General William Tecumseh is a name that resonates with many different types of people for a variety of reasons. His Soldiers referred to him as “Uncle Billy”, because they loved, respected, and admired their Commander. The Northerners credit General William Sherman as the man that ended the Civil War and restored the Union. While the people of the South have an opposite and repugnant memory of the man, they blame for “scorching” the South. Despite personal opinions of General William Sherman, his shocking tactics and dreadful techniques were necessary to save the United States of America and bring about the end of the Civil War.
William Tecumseh Sherman was born February 8, 1820 in Lancaster, Ohio. He was one of eleven children when his father …show more content…
That was the concept that people have used to describe General William Sherman’s outrageous tactics. History says that the idea of total war did not originate for almost another century until after World War II, but I would argue that it started with the burning of Atlanta, Georgia. Total war focuses on not only one’s enemy, but it also affects the local populous and in this case their support for the secession. General William Sherman did this with a very un-Sherman like tactics. General Sherman was known for his ability to maneuver not only his troops, but also for the ability to expertly manage his supply lines. Sherman would break away from the railroads and his constant flow of food, ammunition, and supplies. He and his Army would live on the land and plunder for anything that they needed. This would leave the south barren as his troops stripped the harvests straight from the field. The Soldiers took the livestock from their owners and slaughtered on the spot or the herds were driven to the site of the next Union camp. General Sherman’s “baggers” as they were called, also ensured that they destroyed anything that directly supported the Confederate war effort or the institution of slavery. With their barns and fields ablaze, their livestock herds decimated, and their slaves freed many Southern people begin to wonder why their government was not protecting them. Many of them wrote to their Soldier and told of the atrocities and the destruction of their way of life that the Soldier was fighting to preserve. General Robert E. Lee faced the serious issue of deserting Soldiers once the news of General William Sherman’s march to the sea made it to the front lines and resonated with the Southern
William Tecumseh Sherman was born February 8, 1820 in Lancaster, Ohio. He was one of eleven children when his father …show more content…
That was the concept that people have used to describe General William Sherman’s outrageous tactics. History says that the idea of total war did not originate for almost another century until after World War II, but I would argue that it started with the burning of Atlanta, Georgia. Total war focuses on not only one’s enemy, but it also affects the local populous and in this case their support for the secession. General William Sherman did this with a very un-Sherman like tactics. General Sherman was known for his ability to maneuver not only his troops, but also for the ability to expertly manage his supply lines. Sherman would break away from the railroads and his constant flow of food, ammunition, and supplies. He and his Army would live on the land and plunder for anything that they needed. This would leave the south barren as his troops stripped the harvests straight from the field. The Soldiers took the livestock from their owners and slaughtered on the spot or the herds were driven to the site of the next Union camp. General Sherman’s “baggers” as they were called, also ensured that they destroyed anything that directly supported the Confederate war effort or the institution of slavery. With their barns and fields ablaze, their livestock herds decimated, and their slaves freed many Southern people begin to wonder why their government was not protecting them. Many of them wrote to their Soldier and told of the atrocities and the destruction of their way of life that the Soldier was fighting to preserve. General Robert E. Lee faced the serious issue of deserting Soldiers once the news of General William Sherman’s march to the sea made it to the front lines and resonated with the Southern