William t sherman role in the civil war

William Tecumseh Sherman's early military career was a near disaster, having to be temporarily relieved of command. He returned at the Battle of Shiloh to victory and then gathered , troops destroying Atlanta and devastating Georgia in his March to the Sea. Often credited with the saying, "war is hell," he was a major architect of modern total war.

One of 11 children, Sherman was born to a prominent family in Lancaster, Ohio, on February 8, His father, Charles, was a successful lawyer and an Ohio Supreme Court justice. When Sherman was 9 years old, his father died suddenly, leaving the family with few finances. He was raised by a family friend, Thomas Ewing, a senator from Ohio and a prominent member of the Whig Party.

William tecumseh sherman height and weight

There has been much speculation on Sherman's middle name. In his memoirs, he wrote that his father gave him the name William Tecumseh because he admired the Shawnee chief. There, he excelled academically, but had little respect for the demerit system. He never got himself into deep trouble, but had numerous minor offenses on this record. Sherman graduated in , sixth in his class.

He first saw action against the Seminole Indians in Florida and had numerous assignments through Georgia and South Carolina, where he became acquainted with many of the Old South's most respected families. Sherman's early military career was anything but spectacular. Unlike many of his colleagues who saw action during the Mexican-American War , Sherman spent this time stationed in California as an executive officer.

With his lack of combat experience, Sherman felt that the U. Army was a dead-end, thusly resigning his commission in