Description:

('WAR IS HELL'...BUT IT ISN'T!) JAMES CALHOUN
JAMES CALHOUN (1811 – 1875) American politician who served as the sixteenth mayor of Atlanta, during the Civil War, best known as the recipient of Union General William T. Sherman's famous 'war is cruelty' (often misquoted as 'war is hell') letter. War-date D.S., 1p. 12mo., Atlanta, July 1, 1864, a check issued to 'H. Wither[?]' by the Treasurer at City Hall in the amount of $90.00. Fine condition, set into a reproduction antique frame. Calhoun surrendered the city to Union forces under Sherman on Sep. 2, 1864. Sherman ordered the evacuation of the remaining civilian population of Atlanta five days later. Calhoun and the city council protested this order, claiming that most of those who had not fled could not leave on account of their age, sickness, pregnancy, or destitution. In response, Sherman wrote back, accusing the Confederates of hypocrisy for invading Union territory and inflicting pain on American citizens: '...War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. I know I had no hand in making this war...'.

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November 14, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000