He ordered that all the civilians remove themselves—or be removed by his soldiers. This was, perhaps, the first time in the war that a civilian population had been treated in so harsh a manner, and there were all sorts of protests. Some of the most articulate came from John Bell Hood, commander of the Army of Tennessee:

“You order into exile the whole population of a city, drive men, women and children from their houses at the point of the bayonet.… You come into our country with your army avowedly for the purpose of subjugating free white men, women and children; and not only intend to rule over them, but you make negroes your allies, and desire to place over us an inferior race, which we have raised from barbarism to its present position.”

Sherman replied: “War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war on our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices today than any of you to secure peace. But you cannot have peace and a division of our country.”