Actually, both Sherman and Sheridan ended up passing through the Southside
of Virginia in 1865. I think, but I cannot be sure, that Sheridan had been
sent southward with the bulk of Grant's cavalry after Robert E. Lee
surrendered at Appomattox on 9 April 1965. General Joseph Johnston still
had considerable forces in North Carolina facing Sherman's Army of Tennessee
(title?) When Johnston and Sherman came to terms, Sheridan apparently
departed Carolina first, followed by Sherman's troops, chiefly infantry
hence slower moving. Having ripped up most of the rail lines in VA and NC,
the troops all traveled by their own conveyance and survived on supplies in
their trains as well as those appropriated on the way back north. I have
read in the manuscript record of the considerable dismay in Mecklenburg and
Halifax counties (particularly) that the War was over but tens of thousands
of Union troops were still traversing Virginia to get to the North for
mustering out.
Harold S. Forsythe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Randy Cabell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 1:46 PM
Subject: Re: Blame it all on Sherman?
> At the risk of fanning the flames, I should note that mathematically
> speaking, in the short hand of BASIC:
>
> SHERMAN <> SHERIDAN (i.e. Gen. Sherman is not the same as Gen. Sheridan.)
>
> Little Phil Sheridan, worked the Valley of Virginia in the last year of
> The
> War. Meanwhile, Sherman was solidifying the Atlanta sector and preparing
> for his famous March to the Sea. (My grandmother used to tell of her
> mother's two memories of Sherman when he came through Milledgeville, GA
> (1)
> The troops could not catch the guiena hens who were too fast for them and
> thus avoided being a bellum version of Chick-Fil-A. (2) some troops went
> over to the Episcopal Church and poured mollasses down the organ pipes.
> #2
> is substantiated in several accounts of the March to the Sea.)
>
> Probably Sherman's major contribution to the vernaculer is his famous "WAR
> IS HELL". It indeed was and is, and I expect that burning of "Virginia"
> county records was simply one more act which bespeaks of the insanity and
> inhumanty of war. I recall some years ago of trying to find genealogical
> records in Henrico County, only to find that first the British in the
> Revolution and then the Union troops in The War, destroyed most of the
> records. And of course, our own Thomas Jefferson repopulated the book
> collection of the Library of Congress after the British burnt Washington
> in
> the War of 1812.
>
> I don't know where Sheridan went after The War, but I know that Custer was
> assigned to the west, and got a job for his old West Point Classmate, and
> former adversary on the Confederate side, Gen. Rosser. The story was that
> Custer got Rosser a job as surveyor for one of the railroads, and Custer's
> men protected the surveying teams, but when attacked Rosser was known to
> set
> aside his surveying instruments, and pick up rifle and join the fight. I
> believe he eventually settled in Charlottesville or Waynesboro, but have
> neve seen a definitive biography of the man.
>
> Randy Cabell
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "qvarizona" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 12:04 PM
> Subject: [VA-HIST] Blame it all on Sherman?
>
>
>> Good for you, Ray. Let it rest. I didn't particularly think either you
>> or Randy were funny when you joked about Sherman, but I see no reason for
>> anyone to get terribly upset, even if your jokes were in bad taste. Who
>> amongst us hasn't had a joke fall flat?
>>
>> Joanne
>> Another "Genealogical-Skitzo", descendant of early Virginians and
>> lots of Yankees, including John and Priscella. They ALL fought,
>> particularly
>> the Scots-Irish, who, as we all know, were " Born Fighting."
>>
>>
>> Ray Bonis <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> ha!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Joan Brooks wrote:
>>
>>> Mr. Bonis, there is no "fun" in the human pain and loss incurred on all
>>> sides of the war. One does not tastefully compare the devastation of
>>> war to
>>> the minor event of burning a supply train.
>>>
>>> Oh, yes, and wasn't Sheridan, at the orders of Grant and Sherman, the
>>> great
>>> Indian destroyer? Oh, yes--- just following orders, like in his
>>> depredations in the Valley.
>>>
>>> If you want to poke fun at war, make it something humorous, like
>>> stealing a
>>> General's frock coat, or better yet, stealing a General himself.
>>>
>>> As to a Jamestown celebration, I doubt 2007 will outdo 1957 which I was
>>> fortunate to attend, or 1907 for which I wasn't yet present.
>>>
>>> Joan Logan Brooks
>>> a Southside Virginian through 11 proven generations
>>>
>>> and a great-granddaughter of a Yankee too cowardly to serve the Union
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Ray Bonis"
>>> To:
>>> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 9:55 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Anniversary celebrations in the 21st century
>>>
>>>
>>>> I was just responding with a little humor to Mr. Cabell's remarks who
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> "I'm hardpressed to think of any GREATEST since (reading of) Col. Mosby
>>>> welcoing Gen. Sheridan to the northwest corner of
>>>> Virginia by burning his supply train, north of Berryville."
