Sherman Sherman's Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865

Bee

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Asst. Regtl. Quartermaster Gettysburg 2017
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One of my more recent acquisitions is Sherman's Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865.

What got me interested in this book -- which is exactly what it describes: a collection of WTS letters 1860-1865 -- was the fact that often Grant biographies will quote partial contents of a letter from Sherman to Grant, and whilst I could look up the contents on the internet, it is fun to have a Grant biography in one hand, and these letters in the other -- flipping back and forth (I am exaggerating: handling the Chernow book and the Sherman book counts as physical exertion)

An example of how I used this book can be illustrated by this passage from Chernow's Grant:
Sherman ended this warmhearted letter with a start warning that Grant should beware the perils of Washington -- a pleas from one western man to another to avoid the insidious snares of the East. "Don't stay in Washington, Halleck is better qualified than you are to stand the buffets of Intrigue and Policy. Come out West, take to yourself the whole Mississippi Valley...Here lies the seat of the coming Empire, and from the West when our task is done, we will make short work of Charleston, ad Richmond, and the impoverished coast of the Atlantic" Ron Chernow, Grant, [p 338]
I asked myself: What words are left off the page as the ellipsis indicate? There were several lines, but I found these most interesting:

"...Time and time's influence are all with us; we could almost afford to sit still and let these influences work. Even in the seceded States your word now would go further than a President's proclamation, or an act of Congress.

For God's sake and for your country's sake, come out of Washington! I fortold to General Halleck, before he left Corinth, the inevitable result to him, and I now exhort you to come out west'' [Chernow's quote picks up here] Brooks D Simpson & Jean V Berlin, Sherman's Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865, [p604]
I became somewhat addicted to following along with what Sherman had to say, as I read the Chernow biography of Grant. It widens the dimension of the biography, but still keeps the experience somewhat intimate, (verses reading a general account of what was happening in the Civil War outside of Grant and Sherman.)

I have not looked into this book myself Grant and Sherman: The Friendship that Won the War by Charles Bracelen Flood -- perhaps it needs to be added to the stack?

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Congratulations, Bee, on acquiring one of Brooks Simpson's greatest contributions to Civil War literature. It is a wonderful book!

I just love Sherman's intense personality, which comes through on every single page.

I don't know if I'll ever get it all read in this lifetime, but I keep it in my car, and at random times when I have a few minutes to spare somewhere (waiting at the doctor's, the car-repair shop, etc.), I will take it in with me and just open it up at random and start reading. I know Sherman was a racist, imperialist, ornery S.O.B., but he never fails to fascinate. He could be totally wrong on many things, but when he was right, he was brilliant.
 
Congratulations, Bee, on acquiring one of Brooks Simpson's greatest contributions to Civil War literature. It is a wonderful book!

I am just now getting into the book. It's fabulous as an "intermission read" -- for those times when you only have a few minutes to read, but don't want to waste time catching up.

About the size of this book.....I may have to resort to the unthinkable and slice it into sections for travel (I did this with another recent hardback) I have had to re-purchase books in the past after I turned the originals into trash heaps!
 
Bee. You have selected two excellent books in my opinion. It is fun and interesting to have the main book in one hand while referring to the another book and flipping back and forth between them. Depending on the author, you might be surprised at some points. In any event, good luck with your readings. David.
 
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