Quotes and anectdotes from the wise to the foolish, and the courageous to the drunk

William Tecumseh Sherman Military Commander

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: United States
  • Born: Feb 8, 1820
  • Died: Feb 14, 1891

William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War, for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched earth" policies that he implemented in conducting total war against the Confederate States.

Sherman served under General Ulysses S. Grant in 1862 and 1863 during the campaigns that led to the fall of the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg on the Mississippi River and culminated with the routing of the Confederate armies in the state of Tennessee. In 1864, Sherman succeeded Grant as the Union commander in the western theater of the war. He proceeded to lead his troops to the capture of the city of Atlanta, a military success that contributed to the re-election of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Sherman's subsequent march through Georgia and the Carolinas further undermined the Confederacy's ability to continue fighting. He accepted the surrender of all the Confederate armies in the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida in April 1865.

In our Country... one class of men makes war and leaves another to fight it out. war

I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices today than any of you to secure peace. peace & war

Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster. war

There's many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory but it is all hell. war

If nominated, I will not run if elected, I will not serve. politics

If the people raise a great howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not popularity seeking. war

War is hell. war

I would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till the South begs for mercy. war

There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell. war

An Army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every change in the rules which impairs the principle weakens the army. change

I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah. Christmas

He belonged to that army known as invincible in peace, invisible in war. peace & war

War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want. war

The scenes on this field would have cured anybody of war. war

My aim then was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. fear

War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over. war

You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. war

War is at its best barbarism. war

Courage - a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it. courage

War is too serious a matter to leave to soldiers. war