The Life Of General William T Sherman

The New York Times best-selling biography of one of America’s most storied military figures. General William Tecumseh Sherman’s 1864 burning of Atlanta solidified his legacy as a ruthless leader. Evolving from a spirited student at West Point, Sherman became a general who fought in some of the Civil War’s most decisive campaigns—Shiloh, Vicksburg, Atlanta—until finally, seeking a swift ending to the war’s horrendous casualties, he devastated southern resources on his famous March to the Sea across the Carolinas. Later, as general-in-chief of the U.S. Army, Sherman relentlessly paved the way west during the Indian wars. James Lee McDonough’s fresh insight reveals a man tormented by fears that history would pass him by and that he would miss his chance to serve his country. Drawing on years of research, McDonough delves into Sherman’s dramatic personal life, including his strained relationship with his wife, his personal debts, and his young son’s death. The result is a remarkable, illuminating portrait of an American icon.

William Tecumseh Sherman is known primarily for having cut a swath of destruction through Georgia and the Carolinas during the Civil War. From the fame of these years, however, he moved into an eighteen-year phase of “insuring the tranquility” of the vast region of the American West. As commander of the Division of the Missouri from 1865 to 1869 and General of the Army of the United States under President Grant from 1869 to 1883, Sherman facilitated expansion and settlement in the West while suppressing the raids of the Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Kiowa, Comanche, and Crow Indians. Robert G. Athearn explores Sherman’s and his army’s roles in the settling of the West, especially within the broad framework of railroad construction, Indian policy, political infighting, and popular opinion.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • William Tecumseh Sherman was more than just one of our greatest generals. Fierce Patriot is a bold, revisionist portrait of how this iconic and enigmatic figure exerted an outsize impact on the American landscape—and the American character. America’s first “celebrity” general, William Tecumseh Sherman was a man of many faces. Some were exalted in the public eye, others known only to his intimates. In this bold, revisionist portrait, Robert L. O’Connell captures the man in full for the first time. From his early exploits in Florida, through his brilliant but tempestuous generalship during the Civil War, to his postwar career as a key player in the building of the transcontinental railroad, Sherman was, as O’Connell puts it, the “human embodiment of Manifest Destiny.” Here is Sherman the military strategist, a master of logistics with an uncanny grasp of terrain and brilliant sense of timing. Then there is “Uncle Billy,” Sherman’s public persona, a charismatic hero to his troops and quotable catnip to the newspaper writers of his day. Here, too, is the private Sherman, whose appetite for women, parties, and the high life of the New York theater complicated his already turbulent marriage. Warrior, family man, American icon, William Tecumseh Sherman has finally found a biographer worthy of his protean gifts. A masterful character study whose myriad insights are leavened with its author’s trademark wit, Fierce Patriot will stand as the essential book on Sherman for decades to come. Praise for Fierce Patriot “A superb examination of the many facets of the iconic Union general.”—General David Petraeus “Sherman’s standing in American history is formidable. . . . It is hard to imagine any other biography capturing it all in such a concise and enlightening fashion.”—National Review “A sharply drawn and propulsive march through the tortured psyche of the man.”—The Wall Street Journal “[O’Connell’s] narrative of the March to the Sea is perhaps the best I have ever read.”—Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post “A surprising, clever, wise, and powerful book.”—Evan Thomas, author of Ike’s Bluff

First published ten years after the end of the Civil War, "Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman" were among the first memoirs written by one of the prominent Civil War generals. The memoirs caused a lot of controversy, especially because of the author's unfair treatment of General Grant. General Sherman replied to his critics: "...any witness who may disagree with me should publish his own version of facts in the truthful narration of which he is interested."

