William Tecumseh Sherman, born on February 8, 1820 in Lancaster, Ohio, was the son Ohio Supreme Court Judge Charles Sherman. William began attending West Point in 1836, eventually graduating near the top of his class. During his early time as an officer, Sherman became familiar with the geography of the southern states as a result of his deployment to Florida against the Seminole Indians. After his service in the Mexican-American War, Sherman was appointed superintendent of the State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy in Louisiana until it became clear that Louisiana was to join in the seceding states. He was among the first to volunteer for service on the side of the North in the Civil War and was appointed Colonel in 1861. Sherman is remembered for his “March to the Sea” in which he and his men destroyed railways and supplies during their march from Atlanta, Georgia to Savannah in an effort to isolate the southern population and limit their resources. When Grant was elected President in 1868, Sherman assumed the role of General of the Army. Sherman died on February 14, 1891 in New York City. William T. Sherman was made a Great Ohioan in 2012.
Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.