He emphasized defeat of the Confederate armies over destruction (which was considerable) for its own sake.
hiː ˈɛmfɐsˌaɪzd dᵻfˈiːt ʌvðə kənfˈɛdɚɹət ˈɑːɹmiz ˌoʊvɚ dᵻstɹˈʌkʃən wˌɪtʃ wʌz kənsˈɪdɚɹəbəl fɔːɹ ɪts ˈoʊn sˈeɪk.