Early attrib. of "War is hell" to Sherman

Jonathan Lighter wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM
Thu Jan 15 04:43:01 UTC 2009


Fred and others know that no reliable documentation exists of a
specific occasion when General Sherman (1820-91) may have said, "War is
Hell."

Here is a very early attribution, though it still falls short of proof:

1883 _The Decatur [Ill.] Morning Review_ (Nov. 7) 1/2
[NewspaperArchive.com]: General Sherman said the other day, "War has been
the business of my life, and war is hell." That is what his brother John is
beginning to say in politics._Macomb Eagle_.

The _Macomb Eagle_, I presume, was published in Macomb, Illinois.

JL

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