One can imagine what Thad Stevens and Ben Butler would have used Ewell's records for, if they'd got their hands on them after the war.
Maybe better they were lost, as Ewell and Buckner intended.
You know you pretend to be polite and thoughtful but in reality you're not much different than Espinola or Mortin Sult or Wlat or any of the other South bashers. (I could be wrong...I don't really know you)
It appears you believe that ends justify the means period and nothing else matters....especially if you see the conflict in racial terms.
It was perfectly ok for Sherman's large army to ravage any civilian populace they saw fight from Mississippi to Georgia to South Carolina simply because it was over slavery in your view. Perhaps, Sherman should have just embarked on killing all white slave owners and their families left at home. That would have been total war which you claim to have studied.
Next you claim to come from a Christian family that believes in Total War and that according to you I reckon there were no Christians in the South then (maybe not now either by your definition). Correct me if I'm wrong the tradition of slavery had cooexisted with Christianity for centuries throughout the world including your precious North for a time and hence where do you get off thinking your fancy pants Unionist ancestors had some sort of monopoly on Christianity?
So lets see ...according to your world view of history:
Sherman: perfectly justifiable period what he did since he was fighting evil....John Brown with a real Army...woulda been fine with you right.
Total War: no problem if the enemy is nasty white cracker women, kids and the infirm down South....after all....they weren't Christian.
Christianiy: Only your side had that going for them...lol ...I think it was a shame to see two Christian sides killing the hell out of each other
Save your hypotheticals. The argument is whether or not Sherman was right? I think not. I think he let his personality, resentment and anger rule his judgement....much like is claimed Forrest did at Ft Pillow btw.
If Sherman was so right and justified then why is there not a pattern of the exact behavior by us in other conflicts?
Why not go into parts of Iraq and just burn everything to the ground and put women and children in the refugee line?
Why did we argue with the rightfully angrier Brits over destroying too much of German civilian population and infrastructure with air power in WWII...I mean after all, it was Total War right?
Sherman did what he did because he could and history's judgement is mixed. Only zealots applaud what he did and not often for the military strategy but because they share his vitriol.
You almost had me fooledm but your posting is just more self righteous indignation sanctimony we've come to know and learn here from South bashers...albeit more softly worded and subtle. Is sanctimony a genetic cultural trait with South bashers....
and btw....why do you think that because I support my Southern heritage that by default I would have preferred in the long run to be independent?
Is your view so myopic that you can't separate pride in Southern heritage from also being a stalwart American 140 years later?
Look at the voting maps and military rolls and tell me where the strongest patriotism lies in this country. Just look.
But don't expect us to just roll over and swallow revisionist crap like Sherman was right to pillage my ancestry. No Southerner worth a damn should roll over for that tripe.