Who was William sherman?

Answer 1

Sherman was a Union general whose creative strategy hastened the Confederate surrender by many months and is said to have changed the face of warfare. He is, however, greatly misunderstood.

His savage looks, abrupt manner and reputation for brutality conceal the truth of the man. People are amazed to hear that he was first regarded as a well-educated but incompetent young officer who had moved up through social connections, for he looked the opposite.

One factor that worked against him was his posting away from the action during the Mexican War - the standard yardstick of credibility for officers seeking commands in 1861.

At First Bull Run, he performed well, but declared himself insane afterwards, which also did nothing to speed his promotion.

It was his successful partnership with Ulysses Grant in Tennessee that gave him his break, and the two men became fast friends, as well as a battle-winning duo. Before long, they had liberated the Mississippi and saved the Union army from disaster at Chattanooga.

When Grant was appointed General-in-Chief in March 1864, he gave Sherman the Army of the Cumberland and told him to concentrate on destroying the Army of Tennessee under Joe Johnston.

It was after occupying Atlanta that Sherman came up with his creative scheme to attack the infrastructure that supported the Confederate armies in the field, destroying farms and railroads, while living easily off the land. Where there was brutality against the person during the March to the Sea, it was mostly not at the hands of Sherman's troops, but carried out by the mounted vandals ("bummers") who rode alongside the army for the pickings.

In five weeks, they had reached Savannah, at a cost of almost nil casualties, and the war was visibly nearing its end.