President Lincoln

Even from the grave the treacherous hand of the Confederacy reaches forth to take our great President from us. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, should not be allowed to die a single death but many for the horrendous deed that he hath committed. Seeing that victory was beyond their reach, the Confederates resolved to injure us in the worst way possible, to take our great leader from us.

Not only did they decide to take away our beloved President, they desired to cripple us in every way possible. That very day, there was an attempt on Secretary of State, Mr. Seward. He was stabbed but survived. His son, however, is said to have been fatally wounded.

Is this how the South deals with defeat? When we show them kindness when they surrender, they decide to stab us while we turn to go home? No, this cannot be said of all of the South. I believe that General Lee and the Confederate Army would not stoop to such low means. It may be a man of the South who was responsible for such a deed but he did not speak for all the South.

Source:
Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman

Appomattox

"The General commanding announces to the army that he has official notice from General Grant that General Lee surrendered to him his entire army, on the 9th inst., at Appomattox Court-House, Virginia.

Glory to God and our country, and all honor to our comrades in arms, toward whom we are marching!

A little more labor, a little more toil on our part, the great race is won, and our Government stands regenerated, after four long years of war." (Sherman, 12 April, 1865)

April 12, 1865
-W.T. Sherman, Major-General commanding

Source:
Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman

Fall of Vicksburg

Thank God this accursed siege is finally over! We have spent over three months here in Mississippi. Our four attempts to bypass Vicksburg have yield unsuccessful results. General Grant irgnored McPherson's and my advice to fall back to Memphis and to advance over land. He sent me to attack Snyder's Bluff with gunboats and an infantry division.

General Grant sent me with the Army of Tennessee across the Mississippi River at Grand Gulf. McPherson and I managed to capture Jackson on the 14th of May. While McPherson was sent to intercept Pemberton's forces, I was ordered to destroy the railroads and industrial facilities of Jackson.

On the 18th of May my forces closed in on the city of Vicksburg. The next day at 2:00 PM, I tried overtaking the Confederates at Graveyard Road but this proved to be unsuccessful. I had my troops fall back under the cover of dark that night. For the next two months, we laid siege to Vicksburg. Pemberton finally surrendered to our forces on the 4th of July.

This has been a major blow to the Confederate forces. We plan on using this victory as a stepping stone towards end of this war and reuniting of this nation.

Source:
The Civil War Battlefield Guide edited by Frances H. Kennedy
Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman

Battle of Gettysburg

This battle has proven to be monumental in our efforts to reunite this nation. I must congratulate General Meade on his decisive victory. President Lincoln made the right choice in choosing you to lead the forces of the Potomac. The loss of 23000 men is no small loss. I hope that in the future we shall limit this number, though I doubt it is likely to happen.

General Lee, you underestimated Meade's forces. Word of General Pickett's charge has reached my ears and I cannot help but laugh at your idiocy. That you actually thought it would be successful is quite amusing.

While Meade was beating Lee's troops, my troops were under the command of General Grant at the siege of Vicksburg. Each our assaults have yielded the same unsuccessful results. General McClernand had the audacity to claim that General McPherson and myself were responsible for him losing his ground at two lunettes. For this, he was discharged of his position and General Ord has succeeded him. I see victory within reach but it will be a long and bloody uphill climb.

Source:
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/gtburg.htm
The Civil War Battlefield Guide edited by Frances H. Kennedy
Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman

Fight at Chancellorsville

The outcome at Chancellorsville is truly a blow to the cause of the Union. The loss of 17000 men is no small number. Though I believe General Hooker to be a great commander and capable leader, he was against two of the best commanders of the Confederate army.

After passing through Chancellorsville, I found it difficult not to laugh at the fortifications that had been constructed. My men and I had faced worse during our campaigns in the west. I must admit that seeing these "fortifications" has made me forget my anger with Halleck.

The only good thing to come out of that battle was that the Confederates lost one of their best commanders. Jackson proved to be a great thorn in the side of the Union army. The fact that he was shot by his own men comes to be surprise but something that would prove to be beneficial to our cause.

Sources:
The Civil War Battlefield Guide edited by Frances H. Kennedy
http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/va/va032.html

Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order by John F. Marszalek
Memoirs of W.T. Sherman

Emancipation Proclamation

Though I agreed that you are the best person to lead this country, President Lincoln, I cannot wholly agree with the decision that you have made. The institution of slavery is a something that should not be tampered with.

Their emancipation brings up the question as to who is to provide for the freed men? The government will surely provide for those who join the military but who is responsible for those who do not? The government cannot provide for them as well. It would surely bring this country into poverty and then into ruin.

Also, what is to happen to the South once they have been deprived of their backbone? They will be deprived of that which hath supported them since the founding of this beautiful country. Though the South has wronged this country by attempting to leave, it would be unwise as to punish them in such a way. Even after we win this war, we shall meet much resistance on this issue. The South shall be utterly be destroyed by this.

Source:
Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order by John F. Marszalek
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/

Antietam

Word has finally reached Memphis of the battle at Antietam. I applaud General McClellan for his caution but there were opportunities that he failed to take advantage of that could have the battle more decisive. However, given the circumstances, he did what was necessary and I must congratulate him for stopping the threat of Lee invading into the Capital.

