Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1864-09-15
SKETCH OF GENERAL SHER
MAN.

] William Tecumseh Sherman was
born in Lancaster, Ohio, on the Stt
day Of February, 1920. His f.thel
was the Hon. Charles r. Sherman
one of the Judges of the Supreme
Court of that State. In 1896. at the
age of siXteeu, he entered West
Point as cadet, and was graduated
on the 30th of June, 1910, sixth in
his class. Young Sher nan at once
entered the service, on graduating,
as Second Lieutenant in the Third
Artillery, and served in Florida
through the winter of 1910 and lS41.
In November, 1S4l, he was promo
ted to First Lieutenaney.
He was afterwards stationed at
Fort Moultrie, S. c.. In 1916 he
was sent to California, and remained
there in service all through the
Mexican war. having reached the
grade of Captain. In 1850 he was
married to the eldest daughter of the
Hon. Thomas Ewing of Ohio. In
1853 he resigned his commission in
the army and took charge of the
banking house of Lucas, Turner, dS
Co., at San Francisco. In 1860 he
was the President of the State Mill
-tasy Academy of I-e-isiaas. and re-
mained in tI,atspositionatSss:s q. az : III
break Of the present war.
On the 18th of June, 1861, he was
Colonel in the Regular Ar
my, his appointment dating may ii,
1861, and was assigned to the COM
mand Of the Thirteenth Infantry.
On the 2lst of July occurred the un-
fortunate affair of Manassas, in
which Sherman was engaged.
When Gen. Anderson was assign
ed to the Department south of the
Ohio, General Sherman was attached
thereto as secord in command, and
was soon afterwards despatched with
a force of seven thousand men, COM
posed of volunteers and Kentucky
Home Guards, to occupy Mul-
draugh's Hill, strategic point south
of the Rolling Fork of Salt River.
There his home guards left him,
the reinforcements designed to
strengthen his comm and were neces-
sarIly sent elsewhere, and he found
with scarcely five thousand
troops, in an unfriendly part of the
confronting a Rebel army
of twenty five thousand men under
General Buckner While affairs
were in this position, General An
derson was relieved, and General
Sherman succeeded to the very un-
enviable position of command of the
At one time General Sherman was
set down as ''crazy'; and quietly re,
tired to the command Of Benton |
Barracks near St Louis. The evi-
dence of his insanity was his answer
to the Secretary Of War-that to
make a successful advance against
the enemy, then posted at all strate-
gic points. from the Mississippi to
Cumberland Gap would require al
army of two hundred thousand |
strong. The answer was the inspi
ration or the judgment of military
genius, but to the mind Of Mr.. Secre
tary Cameron it was the prophecy of
his false wizard.
General Halleck succeeded to the
command of the Department of the
West, and General Sherman was not
long allowed to remain in charge of
a recruiting rendezvous at st.
Louis
When General Grant moved on
Fort Donelson, Sherman was intrus
ted with the forwarding to him of re-
inforcements and supplies from Pa
ducah. General Grant subsequently
acknowledged himself greatly in
debte1 to his (Sherman's) p:ompt-
ness in discharging that duty. AT
ter the capture of that stronghold,
General Sherman was put in com
mand of the Fifth Division of Grants
army at Pittsburg Land ng On the
Both OF May, for gsllaDtry at Corinth,
Sherman was appointed and confirm
ed as Major Genetal of Volunteers,
to date from May l. 1862.
In December of the same year
commenced the series of renowned
operations, the object of which was
Vicksburg. General Grant appoint
ed Sherman to the command of the