THE CIVIL WAR: THE TRUE STORY BOOK 1

Rehabbing Sherman

"I have felt a human sympathy with him [Ulysses S. Grant, dying of cancer] in his suffering, the more so because I think him so much better than the pillaging, house-burning, women-persecuting Sherman & Sheridan." – President Jefferson Davis, 1885

There is a concerted effort from historians to "rehabilitate" General William T. Sherman, probably because his campaigns were so evil and shameful that they cannot be reconciled with the popular fable about the righteous, holy "Civil War." The cognitive dissonance is simply overwhelming. Rather than face the truth, historians have decided to put as much spin on it as possible. Most of the truth about secession and war has already been "revised" away, so why not Northern war crimes, too? Today, historians – some of whom, like Victor D. Hanson, are court historians of the War Party peddling an interventionist agenda – insist that Sherman only targeted military infrastructure. Of course, to Sherman, who believed in "total warfare," everything was military infrastructure! Regardless, the idea that Sherman showed any sort of restraint flatly contradicts the historical record and is pure fantasy. Sherman's troops sacked and razed entire cities and communities. Sherman's troops exhumed graves to loot the corpses. Sherman's troops tore up little girls' dolls and nailed family pets to doors. Sherman's troops left countless civilians – including the slaves they were supposedly liberating – without food or shelter. Sherman ransomed civilians to armies in the area, threatening to execute them or burn their homes if they did not comply. Sherman had a few contemplative moments and was always careful to maintain plausible deniability, but he knew what was happening and let it happen. By contrast, Confederate generals, despite hearing news of death and destruction from home, strictly enforced orders protecting the person and property of Northern civilians. "I cannot hope that heaven will prosper our cause when we are violating its laws," declared Lee upon entering Pennsylvania. "I shall, therefore, carry on the war in Pennsylvania without offending the sanctions of high civilization and Christianity." Sherman, however, whined that "war is hell" and turned his troops loose on the people.

Here is Sherman's war in his own words and the words of his soldiers – emphasis added:

For my part, I believe that this war is the result of false political doctrine, for which we are all as a people responsible, viz: That any and every people has a right to self-government [...] The Government of the United States has...any and all rights which they choose to enforce in war – to take their lives, their homes, their lands, their everything...and war is simply power unrestrained by constitution or compact. If they want eternal warfare, well and good; we will accept the issue and dispossess them, and put our friends in possession. Many, many people, with less pertinacity than the South, have been wiped out of national existence." – Sherman

I would banish all minor questions, assert the broad doctrine that as a nation the United States has the right, and also the physical power, to penetrate to every part of our national domain, and that we will do it...that we will remove and destroy every obstacle, if need be, take every life, every acre of land, every particle of property, everything that to us seems proper; that we will not cease until the end is attained; that all who do not aid us are enemies, and that we will not account to them for our acts."– Sherman

"To the petulant and persistent secessionists, why death is mercy, and the quicker he or she is disposed of the better. Until we can repopulate Georgia, it is useless to occupy it, but the utter destruction of its roads, houses, and people will cripple their military resources." – Sherman

"The war will soon assume a turn not to extermination of soldiers alone, that is the least part of the trouble [...] There is a class of men, women, and children who must be killed." – Sherman

"When I go through South Carolina, it will be one of the most horrible things in the history of the world. The devil himself couldn't restrain my men in that state." – Sherman