General Sherman and his March to Savannah

So, I’m getting ready to head off to bed at the early hour of 3am (again) and thinking I should write something else just for the hell of it. hmmmm, which line of thought to follow…..

 I just finished reading a brief history of William Tecumseh Sherman and his “March To Savannah” across Georgia from Atlanta. Five weeks this took him and his army, five weeks during which he waged what he called “hard war” and what later became known as “total war” across Georgia. “Total War” in this meaning is defined as waging war not just on an army, but on that army’s supply chain – on their ability to continue to wage war.  This is done by destroying food supplies, manufacturing capabilities, supply lines, and anything else that can be done behind the lines to disrupt the ability of the army on the front to continue fighting.

While heralded as a tactic that helped to end the civil war much faster (and also applauded by the 40,000 freed black slaves Sherman left in his wake) the citizens of Georgia and South Carolina I’m sure have a much different viewpoint on General Sherman and his tactics. Scenes such as the burning of Atlanta in “Gone With The Wind” show a bit of this… but I digress.

 In war, is there justification for this kind of brutality? Is it even “brutality” at all? Hitting the supply lines and supporters of your enemy to bring a quicker end to the war could be considered to be very humanitarian, even when the specific actions taken may seem quite the opposite. Is this then not just another example of “might makes right”? That the army willing to be the most brutal, the most inhumane…. eventually wins?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a born and bred Yankee. General Sherman has been counted among the greatest military strategists ever, and his willingness to do what was necessary during his march to Savannah may have shortened the war by several months, which I think everyone would consider a good thing. I just wonder at the price paid by the individuals – both the victims of “total war” AND the soldiers committing these acts.

Okay, enough rambling… I think I will create a new “History” category and dump this into it, then roll a smoke and head off to bed. after smoking. becuase smoking in bed is a no-no.