Favorite Civil war qoutes

[jebstuart]

"How do you like this coming back into the union"
confederate solider to Pennsylvanian citizen days before Gettysburg 


"Hollard to shoot at the ornery son of a bitches and we all let go at them. They may say what they please but goddamit pa it is fun"
union solider writing to father  after firing and forcing retreat of confederate soldiers


"Angels went to receive his body from his grave but he was not there, they left very disappointed but upon return to haven, found he had outflanked them and was already there".
northern newspaper about the death of stonewall jackson 



"no way sherman will go to hell, he would outflank the devil and get past havens guard"
southern solider about northern general sherman



"General, did you ever hear of Mosby?"
"Yes, have you caught him?"
"He has caught you."
Captain John S. Mosby capturing General E.H. Stoughton, March, 1863




from movie gods and generals but to good to leave out
general jackson checking on the 4 artillery pieces

Jackson- "sir how are your cannons firing today?
artillery officer- "Just fine sir, the boys have taken to naming them, matt,mark,luke and john"
Jackson- " well sir, I do hope that you spread the gospel throughout the  enemy wherever you do see them"

[Saddletank]

I always liked Nathan Bedford Forrest's strategy which was to:

"git thar fustest with the mostest."

[Jim]

Attributed to William T. Sherman:

"Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other."

-Jim

[Little Powell]

There's no quote that better demonstrates Jubal Early's hard-nosed personality than this one:

"Hunter's deeds were those of a malignant cowardly fanatic, who was better qualified to make war upon helpless women and children than upon armed soldiers".

[Little Powell]

"General, did you ever hear of Mosby?"
"Yes, have you caught him?"
"He has caught you."
Captain John S. Mosby capturing General E.H. Stoughton, March, 1863

Love that one.

Also another one of my favorites:

"Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what we are going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do." - Grant

[con20or]

good ones alright - but will Nap quotes translate as well??!!??

[Shirkon]

Always liked this one:

War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over.

Sherman, December 1863, remark to a Tennessee woman.

[jebstuart]

Feel the love between sherman and forrest?


"There is no doubt we could soon wipe old Sherman off the face of the earth, John, if they'd give me enough men and you enough guns."
Nathan bedford forrest To Captain John Morton, 1864.

“Follow Forrest to the death if it costs 10,000 lives and breaks the Treasury. There will never be peace in Tennessee till Forrest is dead.”
General*William T. Sherman*of the Union Army. As quoted in*May I Quote You, General Forrest?*by Randall Bedwell.

[Little Powell]

Forest may have not been the best human being, but he sure was a genius in the saddle. The dude was the ultimate badass, completely fearless. Much like a Napoleon, his name alone was worth 20,000 men.

Not really a quote, but this story shows what kind of fighter he was:

"A month later, Forrest was back in action at the Battle of Shiloh (April 6­7, 1862). Once again, he found himself in command of the Confederate rear guard after a lost battle, and again he distinguished himself. For the first time, he came under enemy fire and showed himself to have no fear. He charged a line of Union skirmishers, driving them off, but was wounded in the process, shot through the pelvis, with the bullet lodging near his spine. He stayed in the saddle, lifted the Union shooter by the shirt collar, and used him as a human shield to avoid more gunfire before casting him aside"

[jebstuart]

Forest may have not been the best human being, but he sure was a genius in the saddle. The dude was the ultimate badass, completely fearless. Much like a Napoleon, his name alone was worth 20,000 men.

Not really a quote, but this story shows what kind of fighter he was:

"A month later, Forrest was back in action at the Battle of Shiloh (April 6­7, 1862). Once again, he found himself in command of the Confederate rear guard after a lost battle, and again he distinguished himself. For the first time, he came under enemy fire and showed himself to have no fear. He charged a line of Union skirmishers, driving them off, but was wounded in the process, shot through the pelvis, with the bullet lodging near his spine. He stayed in the saddle, lifted the Union shooter by the shirt collar, and used him as a human shield to avoid more gunfire before casting him aside"

“that devil Forrest.” grant

"His cavalry, which Sherman reported in disgust “could travel one hundred miles in less time than it takes our to travel ten,”"


I am half through a 700 page book on forrest called the campaigns of general nathan bedford forrest and forrest Calvary.
http://www.amazon.com/Campaigns-General ... 030680719X


I have a few good quotes and stories about him I will post when I am done with the book. It is more like reading folk lore than about a actual person, what he was able to do and survive is simply incredible. I always heard how great he was, I must say they understated what he accomplished.