William Tecumseh Sherman

"The test of civilization is its treatment of those most vulnerable."

"The South underestimated Northern will and Northern resources in equal measure."

"America needs her engineers more than her soldiers in times of peace."

"The great lesson of war is that preparation determines outcome."

"A man's reputation is the sum of his daily actions over time."

"The best security against revolution is in constant progress and improvement."

"I have always tried to do my duty, and that is enough for any man."

"Artillery is the God of war, and logistics is its prophet."

"The Confederate cause was already lost before we began to fight."

"Time and time again, I have found that moral courage exceeds physical valor."

"In the administration of a nation, expedience must yield to principle."

"A soldier's highest duty is to preserve the Union he swears to defend."

"Those who do not understand the past are doomed to repeat it."

"The true test of a man is not in how he rises after victory, but after defeat."

"Wars are made by politicians, not soldiers, though soldiers fight them."

"I fight for the Union because the Union is the last hope of mankind."

"The Western territories could not long endure as a house divided."

"An army marches on its stomach, and good supply lines determine battles."

"The South forgot that victory requires more than courage—it requires resources."

"Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable."

"In war, as in love, certainty of purpose wins the day."

"I believe that the American people desire the preservation of the Union above all things."

"The greatest general is not he who wins the most battles, but he who preserves his nation."

"Beware the ambition of men who love war more than they love peace."

"The destruction of Atlanta was not cruelty, but military necessity."

"A man should do his duty without complaint or praise-seeking."

"The future belongs to those who can adapt and learn from experience."

"War strips away all pretense and reveals the true character of nations."

"Mercy in war often prolongs suffering rather than shortens it."

"The Union is more precious than any individual state or region."