From respected historian John S. D. Eisenhower comes a surprising portrait of William Tecumseh Sherman, the Civil War general whose path of destruction cut the Confederacy in two, broke the will of the Southern population, and earned him a place in history as “the first modern general.” Yet behind his reputation as a fierce warrior was a sympathetic man of complex character. A century and a half after the Civil War, Sherman remains one of its most controversial figures—the soldier who brought the fight not only to the Confederate Army, but to Confederate civilians as well. Yet Eisenhower, a West Point graduate and a retired brigadier general (Army Reserves), finds in Sherman a man of startling contrasts, not at all defined by the implications of “total war.” His scruffy, disheveled appearance belied an unconventional and unyielding intellect. Intensely loyal to superior officers, especially Ulysses S. Grant, he was also a stalwart individualist. Confident enough to make demands face-to-face with President Lincoln, he sympathetically listened to the problems of newly freed slaves on his famed march from Atlanta to Savannah. Dubbed “no soldier” during his years at West Point, Sherman later rose to the rank of General of the Army, and though deeply committed to the Union cause, he held the people of the South in great affection. In this remarkable reassessment of Sherman’s life and career, Eisenhower takes readers from Sherman’s Ohio origins and his fledgling first stint in the Army, to his years as a businessman in California and his hurried return to uniform at the outbreak of the war. From Bull Run through Sherman’s epic March to the Sea, Eisenhower offers up a fascinating narrative of a military genius whose influence helped preserve the Union—and forever changed war.

First published ten years after the end of the Civil War, "Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman" were among the first memoirs written by one of the prominent Civil War generals. The memoirs caused a lot of controversy, especially because of the author's unfair treatment of General Grant. General Sherman replied to his critics: "...any witness who may disagree with me should publish his own version of facts in the truthful narration of which he is interested." Contents: From 1820 to the Mexican War, 1846 Early Recollections of California—1846-1848 Missouri, Louisiana, and California—1850-1855 California—1855-1857 California, New York, and Kansas—1857-1859 Louisiana—1859-1861 Missouri—April and May, 1861 From the Battle of Bull Run to Paducah—1861-1862 Battle of Shiloh— March and April, 1862 Shiloh to Memphis- April to July, 1862 Memphis to Arkansas Post— July, 1862, to January, 1863 Vicksburg— January to July, 1863 Chattanooga and Knoxville— July to December, 1863 Meridian Campaign— January and February, 1864 Atlanta Campaign- Nashville and Chattanooga to Kenesaw— March, April, and May, 1864 Atlanta Campaign— Battles About Kenesaw Mountain— June, 1864 Atlanta Campaign— Battles About Atlanta—july, 1864 Capture of Atlanta— August and September, 1864 Atlanta and After— Pursuit of Hood— September and October, 1864 The March to the Sea--from Atlanta to Savannah-- November and December, 1864 Savannah and Pocotaligo-- December, 1864, and January, 1865 Campaign of the Carolinas-- February and March, 1865 End of the War-- From Goldsboro' to Raleigh and Washington-- April and May, 1865 Military Lessons of the War After the War

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVII. DEATH AND THE GRAVE. With the death of Sherman the title of " General" completely disappears from our military system. It has been held by three men only. It was created in 1866 by act of Congress, and conferred upon Grant. Sherman then succeeded Grant as Lieutenant-General, and when the latter took his seat as President in March, 1869, the former became General of the Army. In 1884 Sherman was put on the retired list with the title which he held to the time of his death In the active service the office by provision of law became vacant, and the title extinct, Sheridan being commander of the army with the rank of Lieutenant-General. In 1888, just before Sheridan's death, the rank of Lieutenant-General was abolished, and that of General revived, with the understanding that Sheridan should be made General, and the express provision that the title should continue only during his life. Since that time the head of the army has been a MajorGeneral. General Sherman's illness was of little more than a week's duration. Following a taste, natural and cultivated, which he loved to gratify, the General attended the performance of " Poor Jonathan," at the Casino, on Wednesday night, February 4. It was, in fact, a special performance. Invitations had been sent to the military officers of the city, and General Sherman occupied one of the proscenium boxes with a party of friends. He seemed 5 to be in the best of health and spirits, and gave every evidence of keen enjoyment of the opera. He returned to his home immediately after the performance, and, although the weather was clear and cold, in some way the General caught a severe cold. Its first effects were noticed on the following morning. His condition, however, did not prevent his...