William Sherman Essay, Research Paper

William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman was born on February 8, 1820 in Lancaster, Ohio. He was given his center name after the Shawnee head Tecumseh. Tecumseh had tried to unify the folk of the Ohio River Valley against American forces on their land in the first decennary of the 19th century. These efforts were unsuccessful though. In 1829, when Sherman was nine his male parent passed off so he went to populate with a household friend, Thomas Ewing. Ewing was a influential Missouri politician. His other 10 siblings were distributed among the relations and friends of the household. After he attended the academy at Lancaster, Sherman entered West Point Military Academy. He graduated from West Point in 1840 in the top six of his category. During the Mexican War, he saw service in California and for his meritable service he received a brevet. He so left California and served as an officer in the commissary section of the ground forces, but so resigned from the ground forces in 1853. He resigned in order to prosecute a concern, legal, and educational calling. Sherman rejoined the ground forces in May 1861 after Louisiana seceded from the Union and the Civil War broke out. He was commissioned a colonel of voluntaries and commanded a brigade in the first conflict of Bull Run, on July 21, 1861. Later that twelvemonth, in September, he was given bid of the Kentucky Army and the Department of the Ohio River. After given this bid, he reported that he would necessitate 200,000 work forces to transport out a successful run in that part. The imperativeness said that Sherman was brainsick and timed proved them right. Sherman often fought with the imperativeness and Lincoln scorned him for this. After Sherman went through a nervous dislocation, he was sent to a station in Missouri. At the Battle of Shiloh on April 6, 1862, Sherman was in the center of a great battle. For his services at that place he received the rank of major general. After this conflict, Ulysses S. Grant endured much unfavorable judgment off the many errors of the conflict. Grant wanted to retreat from the ground forces, but Sherman persuaded him to remain. He besides played a immense function in Grant & # 8217 ; s triumph at Vicksburg. As its successful decision Sherman liberally gave all the recognition to his superior officer. So Grant went on to be commanding officer of the ground forcess of the United States for that run and Sherman was so appointed to make full his topographic point as commanding officer in the West. This pleased Sherman because now he could demo the state his leading accomplishments without any manner to take his congratulations. The Western Forces Sherman now had bid of exceeded over 100,000 work forces. So with his work forces he carried on the run on which his celebrity novelly rests. On May 6, 1864, he left Chattanooga, Tenn. , for Atlanta, Ga. It took him four months to cover the 135 stat mis between the two topographic points. And along the manner in the Kenesaw mountains, Sherman was soundly defeated but went on his manner to Atlanta which was reached on September 2. He so captured the metropolis and burned it to the land. After uncluttering the metropolis of its civil population and resting his work forces, he started on his celebrated March of 400 stat mis. & # 8220 ; From Atlanta to the sea & # 8221 ; it was called. He had 68,000 work forces after the Atlanta foray, but no intelligence of him reached the North for 32 yearss. He had cut himself off from his base of supplies and his work forces lived on what they could acquire from the state through which they passed. They covered a way 60 stat mis broad in their March, and in that way everything that they could non utilize but that might turn out of usage to the enemy was ruthlessly destroyed. So all military value to the Confederacy was destroyed every bit good as plantations and every spot of nutrient. The Southerners had virtually no forces in that country except some horse and reserves, which most consisted of old work forces and immature male childs, so Sherman & # 8217 ; s military personnels made good clip for at that place Savannah, Ga, finish. In his position of this devastation, Sherman was to be quoted say

ing, “War is hell.”

Within 24 yearss of go forthing Atlanta, he reached Savannah and left behind him a ruined and devastated land. Sherman & # 8217 ; s ground forces met up with the Union fleet, which had been obstructing the metropolis, and took the metropolis on December 21. Sherman offered the metropolis to President Lincoln as a & # 8220 ; Christmas gift & # 8221 ; to the state. With the gaining control of this major metropolis came 150 heavy guns, plentifulness of ammo, and besides approximately 25,000 bales of cotton. After about a month & # 8217 ; s rest Sherman turned northerly with his ground forces, anticipating to fall in Grant near Richmond, the Confederate capital. The programs were to shut in on Robert E. Lee from the back side and as Sherman continued every measure reduced the country upon which the Confederates in Virginia could depend for assistance. His progress through South Carolina was slower but even more destructive than the March through Georgia. As he went through North Carolina, Sherman was opposed by General Joseph E. Johnston in battles at Averasboro and Bentonville. He so learned of Lee & # 8217 ; s resignation and asked for generous footings. He understood better than any other Union general the South and the desolation it had suffered was sort about the pact, but Secretary of War Edward Stanton repudiated them. So on April 26, 1865 Johnston signed under the same footings as Robert Lee had surrendered. So after this Sherman took one last March, this clip to Washington to talk with the President. Sherman was appointed commanding officer of the Missouri territory at the terminal of the Civil War. This country stretched from the Rocky mountains to the Mississippi. Here he laid military personnels to protect transcontinental railway workers from the Indians who feared that the railway would intend farther invasion on their district. He besides established military outstations across the part, spread outing the web of federal authorization. It was in this clip that Sherman was outspoken in his belief that Indian policy should be set by the ground forces and that the chief end of the policy should be to put the different folks on reserves and coerce them to remain at that place. He was a member of the peace committee that negotiated the Medicine Lodge Treaty of 1867 and the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. Sherman remained in the ground forces as commanding officer in the West until Ulysses S. Grant became president in 1869. He so became the commanding officer of the full American ground forces. And it was while he was in this place that he directed a series of runs that eventually crushed Indian opposition across the fields. He saw clearly the annihilating blows of striking at the economic footing of the Plains Indians lives. He and General Philip Sheridan made a program to by assailing Indian campsites during the winter because that is when their supplies and mobility were both badly limited. With Sheridan as his field commanding officer, Sherman Moved foremost against the Kiowas and Comanches of the southern Plains. By the late 1870 & # 8217 ; s, these and the other one time free rolling warrior folks of the fields had been forced onto reserves. He held the place as commanding officer of the United States Army until November 1883 and retired from active responsibility early in 1884. Sherman established a school in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1881. During his clip off he wrote personal memoirs that became among the keenest, and most rational of the war. In 1884, it was proposed that he run for president. His ill-famed response was & # 8220 ; If nominated, I will non run. If elected, I will non serve. & # 8221 ; He moved to New York, where he died on February 24, 1891

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