Memoirs of General William T. Sherman — Volume 2

In this candid memoir, a senior Union commander recounts the hectic weeks of March and April 1864, when he assumed control of the Military Division of the Mississippi after General Grant departed for the Eastern theater. He describes the sprawling jurisdiction that stretched from the Ohio to Arkansas, and the delicate task of reshuffling senior officers—some disgraced, others restless—while trying to keep the army’s momentum alive. The narrative captures his conversations with Grant, the War Department, and other key figures as they grapple with political pressures and personal ambitions.

The general’s focus quickly turns to the massive logistical challenge of securing supply routes and communications across a conquered South, laying the groundwork for a major offensive into Georgia. He details the painstaking organization of troops, the coordination of river transports, and the uneasy anticipation of the upcoming campaigns against Confederate forces. Throughout, his observations reveal the blend of strategic planning and human frailty that defined the Union’s war effort at this critical juncture.