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William Tecumseh Sherman

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39 Quotes by William Tecumseh Sherman

  1. 1.

    There will soon come an armed contest between capital and labor. They will oppose each other, not with words and arguments, but with shot and shell, gun-powder and cannon. The better classes are tired of the insane howling of the lower strata and they mean to stop them.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  2. 2.

    My aim, then, was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us. Fear is the beginning of wisdom.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  3. 3.

    If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from Hell before breakfast.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  4. 4.

    In our Country… one class of men makes war and leaves another to fight it out.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  5. 5.

    War is too serious a matter to leave to soldiers.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  6. 6.

    Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  7. 7.

    I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  8. 8.

    I would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till the South begs for mercy.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  9. 9.

    If you don’t have my army supplied, and keep it supplied, we’ll eat your mules up, sir.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  10. 10.

    If forced to choose between the penitentiary and the White House for four years, I would say the penitentiary, thank you.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  11. 11.

    But, my dear sirs, when peace does come, you may call on me for any thing. Then will I share with you the last cracker, and watch with you to shield your homes and families against danger from every quarter.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  12. 12.

    I intend to make Georgia howl.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  13. 13.

    I think I understand what military fame is; to be killed on the field of battle and have your name misspelled in the newspapers.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  14. 14.

    An Army is a collection of armed men obliged to obey one man. Every change in the rules which impairs the principle weakens the army.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  15. 15.

    You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  16. 16.

    War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  17. 17.

    I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  18. 18.

    Courage – a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  19. 19.

    He belonged to that army known as invincible in peace, invisible in war.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  20. 20.

    War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  21. 21.

    The scenes on this field would have cured anybody of war.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  22. 22.

    The voice of the people is the voice of humbug.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  23. 23.

    It’s a disagreeable thing to be whipped.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  24. 24.

    A battery of field artillery is worth a thousand muskets.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  25. 25.

    I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  26. 26.

    This war differs from other wars, in this particular. We are not fighting armies but a hostile people, and must make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  27. 27.

    There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  28. 28.

    You may as well say, ‘That’s a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  29. 29.

    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 Tecumseh Sherman

  30. 30.

    I will accept no commission that would tend to create a rivalry with Grant. I want him to hold what he has earned and got. I have all the rank I want.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  31. 31.

    War is hell.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  32. 32.

    There’s many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory but it is all hell.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  33. 33.

    My aim then was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  34. 34.

    If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  35. 35.

    War is at its best barbarism.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  36. 36.

    I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices today than any of you to secure peace.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  37. 37.

    I make up my opinions from facts and reasoning, and not to suit any body but myself. If people don’t like my opinions, it makes little difference as I don’t solicit their opinions or votes.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  38. 38.

    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. War is hell.

    William Tecumseh Sherman

  39. 39.

    If the people raise a great howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not popularity seeking.

    William Tecumseh Sherman