25 War Legend William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes
Published May 31, 2023
History buffs will love these William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes from the famous Civil War General.
William Tecumseh Sherman was born in Lancaster, Ohio, in 1820 and died in New York City, New York, in 1891 at 71.
General Sherman is best known for his exploits during the Civil War, where he had a large part in leading the Union Armies in defeating the Confederate Armies.
Sherman got his military training at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree.
Sherman used his military strategy and hard-charging ways to lead the Union Armies in several battles against the Confederates.
He later served as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army under President Ulysses S. Grant.
Take a few moments to read these William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes and learn more about this pivotal war hero.
William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes About War
The Civil War was a big part of Sherman’s life, as shown in these William Tecumseh Sherman quotes.
1. “Hold the fort! I am coming!” — William Tecumseh Sherman
2. “The scenes on this field would have cured anybody of war.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
3. “A battery of field artillery is worth a thousand muskets.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
4. “I will accept no commission that would tend to create a rivalry with Grant.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
5. “Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
6. “If you don’t have my army supplied, and keep it supplied, we’ll eat your mules up, sir.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
7. “You people speak so lightly of war; you don’t know what you’re talking about. War is a terrible thing!” — William Tecumseh Sherman
8. “I see every chance of a long, confused and disorganizing civil war, and I feel no desire to take a hand therein.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
9. “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
10. “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
Wise William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes
Check out some of the wisest William Tecumseh Sherman quotes!
11. “War is at its best barbarism.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
12. “In our Country… one class of men makes war and leaves another to fight it out.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
13. “Courage – a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
14. “The way to success is strategically along the way of least expectation and tactically along the line of least resistance.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
15. “We have good corporals and good sergeants and some good lieutenants and captains, and those are far more important than good generals.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
16. “Though I never ordered it, and never wished for it, I have never shed any tears over the event, because I believe that it hastened what we all fought for, the end of the war.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
17. “An army to be useful must be a unit, and out of this has grown the saying, attributed to Napoleon, but doubtless spoken before the days of Alexander, that an army with an inefficient commander was better than one with two able heads.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman Quotes For History Buffs
These William Tecumseh Sherman quotes are perfect for any history buff!
18. “I am tired and sick of this war.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
19. “It’s a disagreeable thing to be whipped.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
20. “He belonged to that army known as invincible in peace, invisible in war.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
21. “But, my dear sirs, when peace does come, you may call on me for anything.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
22. “You may as well say, ‘That’s a valiant flea that dare eat his breakfast on the lip of a lion.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
23. “If nominated by either party, I should peremptorily decline, and even if unanimously elected, I should decline to serve.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
24. “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
25. “It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation.” — William Tecumseh Sherman
General Sherman’s Personal Life
Sherman’s father died of typhoid fever when Sherman was only nine years old, and he was then raised by a neighbor and family friend named Thomas Ewing.
Sherman later married his foster sister, Ellen Boyle Ewing, and they had eight children together.
After graduating from West Point, he tried life in the civilian world before returning to the Army, where he cemented his legacy.
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