General Sherman Research Paper

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Sometime during the evening of February 17th, 1865, a fire broke out in the city of Columbia, South Carolina, causing the destruction of a third of its infrastructure and residence, leaving thousands homeless and penniless. One might ask, what was the cause of this massive inferno, which produced such great devastation? That resolve is neither easy nor straightforward, but a few theories do exist. Perhaps, none greater than the suggestion that General William T. Sherman and his occupying forces deliberately burned “it” to the ground. This topic has been debated time and time again with no clear “order” given. If such an order were given, it would show that Sherman’s plan all along was to destroy the birthplace of succession and teach southerners …show more content…

That is an award winning question that anyone has yet to answer. Which brings up the topic of how or if Sherman’s orders were followed that fateful night. How could such devastating occur on his watch? Wasn’t he supposed to be in control of his men and the city of Columbia? There is truth that some of Sherman’s men did, in fact, try to extinguish some of the fire and to keep it from spreading. According to Sherman Did he have a tight enough grip on his men or did he fear being seen as a southern sympathizer by restraining his men from their impending thirst? Sherman had to have known what was about to happen when he crossed into the state that he accused of starting the entire war. Sherman should have had a tighter grip on the behavior of his soldiers. On the evening that the fire broke out in Columbia, Union soldiers were seen boozing around the streets and Sherman writes of this in a correspondence with his brother saying, “This liquor, which our men got in bucketfuls, was an aggravation, and occasioned much of the disorders at night after the fires had got headway.” Knowing his men’s desire for passion for revenge, why would he have allowed his men to drink? Even if Sherman himself did not order the burning, how can he not be held responsible for his men’s actions? His men were never punished or held accountable to setting fires or their neglect it was putting them

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