Patricia G McNeely

Eyewitnesses to General William T. Sherman's Campaign in the Civil War Patricia G McNeely

Originally published as "Eyewitnesses to General Sherman's Atrocities in the Civil War," this book focuses on recently released documents that Sherman gave to an old family friend before, during and after the war. Privately held for more than 150 years, the documents and eyewitness accounts provide significant new insight into Sherman's personal life as well as evidence of the destruction caused by his troops in his military, economic and psychological war on civilians in Georgia and the Carolinas. The documents and eyewitnesses also finally and convincingly end the 150-year-old controversy about who burned Columbia, South Carolina. Admitting his strategy to destroy towns in his path rather than leaving occupying forces, Sherman said that he "had not wanted to burn the town, it was such a pretty place," but "could leave no part" of his army to keep it."