Sherman and Clausewitz

[1889]

I just watched some History Channel thing on Sherman’s March. They have him saying things that seem like quotes from Clausewitz, but they also present him as the inventor of “Total War”. Clausewitz “On War” was published 1830 although I’m not sure when it was translated into English while William Tecumseh Sherman graduated from West Point in 1840.

Was Sherman familiar with Clausewitz or did he independently develop many of the same concepts?

 

[Dachs]

I don't believe that On War was translated into English yet by that time; West Point, in any case, was more heavily employing Jomini's works and the derivative book commonly known as Outpost by Dennis Hart Mahan, commandant of West Point at the time.

 

[Serutan]

Sherman learned his "total war" concept from Grant during the Vicksburg campaign.
When Grant first proposed to cross below Vicksburg, and come in from behind with a
sketchy/nonexistent supply line, the subordinate most vigorously opposed was Sherman.
However once the campaign started he quickly got into the swing of things (his troops
destroyed Jackson, renaming it 'Chimneyville').