On this day in 1864 Union General William T. Sherman had to make a decision. Who would replace the lamented General James M. McPherson as commander of the Army of the Tennessee? General George H. Thomas had the talent and experience, but he was from a different army with a different “culture.” Sherman also seemed to harbor a bias against Thomas. General John A. Logan was next in line for McPherson’s place, and was doing well in an acting capacity, but again, Sherman had reservations, and Thomas himself threatened to resign if the despised politician-general got the job. General Joseph Hooker was the senior Major General in the army and had previously commanded a large army. Never. Sherman clearly stated, “Hooker has not the moral qualities that I want; not those adequate to command…” Sherman got his moralist, the pious Oliver O. Howard. Sherman spent the rest of his days defending this and other decisions in multiple editions of his memoirs. Sherman’s memoirs and criticisms of them amounted to a minor genre of literature in the late 19th Century. The best, and most collectable, edition of Sherman’s memoirs is this 1891 “Shoulder Strap” edition, from Charles L. Webster Company. ow.ly/zClJm
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 20:32:21 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015