Word Count: 287Sherman was on ofthe greatest Union commanders in the Civil War.
He was agraduate from West Point in 1840. Sherman’s first action inthe Civil War happened when he led a brigade at the FirstBull Run in July of 1861. After that he was given commandof the Union forces assigned to hold Kentucky in theUnion. When he was there in late 1861 he suffered form amild nervous breakdown from all the pressure he wasgetting from Washington and the press. After he recoveredform the nervous breakdown he was assigned to UlyssesGrant’s command and got his own units to lead at Shiloh in1862, Vicksburg in 1863, and Chattanooga in 1863.
WhenUlysses Grant left to take command of the Federal Forces,Sherman took control of the operations in the west. BySeptember of 1864 he took control of Atlanta in one of theCivil War’s most important battles. After Atlanta Shermanwent on to his famous March to the Sea. He led 62,000men through Georgia causing a mass of destruction.
Afterthat in February of 1865 Sherman headed north throughthe Carolinas. By April of 1865 he forced the surrender ofthe last major Confederate forces. The last battle wasfought at Bentonville, N. C. on March 19-21.
WhenGeneral Lee surrendered to Grant in Virginia on April 9th,Johnston’s position was going down the drain. Shermanaccepted his surrender near Durham, N. C. , on April 26th.
Latter though Sherman would be criticized for howgenerous he was with the terms of the surrender. After thewar Sherman commanded the Mississippi form 1865 to1869. He would then be promoted to lieutenant general in1866 and to full general in 1869. After Grant was electedpresident in 1869 Sherman became general chief of thearmy. People would latter want to make Sherman was apresident candidate but he would never accept.
