Context is everything.
SIR: I have the honor herewith to transmit for the action of the general-in-chief the proceedings of a general court martial in the case of Private (James O.) Tebow, Sergeant (Henry) Blanck, and Captain (William B.) Keeler of Company A, Thirty-fifth Iowa. These constitute once case, all involving the burnign of a cotton-gin during our march from Jackson back to ourt camps on Big Black.Puts a rather different spin on your quote.The amount of burning, stealing, and plundering done by our army makes me ashamed of it. I would quit the service if I could, because I fear that we are drifting to the worst sort of vandalism. I have endeavored to repress this class of crime, but your know how difficult it is to fix the guilt among the great class of an army. In this case I caught the man in the act. He is acquitted because, I suppose, he had not set the fire with his own hands, and thus your and I and every commander must go through the war justly chargeable with crimes at which we blush.
I should have executed the soldier on the spot, and would have been justified, but he pleased his superior orders, and now a volunteer court martials, tainted with the technicalities of our old civil courts, absolves the officer on the old pleas, good when all men were held responsible for the acts done with their own hands. I believe there is a remedy; General Grant can stamp the act as a crime, and can pronounce the officer unworthy of commission in the Army of the United States. This will in a measure relieve our General Government of the obloquy attached to such acts of vandalism, and this would form a good occasion for a general orrder announcing to alll that our province is to maintain good law, and not to break it. The burning of this building in no way aided our military plans. No enemy was within 50 miles. A major riding behind his regiment is not the man to know the policy of the General Government of the United States. I have issued orders again and again on this subject, but our commands change so often that time is not afforded to prohibit all sorts of misdemeanors to ech new command, nor is it necessary. this major had not reason to presume that he, hin the presence of his regimental, brigade, and division commanders, should judge the policy of the government, and I was close at hand and he knew it. He knew that he had no right to order this burning, or, if ignorant, he is unworthy of a commission.
I ask that he be dismissed summarily and in disgrace. Not that I would visit upon thim undeserved punishment, but that the United States authorities should wash their hands of the obloquy attached to such wanton acts of destruction.
I am, &c,
W.T. Sherman
Sherman: 'The amount of burning, stealing, and plundering done by our army ... I have endeavored to repress this class of crime ...'
Nah. It supports it. Sherman also notes, 'I have issued orders again and again on this subject', yet such orders are continously disobeyed. That speaks volumes about discipline in the Union forces.