The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-03


under slavery made them more ready for
war; but after we put our Northern bows in
the field and weeded out the indifferent ma
terial, both in the rank and file, the equality
and finally the superiority OF our army be-
came plain"
TIE BEGINNING OF THE WAR.
General, you seem to have made up your
mind very quickly that you were coming to
the North when that war developed itsef?'
ooh, yes" said Sherman, biung his cigar.
Il never hesitated one instant. The Union
had given me an education and l have al
ways felt that it would outlast every shock
during my life and that OF my children and
their children at least l had pretty serene
confidence in the victory of the Union, no
matter who assaied it. That was the way l
had been taught by my father and Mr. Ewing
to think. L told those people that I was
coming out of their section. I saw them
drilling in Louisiana and Mississippi whole
regiments and brigades of men for war, and
when l came up to the North there the ma
terials of my future army were planting seed
and ploughing for next years crop, Indeed,
the North would not believe that fight was
impending, and I inst laid by till they should
wake up to the reality. l came on to Wash
ington and expressed my views that there
was going to be war and big one. They did
not want to believe it, and l became unpopu-
lar for saying so. So went out West and
took position in st. Louis on a street rail-
road"
How came it, General, that you predicted
the number of men that would be wanted SO
early, indeed the EARLIEST"
well, l disapproved at q very early
period in the war of the optimistic, the flip
pant light view l saw everybody entertain
ing when had come right out of section
all bristling with arms and frenzied for bat
tied. They put General Cameron in the War
Department, and he came out to Kentucky
in the fall of 1861, and had talk with me at
the Gait House. You See my brother John
Sherman, was politician, and held a con-
spieuous party rank at Washington, so Cam
eron talked to me courteousiy. | told Cam
eron that the North was not awake at all to
the work before them; that we ought to have
10000 men in Kentucky, and that 200 600 men
would have to be called for very soon. Cam
eron became excited and said Where are
we 10 get 100000 men from?
Ny Godr Why, said l. you can at least
stop playing politics and let the young men
who want to come forward and enlist keep
coming instead of that the politicians at
Washington are discouraging them and try
ing to make the country believe that this
war is going to blow over in little while. l
think was generally regarded an excited
man in those days"
THE MARCH TO THE SEA.
General Sherman, your march to the sea-
coast must always be great poem in this
country. Did you hesitate about it?'
mo; do not regard the mere march to
the sea, said General Sherman "as the great
feature of my movement My march from
the sea to Joe Johnston was the great thing
You see had to go away off on my right
| flank to make the seacoast. But the neces-
sitv, apparently of getting supplies COM
PEELED me to go all that distance and lose a
certain amount of time. If had marched
as | wanted to [ would have gone right
! straight from Middle Georgia to Joe Johns
ton. He was the point was after"
How come you to take General HaZen to
storm Fort McAllister?'
why, because knew the troops he COM
manded. They had been uBder my eye be-
| fore he commanded them, Ind l knew they
were as good men as that srmy could turn
| OUT
seacoast and established your communica-
tons there, which was the way you did
march?'
Right straight for Joe Johnston. OF
| course had to take the roads that were laid
down, and so l apparently marched on CO.
| lumbIa, S. c., but that was of no consequence.
l wanted to lay my army alongside OF John
| stons."
Have you ever been discouraged during
yoRr life, General Sherman"
| mo; I don't think l have" Sherman
looked down and tried 10 think NO." he
said in a moment, 81 don't think have
There always seemed another alternative, a
| brighter chance. At the beginning of the
war; when l had been getting my military
school in Louisiana in order and felt good
deal encouraged about it, it was a little Sc
we're to have to let go and move somewhere
elese. But l always tried to see the practical,
the real situation, 1 did not get dlsprited,
because l did not live in the clouds"
Here somebody spoke up and asked Gen
eral Shermaa to repeat what he had said
night or two before about his typographical
tendency.
"Oh," said Sherman, cutting the question
little short, everything in this world lies
on the ground. Ii you nave anything to do
in war or otherwise get acquainted with your
ground You take up a map and see two
towns laid down on it, You may be pretty
sure that there is road from one &c the
other if it isn't put down / lived in my
maps good deal during the war, and where
l was ignorant of the country my intuitions
were generally sound, because they were
based on few common-sense rules
Steamship News.