Evening star., 1936-02-15


quently sent their men to be slaugh-
tered. Whenever possible, he ma
neuvered; consequently his men went
to battle knowing there was no other
way. Allied general, Capt. Hart points
out, sought to overwhelm the enemy
by main force of artillery and num-
bers. Sherman realized the i'm
portance of the morale of the civil
population and broke that of the
South by his devastating march to
Savannah. Not until the closing
months of the World War did the
allied high command concentrate on
the Balkans and the Near East. When
it did, and broke through, the morale
Of the civil population collapsed and
with it the army on the Western Front
SHERMAN displayed his strategical
~ genius in conceiving the march to
the sea, and his tactical and admin
istrative ability in carrying 1t out, but
he could also be the perfect subordi.
nate. He opposed Grants plan Of
the Vicksburg campaign, but when
Grant determined to carry it out, he
forgot his own opinions and carried
on so energetically that he received
from his superior a major share of the
credit for the final success. Though
their friendship was stretched to the
breaking point many times in later
life. ard Grant as President often
sided against his former lieutenant
who had succeeded him as commando:
of the army, the irascible Sherman
always managed to keep his head
and the break never occurred.
When Sherman retired in the Spring
of 1884, the political lines were already
forming for the battle for the Repub-
lican nomination, with President
Arthur's denomination sure to be
opposed by Senator Blaine Of Maine
BY the time the delegates assembled
for the convention early in June ir
Chicago talk ran of deadlock. Ir
anticipation, Gen. Sherman's brother
Senator Sherman of Ohio, had sought
the consent of the now famous warrior
to advance his name as compromise
candidate In q day when politica
corruption was not uncommon, Gen
Sherman's reputation for honesty anc
integrity, despite his business failures
was notable. The war had spread his
fame to the remotest hamlet anC
%e EY1
enemies. The only difficulty was thai
the general refused, even after Senator
Blaine offered him his support in tht
event the convention reached thC
feared deadlock. Entry into politica
life all but wrecked the life and repu.
tation Of his old friend, Gen. Grant
He determined to avoid the SAM
pitfall.
THE Evening Star correspondent
covering the Chicago convention
reported on June 4, 1884, in a para
graph headed Gen. Sherman as ,
dark horse" as follows:
There has been much quiet tall
about the possibility of the nomination
of Gen. Sherman. It is said that 1
deadlock is highly probable and tina
at the proper time some prominen
delegate might present the name O
Gen. William Tecumpseh Sherman
the band at the same time striking
up Marching Through Georgia, when
the generals friends say, he will g
through with an enthusiasm which
cannot be controlled. This has beef
suggested so many times as to excit
considerable comment. When tn
objection is urged that the genera
does not desire the nomination ant
Will not take it, the reply in ever,
instance was, We know he vii
accept if nominated
Would the General accept if nomi
mated? At that time the ''prominen
delegate" ex-senator j. B. Henderson
Sherman's neighbor, head of tn
Missouri delegation and permanen
convention chairman, had wired ono
that with deadlock probable. tn
drift to Sherman as a compromis
candidate could not be halted" AM
warned him he must prepare" Sher
man wired back to decline the nomi
nation for him in language stron
but courteous"
The balloting began with Blain
leading but apparently unable to OBJ
tain the necessary majority. A dead
lock seemed certain and the Missouri
delegation instructed Henderson II
telegraph again. The Generals son
Tom, has reported receipt Of the wire
st was at his side in his library OF
Garrison ave-, when he received tn
telegram Your name is the onl,
one we can agree upon. You will hav,
to put aside your prejudices ant
accept the Presidency
without taking his cigar from hi
mouth, without changing his expires
sion, while ! stood there trembling b,
his side, my father wrote the answer
7 will not accept if nominated an
will not serve if elected
GLE TOSSED it over to me to b
- handed to the messenger an
then went on with the conversation
he had been engaged in. In tina
moment, thought my father q grea
man."
Perhaps his son was right. Perhap
that reply was what made his nf
thenceforth one chicken dinner afte
another, more popular and sougr
after than any man of his da!
whether as an honored guest at
banquet or alone in the basement roor
with a sign over the door, Gen. Sher
mans Office" Blaine received tn
nomination on the fourth ballot an
went on to defeat. Sherman live
almost seven years longer at peac
with the world and constant deman
at reunions, luncheons and dinners
One Of his contemporaries, one Chaun
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