[spacecowboynj]

"Where did these massacres take place? Just curious"

I believe most of us here learned in grade school about Sherman's "march to the sea" in which his army plundered, murdered, and raped civilians who were a direct target of his campaign (there was virtually zero Confederate resistance and Sherman's appetite for destruction grew the farther he went south). Sherman adopted a practice of "collective responsibility" to "justify" targeting civilians by making them pay for Confederate harassment of Union forces. He burned Randolph, TN out of existence and destroyed many Southern towns and cities inhabited by women, children, slaves, and the elderly. This is Sherman after the destruction of Meridian, MS:

"for five days, ten thousand of our men worked hard and with a will, in that work of destruction, with axes, sledges, crowbars, clawbars, and with fire.... Meridian no longer exists."

I thought most knew this stuff. When I debate the Civil War it's usually on Lincoln's real agenda, not on Sherman's appetite for destroying civilians and their sustenance. I think this line by Sherman puts his attitude in sharp relief:

"to the petulant and persistent secessionists, why, death is mercy."

One of his proteges, Phillip Sheridan, originated the saying "The only good Indian is a dead Indian."

[Non-Sequitur]

I believe most of us here learned in grade school about Sherman's "march to the sea" in which his army plundered, murdered, and raped civilians who were a direct target of his campaign ...

Ah, so now we're backing off of the massacres and falling back on that tired old southron standby, rape and murder? I'm glad we were able to get that out in the open.

This is Sherman after the destruction of Meridian, MS...

Let's be accurate here. What Sherman said was, "Meridian, with its depots, store-houses, arsenal, hospital, hotels, offices, and cantonments no longer exists." Meridian was an important supply center for the rebel armies in the area, and Sherman's destruction was concentrated on what could only be considered military targets - rail facilities, warehouses, supply depots, and military cantonments. The rest of the town suffered little or no damage. Sorry if you find that upsetting, but war is, after all, hell.

I think this line by Sherman puts his attitude in sharp relief...

No actually I believe this line sums up Sherman's position even better: "War is the remedy our enemies have chosen. And I say let us give them all they want; not a word of argument, not a sign of let up, no cave-in until we are whipped - or they are."

War is the course the South chose to pursue in order to achieve their aims. Having chosen war, the South cannot complain just because the war did not turn out the way they had hoped.