaction to testify — even in this imperfect manner — my respect for the memory of a valued friend, the grandeur of whose character commanded the admiration of ever Southern heart. Happily blending the qualities of a hero with the graces of a Christian, General Lee was the embodiment of my ideal conception of all that constitutes a truly good and great man."

— We clip the following from the Philadelphia Record:

"A correspondent asks us to state the number of men engaged in