Sherman's Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865 (Civil War America)

By William T. Sherman

Book Overview

The first major modern edition of the wartime correspondence of General William T. Sherman, this volume features more than 400 letters written between the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the day Sherman bade farewell to his troops in 1865. Together, they trace Sherman's rise from obscurity to become one of the Union's most famous and effective warriors.
Arranged chronologically and grouped into chapters that correspond to significant phases in Sherman's life, the letters -- many of which have never before been published -- reveal Sherman's thoughts on politics, military operations, slavery and emancipation, the South, and daily life in the Union army, as well as his reactions to such important figures as General Ulysses S. Grant and President Lincoln.
Lively, frank, opinionated, discerning, and occasionally extremely wrong-headed, these letters mirror the colorful personality and complex mentality of the man who wrote them. They offer the reader an invaluable glimpse of the Civil War as Sherman saw it.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807824402
• ISBN13: 9780807824405
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Pr
• Length: 948 Pages
• Weight: 3.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 2.5" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

"How to Prosecute a War"

I read "Correspondence of WTS" over a period of 2 years (March 26, 2022--March 26, 2024). The book was a birthday present from my son, a librarian at the University of Virginia. These letters provide how a great military mind shares/varies his personal thoughts, convictions and strategies with multiple audiences (President, Governor, commanding officer, brother John, wife, etc.). If U.S. Grant earned the title "Butcher," Sherman deserves the nomer "Brilliant Strategist." He flanks and flanks and flanks--then suddenly moves in for the kill--sparing countless Union lives. (His men absolutely adore him, caustic as he is.) MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, Sherman shows us how to prosecute a war without "time outs" for civilians--without pauses to consider criticisms from any entity--especially the Press and Southerners. By doing so, Sherman believed he could hasten the "war of hell" he fought entirely in enemy territory, and that's exactly what he did. His memoirs, published in the shadow of Grant's, should be primary reading for all military strategists. Want to win a war? Hire a warrior leader like "Tecumseh." Totally immersed and focused--intent and hyperactive--a Son-of-a-Gun, yes--a diplomat, Never! Dispised to this day? So what! War isn't a popularity contest....