Sherman at War
$20-25
Author Joseph H. Ewing
Publisher Morningside House, Inc. 1992

One of the most fascinating biographical publications I have read, this book reveals the eloquent and insightful philosophies of William T. Sherman through his never-before-published letters. These were discovered by the author's father (the, author is a descendant of the family that "adopted" Sherman when he was 9 years old). The correspondence was primarily written to Sherman's foster father/father-in-law, Thomas Ewing, a prestigious judge and U.S. Senator from Ohio. The majority of these letters deal with Sherman's military affairs.

The author inherited these letters over thirty years ago, known as the "Ewing Correspondence", but waited until his retirement from the Army to to compile this book. What sets this book above the usual "letters of so-and-so" books is the thoroughness of research into the events that provoked Sherman to write the letters as well as the events that occurred between letters. The consolidation of these unpublished team with already known correspondence and memoirs add to the humanistic element of Sherman. This provides for clear, chronological, and enjoyable reading.

This book greatly enhances the reader with Sherman's well documented repugnance for the press. He regarded the press as opprobrious and as the instrument to form public opinions rather than informing the public. Apparently, he was the victim of tabloid journalism when reporters wrote opinions as factual. The distortion that he was "insane" was presented as fact by the Cincinnati Commercial on December 11, 1861. lt read like an obituary:

"General William T. Sherman, late commander of the Department of the Cumberland, is insane. lt appears he was at the time while commanding in Kentucky, stark mad .... The harsh criticisms that have been lavished on this gentlemen, provoked by his strange conduct, will now give way to feelings of deepest sympathy for him in his greatest calamity..."

My favorite "letter" was the eleven page long press-bashing written by Sherman to his father-in-law during the court-martial of Thomas Knox, a newspaper correspondent, for spying. This court-martial occurred during the operations against Vicksburg in 1863, but Sherman's sagacity to the damage the press can do and the need for military censorship in time of warfare easily applies to events of today. Sherman writes:

"Now in these modern times a class of men has been begotten & attend our camps & armies gathering minute information of our strength, plans, & purposes & publishes them so as to reach the enemy in time to serve his purposes .... Such publications do not add a man to our strength, in no ways benefit us but are invaluable to the enemy .... The Northern press either make public opinion or reflect it. By gradual steps public opinion. instead of being governed, governs our country. The consequence is & has been ... that the Government authorities are operated on by public opinion formed too often on false or interested [biased] information.

The press appealed the decision to ban Knox from the front to Lincoln. Lincoln said only if Grant agreed, and Grant said only if Sherman agreed. Sherman said

"Come with sword or musket in your hand, prepared to share with us our fate in sunshine and storm, in prosperity and adversity, and I will welcome you as a brother ... but...[come] as the representative of the press ... my answer is Never."

Altogether, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found much of Sherman's prejudices, though somewhat misguided, humorous --- his proposal to invade Arkansas and make that a place where the freed slaves could live in is one example. Unfortunately for the wargamer, the book provides little information to use for building his army or recreating battles (except for the large, unattached, detailed map that is a reproduction of an 1865 military map included with this book). I do mot know the retail price since I picked this book up at the. liquidation sale that the History Store in Leesburg held (I paid $12.00 but I know it's much more and worth it). This is a book that is to be relished for what it is, a fresh insight to William Tecumseh Sherman and his compendious analyses on warfare, the press. and himself. This book would be a great enhancement to anyone's historical library.