Of course he was both.
He was a common butcher
Because he was a general in a war?
That's a bit silly.
killing, burning and raping women and children.
There is zero evidence that Sherman either personally killed, burned or raped any woman or child, or that he ordered such actions, or that such actions ever happened under his watch or supervision.
Basically, you are retelling a silly myth that has no basis in history.
He was the lowest form of filth this nation has ever brought forth.
You have completely lost touch with reality.
Besides being a warrior of immense physical courage (common enough in those days), he was the only partner in his failed bank who personally made good on all monies owed to his depositors while his partners cut and ran.
He was also reluctant to trade his accomplishments in war for a career in politics and refused to capitalize on his status.
HOW DARE YOU EVEN BRING UP HIS NAME IN THIS THREAD MUCH LESS COMPARE HIM LEE!
There are actually quite a few similarities between the two.
Both were unsuccessful civilians and successful generals. Both were underestimated by peers in terms of their military abilities until they proved themselves in the heat of battle. Both tried to avoid political infighting and focus only on the task at hand, unlike many of their peers. Both used advanced tactics instead of depending on the Napoleonic playbook. Both also were criticized for provisioning their armies off the civilian population (Lee in Pennsylvania and Sherman in Georgia and South Carolina). Both took the lead in trying to reconcile with enemies after the war, instead of encouraging harsh feelings.
You see very long on "feelings" and pretty short on analysis.
I condemn Sherman not for being a general in the war but for the way he waged war. You can’t deny that Sherman burned his way through the South destroying everything in his path with little to no opposition. He may not have ordered the plundering but he stood by and let his men rape, loot, and kill defenseless women and children. This is no myth. If you think this behavior is “heroic” shame on you. Your original post was uncalled for and is akin to the Westborough Baptist church demonstrating at a veteran’s funeral.
In Citizen Sherman, Michael Fellman describes how Sherman’s chief engineer, Captain O.M. Poe, advised that the bombing of Atlanta was of no military significance (the Confederates had already abandoned the city) and implored Sherman to stop the bombardment after viewing the carcasses of dead women and children in the streets. Sherman coldly told him the dead bodies were "a beautiful sight".
Union artillery, under Sherman's supervision, carried out the bombardment orders.
Here are a few examples of Union troops executed for just that:
"Preble James, 22, b.Batavia (NY), pvt, co K, 12 NY cav., shooted at Goldsboro (NC) 31 march 1865 for attempted rape on Mrs Rebecca Drake (23) and Miss Louise Jane Bedard, her cousin (17) and rape of Miss Letitia Craft her aunt (58) near Kingston (NC) on the afternoon of 16 march 1865."
"Catlett Alfred, 20, from Richmond (Va), farmer, pvt, co E, 1st heavy Art. USCT / Colwell Alexander, 26, farmer from NC, pvt same unit / Turner Charles, 18, farmer from Charleston (SC), pvt same unit / Washington Jackson, 22, farmer from NC, pvt co K same unit / The four was shooted at Asheville (NC) 6 may 1865 for the gang rape of "a young white woman". (in OR S1 vol XLIX part II).