This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are. A collection of quotes by William Tecumseh Sherman on sea, valor, courage, war, peace, army, and wisdom. I was by his side and watched him closely. - From The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant (p. 91), "In the first five minutes, we learned by some sort of spiritual telegraphy, that reticence, patience, and persistence were the dominant traits of General Grant ... [he was a ] quiet, repressed, reluctant, undemonstrative man ... We instinctively put ourselves on 'short rations' of talk with him. His equanimity was becoming a curious spectacle to me. Grant grasped his friend’s strong points from the outset, writing to his wife in January 1865, “I am glad to say that I appreciated Sherman from … I have all the rank I want” – General of the Army William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes He is one of the most remarkable men I have ever met. "We all form our preconceived ideas of men of whom we have heard a great deal, and I had certain definite notions as to the appearance and character of General Grant, but I was never so completely surprised in all my life as when I met him and found him a different person, so entirely different from my idea of him. War. Learn more about the founding fathers, read quotes, biographies, and some of their political writings. Sherman, admitting to low expectations, commented: "A more unpromising boy never entered the Military Academy." May the God who overlooked you in battle and who has brought you thus far give you grace to meet whatever He has in store for you, and may he restore you to health is the fervent prayer of one who, at fifteen years of age, entered the lists against you and accepted the magnanimous terms you accorded us at Appomattox.". He habitually wears an expression as if he had determined to drive his head through a brick wall, and was about to do it. Nor does it make any difference to him whether he has daylight for his movements, for he will ride from breakfast until two o'clock in the morning, and that too without eating. I have a Richmond paper of to-day. (1887,September 24). These traits were determination, mental acuteness, excellent memory, ability to look into the minds of others, and a willingness to subordinate self to a cause. The carcass weighed over six hundred pounds. When I saw his horse lunge my first thought was "now he will swear." Sunday, December 15, 1895, Issue 349, p. 18. Now such things come hard upon the staff, but they have learned how to bear it. ... Chernow feels strongly that this particular criticism of Grant is unfair. Had he not changed the course of his vessel by reason of the mysterious conduct of that man-of-war hawk, not a soul would probably have survived the night.”, “Swords were brought out, guns oiled and made ready, and everything was in a bustle when the old Lexington dropped her anchor on January 26, 1847, in Monterey Bay, after a voyage of one hundred and ninety-eight days from New York. He never offered liquor of any kind to visitors. Sherman’s March to the Sea Letter from General Sherman to General Grant From the Memoirs of General William T. Sherman Date: December 16, 1864 Location: Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, in the Field, Near Savannah To: Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT, Commander-in-Chief, City Point, Virginia Grant, remembered 5th Division commander Maj. Gen. William Sherman, was using methods adopted during his victory at Fort Donelson back in February. From Dispatches From Lincoln's White House, the Anonymous Civil War Journalism of Presidential Secretary William O. Stoddard. Thanks to Sherman's loss at Chickasaw Bluffs with futile charges, Ulysses S. Grant was forced to spend valuable months trying to find another way to take the key Mississippi River port. I could form no judgment during the conversation as to what effect my arguments had upon him beyond the fact that he was greatly distressed at this new complication. He had enough marked characteristics to prevent him from being considered commonplace, and everyone associated with him was sure to remember him and retain a high regard for him.". Sherman remained in the West, serving with Grant in the long campaign against Vicksburg. This same article appeared around the country in several newspapers at this time. The full text of McClure's recollections is in Hathitrust. that little man will fill the highest place in this government. This site is dedicated to the sharing of information on the founding fathers. From A Cycle of Adams Letters, 1861-1865, Volume 2, by Charles Francis Adams, Jr., 1920. The second time he hit the bird, and struck it to the deck. Let this be a lesson to all of us. "Grant was an uncommon fellow, the most modest, the most disinterested, and the most honest man I ever knew, with a temper that nothing could disturb, and a judgment that was judicial in its comprehensiveness and wisdom. Larke, Julian. -- Ulysses S. Grant #Children #Growing Up #School “There was always news coming back to the quarter about someone who had been killed or sent to prison for killing someone else: Snowball, stabbed to death at a nightclub in Port Allen; Claudee, killed by a woman in New Orleans; Smitty, sent to the state penitentiary at Angola for manslaughter. ", - from Porter's book Campaigning With Grant (1897). if there were any sober men on the field, Grant was one of them. “You people of the South don't know what you are doing. When a man is too lazy to work and too cowardly to steal, he becomes an editor and manufactures public opinion.”, “we saw something swimming in the water, and pulled toward it, thinking it a