Home › S › Sherman (THOMAS WEST an Amat the United)

Sherman (THOMAS WEST an Amat the United)

THOMAS WEST, an Amat the United States Military Academy in 1836 and assigned to duty with the R. I., March 26, 1813; was graduated at the United States Military Academy in 1836 and assigned to duty with the 3d Artillery. He served in the Florida and Mexican Wars, and for his services in the latter was brevetted major, Feb. 23, 1847. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was placed in command of a battery of United States artillery and later was made chief of light artillery in the defense of Washington, D. C. He organized an expedition for the capture of Bull's Bay, S. C., and Fernandina, on the southern coast; commanded the land forces of the Port Royal expedition in 1861-1862; led a division in the Department of the Gulf in 1862-1863, and participated in the siege of Corinth.

While leading a column in the assault on Port Hudson, La., on May 27, 1863, he lost his right leg, in consequence of which he was on leave of absence till February, 1864. On his return to duty he was placed in command of a reserve brigade placed in command of a reserve brig of artillery in the Department of the Gulf, and later took charge of the defenses of New Orleans and the Southern and Eastern Districts of Louisiana. On March 13, 1865, he was brevetted majorgeneral of volunteers and major-general, U. S. A., for gallant services during the After the war he commanded at U. S. A., for gallant services during the war.

Fort Adams, R. I., and at Key West, eral, U. S. A., on Dec. 31, 1870; and died Fla. He was retired as full major-genin Newport, R. I., March 16, 1879. in Newport, R. I., March 16, 1879. an American military officer; born in SHERMAN, WILLIAM TECUMSEH, Lancaster, Ohio, Feb. 8, 1820. His father, one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Ohio, died in 1829, and William was educated in the family of Thomas Ewing ; was graduated there in 1840, till he had reached the age of 16, when Academy ; he went to the United States Military A entered the army, and was promoted to Academy; was graduated there in 1840, sistant adjutant-general in 1847, and obtained a brevet of captain, May, 1848, for meritorious services in California during the war with Mexico. He was appointed commissary of subsistence in 1850, served at St. Louis and New Orleans, but pointed commissary of subsistence in 1850, served at St. Louis and New Orleans, but SHERMAN family, resigned his commission Sept. 6, 1853, and removed to San Francisco, where he engaged in the banking business till 1858, when he went to Leavenworth, Kan., leaving there in July, 1859, on being elected superintendent of the Louisiana State Military Institute, which position he resigned when the Civil War began.

After the fall of Fort Sumter he was commissioned colonel of the 13th United States Infantry, and commanded the 3d Brigade at the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. On the reorganization of the WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN National army he was made brigadiergeneral of volunteers, accompanied General Anderson to Kentucky, succeeded him temporarily in command till at his own request he was relieved by General Buell and was ordered to Missouri. In the early part of 1862 he was appointed to the command of a division under General Grant, and acted with great bravery at the battle of Shiloh, April 6; was promoted to major-general, May 1; and when the Department of Tennessee was formed, in December, was made commander of the 15th Army Corps. At the end of that month he led an expedition to Vicksburg; but the works were too strong to be taken by assault, and he was obliged to withdraw his troops after a severe fight. He commanded the wing of the army that captured Fort Hindman, Ark., Jan. 10, SHERMAN ACT 1863, after which he resumed command of the 15th Army Corps; took part in the siege of Vicksburg, which capitulated July 3, 1863; and led the expedition which captured Jackson City, July 10.

When General Grant was placed in command of the army previously under General Rosecrans, he gave the command of the Department of the Tennessee to General Sherman, who encountered General Longstreet, and obliged him to retreat, Nov. 20; and in February, 1864, made his expedition to Meridian, Miss., and broke up that important railroad center, driving General Polk's army out of Mississippi. Having been charged with the command of the army in Georgia, May 4, he commenced the expedition through that State which ended in the capture of Atlanta, the capital city. General Hood thrice attacked the Federal army and was repulsed, sustaining considerable loss. After his third failure General Hood acted merely on the defensive in Atlanta, which fell into the hands of the Nationals in the beginning of September. In October Hood began his movement toward Tennessee. Sherman followed him as far as Resaca, 75 miles, drove him from the railroad, and then sent part of his army to Tennessee to defend that State, and with the balance began his "march to the sea," to act in concert with the Union army in Virginia against Lee. The distance from Atlanta to Savannah is 290 miles. General Sherman accomplished the march with very little loss in 23 days; and Savannah fell into his hands Dec. 21, 1864. The news of its capture was received with great rejoicing in the North, not only because it showed how triumphant the campaign in Georgia had been, but because it opened up the seaboard of that State and inflicted a heavy blow on the Confederate cause.

General Sherman defeated the Confederates at Bentonville, N. C., March 19, 1865, and soon afterward paid a visit to General Grant, to concert those measures for the defeat of General Lee which ended in the submission of that general and that of Gen. J. E. Johnston, who surrendered his army to General Sherman, April 26, 1865, which was one of the closing actions of the war. General Sherman was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, July 25, 1866; succeeded General Grant as general, March 4, 1869; was retired Feb. 8, 1884, and died in New York City, Feb. 14, 1891.