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

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

2024/12/25
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Stanley Weintraub: 谢尔曼的“向海进军”是军事战略的体现，旨在切断南方邦联的补给线，迫使南方投降。这次行军并非单纯的军事行动，也包含着政治和心理战的因素，旨在震慑南方人民，瓦解其抵抗意志。行军过程中，大量奴隶逃离种植园，加入联邦军行列，这在一定程度上也加速了战争的结束。 尽管谢尔曼将军在北方被视为英雄，但在南方，他却因战争中的破坏行为而被视为恶棍，甚至被指控为战争罪犯。然而，这种说法并不完全公正。谢尔曼将军的主要目标是南方邦联的军事设施和基础设施，而非平民住宅。许多关于他纵火烧毁房屋和村庄的说法都是南方邦联宣传机器的夸大或歪曲。 在萨凡纳的圣诞节，谢尔曼将军及其军队表现出克制和纪律，尽量减少对城市的破坏。他们不仅没有对城市进行大规模的破坏，反而向郊区缺粮的居民分发了食物，并用树枝装饰骡子，营造节日气氛。这体现了谢尔曼将军复杂的人性一面，他既是冷酷无情的军事指挥官，也是富有同情心的人道主义者。 谢尔曼将军在萨凡纳的圣诞节，是战争与和平的交响曲，是残酷战争中短暂的宁静时刻。它反映了战争的复杂性和多面性，以及战争对不同人群的影响。

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Key Insights

Why did General William Tecumseh Sherman choose to march to the sea in 1864?

Sherman's March to the Sea was aimed at cutting off the Southern Confederacy from the northern part where Robert E. Lee was in Virginia, near Washington, D.C. He also wanted to show the people of Georgia the Union Army's power and make Georgia 'howl' by destroying infrastructure that supported the Confederate rebellion.

How did Sherman's troops behave in Savannah during Christmas 1864?

Sherman's troops were well-behaved. They paraded through the city, and there was very little drunkenness. Churches were open, and the people had food for Christmas dinners. The troops also sent mule carts of food to the suburbs where people had very little, and they tied twigs to the mules' heads to make them look like reindeer.

Why is Sherman's reputation so polarized in the North and South?

In the North, Sherman was seen as a hero who hastened the end of the Civil War. In the South, he was vilified as a war criminal. However, many of the tales of him burning homes and villages are untrue and were part of Confederate propaganda to keep the anger alive and prolong the war.

What did Sherman present to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift in 1864?

Sherman sent a dispatch to President Lincoln presenting the city of Savannah, along with 150 heavy guns, plenty of ammunition, and about 25,000 bales of cotton, as a Christmas gift.

How did Sherman and his troops handle the large number of slaves who followed them during the march to the sea?

Sherman did not want the slaves to follow him because he had enough trouble feeding his 62,000 troops. However, many slaves did follow, and about 10,000 arrived in Savannah with him. Despite this, Sherman and his troops continued their march north into South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, ultimately trapping Lee.

Chapters
This introduction sets the scene of a Christmas morning and introduces the book "General Sherman's Christmas" and the interview with its author, Stanley Weintraub, which explores the Christmas celebration during the Civil War in Savannah.
  • The episode starts with a personal anecdote about Christmas traditions.
  • It introduces the book "General Sherman's Christmas" by Stanley Weintraub.
  • The interview focuses on the Christmas celebration in Savannah during the Civil War.

Shownotes Transcript

During the Civil War, Union Army Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and his troops arrived in Savannah, Georgia, days before Christmas in 1864. The city was their final stop on Sherman's March to the Sea, a military campaign to weaken Confederate power through the state of Georgia. Stanley Weintraub's 2009 book, General Sherman's Christmas, explores the holiday celebration in the war-torn city. In today's episode, we revisit a conversation between Weintraub and NPR's Guy Raz about Sherman's controversial reputation and how they tied twigs to the heads of mules to turn them into reindeer.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)