Changes

==Prewar career==

==Prewar career==

The son of a prominent lawyer who died when the boy was young, Sherman was raised in an intensely political family. His foster father was [[Thomas Ewing]] (1789-1871), Whig Senator and a cabinet member for two presidents. His brother [[John Sherman]] (1823-1900) was a powerful Republican Congressman during the Civil War.  Sherman himself married Ewing's daughter Ellen. These connections guaranteed that Sherman would be well placed--and well protected if anything went wrong (as they did in Kentucky in 1861).

The son of a prominent lawyer who died when the boy was young, Sherman was raised in an intensely political family. His foster father was [[Thomas Ewing]] (1789-1871), Whig Senator and a cabinet member for two presidents. His brother [[John Sherman]] (1823-1900) was a powerful Republican Congressman during the Civil War.  Sherman himself married Ewing's daughter Ellen. These connections guaranteed that Sherman would be well placed—and well protected if anything went wrong (as they did in Kentucky in 1861).

Sherman was a [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] graduate. He was deployed to [[Florida]] in the Seminole war, and to [[California]] after the [[Mexican War]]. He had almost no combat experience.  

Sherman was a [[United States Military Academy|West Point]] graduate. He was deployed to [[Florida]] in the Seminole war, and to [[California]] after the [[Mexican War]]. He had almost no combat experience.  

===Carolinas campaign and end of war===

===Carolinas campaign and end of war===

When Grant wanted Sherman to reinforce him at the siege of Richmond, Sherman convinced Grant to let him march there through the Carolinas instead of transporting his forces by ship. [[South Carolina]] was considered a hotbed of secession by the Union troops, and the devastation wrought there was especially heavy. Confederate resistance remained negligible for most of the campaign. Joseph E. Johnston had been reinstalled as Confederate commander, but he lacked the forces to pose a serious threat to Sherman. When the remnants of Hood's army, which had suffered a devastating defeat at Nashville, arrived in the theater, Johnston commanded about 20,000 soldiers against Sherman's 60,000 troops. Johnston still managed to blunt the Union advance when he confronted one of Sherman's columns at the battle of Bentonville on March 19-21, 1865, but Union reinforcements forced Johnston to retreat.  

When Grant wanted Sherman to reinforce him at the siege of Richmond, Sherman convinced Grant to let him march there through the Carolinas instead of transporting his forces by ship. [[South Carolina]] was considered a hotbed of secession by the Union troops, and the devastation wrought there was especially heavy. Confederate resistance remained negligible for most of the campaign. Joseph E. Johnston had been reinstalled as Confederate commander, but he lacked the forces to pose a serious threat to Sherman. When the remnants of Hood's army, which had suffered a devastating defeat at Nashville, arrived in the theater, Johnston commanded about 20,000 soldiers against Sherman's 60,000 troops. Johnston still managed to blunt the Union advance when he confronted one of Sherman's columns at the battle of Bentonville on March 19–21, 1865, but Union reinforcements forced Johnston to retreat.  

When [[Robert E. Lee]] surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to U. S. Grant on April 9, Johnston deemed the Confederate cause lost. He agreed to an armistice with Sherman on April 18, and Sherman and Johnston engaged in negotiations for Johnston's surrender. Sherman proposed lenient terms, touching not only on military matters but also on political reconstruction of the South. When Sherman submitted these terms to Washington, he was strongly rebuffed for overstepping his authority, and Grant was sent to make sure Sherman only secured the surrender of Johnston's forces. Johnston formally surrendered the confederate forces in his department, encompassing the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, to Sherman on April 29.

When [[Robert E. Lee]] surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia to U. S. Grant on April 9, Johnston deemed the Confederate cause lost. He agreed to an armistice with Sherman on April 18, and Sherman and Johnston engaged in negotiations for Johnston's surrender. Sherman proposed lenient terms, touching not only on military matters but also on political reconstruction of the South. When Sherman submitted these terms to Washington, he was strongly rebuffed for overstepping his authority, and Grant was sent to make sure Sherman only secured the surrender of Johnston's forces. Johnston formally surrendered the confederate forces in his department, encompassing the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, to Sherman on April 29.

* Barrett, ''Sherman's March through the Carolinas'' (1956) [http://www.questia.com/read/28112392?title=Sherman%27s%20March%20through%20the%20Carolinas online edition]

* Barrett, ''Sherman's March through the Carolinas'' (1956) [http://www.questia.com/read/28112392?title=Sherman%27s%20March%20through%20the%20Carolinas online edition]

* Campbell, Jacqueline Glass. ''When Sherman Marched North from the Sea: Resistance on the Confederate Home Front'' (2003). 177 pp.  

* Campbell, Jacqueline Glass. ''When Sherman Marched North from the Sea: Resistance on the Confederate Home Front'' (2003). 177 pp.  

* Cannan, John. ''The Atlanta Campaign: May-November, 1864'' (1991)  [http://www.questia.com/read/100872681?title=The%20Atlanta%20Campaign%3a%20May-November%2c%201864 online edition], popular

* Cannan, John. ''The Atlanta Campaign: May–November, 1864'' (1991)  [http://www.questia.com/read/100872681?title=The%20Atlanta%20Campaign%3a%20May-November%2c%201864 online edition], popular

* Davis, Burke. ''Sherman's March: The First Full-Length Narrative of General William T. Sherman's Devastating March through Georgia and the Carolinas'' (1988) [http://www.amazon.com/Shermans-March-Full-Length-Narrative-Devastating/dp/0394757637/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259389147&sr=1-11 excerpt and text search]

* Davis, Burke. ''Sherman's March: The First Full-Length Narrative of General William T. Sherman's Devastating March through Georgia and the Carolinas'' (1988) [http://www.amazon.com/Shermans-March-Full-Length-Narrative-Devastating/dp/0394757637/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259389147&sr=1-11 excerpt and text search]

* Glatthaar, Joseph T. ''The March to the Sea and Beyond: Sherman's Troops in the Savannah and Carolinas Campaigns'' (1995)  

* Glatthaar, Joseph T. ''The March to the Sea and Beyond: Sherman's Troops in the Savannah and Carolinas Campaigns'' (1995)  

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherman, William Tecumseh}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherman, William Tecumseh}}

[[category:American Civil War Commanders]]

[[Category:American Civil War Commanders]]