Quotes & anectdotes from
the wise,
the foolish,
the courageous &
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.

War is too serious a matter to leave to soldiers.

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.

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

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.

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

War is hell.

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

War is at its best barbarism.

You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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