The Burning--Could This Kind Of Devastation Ever Happen Again?

Used copies of Heatwole's book are
selling for more than their cover price.

What made this such a riveting read was that most of the two weeks of devastation and destruction it describes happened right here in our part of the Valley. Sheridan's burning of barns, mills and selected homes, along with the the slaughter of livestock and destruction of food supplies, all took place up and down roads and along rivers and rail lines very familiar to me.

At one point the entire town of nearby Dayton was about to be burned in revenge for the slaying of a Union officer by some Confederate scouts accused of being "bushwhackers," (groups of armed vigilantes taking potshots at Union troops). The town's citizens were in anguish. 

One Ohio soldier wrote, "such mourning, such lamentations, such crying and pleading for mercy I never saw or want to see again, some were wild, crazy, mad, some Cry(ing) for help while others would throw their arms around yankee soldiers and implore mercy." (p.94)

Fortunately, Union officer LT. Col. Thomas F. Wildes sent an urgent appeal for reconsideration to Sheridan, who reluctantly spared the town itself at Wilde's request, while continuing to demand that surrounding homes and properties of local citizens be destroyed.

One cannot imagine the terror inflicted if armies on both sides would have had modern weapons of destruction like today's drones, missiles and fighter planes. Here there were at least times when human beings, personally witnessing the terrible suffering they were inflicting, could occasionally be moved to some acts of compassion in defiance of their orders.

Interestingly, there were occasions when the property of local members were spared  because someone in command noted they were members of the Order of Masons, and so were deemed to be brothers. But there is no mention of people being spared because they belonged to the same denomination or faith community. Sad.

From the Burning, "With his arrival at Strasburg Sheridan considered the systematic destruction of the Valley to be concluded. Along the Valley Pike, Middle Road, and Broadway Road Merritt's regiments had destroyed 630 barns, 47 flouring mills, 4 sawmills, 1 woolen mill, 3,982 tons of hay straw and fodder, more than 400,000 bushels of wheat, 3 furnaces, 515 acres of corn, 750 bushels of oats, 3,000 head of livestock, 560 barrels of flour, 2 tanneries, 1 railroad depot, 1 locomotive and 3 boxcars."

Recently, in light of increased signs of polarization and hatred among those who hold different religious or political beliefs, or who are members of different racial or ethnic groups, I have wondered whether this kind of callous destruction and killing could happen today. I wish I could believe that human nature has changed since these events of just over 150 years ago, but I'm not sure that's the case. The right kind of demagogue could, I'm afraid, incite similar kinds of organized plunder, civil wars and acts of revenge.

The last line in the book is a quote by a Captain Opie, who in seeking to rationale all this devastation asks, "Which is the worst in war, to burn a barn, or to kill a fellow-man?"

Kyrie Elieson. Lord have mercy,