Complete annotated edition of Sherman’s memoirs by Mississippi State Civil War scholars published at 150th anniversary

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A new edition of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman’s memoirs has been annotated by some of the nation’s leading Civil War scholars at 91��—an effort marking 150 years since the work’s original publication.

“The Memoirs of General William Tecumseh Sherman—The Complete Annotated Edition” is a edited by MSU’s John F. Marszalek with Louie P. Gallo and David S. Nolen. The scholars’ work follows their 2017 release of a fully annotated version of .

Scholars and editors Louie P. Gallo, left, John Marszalek, third from left, and David Nolen, right, present their new book “The Memoirs of General William Tecumseh Sherman—The Complete Annotated Edition” to 91�� President Mark E. Keenum. The Harvard University Press publication marks 150 years since Sherman’s writing was originally published. (Photo by Emily Grace McCall)

“The newly annotated Sherman memoirs, along with the recent publication of the Grant memoirs, make it possible for those interested in the Civil War to learn in great detail about the two leading figures of the conflict,” Marszalek said.

An MSU William L. Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus of history, Marszalek served as the U.S. Grant Association and U.S. Grant Presidential Library’s executive director and managing editor from 2006 until 2022. He is a nationally renowned expert on both Grant and Sherman, and he is the author of the general’s premier biography, “Sherman: A Soldier’s Passion for Order” (The Free Press, 1993; Southern Illinois University Press, 2007). Marsalek also played a key role in helping bring the Grant Presidential Library and Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana to MSU, which established the university as a national center of excellence for the study of Civil War-era history.

“The Memoirs of General William Tecumseh Sherman—The Complete Annotated Edition” book cover

Gallo is managing editor for the Grant Presidential Library, which is housed within MSU Libraries. MSU is one of only six universities in the U.S. to house a presidential library.

“Our edition of Sherman’s memoirs is coming out 150 years after its original publication in 1875, making this project long overdue,” Gallo said. “None of our work would be possible without the amazing support of the university and President [Mark] Keenum. His dedication to preserving and advancing the study of American history is commendable.”

Nolen, associate dean of archives and special collections for MSU Libraries, said the team’s work on the Grant memoirs was very well received and so they decided to continue by giving Sherman’s memoirs a similar treatment. He added the project was especially significant because of both the connections between Grant and Sherman and because of Marszalek’s eminent scholarship on Sherman.

“We hope this edition will help modern readers better understand the context of Sherman’s memoirs and help scholars more easily engage with Sherman’s text,” Nolen said.

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