>>>>
>>>> By the way, Gen. Sheridan (*Philip Hendry Shridan*) had a very fine
>>>> time
>>>> in Virginia. "Here he contested Gen. Early's Confederate troops,
>>>> destroyed crops which were the breadbasket of the Confederate army,
>>>> defeated and killed Gen. J.E.B. Stuart (famous cavalry leader of the
>>>> south) and eventually, in the battle of Cedar Creek, drove Early out of
>>>> the valley. As the war neared its end Sheridan was the leader in
>>>> forcing
>>>> Gen. Lee out of his Petersburg, Va. defenses and eventually cutting off
>>>> his retreat at Appomattox Court House." [From
>>>> www.netpluscom.com/~pchs/sheridan.htm]
>>>>
>>>> He was a very effective Yankee General in Virginia. Maybe if he could
>>>> magically be in charge of promoting Jamestown 2007 celebrations the
>>>> prospects for its success would be much improved.
>>>>
>>>> Ray B. ;-)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Joan Brooks wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Mr. Bonis, please make your snide remarks elsewhere.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Ray Bonis"
>>>>> To:
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2006 7:58 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Anniversary celebrations in the 21st century
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Actually, the last GREATEST excitment was when Lee gave up and the
>>>>>> North
>>>>>> won. Now that was fun.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ray B.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Randy Cabell wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Very well said. Maybe its just my getting older, but I also now
>>>>>>> really want
>>>>>>> to look into Virginia and family things within the larger context of
>>>>>>> what
>>>>>>> was going on.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> re the biggest "excitement" and the hope that Jamestowne things will
>>>>>>> heat up
>>>>>>> as we approach it, I say Amen. Lets see...... our biggest excitement
>>>>>>> was...... hmmmmm..... I'm hardpressed to think of any GREATEST since
>>>>>>> (reading of) Col. Mosby welcoing Gen. Sheridan to the northwest
>>>>>>> corner of
>>>>>>> Virginia by burning his supply train, north of Berryville.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Randy Cabell
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>> From:
>>>>>>> To:
>>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 4:34 PM
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Anniversary celebrations in the 21st century
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I attended that conference in 2004 sponsored by the Omohundro
>>>>>>>> Institute
>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> I thought it was interesting mainly because it did put Jamestown
>>>>>>>> in a
>>>>>>>> global
>>>>>>>> context with information on other European nations, West Africa and
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> Native
>>>>>>>> Americans that were here before the arrival of the British.
>>>>>>>> Jamestown
>>>>>>>> did
>>>>>>>> not happen in a vacum, the whole world was on the move and surely
>>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>>> understand
>>>>>>>> Jamestown and the world that was created here can be better
>>>>>>>> understood
>>>>>>>> with
>>>>>>>> the backdrop.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I don't know but I am going to assume that when we finally get
>>>>>>>> closer to
>>>>>>>> 2007
>>>>>>>> there will be other conferences held in Williamsburg &
>>>>>>>> Jamestown.......and
>>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>>> will be very appeciative if as a " local history buff" I am able to
>>>>>>>> attend. I
>>>>>>>> will say that the Jamestown 2007 Steering Committee has their work
>>>>>>>> cut out
>>>>>>>> for them because locally the biggest thing to happen in the area in
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> last
>>>>>>>> couple of years is the opening of the Bass Pro Shop off of 64,
>>>>>>>> maybe
>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>> has now
>>>>>>>> be surpassed by the BRAC Commissions decision to close Fort
>>>>>>>> Monroe....let
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> Condo building begin.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Selma Stewart
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> In a message dated 2/21/2006 9:23:50 AM Eastern Standard Time,
>>>>>>>> [log in to unmask] writes:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What are we "celebrating," exactly? The Omohundro Institute of
>>>>>>>>> Early
>>>>>>>>> >American History and Culture sponsored a very DEEP scholarly
>>>>>>>>> confer-
>>>>>>>>> >ence in 2004, almost ignoring Jamestown itself by placing it in
>>>>>>>>> global
>>>>>>>>> >context with West African tribal traditions circa 1607, etc. The
>>>>>>>>> only
>>>>>>>>> >conference on the Jamestown Commemoration website that I saw was
>>>>>>>>> >focused on modern democracy. Better not go there.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>>>>>>> instructions
>>>>>>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>>>>>> instructions
>>>>>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ray Bonis
>>>>>> Virginia Commonwealth University
>>>>>> Special Collections and Archives
>>>>>> James Branch Cabell Library
>>>>>> Box 842033
>>>>>> Richmond, VA 23284-2033
>>>>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>>>> (804) 828-1108
>>>>>> FAX (804) 828-0151
>>>>>> www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/speccoll.html
>>>>>>
>>>>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>>>>> instructions
>>>>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>>>> instructions
>>>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ray Bonis
>>>> Virginia Commonwealth University
>>>> Special Collections and Archives
>>>> James Branch Cabell Library
>>>> Box 842033
>>>> Richmond, VA 23284-2033
>>>> [log in to unmask]
>>>> (804) 828-1108
>>>> FAX (804) 828-0151
>>>> www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/speccoll.html
>>>>
>>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>>> instructions
>>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>>
>>>
>>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
>>> instructions
>>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>>
>> Ray Bonis
>> Virginia Commonwealth University
>> Special Collections and Archives
>> James Branch Cabell Library
>> Box 842033
>> Richmond, VA 23284-2033
>> [log in to unmask]
>> (804) 828-1108
>> FAX (804) 828-0151
>> www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/speccoll.html
>>
>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------------------------------
>> Yahoo! Mail
>> Use Photomail to share photos without annoying attachments.
>>
>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
>> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>>
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
> at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
|
