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It bothers me that so many Southerners put down Sherman for just doing what he had to do. I tend to believe the South just can't get over the fact that they were outsmarted, outmanuvered and intimidated by such brilliant tactics and strategy. Am I wrong here? Sherman did nothing that went against international laws of the time and I don't understand why the South faults him so much. Explanations welcome.
I believe with a little browzing you can find several long threads here concerning Bill Sherman and his US Army in Georgia. The fact is that he was in deed a very good soldier. The folks in his path in Georgia simply didn't appreciate all that due to his scorced earth policy. The folks who met him face to face and fed him chickens, hogs and furniture that they were planning on using for themselves just never became enamored. That pretty much sums it up. They still call him a yankee in Georgia.
Sherman was a hero to his men; they generally idolized the man because he refused to throw their lives away w/out cause... and they won. That is all that matters.
__________________ Shane Christen
American Legion Post 352
SUVCW Camp Abernethy# 48
Lifetime NRA member
3rd MN VI
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. Eccl 1:18
....and I don't understand why the South faults him so much. Explanations welcome.
IAmHistory: I agree with you that Sherman earned the historical accolades he receives. I hope you'll agree with me that the people in his path had (note: past tense) good reason to be upset with his tactics.
He set out to break the will of the Confederate people. He did a very good job of breaking that and more. Residual resentment of descendants of those in his path ought to be forgiven. Those who build a hatred on the shaky legs of "Lost Cause" histrionics needn't be.
By the way, welcome. You're from Iowa?
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
Larry:
Once again, you said it better than I could.
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
If you look, there are an awful lot of southern accounts of Sherman's bummers destroying all they had, salting the earth, etc and when you locate where they lived, they were nowhere near Sherman's path. I guess everyone wanted to be a victim and demonize Cump.
__________________ 'If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed,
if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.'
Mark Twain
It bothers me that so many Southerners put down Sherman for just doing what he had to do. I tend to believe the South just can't get over the fact that they were outsmarted, outmanuvered and intimidated by such brilliant tactics and strategy. Am I wrong here? Sherman did nothing that went against international laws of the time and I don't understand why the South faults him so much. Explanations welcome.
It never ceases to amaze me when I hear Sherman referred to as brilliant for waging war on old men, women and children. Rather than square off in front of the Confederate army, he chose to attack their defenseless women and children, mothers and fathers. Perhaps some call that "brilliant tactics", but it is immoral and disgusting. If you don't understand why the South faults him so much, perhaps if you read some of the personal Southern accounts of the results of his "scorched earth" policy you would begin to understand. As someone pointed out, you can find plenty about Sherman on this message board, also, you can find as many excuses for his behavior as imagination will allow, but no excuse will hold up for starving women and their children, actually destroying thier food that Sherman didn't want or need, and sometimes burning their houses down in front of them.
Regards,
Rose
__________________ "Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names".--J.F.K.
The War Between the States established... This principle that the Federal Government is, through its courts, this final judge of its own powers.
-- Woodrow Wilson
It never ceases to amaze me when I hear Sherman referred to as brilliant for waging war on old men, women and children. Rather than square off in front of the Confederate army, he chose to attack their defenseless women and children, mothers and fathers. Perhaps some call that "brilliant tactics", but it is immoral and disgusting. If you don't understand why the South faults him so much, perhaps if you read some of the personal Southern accounts of the results of his "scorched earth" policy you would begin to understand. As someone pointed out, you can find plenty about Sherman on this message board, also, you can find as many excuses for his behavior as imagination will allow, but no excuse will hold up for starving women and their children, actually destroying thier food that Sherman didn't want or need, and sometimes burning their houses down in front of them.
Regards,
Rose
Actually Rose.....you don't have to read -only- Southern accounts to learn of Sherman's "brilliant tactics and strategy"-
Diary of Chas. Edwin Cort, 92nd Illinois Mounted Infantry-
February 7 [1865] ...Started at 8 AM and went to Blackville....burnt most of the town up.
February 16...went to Lexington and camped on the West side of the town...
February 17...Moved out very quick on hearing rumors of the enemy advansing. The town was all on fire and the woods also...
~
Diary of Joshua D. Breyfogle, 10th Ohio Cavalry-
[at Blackville-]
[February] Tuesday 7th 1865...Our boys are tearing up the road and destroying and burning property of every description, there will be few houses left...
~
"whisky done it"
"It was indeed a grand sight to see a "victorious army" marching through the "stronghold of secession." A great many stores were plundered. and the negroes were wild with delight. A great many soldiers were drunk having obtained whiskey from a distillery. Columbia was quite a nice city. Contains some splendid residencies - The new state House will be a splendid edifice when completed. We went in camp one mile from the city - 15th Corps in line of battle. About dusk the city was set on fire and from then untill [until] midnight the fire raged. and as the wind was blowing fiercely the sight is said to have beggared description -- It was indeed grand as seen from our Camp. The streets were full of drunken soldiers, guards, firemen women and children &c. &c. - All was confusion & excitement and as the wind was very high it was just impossible to extinguish the flames. The boys were loaded with delicacies. Tobacco was plenty - more than we know what to do with - Most of it was taken from the stores in the city. The burning of Columbia does not reflect much credit on our army - A very disgraceful affair - but whisky done it and not the soldiers.
So now, IAmHistory, you can see the deep feelings about Sherman. Personally, I can't see the reasoning behind it, but then, I was not raised there, nor were my antecedents. The destruction is considerably overblown, although there certainly was destruction.At the time, and continuing into today, I will never understand how a people who start a war can complain about how it is conducted. But now I'm knocked over the beehive. Cover yourself. Run!
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
It never ceases to amaze me when I hear Sherman referred to as brilliant for waging war on old men, women and children. Rather than square off in front of the Confederate army, he chose to attack their defenseless women and children, mothers and fathers. Rose
With all due respect Wild Rose in reference to your comment on his failure to "square off in front of the Confederate army", unless I am reading revisionist history if Johnson would have stood his ground at Kennesaw Mtn, perhaps the tale of Atlanta might have been a different tale to tell.
I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure it was Johnson doing the Georgia two step backwards. The scorched earth policy, well thats another issue for another day and one we are much more on the same page with.
Respectfully,
Spartan
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