William Tecumseh Sherman William Sherman was one of the greatest generals in the Civil War. He was seen as a hero in the North and a demon in the South. He served as second in command to Ulysses S. Grant. Some say he won the war for the Union. How did he do this, you may ask. Simple, he cut a path straight through the heart of the southern territory. Sherman’s military career wasn’t all great accomplishments. Like most historical figures he started at the bottom. At the beginning of the Civil War, Sherman fought in the First Battle of Manassas. There, he saw the disorganization of the Union and this brought up fears about the Confederacy winning the war. After this Sherman turned down every offer of leadership he was given. He began talking freely about the Confederacy winning the war. His commander eventually sent him home for a break. During this break, with the help of Ulysses S. Grant, Sherman had a change of heart and came back to help the Union win the war. …show more content…
After the capture of Memphis, Sherman became its military governor. There he battled guerrillas more than Confederate soldiers. This made him realize that this war was between two societies and not just two armies. The autumn after Memphis’s capture, Sherman rejoined Grant in his efforts to capture Vicksburg. Grant knew if he did not capture it soon, he may never capture it. With the help of Sherman, Grant made a final, and very dangerous, attempt. Grant and Sherman succeeded in capturing Vicksburg. This was a turning point in the war for Sherman. After this battle he began to take on more tasks, instead of running from