Posted on 03/28/2003 11:59:50 PM PST by SAMWolf
BWHAHAHAHAHA!!! That's a good one Walt? Will you be here all week?
And in his memoirs, Sherman described the spectacle: "Behind us lay Atlanta, smouldering and in ruins, the black smoke rising high in air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city."William Tecumseh Sherman, a most worthless manGeneral Sherman declared on January 31, 1864 that "To the petulant and persistent secessionists, why, death is mercy." In a July 31, 1862 letter to his wife he said his goal was "extermination, not of soldiers alone, that is the least part of the trouble, but the people."
After the destruction of Meridian Sherman boasted that "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."
Sherman biographer Lee Kennett is among the historians who bend over backwards to downplay the horrors of how Lincoln waged war on civilians. Just recently, he published an article in the Atlanta Constitution arguing that Sherman wasn’t such a bad guy after all and should not be reviled by Georgians as much as he is. But even Kennett admitted in his biography of Sherman that: Had the Confederates somehow won, had their victory put them in position to bring their chief opponents before some sort of tribunal, they would have found themselves justified...in stringing up President Lincoln and the entire Union high command for violations of the laws of war, specifically for waging war against noncombatants.
Execution Orders, 42nd Missouri in Tennessee, National Archives, Tree #2343, Record Group 94, Union Provost Marshall.
"Head Quarters Dept. N.&C. B.R.
Tullahoma, Tenn
Sir:
You will proceed to the residences of the persons herein named and deal with them in accordance with the following instructions:
In all cases where the residences of the persons are ordered to be destroyed, you will observe the following previous to setting them on fire:
You will first search their houses and premises to see if they have any articles belonging to the U.S Gov. or that are contraband of War, which you will bring away in
case any are found; also all or any of the folllowing articles that may be found belonging to the aforesaid Persons.
First: All Horses, Hogs, Sheep, Cattle, and any other animals or articles of whatever description that may be valuable to the U.S. Gov. especially those that are
valuable to the Quartermaster, Comisary, and Hospital Departments.
Second: All stoves and stove pipes of whatever description and all Kitchen utensils, Queens ware, beds, bedding, knives, forks etc; also chairs, sofas, sociables,
lounges, and everything of the charecter of househotel furniture.
Third: All window sash and glass, looking glasses, carpets etc.
Fourth: Every article of househotel furniture which you do not bring with you must be destroyed or burned with the house.
Fifth: All barns, stables, smoke houses, or any other out houses of any description whatsoever or any buildings or articles that could probably be of use or benefit as
comfort to Rebels or Bushwhackers, their friends or any person siding abetting or sympathising with Rebels Bushwackers etc or which could be used for subsistance for man or beast will be destroyed or burned.
Sixth: All animals, forage or other articles of value brought in by you will be turned over to Lieut. J. W. Raymond A.A.L.M this stuff to be subject to the order of
Major Genl. Milroy to be disposed of as he may think proper; taking a receipt therefor from Lieut Raymond.
Seventh: The Train acompanying will be subject to your orders together with all the persons connected with it whether soldiers or citizens and you will cause any of
them, who may be guilty of committing depredations upon legal citizens or their Property to be arrested and you will not yourself or suffer those under your
command to commit any trespass or do any damage to persons or property except those specified in this order.
Eighth: You will burn the houses of the following named persons, take any of the articles named above that they may have, together with all forage and grains belonging to them that you can bring away which may be useful to the U.S. Gov. for military purposes or otherwise and will give no receipts of any kind whatever.
Names Dist Residences
1. Joseph How 1/2 mile South of Hillsboro one mile west of the Hillsboro and Winchester road.
2. Shadrack McBride 11 On the Pelham & Hillsboro road.
3. Thomas L. Gunn 11 2 miles South of Hillsboro on Bean's Creek
4. Washington Riley Hillsboro
5. Pleasant Nevill 12 On the Pelham & Tullahoma road on Bean's Creek; (crossed out: Some neighborhood as the above named)
6. L. B. Austell 12 Same neighborhood as the above named.
7. John W. Jones 3 miles South West of Hillsboro and one mile West of the Hillsboro and Winchester road.
Ninth: The following persons will be shot in addition to suffering in the manner prescribed in Paragraph Eighth.
Names Dist Residences
Coffee Co.
1. Leroy Moore At Heffers mill on Bradley Creek
Franklin Co.
2. Thomas Sanders 8 On Elk River
3. William Sanders 8 Same neighborhood as the above. (seach this house for arms before shooting him)
4. Louis Anderson 8 Same neighborhood as the above
By Command of Maj. Genl. Milroy
Thos. Worthington
Lieut. 106 O of I & A.D.C.
Perhaps you should re-read what I said. Sherman avoided military targets. Attacking military targets which have civlians nearby is not the same as deliberately attacking civilians. Look at a map of South Carolina, circa 1864. You will see numerous military targets up the coast ... around Charleston and northeastward, which Sherman deliberately avoided, turning instead to Walterboro, to Bamberg, to Orangeburg, etc, which had only undefended homes, farms, hospitals, and churches. That is what he attacked.
Further, you know, as well as I, that the organism that slurred "war is hell" was neither wise nor human.
OK, see you later.
I was not aware of Sherman's dead-on animus vis a vis the press.
He further surpasses Wesley the Weasel Clark (got your civilian casualties right here) with Sherman's famous:
"If nominated I will not run; if elected I will not serve."
War is hell and that one is over.
To those who wished war, war was brought.
He split the Confederacy and ended the war quickly.
I'm sure the hospitality of Andersonville trumps anything attributed after the fact to William Tecumseh Sherman.
I have least sympathy with the singular act of cowardice inflicted by John Wilkes Booth.
It has its match only in the blackest behavior of Saddam's thugs.
That would be an insult to the brave troops fighting for the country today given how he dodged the draft and used the military in a way to deflect from his own personal troubles. I hope that never happens, but no doubt it will.
Profile of the "Torch" eh? Forgive me if I don't just leap up and shout hurrah for this arsonist.
"Those civilian deaths, while regretable, were the outcome from actions which may well have shortened the war." Oh puhleeeeeeeeeease, spare me your sanctimonious crap. Sherman was a damned war criminal ... nothing more. Anyone who purposefully targets civilians and their dwellings (no military value in those is there?) is a war criminal. In fact we tried the SS as war criminals for the same tactics, you can't have it both ways, Chuck.
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