The Burning: Sheridan’s Devastation of the Shenandoah, John L. Heatwole, 1998.
A Legion of Devils: Sherman in South Carolina, Karen Stokes, 2017.
Karen Stokes is an archivist at the South Carolina Historical Society and the author of numerous non-fiction and fiction books. A Legion of Devils is a compilation of first-hand, eye-witness accounts of how Sherman’s “bummers,” as they were called, exploded with hate and revenge against the “insurrectionists” of South Carolina, the first state to secede in December of 1860.
Sherman’s army was not noble, heroic, and on the moral side of history, as you were no doubt taught in public school (and in most private schools). This is because in war, the victors always get to write the history, erect statues to themselves, whitewash their war crimes, and endlessly demonize their defeated enemies, all as a giant smokescreen for their own crimes.
DiLorenzo suggests that readers who would like to learn more of Sherman and Lincoln’s destruction of South Carolina might consult . . .
South Carolina Civilians in Sherman’s Path: Stories of Courage Amid Civil War Destruction, Karen Stokes, 2012. To learn more from Karen Stokes, check out this page.
A Carnival of Destruction: Sherman’s Invasion of South Carolina, Tom Elmore, 2012.
A City Laid Waste: The Capture, Sack, & Destruction of the City of Columbia, William Gilmore Sims, 2020.
Merchant of Terror: General Sherman and Total War, John Bennett Walters, 1973.
Destruction of Property in Columbia, S.C. by Sherman’s Army, Cole Bease,
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