'General Sherman's Christmas' captures the war-time holiday in Savannah 150 years ago

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: 'General Sherman's Christmas' – Detailed Summary

Release Date: December 25, 2024

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Introduction

In the holiday-themed episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbaugh delves into Stanley Weintraub's 2009 historical work, "General Sherman's Christmas." This episode, released on Christmas Day, explores the lesser-known facets of Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman's storied "March to the Sea" and his unique Christmas celebrations in Savannah, Georgia, 150 years ago.

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Overview of "General Sherman's Christmas"

Stanley Weintraub's book offers a comprehensive narrative of Sherman’s campaign from Atlanta to Savannah during the American Civil War. The focus is not only on the strategic military maneuvers but also on the human aspects of the soldiers' experiences, particularly during the holiday season amidst wartime turmoil.

“General William Tecumseh Sherman spent Christmas of 1864 in Savannah, Georgia, really one of the most beautiful cities in America. For anybody who's been there, he largely spares the city.”
— Stanley Weintraub [05:13]

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Sherman's March to Savannah

In mid-November 1864, General Sherman embarked on a decisive campaign with approximately 62,000 Union soldiers. The objective, as Weintraub explains, was strategic rather than combative.

“The point of the march was that Sherman had no reason to stay in Atlanta anymore. The town was destroyed. There was no place for his troops. There was no food. There was nothing. He had to go on from there.”
— Stanley Weintraub [03:10]

The march aimed to reach the Atlantic coast at Savannah, approximately 300 miles away. By doing so, Sherman intended to sever the Confederacy's supply lines, thereby crippling its ability to sustain the war effort. Contrary to initial expectations, the march was not intended as an outright assault but as a strategic maneuver to demonstrate the Union's formidable presence.

“I think that was part of his intention because he said, I want to make Georgia Hal. And he did make Georgia Hal, but he did not deliberately destroy anything but infrastructure.”
— Stanley Weintraub [03:54]

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Christmas Celebrations in Savannah

Upon reaching Savannah just before Christmas, Sherman and his troops set up camp in the city, transforming a war zone into a semblance of holiday normalcy. Despite the ongoing conflict, the atmosphere was markedly peaceful and festive.

“Sherman and his generals made sure that they didn't overwhelm the city of Savannah. Most of them camped outside. The city was quiet. Everything seemed very Christmas.”
— Stanley Weintraub [05:53]

Key elements of the celebration included:

• Parades: Union soldiers paraded through Savannah, maintaining discipline and order.

• Church Services: Churches remained open, allowing soldiers and locals to partake in religious observances.

• Food Distribution: Recognizing the scarcity of resources, Sherman organized the distribution of food. Soldiers distributed mule carts filled with provisions to the surrounding areas, enhancing goodwill among the local populace.

An endearing anecdote highlights Sherman's humane leadership:

“A man in a poncho and hood came forward and...little boy realized that it was the companion general. And he said, thank you, Uncle Billy. Uncle Billy was the way the soldiers thought of him.”
— Stanley Weintraub [06:45]

This story illustrates Sherman's personal connection with his troops, contrasting the often harsh image portrayed in Confederate narratives.

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Sherman's Legacy and Reputation

Sherman's tactics during the Civil War garnered mixed perceptions. While hailed as a hero in the North for accelerating the war's end, many Southerners viewed him as a villain, attributing acts of wanton destruction to his campaign.

“I think the war criminal charge is very unfair. He was after Confederate infrastructure. He was not after Confederate homes.”
— Stanley Weintraub [06:28]

Weintraub argues that accusations of Sherman being a war criminal are largely unfounded and stem from Confederate propaganda aimed at vilifying him to sustain Southern resistance. The historian emphasizes that Sherman's primary target was the Confederacy's military and economic infrastructure, not civilian properties. The preservation of Savannah's beauty and the sparing of its grand mansions further support this perspective.

“Not a single one of the beautiful mansions in Savannah was harmed. Sherman took over one of the mansions owned by a British merchant named Green and remained there.”
— Stanley Weintraub [05:24]

This balanced portrayal challenges the one-dimensional image of Sherman and invites a re-evaluation of his contributions and character.

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Conclusion

"General Sherman's Christmas" by Stanley Weintraub offers a nuanced exploration of a pivotal moment in American history. By focusing on the humanity and strategic acumen of General Sherman, the book provides readers with a deeper understanding of the complexities of war and leadership. NPR's Book of the Day encapsulates these themes, presenting a compelling narrative that celebrates both historical significance and the enduring spirit of the holiday season.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• “The point of the march was that Sherman had no reason to stay in Atlanta anymore...” — Stanley Weintraub [03:10]
• “I want to make Georgia Hal. And he did make Georgia Hal, but he did not deliberately destroy anything but infrastructure.” — Stanley Weintraub [03:54]
• “Not a single one of the beautiful mansions in Savannah was harmed...” — Stanley Weintraub [05:24]
• “Everything seemed very Christmas.” — Stanley Weintraub [05:53]
• “I think the war criminal charge is very unfair...” — Stanley Weintraub [06:28]
• “Uncle Billy was the way the soldiers thought of him.” — Stanley Weintraub [06:45]

