A biography for William Tecumseh Shermanhasn’t been written yet.
“There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell.”
“Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other.”
“The voice of the people is the voice of humbug.”
“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.”
“But, my dear sirs, when peace does come, you may call on me for any thing. Then will I share with you the last cracker, and watch with you to shield your homes and families against danger from every quarter.”
“I intend to make Georgia howl.”
“It's a disagreeable thing to be whipped.”
“I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are.”
“Courage - a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it.”
“If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.”
“If the people raise a great howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not popularity seeking.”
“I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.”
“He belonged to that army known as invincible in peace, invisible in war.”
“There's many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory but it is all hell.”
“I think I understand what military fame is; to be killed on the field of battle and have your name misspelled in the newspapers.”
“I would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till the South begs for mercy.”
“I make up my opinions from facts and reasoning, and not to suit any body but myself. If people don't like my opinions, it makes little difference as I don't solicit their opinions or votes.”
“You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will.”
“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.”
“In our Country... one class of men makes war and leaves another to fight it out.”