By The Book- 2/10/10

"For lunch break Sherman's party stopped at the home of a Reverend Heidt, who proved to be one of those duplicitous civilians that Major Hitchcock had come to loathe.  When Union infantry foraging his property came to the General with handfuls of rifle cartridges found hidden in his hen coop, the good cleric loudly proclaimed them planted by the Yankee soldiers.  Sherman's aide-de-camp, Major Lewis F. Drayton, examined the evidence with a grim smile.  "We don't draw ours from the Mason Arsenal," he said, displaying the manufacturing stamp on the cartridges.  Heidt stammered a new excuse, but Sherman was utterly uninterested in dispensing any justice this day.  The good reverend's house would be spared, much to Major Hitchcock's amazement."

-from "Southern Storm" by Noah Andre Trudeau


When you're marching through enemy territory, and your aide and historian is amazed that you didn't torch the home of the minister who was hiding weapons.....Your march is ripping a hole through the southern morale's ass going well.

Every once in a while, I'm going to post little bits and pieces of books that are interesting, thought-provoking, or, like the one above, make me smile a little.  Also, I will soon put up a short post with thoughts on the previous books I've read. Promise.