To those of us born and raised in the South and familiar with its real history, the very name "Sherman" will always be anathema. Just as his boss, the Commander-in-Chief at the time, will always be, not the savior of the Union and the man who freed the slaves, a power-hungry petty tyrant.
How many know that Lincoln actually argued in favor of slavery until it became politically inexpedient?
As for great soldiers and generals, I'll pick Jackson and Longstreet any day over Grant and Sherman. If Lee had listened to Longstreet's advice at Gettysburg, the North could conceivably have lost the war. Lee, for all the respect that is due him as a Christian gentleman, was really too old for the role he was given.
For the record: Dad's grandfather was in the 44th Indiana Volunteer Infantry and two of Mother's grandfathers were in the 32nd Alabama Infantry.