coyote; but we soon recognized a large grizzly bear, swimming directly across the channel. Source of all quotes listed here: William T. Sherman, Personal Memoirs of Gen'l W. T. Sherman (written by himself, with an appendix, bringing his life down to its closing scenes, also a personal tribute and critiques of the memoirs, by Hon. Welcome back. not once do I believe did it enter the general's mind that he was in danger. You may as well say, 'That's a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion. He is a philosopher. “I have for some days held and controlled every avenue by which the people and garrison of Savannah can be supplied, and I am therefore justified in demanding the surrender of the city…I am prepared to grant liberal terms to the inhabitants and garrison; but should I be forced to resort to assault, or the slower and surer process of starvation, I shall then feel justified in resorting to the harshest measures, and shall make little effort to restrain my army—burning to avenge the national wrong which they attach to Savannah and other large cities which have been so prominent in dragging our country into civil war.”, “This officer forced his way through the crowd to the carriage, and said: “Mr. He always looked at the intention of those who served under him, as well as to their acts. General Grant and His Campaigns. I have all the rank I want” – General of the Army William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes "...to me he is a mystery, and I believe he is a mystery to himself." William Tecumseh Sherman Breakfast I Am World Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other. He then gathered himself up in his chair and said in a tone of earnestness that I shall never forget, "I can't spare this man, he fights.". During the U.S. Civil War, General William Tecumseh Sherman was one of the major architects of Confederate defeat and the final overthrow of American slavery. Looks are deceiving. Roger Sherman (Founding Father of the United States) Quotes, Biography, Information and Discussion. He told Grant that, if he remained in the army, "some happy … Here is an excerpt from this diary. The General has such confidence in himself, that all other men around him "do as he does." He habitually wears an expression as if he had determined to drive his head through a brick wall, and was about to do it. or vain military affectation, but from a sense of responsibility resting upon him when in battle. I mean Sam Grant. I hate newspapermen. Wait until Dudie (her pet name for Grant) becomes president. If I failed, he assumed the responsibility, we cannot afford to underrate him and the army he now commands.". Alexander Stephens included the same observation in a little bit different wording in his published Diary, published in 1910. His face had three expressions: deep thought; extreme determination; and great simplicity and calmness.". Edited by Michael Burlingame. “Yes, lick “em tomorrow, though,” Union General Ulysses S. Grant. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. It appears this was in print for the first time in Campaigning With Grant, by Horace Porter, 1897. Although Ulysses and Julia struggled with making their farm property sustainable and things often must have seemed quite bleak, Julia never lost faith in him. As we scrambled up the port-aide to get our guns, the mate, with a crew, happened to have a boat on the starboard-aide, and, armed only with a hatchet, they pulled up alongside the bear, and the mate struck him in the head with the hatchet. Personalize it with photos & text or purchase as is! Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. From John A. Carpenter's book, Ulysses S. Grant, published 1977. Destroying the buffalo meant destroying Native Americans, so Sherman honed in on the animals. ... Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other. - Joshua Chamberlaind, in his Civil War memoir, The Passing of the Armies (1915), p. 29. From the lengthy Personal Recollections of Ulysses S. Grant by Major General Grenville M. Dodge. When he found he was not traveling in the direction he intended to take, he would try all sorts of cross-cuts, ford streams, and jump any number of fences to reach another road rather than go back and take a fresh start. The clear eye, clean skin, firm flesh and steady nerves of General Grant gave the lie to the universal calumnies then current concerning his intemperate habits…”. A strangely unostentatious, silent-working man, is this same Lieutenant-General of ours, from whom we all expect so much. I have watched your movements from the hour you gave me my horse and sword, and told me to 'go home and assist in making a crop.' Let this be a … General Grant never failed to encourage me by giving me credit for whatever I did, or tried to do. The following anecdote is in dispute as to its authenticity and some say Lincoln never uttered these words. – General William T. Sherman “A battery of field artillery is worth a thousand muskets.” – General William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes “I will accept no commission that would tend to create a rivalry with Grant. An Hour With Abraham Lincoln, by John M. Thayer. Atchison Daily Globe, issue 3056, p. 3. “It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. He often put himself to the greatest personal inconvenience to avoid it. His spare figure, simple manners, lack of all ostentation, extreme politeness, and charm of conversation were a revelation to me, for I had pictured him as a man of a directly opposite type of character, and expected to find in him only the bluntness of a soldier. No officer served under him who did not understand this. Lee may be proved the better general, and our forces may be hurled back on the defenses of Washington once more, and the personal reputation won at Vicksburg and Chattanooga may be lost among these terrible Virginian hills; but it will be a fearful surprise to the men who have seen this silent, shabby-looking genius take hold of this army. The troops have imbibed a singular degree of confidence in him already. Not having any weapon, we hurriedly pulled for the schooner, calling out, as we neared it, “A bear! Reminiscences of General Grant. Information about General and President Ulysses S. Grant and resources for doing research. Grant did not, turning the matter over to Sherman, ''Come with a sword or musket in your hand, prepared to share with us our fate, and I will welcome you as a brother and associate,'' Sherman … "Do you know Grant? 