The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-10-28
SHERMAA'S "MEMOIRS.1

|
article on "The Art and Mystery Of
Blowing Ones Own Trumpet" We are
led to conclude that, about the time he
commenced writing his "Memoirs," Gen.
eral Sherman must have read the same
article; and that he had determined to
act upon the advice of its author, when
he says-"If you be a soldier, let your
blast be loud, rough, and steady" And
again, when replying to some captious
oblector who might say-"'Why. hang
the fellow! He does nothing but talk
about himselip Certainly (says our au-
thorl and therein lies the whole art and
mystery Of blowing your own trumpet"
| If Gen. Sherman did not receive this
doctrine from the article referred to, he
must have accepted it as an original con-
ception Of his own "true inwardness;"
for it certainly glows on every page of
the "Memoirs." Therein, as a profess
sionsl soldier. Sherman has literally fol-
lowed the author, and made his blast
loud, rough and steady. And SO faith
| fully has he talked about himself that If
| a stranger to the transactions or
this continent for the past fifteen
years should endeavor to post
himself up by reading Sherman's
'Memoirs," he would probably conclude
shat our civil war was simply Lienten-
ant General ShermaWs little private un-
pleasantness with the secessionists Of
the South; that he had, tor censidera-
tion, taken upon himself TIE trihing con-
tract of stamping cut the rebellion; and
that he had actually, in his own proper
person, succeeded in whipping Beaure-
| gard and Johnson and jackson and Lee
and Polk and Floyd and Pillow and
Hood and Hardee. In fact, that, like the
| fat Knight" in the play, more re-
nowned for boasting than tor yalor,
he, Lieutenant General Sherman,
''came, and saw, and overcame." 1t
would appear also that he, the Lieuten-
ant General aforesaid, would have fin
ishsd the job at least two years sooner,
if he had not been bothered by such
| blockheads and blatherskites as Grant
and Thomas and Mcpherson and Nc
Clelan and Mcdowell and Meade and
Sheridan and Rosecraus and Blair and
Schoield and Hooker and Logan and
Buell. and Foote and Farragut, and o
| few dozen others Of euch old fools and
| faint-hearts, who were merely what
Caesar and Sherman would call Sim
pedimenta."
When nothing else would serve as
| full expression to his wounded feelings,
it was the hopeful exclamation of ven-
erable parsonage, "Oh, that mine enemy
would write a bookl" Gen. Sherman
has written his book. 1t was an under
taking more hardy and daring than any
he ever undertook during the war,
| and affords very little promise of
either promotion or fame. Hay-
| ing written his book, his
| enemies now "have him on the hip,o
and seem moi unready nor unwilling to
pay him back in sturdy blows for his
arrogance and magnificent contempt
for all the generals, save and except the
| Lieutenant General, named Sherman.
Concerning this the New York Trib-
une says:
The war on General Sherman on ac-
coul4t OF his luckless ssM em0irs" has only
begun. No assailant who has vet taken
the field comes with anything like the
combined mfitary equipment and pro-
7 tessional training whien General Ii.
| V. Boynton brings to the task he
has undertaken. What this Is, in
his own language, is "to show
wherein the Memoirs of General Sher-
man fall lar short OF presenting the cur
rect history Of many great events of
which they treat; how much they lack
of giving acomplete account of ineiden,
which tney relate; how far the authors
recollection, even when corrected by his
own memoranda, is at fault; and to fur
Dish the fu ure historian with facts
| which will guard him against perpetu-
atng the error and the injustice which
4 pervades both volumes OF The work."
Gen. Boynton served with gallantry In
the famous march OF Shermau's army
from Chattanooga to A tlanta, and did
not escape without honorable wounds.
He received frequent promotion, has no
personal gruage to avenge, and has had
Exceptional facilities for the study at
the War Department of all the official
records bearing upon Gen. Sherman's
career. His conclusion therefore, will
command unusual weight with the pub
lie. He pronounces Gen. ShermAn's book,
Judged by the official record, intensely
Iegotistical, untrustworthy, and
| CRUELLY UNJUST
to nearly all his distinguished associates.
He says: ''Our erratic General sherman
thrusts his pen recklessly through repu-
tAtions which are as dear to the country
as his own. He detracts from what
lrightfully belongs to Grant; misrep-
PRESENTS and belittles Thomas; with
holds justice from Buell.; repeatedly
leads failures for which he Is response
BILE, now upon Thomas, now upon Scho-
field, now upon Mcpherson, and again
npon the three Jointly; is unjust in the
lextrene to Rosecrans; sneers at Logan
and Blair, insults Hooker, and SANDERS
lStanton."
And finally Gen. Boynton complains
that the points which Gen. Sherman
should have elucidated, 1T seems to
have been his object to keep more
obscure than before. The reader turns,
he says, but in vain, for "explanations
lof the surprise and attending disgrace
at shiloh; the ill-judged and fatal as.
taault at ChickaGaV RNVOu. the nrOtAai