William Tecumseh Sherman quotes

Born
February 8, 1820 Lancaster, Ohio.

Died
February 14, 1891.

Occupation
Soldier.

William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–65), for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy.

If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

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

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

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

War is at its best barbarism.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

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

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

He belonged to that army known as invincible in peace, invisible in war.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

It’s a disagreeable thing to be whipped.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

War is hell.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

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

I intend to make Georgia howl.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

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

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

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

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

War is too serious a matter to leave to soldiers.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

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

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

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

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

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

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

A battery of field artillery is worth a thousand muskets.
– William Tecumseh Sherman

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

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

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