Levi Sherman Frazier

== Levi Sherman Frazier ==
“I prefer a man with a spine. How dare you lead people and then just… surrender them to me."
Levi Frazier, or more commonly known as General Sherman, or Lee Sherman, was a high-ranking Canadian Seaboard general and second in command to Grand General Gardiner. Prior to the formation of the Appalachian Republic, Sherman led the Seaboard Eastern Army Corps, which was responsible for moving throughout the south end of the territory. General Sherman was known for being merciless and victorious, killing the political leaders and officers who opposed him. Like Seaboard General Russel, Sherman was known to execute his captured opponents on-air by decapitation.
Sherman was rarely defeated in his battles. Paired together with Brigadier Wei Zhi, the two created strategic and tactical plans that were near undefeatable. The bold leadership of Sherman saw Seaboard take control from Connecticut in 2018 all the way south to Maryland, and as far west as parts of Ohio in 2021. Under Sherman's command, the Harrisburg Committee was destroyed and it's governor, Edwin Parrish, was killed.
On October 5th, 2021, Harrisbug was once again captured by the original inhabitants. Levi Sherman Frazier and his forces were abandoned by Seaboard, who refused Sherman's original request to make a strategic withdrawal from Harrisburg. Sherman, Russel, and Brigadier Wei Zhi all felt that the defensive in Harrisburg was ill-fated. This turned out to be true, and Sherman fought until the end before being stabbed and beat to death by Kyle Wald.
General Sherman was first mentioned in Book 3, Part I, and first appeared in Book 3, Part X. His last appearance was in Book 4, Part V.
== Background ==
Frazier was from Canada, but he moved to the United States and became a lead academic at a military school. His subsequent advances caught the eye of Michael Sisk sometime before the Jinanvirus.
== Introduction into Seaboard ==
As underground Seaboard operations continued into the late 90s, the number of people involved grew. He wished to hire a Chief Security Officer who could be trusted with the operations, and would designate a small and effective team to keep wraps on the Sentinel program. Sisk failed to hire Lyons Russel in 1999, and instead hired Sherman, removing the prior CSO from his position. Sisk quickly came to trust Sherman, who learned about the Sentinel program. He put together a separate high-clearence security team which made sure details about the Sentinel program and other covert programs stayed secret, while only having details themselves on a need-to-know basis. During this time, Sherman developed a close friendship with scientist Viktor Markov, who he admired.
After the September 11th attacks, Michael Sisk announced that he was halting all weapons production programs. However, he would only halt public programs, still producing weaponry and gear without public recognition. Sherman discovered that Joseph Eastman, a corporate contractor for Raytheon Technologies at the time, had been gathering information about Seaboard. After Eastman managed to catch Sisk by himself, Sherman made sure to designate a twenty-four hour security team to him at all times. Sherman proceeded to track and keep eyes on Eastman. During this period, Eastman managed to get ears inside the company, acquiring recorded calls, proof of unlicensed weapons production, and calls which had the potential to incriminate many at Seaboard Technologies.
Once Sherman realized this, he and a strike team to kidnap Eastman. However, Sherman and his team were subdued. Michael Sisk came to discuss, alone, after he realized what happened. Eastman and Sisk talked, and despite Sherman's warnings, Sisk was pleased and wished to hire Eastman. The defense contractor used his stored data as leverage, however, blackmailing Sisk into a financial deal that was far better than Sherman's. Sisk happily obliged, which caused Sherman to be angered. Despite the tensions, Eastman had the experience and connections as a defense contractor that was desperately needed for the covert weapons programs. Sherman worked with him in keeping the programs covered up.
Months prior to the release of the Jinanvirus, Sherman scoped out cyber security specialist Okamoto Shoko, meeting her in Japan. He convinced her to join Seaboard as the head of cyber security, a field which Sherman knew would grow in the future. With some convincing, she agreed.
