The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-20


General Shermans memoirs" will have
good effect in reviving discussion as to many
facts Of the war Of the rebellion. We print
this morning some interesting information
showing the opinions Of some of our
Generals upon the opinions expressed by
General Sherman. AS most of he prom
inent actors in that great movement are
still living, there will, Of course, be GER
tain reserve in dealing with them and their
achievements. The criticism may be made
that General Sherman might wisely have post
poned his fresh and original comments upon
affairs until longer time had elapsed; that
he might have initiated the example of Wal
pole, Talleyrand and Greville and other
writers of memoirs, who have preferred to adj
dress their defence or their explanations to
another generation. In General Sherman's
case there was peculiar reason for
his speaking now. His own fame is to
o certain extent at stake We do not
mean by this that any one seriously questions
the high and commanding position which he
won during the recent war. AS we have
said, in the eyes of foreign critics, who proba-
bly, look at war with clearer vision and
better experience than ourselves, his fame, if
second, is only second to that of Lee.
On certain points of the war General Sher-
man naturally desires the truth should be
known. There has been an impression, arising
from the heedlessness with which public
opinion too often mingles justice with adula-
ton, that General Grant was the real author
II
Savannah and the crushing in of the Con-
federate power which prefaced the fall OF
Richmond. No one has denied to General
Sherman the merit of having executed this
brilliant scheme with courage and judgment;
but the honor of the conception has generally
been awarded to Grant General Sher-
man in this work disproves and utterly
destroys this opinion. 1t shows that this
march to the sea was his own conception
that when he submitted it to Grant it was not
a welcome idea that Grant feared to leave
Atlanta until Hood was destroyed. 1t was
only after the repeated solicitations of Sher-
man that the march to the sea was commenced
And SO with the capture of Savannah. If
Grant had been allowed his own way he would
have removed Sherman's army to City Point,
to enable him to attack Lee. Sherman de-
monstrated that the way to attack Lee was to
strike him in the rear by marching through
the Carolinas These two achievements, the
march through Georgia and the Carolinas and
the capture of the seacoast, really precipitated
the fall Of Richmond.
The discussion Of these problems of the
war is one of the most interesting character.
We shall be glad to open the columns of the
HERALD to any of those who took part in this
great strife as to the real history of these
events. The generals who have commanded
in different departments of the army and who
are more than others interested in the truthful
ness of history have q good opportunity of
contributing to this discussion. No one can
really be injured by knowing what is true
and what IS false. If the generals of either
side who are familiar with these events
would only follow General Sherman's plan
and publish their comments and recollections
or their judgment Of the war, and especially
the events discussed by General Sherman, it
would largely contribute to clearing the hori-
zon OF many Of the extraordinary fallacies and
enable us to approach the truth. We throw
open the columns of the HERALD for this pur-
pose to all who choose to follow General
Sherman in his interesting and useful under
taking aud contribute to the truth of this
momentous history.