The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-02-15
GENERAL SHERMAN.

America has produced many great
lighters, but not many great generals.
One can almost count the latter on his
fingers, while anyone at all familiar with
the history of the country can glibly rat
tie off the names of soldiers who knew no
fear and who made records as daring and
desperate fighters. Of the comparatively
few really great captains in the science of
war the man whose earthly light went out
yesterday in New York will ever be
classed among the foremost. WILLIAM T.
SHERMAN com bined within himself the two
elements essential to the true soldier-per-
sonal courage and generalship. He knew
no fear except that which was suggested
by wisdom, and war was science which
he had studied in its theory and in its
practice until he was an adept, and so &C
knowledged by mankind the world over. In
the future, when the history of this
country, and especially of the latter half
of it, shall be written, General SHERMAN's
name will be found prominent among the
mighty soldiers whom Americans will be
proud to refer to in words of honest praise.
While there will be universal mourning
throughout the republic over the death of
the old soldier, there will yet be expert
enced a sense of satisfaction that he was
spared to round out his magnificent career,
and was permitted to pass away at peace
with all mankind, surrounded by his family
and nearest and dearest friends.
Just twenty years ago brief sketch of
-hn Hf
was written, and we cannot do better than
reproduce a synopsis Of the story of the
man who was an American in the broadcast
and truest sense of the term. He was born
in Lancaster, Ohio, February s, 1920. His
father, who was judge of the supreme
court of the United States, died in 1929. and
the future general was adopted into the
family of the Hon. THOMAS EWING, a
United States Senator, and afterwards sec
rotary of the treasury. Young SHERMAN
was educated at the military academy of
West Point, graduating in 1S40 sixth in
his class. He entered the army as second
lieutenant in the Third artillery, and was
promoted to first lieutenantcy in Novem .
Der, 1S41. He served in the Florida war, and
subsequently III the war with Mexico, and
after its close in California, and at ST.
Louis and New Orleans, holding a staff
position from 1S47 to 1858. He was
promoted to a captaincy, on the staff, in
1850. He resigned September 6, 1853 For
the next four years he was banker in San
Francisco; then for two years practiced
law (Which he had studied while in the
army at Leavenworth, Kansas; and in
1859 was appointed superintendent of the
Louisiana Estate Seminary of Learning
and Military Academy" at Alexandria,
La. He resigned this position in January,
1861, from the conviction that he might be
involved in the secession of Louisiana if he
remained in the state. His services were
oHered to the government at the COM
meEcement of the war, and he was com
missioned colonel of the Thirteenth regi-
ment of infantry, and commanded the
Third volunteer brigade at the battle of
Bull Run, July 81, 1861. He was soon
after appointed brigadier- general of volun-
teers, and assigned to the command of the
department of the Cumberland, but he
was soon removed therefrom and for some
months was in command of corps of in
struction, at Benton barracks, near St.
Louis. He took part in the Tennessee and
Mississippi campaigns, commanding divi-
sion at Shiloh, April and Z, 1862, where he
was wounded, and in the subsequent siege
OF Corinth. On May 1, 1862, he was ap
pointed major general of volunteers, and
was frequently engaged during the sum-
mer and autumn of 1862 He aided in the
capture of Arkansas port, January II, 1863
took an active and successful par,
II the Vicksburg campaign, and the subse
quent measures for driving back General
JoENsToN's forces, and was made brigadier
general of the United States army for his
services there. He succeeded Genera
GRANT as commander of the army and de-
partment of the Tennessee, October 25
1868; took part in the operations around
Chattanooga, and the assault and capture Of
Missionary ridge, and marched Immediately
on Knoxville to relieve General BURNSIDE
November and December, 1868: made
winter march and raid on Meridian, Miss.
Feb. 125, 1864; organized an army OF 100.
paign of 1864; on the 18th of March, 1864
succeeded General GRANT as commander O.
the military division of the Mississippi
embracing the departments and armies Of
the surrounding regions. On May 2, 1864
he entered on the invasion of Georgia
making Atlanta, Georgia, his first point
and between that date and September /
fought many pitched battles; he received
the capitulation of Atlanta September 2
1864, and occupied it as military post
sending away all non combatants; from
that date to November 15, 1864, and ther
having sent about two-fifths of his men
under General THOMAS, to repel Genera
HOOPS movement into Tennessee, and de
stroyed much of Atlanta, he marched
southwark to the sea, with a fore,
of 10000 men, and in less thar
a month passed over about tire,
hundred miles with his army; will
a few skirmishes but without any i'm
portant action till he reached Fort Meal
lister, below Savannah, which he captured