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This episode serves as an enlightening listen for history enthusiasts and those interested in the intersection of military strategy and human experiences during wartime holidays. "General Sherman's Christmas" not only recounts historical events but also sheds light on the personal dimensions of leadership and camaraderie amidst conflict.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbaugh]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. And Merry Christmas. If all is going according to plan, by the time you are hearing this, I should have a pretty serious stomach ache from eating like three cinnamon rolls before I've had any real breakfast, you know, as is the family tradition. But if all is not going according to plan, well, you know, you find a way to make do with what you got, which is, if you think about it, also part of the Christmas tradition, you know, with the baby in the manger and all of that. Anyway, I wanted to tell you about a book that's all about making do during Christmas. It came out in 2009, and it's called General Sherman's Christmas by historian Stanley Weintraub. And it tells the story of Civil War General Tecumseh Sherman and his wartime Christmas spent in Savannah, camped out with the rest of his troops as part of his march to the sea. And in this interview with NPR's Guy Raz, Weintraub talks about how the troops did what they could to make it Christmassy and why to this day you can find a house in Savannah marked Sherman's headquarters. That's ahead.

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[Stanley Weintraub]

A few days before Christmas 1864, Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman sent a dispatch to President Abraham Lincoln. Mr. President, it read, I beg to.

Present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition. Also about 25,000 bales of cotton.

That's author Stanley Weintraub reading from his new book, General Sherman's Christmas. It's the story of Sherman's march to the sea from Atlanta to Savannah that ended in triumph just before Christmas 1864. And Stanley Weintraub joins me from his home in Delaware. Welcome to the program.

Thank you. Glad to be with you.

Stanley Weintraub. Before we get to the actual Christmas in Savannah, I want to start by asking about the march itself. In around the middle of November 1864, Sherman takes 62,000 of his soldiers, marches them through rural Georgia all the way to Savannah. It takes about a month. It became known as Sherman's march to the sea. What was the point of that march to the sea?

The point of the march was that Sherman had no reason to stay in Atlanta anymore. The town was destroyed. There was no place for his troops. There was no food. There was nothing. He had to go on from there. He wanted to get to the sea because the Union navy was offshore, and if he could get to Savannah, 300 miles away, he would cut off the southern Confederacy from the northern part, in which Robert E. Lee was in Virginia, near Washington, D.C. now, this March was.

Never supposed to be an assault. They didn't expect to meet too much resistance. How much of Sherman's decision was just to show a force, to show the people in Georgia that the Union army was powerful and could defeat them?

I think that was part of his intention because he said, I want to make Georgia Hal. And he did make Georgia Hal, but he did not deliberately destroy anything but infrastructure. He destroyed cotton mills, gins, warehouses, factories, anything that would support the Confederate rebellion.

What was fascinating to me was along that march, thousands, hundreds, perhaps thousands of slaves simply left their plantations and joined this column of Union soldiers.

Sherman didn't want the slaves to follow him because if they did, he'd have more mouths to feed. He had enough trouble trying to forage off the farms on both sides in order to get 62,000 troops fed. He didn't want tens of thousands more, but many slaves did follow him, and about 10,000 actually arrived in Savannah with him. And Sherman celebrated Christmas and New Year's Eve in Savannah. The troops were actually quite well behaved. They paraded through the city. There was very little drunkenness. The churches were open. The people got fed, and then he marched north into South Carolina and into North Carolina and then into Virginia, and Lee was trapped. And 80 days after Savannah fell, Lee surrendered.

Sherman, of course, spent Christmas of 1864 in Savannah, Georgia, really one of the most beautiful cities in America. For anybody who's been there, he largely spares the city.

He spared the city. The city remains beautiful. Not a single one of the beautiful mansions in Savannah was harmed. Sherman took over one of the mansions owned by a British merchant named Green and remained there. And now if you go to Savannah, you see a plaque in front of the mansion that says, this is Sherman's headquarters.

There were about 60,000 Union troops at this point on the outskirts of Savannah. How did they celebrate Christmas of 1864?

Sherman and his generals made sure that they didn't overwhelm the city of Savannah. Most of them camped outside. The city was quiet. Everything seemed very Christmas. Like, as I said, the churches were open. People had food for Christmas dinners. And in the suburbs near Savannah, where people had very little food, the troops got together mule carts and sent mule carts of food out to the environs and actually tied twigs to the heads of the mules so they looked like reindeer.

Now, Stanley Weintraub, William Tecumseh Sherman was regarded as a hero in the North, a man who really hastened the end. End of the Civil War in the South. He was seen as a villain, considered by many Southerners almost as a war criminal. Was that in your view? Is that an unfair view of Sherman?

I think the war criminal charge is very unfair. He was after Confederate infrastructure. He was not after Confederate homes. And many of the tales of his burning homes and burning down villages are just plain not true and were part of the Confederate press desire to vilify him so that the anger would continue to make the Confederates want to continue fighting. He was really a very humane guy. And one story I tell there in the book is about Sherman encountering a group of soldiers who are trying to build a fire in the rain. And a Drummer Boy of 13 years old tells the story that they couldn't get the fire going, and he tried to blow it into flame. And then a man in a poncho and hood came forward and said, why don't you hold the poncho over it? Let me help you. And he stood with him and he held it, and the flame flickered up. And suddenly little boy realized that it was the companion general. And he said, thank you, Uncle Billy. Uncle Billy was the way the soldiers thought of him. And that's a better picture of him than the devil.

That's Stanley Weintraub. He's the author of the new book, General Sherman's Christmas. It's the story of William Tecumseh Sherman's March from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia in 1864. Stanley Weintraub thank you so much.

Thank you.

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