Thompson Played Grant _ No Hero in South

AP via SFGate ^ | 11/13/7 | Jim Davenport

[postaldave]

there is a dixie ping?

i thought i’ve seen all the pings here.

[Non-Sequitur]

In order to have carnage don't you need dead people? Sherman may have burned anything that supported the confederate war effort but your implication that he went around slaughtering anyone who moved is ridiculous. I'd like to know just how many civilians you think he killed?

[Non-Sequitur]

Longstreet was married to either Julia Grant’s sister, or cousin.

Other way around. Julia Dent was a distant cousin of Longstreet's.

[BillyBoy]

>> Why should he feel the need to apologize for portraying a man, a former general and president, who served his country to the best of his ability? He's not. He's apologizing for playing a Yankee. <<

He's "played a yankee" in probably half a dozen films.

[Saundra Duffy]

Fred is not funny.

[Non-Sequitur]

A theory I once had to expound upon in college was that Sherman’s tactics in Georgia were indirectly the result of Nathan B. Forrest’s success in interdicting Yankee supply and support systems.

True. In his letter to Grant proposing his march to the sea, Sherman wrote: "It will be a physical impossibility to protect the roads, now that Hood, Forrest, Wheeler, and the whole batch of devils are turned loose without home or habitation. I think that Hood's movements indicate a diversion to the end of the Selma & Talledega road, at Blue Mountain, about 60 miles southwest of Rome, where he will threaten Kingston, Bridgeport, and Decatur, Alabama, I propose that we break up the railroad from Chattanooga forward, and that we strike out with our wagons for Midgeville, Millen, and Savannah. Until we can repopulate Georgia, it is useless for us to occupy it, but the utter destruction of its roads, houses, and people, will cripple their military resources. By attempting to hold the roads, we will lose a thousand men each month, and we will gain no result. I can make this march, and make Georgia howl! We have on hand over 8 thousand head of cattle and three million rations of bread, but no corn. We can find plenty of forage in the interior of the state."

[puroresu]

I think he was just having a little fun by noting that he played Grant. No one seriously thinks that would, or should, hurt him in the South.

[Guenevere]

I think you mean the War of Northern Aggression..:^)

[BlueNgold]

Seriously, are we looking for reasonable commentary on GOP candidates from the SF papers????

And besides that, honestly, it was probably a pretty good joke when he said it.

[Non-Sequitur]

No, I believe he means the War of Southern Rebellion.

[meyer]

Gosh, the lamestream media is sure afraid of Fred. I wonder why? Probably for the same reason that they prefer Hitlery - they’re just not too bright.

[Lee'sGhost]

He doesn’t HAVE to. He’s playing off of stereotypes and history. It’s a joke. Don’t you ever take a day off?

[ichabod1]

My understanding is that Sherman was a tireless supporter of veterans from both sides after the war, that he never turned away a vet who had fallen on hard times, and that the Southroners developed a real respect and admiration for him in his later years.

[Moonman62]

I just got through reading some about Sherman. He disliked war in general and wanted to put a quick end to it. He ordered all civilians evacuated before torching Atlanta. He ordered his men to leave rations for the household, and not to use abusive language when they were commandeering food on their march. (though that didn’t apply in areas where there was armed resistance). He was admired by Confederate generals Lee and Johnston, and Johnston was a pallbearer at Sherman’s funeral.

[azhenfud]

“Hang him out and dry him..”

(He’s an actor - it doesn’t matter to me whichywhat he played...)

[rdl6989]

They must really fear FRed on the left coast.

[Lewite]

I wish we had a President today that would allow our generals to fight wars like Grant and Sherman. I am from Alabama, we still have too many old demicrats here, like they had a hundred years ago. They want to hold down everyone black or white and live like the Kennedy's and Clinton's. I am thankful we had leaders like Grant and Lincoln. Urinate on the Clinton's, Kennedy's and Johnson and Carter.

[Texas Mulerider]

You mean it’s not just halftime?

[ichabod1]

Longstreet was married to either Julia Grant’s sister, or cousin.

Same difference. :)

jk

[Verginius Rufus]

Longstreet became a Republican after the War.