Quote Originally Posted by CBR View Post
That Grant was a butcher is just a rather persistent myth. Whatever Sherman did was no worse than seen in wars before or even after so why single him out? What Germans hung for doing less than Sherman?
Sherman’s war crimes included: the execution of prisoners of war, the execution of civilians in reprisal for resistance, the execution of blacks (supposedly so they didn’t fall into the hands of the CSA, but actually because he could not be bothered bringing them along), condoning rape, murder, & looting, the wholesale burning of whole towns and cities without regard to military value, ordering the looting and burning of civilian homes. It is not disputed that he did these things and even admitted to most of them.



Sherman once wrote to his wife that his purpose was the "extermination, not of soldiers alone...but of the people" of the South.

Troops were even ordered to shoot civilians “at random”.

When other armies have committed such acts we label them as atrocities and do our utmost to bring to justice and execute the perpetrators. In Sherman’s case we call it Total War and give him a pass as a hero.

Finding a war criminal with a longer rap sheet would be difficult.