Memphis, Sept. 22,1862
Dear Brother:
Troops are moving up through Arkansas for Missouri. It looks
as though they want to swap countries with us. It is about time the North
understood the truth. That the entire South, man, woman and child are against
us, armed and determined. It will call for a million men for several years to
put them down. They are more confident than ever, none seem to doubt their
independence, but some hope to conquer the northwest. My opinion is there never
can be peace and we must fight it out. I guess you now see how, from the very
first I argued, that you all underestimated the task. None of you would admit
for a moment that after a year's fighting the enemy would still threaten
Washington, Cincinnati and St. Louis. We ought to hold fast to the Mississippi
as a great base of operation. I should regard the loss of St. Louis as more
fatal to our future success than the capture by them of Harrisburg and
Philadelphia. Your brigade is now with Buell. I don't understand his move, but
now suppose he will cross Green River and fight north of it. Still I don't see
exactly his strategy or tactics. The passage of the enemy north of us, leaving
us among a hostile population, was a bold and successful movement and will give
them great credit in Europe. You doubtless, like most Americans, attribute our
want of success to bad generals. I do not. With us you insist the boys, the
soldiers, govern. They must have this or that or will cry down their leaders in
the newspapers, so no general can achieve much. They fight or run as they
please and of course it is the general’s fault. Until this is cured, we must
not look for success. But on the whole, things look more favorable than at any
former time, as the numbers engaged on both sides are approaching the occasion.
The war is, which race, that of the North or South, shall
rule America. The greatest danger North is division and anarchy, but I hope the
pressure from the South will keep all united until our armies begin to have
some discipline and see how important it is to success.
Our fort here is nearly done, I have 20 heavy guns mounted
and about 30 field pieces, 7000 Infantry and 600 Cavalry. Some of my regiments
are now in fine drill and discipline and all are doing well. We are all,
however, tied down till events elsewhere develop.
Affectionately yours,
W. T. SHERMAN.
SOURCE: Rachel Sherman Thorndike, Editor, The
Sherman letters: correspondence between General and Senator Sherman from 1837
to 1891, p. 161-3
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