6, April, 1897, p. 821. If they failed in intention, he dropped them so quickly and efficiently that the whole country could see and hear their fall.". ", I was never so completely surprised in all my life as when I met him and found him a different person, so entirely different from my idea of him. "There is one West Pointer, I think in Missouri, little known, and whom I hope the northern people will not find out. I'll tell you where he beats me though and where he beats the world. Sherman’s assessment got to the heart of Grant’s greatness—steady confidence, imperturbable will and tenacity that, together with a willingness to shoulder ultimate responsibility, provided a calming framework within which Sherman thrived. To an extent Sherman was of his time, as there was no shortage of racism in the Union Army. Publisher: Derby, 1864. Sherman was unsure about what Grant was going to do. War. So said Confederate General Ewell in a conversation with other Confederate generals, former West Pointers themselves. Well, I do. General Sherman sent the following comment to the the North American Review (vol. He said that he was sailing from some port in Honduras for Sweden, running down the Gulf Stream off Savannah. I want to make a prophecy ... remember what I say… that little man will fill the highest place in this government. Maybe after a while, a better reason will pop into your head.”, “In the very midst of this panic came the news that the steamer Central America, formerly the George Law, with six hundred passengers and about sixteen hundred thousand dollars of treasure, coming from Aspinwall, had foundered at sea, off the coast of Georgia, and that about sixty of the passengers had been providentially picked up by a Swedish bark, and brought into Savannah. War is at its best barbarism. You people speak so lightly of war; you don't know what you're talking about. He was always frank, generous and manly … He had enough marked characteristics to prevent him from being considered commonplace, and everyone associated with him was sure to remember him and retain a high regard for him.". “War is cruelty. Be the first to learn about new releases! Yet in his personal attitudes, he was… He is one of the most remarkable men I have ever met. Checked on the overland route, Grant seized upon Federal naval supremacy on the inland waters to transfer his army to Milliken's Bend and Young's Point, Louisiana, on the Mississippi River just north of and opposite Vicksburg. I know more about supply, administration, and everything else than he does. “Memoirs of General W.T. There's no use trying to reform it. Here's What Grant, Sherman Said Upon Fall of Atlanta . My prayer to God daily is that you may be restored to perfect health, and be assured that I am not the only ex-confederate who sends his prayers daily to the Throne of Grace for the restoration of the grandest, the noblest, the bravest soldier and the purest statesman who ever graced the annals of history. Lincoln remained silent for what seemed a very long time. Had it not been for this, the bear would certainly have upset the boat and drowned all in it. From My Story of the War, by Mary Livermore, 1892. He was appointed as a quartermaster during the ‘Mexican-American War’ and further commanded a company and was appreciated for his bravery. William T. Sherman > Quotes > Quotable Quote “Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other.” ― William T. Sherman Sherman failed Grant again at Chattanooga, as Patrick Cleburne blocked Sherman's advance. ", "Upon a few occasions, after a hard day's ride in stormy weather, the general joined the officers in taking a whiskey toddy in the evening. It also appeared in The National Tribune (Washington, DC), July 9, 1885, p. 8, and in the. Here's What Grant, Sherman Said Upon Fall of Atlanta . This was another potent agency in producing the result we enjoy to-day, in having in so short a time replaced the wild buffaloes by more numerous herds of tame cattle, and by substituting for the useless Indians the intelligent owners of productive farms and cattle-ranches.”, “General Polk, who was dignified and corpulent, walked back slowly, not wishing to appear too hurried or cautious in the presence of the men, and was struck across the breast by an unexploded shell, which killed him instantly.”, “Never give reasons for what you think or do until you must. ", Grant is rather under middle height, of a spare, strong build; light-brown hair, and short, light-brown beard. New York Times September 1, 2020 WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 1864. As it was, however, his meat served us a good turn in our trip up to Stockton.”, “General Taylor participated in the celebration of the Fourth of July, a very hot day, by hearing a long speech from the Hon. In here it states the context, the words and the speaker (Grant's then chief