A Legion of Devils:  Sherman in South Carolina

THE WAR CRIMES committed by General William T. Sherman and his men against Southern civilians and their means of sustaining life are a huge stain on the American national character. Sherman’s crimes are routinely denied or minimized (by those who don’t actually celebrate them), although they are as heavily documented, …

THE WAR CRIMES committed by General William T. Sherman and his men against Southern civilians and their means of sustaining life are a huge stain on the American national character. Sherman’s crimes are routinely denied or minimized (by those who don’t actually celebrate them), although they are as heavily documented, from Northern as well as Southern sources, as any event in history. Sherman’s campaign through Georgia and South Carolina is even cited as a brilliant military feat. In fact, it was not a military feat at all. There was very little fighting. It was a massive campaign of terrorism against civilians. It violated international law and hypocritically deviated widely from officially-declared U.S. policy.

A LEGION OF DEVILS: SHERMAN IN SOUTH CAROLINA adds more very interesting original sources to the published record of U.S. War Crimes. The book also features a timeline documenting most of the significant incidents of January through March 1865, when South Carolina’s home front became a war front for thousands of civilians.

Charlestonian KAREN STOKES enjoys unsurpassed knowledge of the first-hand sources that document South Carolina during the War between the States. She has been prolific in sharing her knowledge both as historian and novelist. Her works of both kinds give a rich picture of the “faith, valour, and devotion” of the South Carolinians who, in time of ruthless invasion, steadfastly endured the greatest sacrifice and suffering that any large group of Americans have ever experienced.