66 Days of Hell: An Account of Sherman's March Through South Carolina

This book gives a day by day outline of Sherman's march through South Carolina, documenting the destruction that was done by his troops. It uses as its primary source, the writings of Sherman's Lieutenant Commanders, Osborn, and Howard, thus leaving no room for charges of bias on the part of southern writers and observers.

02 MAR 1865 - Florence "The sufferings which the people will have to undergo will be most intense. We have left on the wide strip of country we have passed over no provisions which will go any distance in supporting the people. We have left no stock by means of which they can get more. All horses, mules and cattle, sheep and hogs have been taken. They cannot go outside of the country traversed for lack of transportation... Even before we came into the State the provisions were vastly greater than we had ever supposed... We have been out on this trip a little longer than before, and made the same distance, and covered the same or a greater breadth of territory, and have again left nothing... I do not think that the Rebel armies will not fight, they will do so whenever an opportunity offers, which affords a hope of success. They still believe their government, their property, their honor, and their Southern pride is at stake, and they will fight for them. "In addition to what is said above of the people, there is one thing they invariably do, no matter how great the cost: they cling to the niggers as the visible proof of their respectability and chivalry and no matter how great the sacrifices they are compelled to make to restore them, they willingly make the sacrifices.

The book is well documented with citations to the original first hand accounts and includes a bibliography for further research. It also has maps of South Carolina showing the routes taken by Sherman's three army wings.