ENTERED according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. PREFACE. GENERAL SHERMAN in the introduction to his Memoirs, says: "What is now offered is not designed as a history of the war, or even as a complete account of all the incidents in which the writer bore a part; but merely as his recollection of events, corrected by a reference to his own memoranda, which may assist the future historian when he comes to describe the whole, and account for the motives and reasons which influenced some of the actors in the grand drama of the war." The object of the present compilation, chiefly from the official records, is to show wherein the Memoirs of General Sherman fall far short of presenting the correct history of many great events of which they treat; how much they lack of giving a complete account of incidents which they relate; how far the author's recollection, even when corrected by his own memoranda, is at fault; and to furnish the future historian with facts which will guard him against perpetuating the error and the injustice which pervade both volumes of the work. This book is a criticism upon Sherman as a general, only so far as the official records presented furnish such criticism. There is no attempt to contradict his statements, except as the records contradict them. Wherever these show that he has done grave injustice both to the living and to the dead, they are produced with as little comment as is needed to set them in connected order, and point out the refutations which they contain. While by this method of review, his mistakes only are presented, there has been no intention to underrate the great and brilliant services which he performed. If these pages serve in any degree to correct error and do justice, where error uncorrected, and injustice done, affect the reputations of men or officers, who, either in humble position or exalted station, freely periled their lives, or laid them down for the country, the object for which they have been written will be accomplished. CONTENTS. X.-THE BATTLE OF ATLANTA AND ITS POLITICAL GENERALS 119 |