TohimIgavethegeneralassurancethatnoharmwasdesignedtoanyofthepeopleofSavannahwhowouldremainquietandpeaceable，butthatI
couldgivehimnoguaranteeastohiscotton，foroveritIhadnoabsolutecontrol;andyetstilllaterIreceivedanotefromthewifeofGeneralA。P。Stewart（whocommandedacorpsinHood’sarmy），askingmetocometoseeher。ThisIdid，andfoundhertobeanativeofCincinnati，Ohio，wantingprotection，andwhowasnaturallyanxiousaboutthefateofherhusband，knowntobewithGeneralHood，inTennessee，retreatingbeforeGeneralThomas。I
rememberthatIwasabletoassureherthathehadnotbeenkilledorcaptured，uptothatdate，andthinkthatIadvisedher，insteadofattemptingtogoinpursuitofherhusband，togotoCincinnati，toheruncle，JudgeStorer，thereawaittheissueofevents。
BeforeIhadreachedSavannah，anddaringourstaythere，therebelofficersandnewspapersrepresentedtheconductofthemenofourarmyassimplyinfamous;thatwerespectedneitheragenorsex;
thatweburnedeverythingwecameacross——barns，stables，cotton—gins，andevendwelling—houses;thatweravishedthewomenandkilledthemen，andperpetratedallmannerofoutragesontheinhabitants。ThereforeitstruckmeasstrangethatGeneralsHardeeandSmithshouldcommittheir，familiestoourcustody，andevenbespeakourpersonalcareandattention。Theseofficersknewwellthatthesereportswereexaggeratedintheextreme，andyettacitlyassentedtothesepublications，toarousethedroopingenergiesofthepeopleoftheSouth。