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LOL...what is with the "sorry you had yankee ancestors?" I thought we all knew that not only did the better side win, but they deserve great respect ...perhaps even more than their Southern counterparts, but I won't even go there. I think y'all have had too much beer , personally. I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt!
It's just the heat, makes us all a little 'wilted' I guess!
__________________ "Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage." - R. E. Lee
A slight twist to this thread if you good people don't mind. I prefer to restrict my use of the word "hero" to apply to people who earn it. Sherman was a top general, he did his job better than I anyone else I can think of. But that's just it, it was his job.
The pedestrian or passerby who pulls someone out of a burning car. Not his or her job. We can assign hero to policemen and firemen who are killed in the line of duty -- they were doing their duty, but getting killed is not in the job description.
Just a thought.
Ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
A slight twist to this thread if you good people don't mind. I prefer to restrict my use of the word "hero" to apply to people who earn it. Sherman was a top general, he did his job better than I anyone else I can think of. But that's just it, it was his job.
The pedestrian or passerby who pulls someone out of a burning car. Not his or her job. We can assign hero to policemen and firemen who are killed in the line of duty -- they were doing their duty, but getting killed is not in the job description.
Just a thought.
Ole
I'll agree to this wholeheartedly. Sherman was no hero; he did his job. Very few General officers were heros. The heros were the men who did the fighting and dieing; who went above and beyond. The irony is that I don't believe Sherman would have called himself a hero.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
I, too, think the word 'hero' is tossed around lightly these days, whether describing someone in this time period or looking back to the past.
I have not read Sherman's memoirs (although I own them) but I have read Grant's, and in my opinion, Grant did not see himself, nor write himself as portraying, a hero. His writing, BTW, is rather spare, and he tells the story as a story, putting himself in it of course, but not making his role that of the center piece of the writing. I found that interesting.
__________________ "Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage." - R. E. Lee
I agree that most of the generals in the civil war would not have gone around calling themselves a hero. I disagree, that many of these people were not heros. I doubt any of us would call ourselves a hero either, even if we did something to deserve the title (except maybe for John Kerry...he loves calling himself one ) Fact of the matter is that Sherman is deserving of this title. Through his actions, he probably not only saved many lives, but also managed to help salvage the Union even though he did not work alone. Saving our country, in my opinion...is worthy of the status!
Margaret Mitchell's Perspective on the Confederates
"But where's General Hood's army? interposed Melanie hastily. "Surely he could have held Savannah."
"Why, Miss Melanie," Frank was startled and reproachful, "General Hood hasn't been down in that section at all. He's been fighting up in Tennesseee, trying to draw the Yankees out of Georgia."
"And didn't his little scheme work well!" cried Scarlett sarcastically.
"He left the **** Yankees to go through us with nothing but schoolboys and convicts and Home Guards to protect us."
One thing is for sure. If you bring up the name Sherman in a group of civl war enthusiasts, there will most definetly be some opinions. I don't thing there is another person that can bring up the fervent beliefs like "Uncle Billy" can. Can anyone think of anybody like Sherman in this respect?
__________________ I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know.
-Mark Twain
__________________ "Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage." - R. E. Lee
Miss Markie (I like the name) I was thinking of him too but it seems his main "dirty" deed was at Ft Pillow. Otherwise he was a genius of a general. Take away Ft Pillow and he is golden. Frm the southern point of view...Sherman was a devil all throughout GA. I think NBF was just very good at what he did; and asset for the CSA, liability for the Union.
__________________ I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know.
-Mark Twain
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...perhaps even more than their Southern counterparts, but I won't even go there. I think y'all have had too much beer 
, personally. I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt!
) Fact of the matter is that Sherman is deserving of this title. Through his actions, he probably not only saved many lives, but also managed to help salvage the Union even though he did not work alone. Saving our country, in my opinion...is worthy of the status! 
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