Victory In Destruction The Story Of William Tecumseh Sherman

Much of William Tecumseh Sherman's life was a battle for survival. When his father died, he was given to neighbors to raise. He developed a fierce sense of pride and an independent streak. Sherman graduated from West Point in 1840, then served in the army until he could no longer afford to support his family on his meager pay. For several years, he struggled to earn a living, first as a banker and then in other careers. Sherman had a unique perspective on the coming Civil War: he supported Southerners' rights to own slaves but he believed the preservation of the Union trumped all other concerns. His volatile temper matched his fiery red hair, and Sherman joined the U.S. Army looking for a fight. He found a sympathetic commander in Ulysses S. Grant and together the two dominated the western theater of the war. Sherman made his name and his fearsome reputation when he burned Atlanta, and then began his famous march to the sea. He and his troops cut a swath of devastation through Georgia, making good on their promise to hear the South howl.Whitelaw, Nancy is the author of 'Victory In Destruction The Story Of William Tecumseh Sherman', published 2005 under ISBN 9781931798310 and ISBN 1931798311.