The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-24
[For the Dispatch.l
sherman as o Friend OF the South


Editors of the Dispatch: Our people seem
to know very little about General Sherman
rs man or as soldier. They seem to ac-
cept his present great rank as the appropri-
ate reward OF his military conduct and capa-
city. .,..
AsI was repeatedly concerned in military
operations conducted BY Sherman, or in
which he bore part, wish to place before
you my estimate of him for whomsoeyer it
may interest, and some facts "for the future
historian Of the war;"
At Manassas and Shiloh as division COM
mander, and at Missionary Ridge as corps
commander, Sherman was peculiarly untor-
tunate.
At Missionary Ridge his attack upon
Hardce was the only part of the Federal at.
tack which failed. 1t was signaly repulSed
and defeated.
But bis failures as an independent COM
mapder Of armies executing his own plans
are the most conspicuous evidences OF his
ineficency in the field.
| think his overweening ambition often
tempted him into ill.considered and unsound
ENTERPRISES, and when he encountered some
obstacle which he had not duly estimated
" he lost bis head" his nerve failed him, and
be fed.
The Cincinnati Gazette stated recently
that General Sherman has never won q bat
| tie.
| / believe the battle of Chickasaw Bluff vas
the only battle he ever fought. On that oc'
cason he was sent with over 10000 men to
carry Vicksburg by coup de man. lie
| landed on the YaZoo river ten miles above
Vicksburg December %, 1862. Instead of
marching at once upon the place, which he
could then have carried easily, he delayed
until December n before he attacked Gene
raj Stephen Lees forces Cwenty-three hun
dred men), drawn up along the base OF
Chickasaw Bluff, six miles from Vlcksburg.
In the battle which ensued Sherman was
shamefuly defeated, and abandoned the field
10 Lee strewn with his dead and wounded.
On December 3lst be asked and received
from US a truce to bury bis dead, and that
night he fled. We expected him TO attack
| us next morning, and were going 10 attack
him if he did not. But when aylight came
there was nothing Of his army to be seen eX-
cent the smoke OF the departing steamers on
which it was embarked. Lee had only the
satisfaction of firing a few rounds into the
last of these as they FASTENED of down the
Yezoo. Grant, coming down the Mississippi,
met .Sherman's retreating command, and
made him turn back with him to try Vicks-
burg again. He remained with Grants army
on Young's Point until March, 1863. when,
during period of very high water, Sherman
conceived the wild scheme OF getting by way OF
Deer Creek and Sun1ower rivers with COM
bined paval and land force into the Iazoo
above VickSburg. At that time the right
wing of our army, extending from Flcks-
burg to Haynes Bluff, was under my com
mand, and was ordered to deal with this
curious amphibious expedition and stop II.
The very first show. OF force was sulnelent.
Sherman retreated preciptately without do
ing more than engaging our shlrmlsh slhc
with his, although his force greatly exceeded
ours. :.
Shernaan's next great independent eXped-
ton took place in 1864; had fer its object the
capture of Mobile, then part ofmy command,
and was as unsound in conception as it was
vague and impotent in execution. he moved
two cooperative columns-one from Ficks-
burg, under himself, 5000 strong; the other
from Memphis, 200 miles distant. 1t was
! commanded by General A. J. Smith, and Was
1000 strong, all cavalry. The two columns
were to unite at Meridian, and thence move
| on Selma or Mobile, or both s-Coud any.
thing have been more uncertain for Sher-
man well knew there was lion in the path.
! Forrest fell upon A. J. Smith long before he
got near Meridian, and utterly destroyed his
| column. Not man Of it ever saw Merld-
an-not an organized regiment Of it re-
gained Memphis. Sherman himself, with
! bis main body, only escaped like fate by
eyadipg the battle offered him at Morton sta
ton by General Polk; made his way to En-
terprisc, where he heard Of the destruction
of bis cavalry corps, and whence be fed
back to Vickeburg, harassed sll the way by
Writ Adams's cavalry, which alone could
keep up with him.
BE next appeared as commander of an
| army at Dalton, Ga, on his last campaign.
When General Sherman sat out upon that
march to the sea, do not think he calcula.
ted upon having the way opened to him as
it vas by the Confederate commander who
had been placed over our army after Atlanta
was reached. Certainly he had no right to
expect such thing upon any known prin.
ciples of war.
Very able critics believe that had John
ston remained In command OF our army
] Sherman would have been defeated at At
lanta-and defeat then meant destruction.
SO much for Shermah's military enter
prises and conduct.
With q good administrative capacity and
powers of organization and discipline, sher
mans excessive self.esteem and vanity, bill
want Of self-reliance and courage in emer.
gency, and Of sound military discretion, rem
der him very sorry commander in the field
And it is to bis eternal shame that, of all the
Generals who conducted raids through ouI
territory, none has Jeff in bis track SO many
traditions OF cruelty and wsnton insult te
the defenceless victims of his power as sher
man. While Turchin, Milroy, Hunter, and
others we're guilty of ruthless murders Of oul
men, it was for Andrew Johnston, Benjamin
Butler, and Tecumseh Sherman to make VA
upon our Uon1en.
I think Sherman's own orders and oficia
correspondence during his progress through
Georgia and Carolina, after he was relieved
from all fear of attack or opposition by
Confederate army, will stand for all future
time unparalleled in barbarity. - ,t
Several weeks ago the Richmond Enqu're'
expressed regret that Sherman had not beer
sent to deal with the people of Louisiana In
stead of Sheridan. A few days afterwards
an interviewer from st. Louis reported thai
Sherman pronounces Sheridan "a noble
hearted fellow" satitf.s
These suggestions recalled Renaissance
of. Sherman's early history in connectol
with Louisiana which throw, much Lgh
upon the real character Of the man. Whli