Thanks Joe and Allan. I've read many similar accounts by the women who were in the 'way' of Sherman's men in compilations of stories and diaries. They all have a common thread, nothing was safe.
In thinking about it, I believe that we can research and discuss the different battles and other experiences the men went through til the hot place freezes but one of the main reasons the deep distrust of the Federal Government in the South after the war was directly related to the treatment of the women and children of Confederate soldiers. True, many a Northern widow had to redo her life and many had to make adjustments because of injuries their husband recieved but there was also aid for them. The Southern families lost so much. The land was torn up, homes were destroyed, families were destroyed and there seemed to be no relief for the wounded souls. As history has shown us, it did not get better in a timely manner. The US rebuilt Germany faster. Of course it's easy to understand the family of the soldiers plight but what about the husbands of the Roswell Women? That had to be a difficult pill to swallow. A soldier came home only to find his family had died of some illness because there was no medicine or they just starved. Living in root cellars because the house had been burned couldn't have been healthy.
One did not expect the women and children to be treated like they were. Funny how now there's so much worry over the accidental killing of civilians, especially women and children in other war zones but it wasn't considered a big deal here in the South. I believe time has shown us just how big a deal it was.

Pam