It is difficult to determine who is the true winner of this battle. The Union may have lost more men but we prevented a possible threat. The lives of 13000 Union men and 10000 Confederates cannot be discounted. Never has so much American blood been shed. The creek no longer flows with water but with the blood of Americans.

I am currently establishing a stronger position here at Fort Pickering in Memphis until I receive further orders. I am using the local slaveholder's "chattel"(Marszalek, 192) to help improve our fortifications. The owners are compensated properly for the permission to use them.

President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation is a troubling document and declaration. I agree with the fact that this war must fought to reunify the nation but I do not agree with the liberation of the slaves. I think that it is a viable institution. Their liberation also creates many other problems. What will we do with the slaves once the war ends? Who is to feed and clothe them? The government cannot do everything for them!



Sources:
Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order by John F. Marszalek
The Civil War Battlefield Guide edited by Frances H. Kennedy
War of Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series 1 Volume 19 Part II

Battle of Bull Run

"We had good organization, good men, but no cohesion, no real discipline, no respect for authority, no real knowledge of war." "The march [to Virginia] demonstrated little save the general laxity of discipline; for with all my person efforts I could not prevent the men from straggling for water, blackberries, or any thing on the way they fancied."

This battle could possibly have been avoided. General McDowell was not obligated to engage with the enemy. Taken into consideration that the men that enlisted were green to the arts of war, this course of action was not the wisest. At the fire of enemy artillery, some of the men scattered and could not be ordered back into position. This in itself could prove to be the downfall of your men in a battle.

In all of our confidence, we underestimated the determination and the strength of our enemy. There were several times when we should have charged in the confusion of the enemy forces. However, we were slow to react and lost those opportunities. General Jackson has proven to be a worthy adversary whom we should beware in the coming battles.

Prior to the battle I lost several of my men to artillery fire under the orders of General Tyler to engage the enemy. After suffering these casualties, we were ordered to fall back to camp. During the battle I was ordered to provide reinforcements to Colonel Hunter. In the entire battle I had a total of 192 casualties, 38 dead, 59 wounded, and 95 MIA. My regiment suffered the most loss among the New York regiments. I pray that future battles will not cost as many men but I know that this war will not be as easy as my compatriots think.

Source:
The Civil War Battlefield Guide edited by Frances H. Kennedy
Sherman: Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman

Fort Sumter

The news of Fort Sumter has finally reached Lancaster, Ohio. I fear the worst has come to pass. War is now upon us and now choices must be made, families will be split, and blood shall be shed. The question of my loyalty has already been answered by the choices I have made in the past. I will continue to support the Union. I will once again offer my services to the military of the United States of America.

The survival of this country now teeters on the edge of a blade. One side lies the shattering of a once singular nation; on the other is the oblivion of both the South and the North. Without unity, neither the North nor the South will survive in the foreseeable future.

The blame lay not with President Lincoln and the North but with the unchanging ways of the South. The North cordially stated that supplies would be delivered to Fort Sumter to prevent our troops from starving. Instead, they refuse our request and fire upon a Union fort! It is they who have beat on the drums of war and it is they who have rent this nation asunder. It our duty as Union men to support the Union in times such as these!

Source:
http://www.us-civilwar.com/sumter.htm

Lincoln's Election

The election of President Lincoln is a blessing for the United States of America. But I fear that it may lead to a splitting of the Union. There has been talk of secession and war here in the South. I fear I may have to resign if I wish to remain a part of the Union. Should it come to war, then I would most surely rejoin the services of the United States army. I have the utmost confidence that President Lincoln is the best for the Union but I fear that he may not be enough to hold this nation together.

Source:

"William Tecumseh Sherman." The Civil War. 13 January, 2008. <http://www.sonofthesouth.net/union-generals/sherman/william-tecumseh-sherman.htm>

Introduction

My name is William Tecumseh Sherman. For those of you who do not know me, you may address me as General Sherman. I was a Union general in the Civil War. I led a campaign through Georgia, burning Atlanta and destroying munitions in Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign. My strategy was the concept of total warfare. This means bringing the war to the home of the Confederate citizens.

I was born February 8, 1820, in Lancaster, Ohio. I graduated from U.S. Military Academy in West Point in 1840. After the Mexican War, I resigned my position in the U.S. military. I was the Superintendent of the Louisiana State Seminary and Military Academy in Alexandria. When talk of secession began, I resigned my position to remain loyal to the U.S.

I became one of the most hated men in Georgia history for the Atlanta campaign. My orders from General Grant were clear, inflict as much damage to
the war machine of the South. On September 2, 1864, the Union forces under my command had captured Atlanta, Georgia. This was a crippling blow to the Confederate forces. It split the Confederate forces and helped cripple their ability to fight back.

Source:
Bengston, Wayne C. "William Tecumseh Sherman." About North Georgia. 8 January, 2009. <http://ngeorgia.com/ang/William_Tecumseh_Sherman>