What Was Sherman's Prediction Of The Civil War On Christmas Eve Of 1860?

In William Tecumseh Sherman’s 1860 civil war prediction to David F. Boyd he predicted almost exactly how the Civil war would unfold. From the mass amount of bloodshed to the south’s inability to sufficiently supply itself, Sherman was able to tell Boyd how the war would both start and end. Predictions made on Christmas Eve of 1860 would mostly prove true throughout the war. Sherman’s first prediction that men from the north were peaceful, but will still fight because they don’t wanna see America fail so easily would soon be proven true. Initially so many northern soldier signed up for the war that some were rejected because there wasn’t room. Matter in fact the union had nearly twice as many troops as the confederates did. This unproportional distribution of troops would prove as a fatal blow in the southern States fight for independence and the legalization of slavery. In his address Sherman States, “You mistake, too, the people of the North. They are a peaceable people but an earnest people, and they will fight, too. They are not going to let this country be destroyed without a mighty effort to save it.” In just a few months nearly 2 million would enlist and over half

More than 620,000 thousand men would lose their lives due to the conflict. Over 16% of the Confederate soldiers who enlisted died which is equal to roughly 165,000 men. Halfway through Sherman’s prediction he told Boyd, “This country will be drenched in blood, and God only knows how it will end. It is all folly, madness, a crime against civilization! You people speak so lightly of war; you don't know what you're talking about. War is a terrible thing!” These sentences merely express how much blood was shed through the war and all its battles yet you can’t deny the fact that Sherman clearly predicted the amount of damage the war would