== Occupation of Appalachia ==
From two years between October 2019 and October 2021, Sherman was assigned to control the Appalachian territories. However, many of the counties in the now dissolved Harrisburg Committee refused to integrate into Seaboard, and the lack of widespread troops under Sherman's control made it difficult to keep total control. One of the first things the General did was to reinforce the military presence in the region to resist any attacks that may have followed the Battle of Harrisburg, thus solidifying his position.
After a de facto state was formed, martial law was imposed. This included curfews, restricted migration from those in and out of the territories, and heightened surveillance to keep a firm grasp on any events that may have been cause for concern. This took a few months to implement. After, Sherman made sure to implement programs to repair the crumbling infrastructure in the city in ways that mostly benefited the controlling government. This made it easier for trade and communications between Harrisburg and Hartford, the Seaboard Capital. As Appalachia became a net resource drain, Sherman was advised to oversee measures to extract any valuable resources and labor from the region. He did so, using blue and white collar workers for Seaboard projects. Pennsylvania mines and steel mills were resumed, with most of their exports being used to fortify Seaboard's administration. Much of the crop yields in the state were shipped north.
Understanding the potential threat of Jared Coleman's Great Lake States, Sherman went through difficult steps to try and form a strong alliance, however, Coleman was less interested in Sherman, who he considered a satellite leader, and more interested with the Chairman, Michael Sisk. Regardless, an alliance was maintained, although it was not entirely trusting. However, both leaders understood it was in their best interests to work together. A neutrality pact was signed between Sherman and a high ranking General of the Confederate States, and the pact was followed by both sides. Sherman understood the reforming United States was not a threat that could be managed by Seaboard alone should they be provoked.
After a year of occupation, Sherman began applying sanctions to counties that refused to joined Seaboard. Not only this, but he dumped significant resources into drone surveillance and intelligence gathering of those areas, going as far as to create spy networks in hopes of uncovering the growing threat of the Appalachian Resistance. In late 2020, a new local governance began that controlled Seaboard's southern territories. While still in place, restrictions relating to martial law were eased up following mass protests that disrupted the essential supply chains.
== Downfall and death ==
On the Second Battle of Harrisburg, also known as the Battle of Harrisburg (2021) Sherman was tasked with defending Harrisburg, the original capitol of the Harrisburg Committee, from it's own Army which had recuperated. Regrouping in Toronto with aid by the Canadian government, the remnants of the Appalachian Army and Marine Corps pushed through from Niagara Falls victorious after nearly two years.
Previously undefeated in any major advance, Sherman's advance into the territory that once was the Harrisburg Committee eventually left his forces vulnerable. Since the territory in the treaty was horizontally-integrated, over half of the counties that were part of the committee became independent and repelled any Seaboard occupation. The rest of the Eastern Army Corps was spread thin over the land, and the Northern Army Corps was concentrated in defending the narrow but dense Appalachian attackers near Niagara Falls. After General Godwin's initial failure and death, the bulk of the forces retreated to Batavia. Only days after, the city was targeted as well, and again, Seaboard was defeated in their infamous defense.
Because the offensive forces were no longer constricted to a narrow passage, they were able to spread both south and southeast, taking out enemy counties and absorbing affiliated counties once again in a domino effect. By the time the two forces rejoined in a pincer-style attack on Harrisburg, Sherman's defensive forces were not sufficient.
Eventually, the recuperated Appalachian force returned to Harrisburg for the second Battle of Harrisburg in September-October 2021. Despite nearly all of Seaboard's top generals advocating for the withdrawl from Pennsylvania, Grand General Gardiner and Chariman Sisk refused. By 4th October, 2021, General Sherman was aware that their situation was futile. Against the wishes of his superiors, he began withdrawing the bulk of his infantry while most of the heavy equipment was left. On 5th October, Sherman's final stand was valiant, but couldn't offset the disproportionately sized attacking force. Refusing to surrender, he fought until he was the last Seaboard militant standing in the Harrisburg Capitol building.
While attacking Appalachian General Krauss, Kyle Wald was able to impale him with an axe head. Sherman was quickly beat to death by Wald, who was fueled by anger for Sherman's killing of Jorge Ramos, a close friend.