Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-02-21
sKErcH OF THE GREAT WARRIORS LIFE.


ssETcH OF THE GREAT WARRIORS LIFE.
General William Tecumseh Sherman was
born in Lancaster. Ohio. February 8, 1890. His
branch OF the family is traced to Samuel Sher'
man, OF Essex England, who came TO this
country in 1913 with his brother, Rev. John
Sherman. and his cousin, Captain John Sher
man. Roger Sherman, signer of the Declara-
tion OF independence, traced his lineage to the
Captain, and General Sherman TO that OF Rev.
John whose family settled in Woodbury. and
Norwalk, Conn. whence some of them removed
to Lancaster. Fairfield County. Ohio, In 1910.
The father of General Sherman was stricken
down with cholera In 1929 while Judge OF the
Supreme Court of Ohio leaving a family of
eleven children to be cared for by a wife in
straitened circumstances. General Sherman's
mother who was married in 1910, was Mary
Hovt.
The renowned warrior was the sixth child,
and Senator John Sherman the eighth Will
lam 7. was adopted by Thomas Ewing, one OF
the foremost men of his day. and was given
good education. In July, lS3s, William Y was
sent cadet TO West Point, where he was
graduated in 1910, sixth in class of forty.two
members. Among his classmates was George
H Thomas Young Sherman was commissio
MS u Second Lieutenant in the Third Artillery
in July, lSiO, and sent to Florida, where trouble
yet existed from the Seminole war. In 1881 he
was promoted 20 First Lieutenant In lsi2 he
was at Fl. Morgan, Mobile Point Ala, and later
OF FIT Moultrie, Charleston Harbor.
When the Mexican war b ,gan in lS4S he was
sent with troops around Cape Horn to Califor-
MIA, where he acted rs Adjutant General TO
General Stephen w Kearnev. Colonel Mason
and General Persifer E. Smith, Returning in
1850 on May he married Miss Ellen B. Ewing,
daughter o. his foster father, Thomas Ewing,
who ives then Secretary OF the Interior; The
Webster, Henry Clay ana General Taylor were
among the guests. On September g. 1880 he
was appointed Captain In the Commissary De-
partment and sent to St Louis and New Or.
leans. He had already received u brevet OF
Captain for service in California, to date from
May 30 lSiS
Seeing little prospect of promotion in the
army In times OF peace he resigned his com.
mission September 9. 1883, and the same year
entered ciyil life as the manager of the branch
bank OF Lucas Turner & Co, San Francisco.
Cal That institution was wound up in 1887.
Captain Sherman then settled in Leavenworth.
Ark, as O lawyer, forming n co.partnership
with his brothcr.in.law Thomas Ewing, Jr In
1859 he accepted the superintendency OF the
State Military Academy OF Louisiana, offered
him by the Governor OF that State. He resigned
this position in 1851 on account of the secession
OF the State. He returned TO St. Louis. where
| he was for short time president OF the Fifth
Here begins that greatest and most glorious
| part of General Sherman's career which least
| needs retelling now. IT belongs to the history
OF the OWL war and OF the nution. Every school
| boy knows its most brilliant feats of arms and
| Its most striking events. AT Bull Run he com
manded the third brigade OF Tyler's division,
| and his four regiments, with one battery sus.
tanned nearly forty per cent OF the loss OF the
whole Union army. fact that shows the vigor
with which they struggled TO save Il lost field
The Ohio delegation in Congress asked recogni.
| tion for such gallantry, and 1t came August g.
| when Colonel Sherman was made q brigadier
mand to General Robert Anderson, of Fort
| Sumter fame, and afterward as his sue
cessor General Sherman served in Ken.
tucSy that autumn in the Department of
the Cumberland. He was surrounded by q
population largely hostile and confronted by a
| much superior force, With the cool Judgment
| and foresight characteristic of the man he
urged upon the Secretary of War and General
| Mcclellan the folly Of Understanding the task
| In hand in the West and the imperative need of
| large reenforccments When these were not
| forthcoming Sherman asked to be relieved He
| insisted that "our forces are too small to do
| good. and too large to be sacrificed" /" ana when
| Buell. succeeded him the War Department acted
accordingly More troops were promptly fur
| nished. but General Sherman had Inen been
ASSIGNED TO recruiting duty near ST. Louis.
| When Halleck, who had known Sherman well
| In California. succeeded TO the chief command
in the Department OF the West, General Sher-
man was again given IN opportunity to provo
| his great abilities. He forwarded supplies to
| Grant at Fort Donelson, took command of the
| Fifth division OF Grants army. and on the
bloody Held OF shiloh won glory for himself and
division lost over 1000 men, but 1t held the key
OF the Federal nrmy's position. General Shcr.
| man had three horses killed under him and was
| twice wounded. HMlech reported that it was
the unanimous opinion that Brigadier General
sherman snved the fortunes OF the day." Sol-
son said, IF General Sherman had fallen, the
army would have been captured or destroyed" !"
Grant himself testified that TO Shermun's indi-
Vidual onorts he was indebted Tor the success
OF the battle" In the subsequent advance on
| Corinth. Sherman likewise distinguished him
| self greatly. The result was n Major General q
commission dating from May l, 1852.
In December OF that year the operations
against cksburg began. Sherlnan's assaults
wero repulsed, the garrison having been much
strengthened owing, perhaps, to the partial
| failure OF Grants general plan OF campaign.
McClernand relieved Sherman In command OF
the right wing about the end of the yenr. Soon
after General Sherman planned and with Mo
Clernand's aid, executed the brilliant assault
upon Arkansas Post, which gave the Union
army 1909 prisoners and q layge quantity of sup
plies. In the seige OF yioksburg which fol
lowed, Sherman's corps did Its full share OF the
work, and before the surrender he was detailed
| to keep oil the force Johnston had gathered to
raise the seigc, Sherman chased the enemy To
Jackson. the capital OF Mississippi, occupied
| that town, and dispersed Johnston levies.
| short rest was followed by u forced march
| 70 Chattanooga, In answer 10 Grants summc-
| TO come TO the rescue OF Rosecrans. Thiy re-
! marsable feat was begun on September %
| 1879, and was finished on November l5 The
d.fiicnlties were enormous. At ChattanoogJ
| Grant was In command OF the armies OF the
| Ohio the Cumberland ana the Tennessee. He ul
| loted 10 Sherman tho task OF taking the rugged
heights OF Missionary Ridge, and they wert
carried on the 25th. only ten days after Genera
| Sl.ermar's arrival from Mississippi When the
seige OF Chattanooga had been raised ono
Bragg's army driven out OF Tennessee. 5heT