Summary:
Union General William T. Sherman is possibly best known for his "March to the Sea" in 1864 and the brutal tactics associated with that Civil War campaign. In the process, he caused pain and suffering, took no responsibility for the results of his actions, held no sympathy for the people of Atlanta, and violated rights set forth in the Third and Fifth amendments to the Constitution.
"Rebels have no rights" once said William T. Sherman, a General in the Union army. Sherman is possibly best known for his march to the sea in 1864, and its brutal tactics. At age nine, Sherman's father died and Thomas Ewing, an influential Missouri politician, adopted him. Sherman attended West Point where he graduated sixth in his class. At West Point Sherman learned about past wars and the tactics that were used. Sherman felt that he had to live up to or be better than his benefactor. By causing over one-hundred million dollars in damage and much pain and suffering to the people of Atlanta, Sherman made a name for himself, good and bad, but to him it was all worth it. Not only did he cause pain and suffering, he took no responsibility for the results of his actions, and he violated the constitutional rights specifically those set forth in the fifth and third amendments. By dictionary definition, inhuman is lacking pity, kindness, or mercy. Sherman was every one of those words because he felt nothing for the people or their lives that he destroyed. His tactics during his march to the sea and his other battles were inhumane because he had no sympathy for the people of Atlanta.
Sherman caused appalling hardships to the people of Atlanta. They were torn from their homes and when the returned what they left was non-existent ("). Times were already very hard with poverty but he made life a living Hell, more than what is read about in the Bible. "It seemed that the hot flames of hell were turned loose in all their fury, while the demons of damnation were laughing in the flames" (Voices of the Civil War) He left people homeless, to wander the streets with nowhere to go. The people were like exiles and outcasts who were supposed to live off the little charity that they could find. Was it even possible to find a place to go or stay when your neighbor's house is exactly like yours? The people had to take extra time that they did not have to rebuild the one-hundred million dollars in damage that was caused be Sherman and his troops.
Sherman felt that what he was doing was justified by the president of the United States. He felt that he was given orders and had to do what he was told. It was morally wrong for him to give orders to his troops to burn one third of the city and leave the people with nothing. His main argument against him taking responsibility for his actions was, "his responsibility was to get his army to sea safely." (American Heritage) While Sherman was marching to the sea, people called "bummers" followed along. The bummers would do the same things that Sherman's troops did but only worse. They would steal horses just like Sherman's troops but while Sherman's troops were trying to protect women, the bummers would molest and rape the women. The bummers did more damage then Sherman's troops during the March. If Sherman did not have his troops burning and stealing the bummers would not have thought these acts to be right. Sherman said, "These (bummers) acts were exceptional and incidental. (Atlanta to the Sea). He did not take responsibility for the actions of the bummers, which he should have, considering they were following his troops lead and then some.
The Fifth Amendment states, private property cannot be taken for public use, without just compensation. Sherman stormed into Atlanta with his troops and evacuated the citizens. His troops pillaged through the homes, drinking the whiskey, eating all of the food. Sherman's troops would search for valuables in houses and ones that may have been buried outside. "At one house, a freshly buried spaniel was dug up four times in one day because it's grave seemed suspicious to passing Federal troops" (The Civil War). Under the Third Amendment, no soldier shall be quartered in a house without the consent of the owner. Citizens of Atlanta had no choice they either evacuated their homes or probably died in the burnings. Sherman's troops quartered themselves in the homes of the citizens of Atlanta with out even asking.
Sherman and his troop's actions were a violation of the Fifth and Third Amendments. Today Sherman's actions would have been a crime and he would have had to suffer the consequences.
Conversely, most Northerners would say that Sherman was a great man because of his effort and skill to keep the South from rising against the North. Sherman was given orders from Congress on April 10th to move against Atlanta. "The sterling qualities which General Sherman displayed on the battle-field commanded the admiration of friends and foes alike, while the genuine, noble and sympathetic heart which beats within his breast has made friends and foes, and won for him the love and respect of a nation." (Great Civil War Heroes and Their Battles) Sherman was a very well educated man who could plot tactics and tell his troops exactly what to do to get the job done the way it should be done. The president at the time also approved of Sherman even though he had slight worries about Sherman's actions. Lincoln wanted the people of America to be united. With the South being strong enough to rise against the North with a well trained army would tear the great country apart. Sherman once said to his troop, "You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty and you cannot refine it.... But, you cannot have peace and a division of our country. You might as well appeal against the thunderstorm as against these terrible hardships of war." (The Civil War) He was saying that war is hard but it that is what has to be done to keep the country together, it is extremely better than a country that is divided. With Sherman burning everything in his path, he destroyed any ways humanly possible to create a strong army.
Sherman may have had his plans well thought through. He found a way that he did not have to kill people, which Lincoln would have disapproved of, to keep the South from rising. All he had to do was burn everything that they would use to rise with out hurting any people. By evacuating the people, Sherman had a green light to do what he wanted. The point that Sherman looked passed was that he was adding more fuel to the fire that was already burning strong. The people of Atlanta would go back to the city after Sherman's troops marched out and find that only one third of the city was burned. Even though Sherman evacuated "all" people, some never made it out. "I picked up a skull which had a smooth, round hole through it; small it was, but yet large enough to let life pass out." (Voices of the Civil War)
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