of cavalry, T. Lyle Dickey, later Judge Dickey). This strange fact made him uneasy, and he thought it betokened danger; he went to the binnacle, saw the course he was steering, and without any particular reason he ordered the steersman to alter the course one point to the east. Suddenly she said, "We will not always be in this condition. Neither was General Grant a drunkard, that was immediately apparent to us. It was found that Major Miller’s shot had struck the bear in the lower jaw, and thus disabled him. War is at its best barbarism. From Hathitrust. -- Letters from Lyman to his wife, March and April, 1864. Sherman, admitting to low expectations, commented:  "A more unpromising boy never entered the Military Academy." “Well, Grant, we’ve had the devil’s own business,” Sherman observed. The absolute loss of this treasure went to swell the confusion and panic of the day. Everything on shore looked bright and beautiful, the hills covered with grass and flowers, the live oaks so serene and homelike, and the low adobe houses, with red-tiled roofs and whitened walls, contrasted well with the dark pine trees behind, making a decidedly good impression upon us who had come so far to spy out the land. "Nobody could watch [Grant] without concluding that he was a remarkable man. To me, it has the ring of truth. He handles those around him so quietly and well, he so evidently has the faculty of disposing of work and managing men, he is cool and quiet; almost stolid ... and in a crisis he is one against whom all around, whether few in number or a great army ... would instinctively lean. The next day he will repeat the dose, until he finishes his work. It is a grand thing, yet a terrible one, to be the commander of all these magnificent armies, and to order so many gallant men to march to suffering and death. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.” ― … I hope you will allow one who, when a boy, laid down his arms at Appomattox and pledged allegiance to the Union, to express his warmest sympathy for you in your suffering. General Grant never failed to encourage me by giving me credit for whatever I did, or tried to do. No long train of staff officers gallops and hangles at his heels. Nor does it make any difference to him whether he has daylight for his movements, for he will ride from breakfast until two o'clock in the morning, and that too without eating. He was loyal to every work and every cause in which he was engaged." . Suffering through a rainstorm after the first day’s battle where almost everything went against him, Grant vowed to fight on the next day. William Tecumseh Sherman (8 February 1820 – 14 February 1891) was a United States Army general during the American Civil War.He succeeded General Ulysses S. Grant as commander of the Western Theater of that war in the spring of 1864. He studied at the Military Academy, where he was an average student and decided to leave the army after serving the mandatory term. The bear rose, made a growl or howl, but continued his course. 142, January, 1886, p. 112) when asked for his reflections on Grant. Sherman, whose nickname was “Cump” from Tecumseh, decided to sound Grant out about the matter. Please note, this is a secondary source, but the quote has been widely repeated in subsequent materials about Grant. President, I have a cause of grievance. He is best known for his "March to … from an article in The Century Magazine, vol. His apparent want of sensibility does not arise from heedlessness or vain military affectation, but from a sense of responsibility resting upon him when in battle. "It has been charged in the northern newspapers that Grant was under the influence of liquor on the fields of Donelson and Shiloh. His face had three expressions: deep thought; extreme determination; and great simplicity and calmness.". Sherman remained in the West, serving with Grant in the long campaign against Vicksburg. "It has been a matter of universal wonder in this army that General Grant himself was not killed, and that no more accidents occurred to his staff, for the general was always in the front (his staff with him, of course), and perfectly heedless of the storm of hissing bullets and screaming shell flying around him. In a remarkable interview with a Dent family household servant (slave) named Mary Robinson, she relates the time when Julia was visiting with relatives, telling them of Grant's difficulties and the financial hardships their family was undergoing. War is cruelty, there is no use trying to reform it; the crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.”, “War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them, “You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. Letter from William Sherman to Ulysses Grant, March 12, 1865, in Sherman's Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865, eds. Instantly heaving his ship to, and lowering all his boats, he managed to pick up sixty or more persons who were floating about on skylights, doors, spare, and whatever fragments remained of the Central America. Sherman’s March to the Sea Letter from General Sherman to General Grant From the Memoirs of General William T. Sherman Date: December 16, 1864 Location: Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, in the Field, Near Savannah To: Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT, Commander-in-Chief, City Point, Virginia "It has been a matter of universal wonder in this army that General Grant himself was not killed, and that no more accidents occurred to his staff, for the general was always in the front (his staff with him, of course), and perfectly heedless of the storm of hissing bullets and screaming shell flying around him.