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Archiver > SCABBEVI > 2001-09 > 1000762732


From: "Betty Polombo" <>
Subject: RE: [Abbeville] Sherman's March through Georgia
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 17:38:52 -0400
In-Reply-To: <200109170039_MC3-DFF3-7774@compuserve.com>


First, after such horrors, deprivation, grief from so many losses, there
could not be a lesson learned.
My grandfathers, Samuel Anderson Hodge and Francis Green, who, with their
fathers, cousins, brothers, uncles, etc, fought in the War Between The
States Revolution, said the 10 years after the war ended was worse than the
whole war. In an environment where everything people owned, including
animals and fields for food, the Carpetbaggers charged items at stores, then
refused to pay; they stole, treated 'poor' Southerners, not one was not
poor, worse than any slave had been treated. Many, many had to leave town
with just their families and no possessions because of the 'hate crimes',
not to return for 20 or 30 years. And on and on.
Even so, these people continued to struggle for the rest of their lives just
to keep their heads above water, with no time for any such thing as revenge.
Some of the youngest of them enjoyed a few years of prosperity in the 1920's
after which they were swept up again into the Great Depression. Therefore,
because the Great Depression was not over until WWII, few of these Southern
survivors of the War ever had anything except struggle. In addition, the
freed slaves had the same plight. Many stayed with their 'exmasters', all
working together just to have food, clothing and shelter.
My grandfather Hodge died in 1939, where he had grown up and fought for his
family's property, at age 92.
My grandfather Green died in 1925, where he had grown up and fought for his
family's property, at age ??
Thank God, the South has risen from this death.
God Bless America.
Betty Polombo

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard_McMurtry [mailto:]
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 12:39 AM
To:
Subject: [Abbeville] Sherman's March through Georgia

Could someone tell me something about the legacy/aftermath of General
Sherman's march through Georgia.

I understand that Gen. Sherman was out to teach the South a lesson. I was
told he wanted to show that one should never attack the United States of
America because there would be a terrible price to pay. That he wanted to
show that the United States was strong.

My first question is: Did he succeed? What was the lesson the South
learned?

I can imagine that for a defeated country - demoralized, frustrated, angry
- that, if there was no outlet to these feelings because the North had
superior military power, that the citizens would have had to find another
outlet for these feelings. They would have had to take out their anger on
someone else.

My second question is: Did they take out their anger on someone else and
if so, who?


Richard McMurtry


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