William Tecumseh Sherman
1820–1891 · American (Lancaster, Ohio) · American Civil War
Known for: Union general who burned Atlanta and marched to the sea—invented modern total warfare
Sherman was Grant's most trusted general and the inventor of total warfare—the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure to break the enemy's will to fight. His March to the Sea (1864) burned a 60-mile-wide swath through Georgia, destroying railroads, factories, and plantations.
He was the most hated man in the South and the most effective Union general after Grant. His famous statement: 'War is hell.' When offered the Republican presidential nomination, he replied: 'If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve.'
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