America’s Top 11 Generals: #4 William T. Sherman
America’s Finest 11 Commanders: Remembering the Remarkable Generals and Admirals
As Veterans Day approaches on November 11, it’s time to celebrate and honor the exceptional generals and admirals that the United States has produced over the years. While many have made their mark, only a few have truly stood out as world-class strategists and leaders of troops. Here is my list of America’s finest 11 commanders.
William Tecumseh Sherman, 1820 – 1891 (Civil War)
On the eve of the Civil War, William Tecumseh Sherman wrote a chilling letter to a friend in the South, warning of the bloodshed to come. He understood the horrors of war, stating, “War is a terrible thing.” Sherman’s words and actions during the war solidified his reputation as a prophet of modern warfare.
Such language prompts some to remember the grizzled, steely-eyed Sherman as an Old Testament-like prophet of modern war and all its desolations. And with good reason. He is associated with the destruction of Georgia in his “March To The Sea” and then up through the Carolinas. In doing so, Sherman tore the guts out of the Confederate war machine and in many ways ushered in the modern age of conflict. But, unlike his superior Grant, who ended up bogged down for months in a grisly stalemate with Lee’s army in Virginia, his war was waged on factories, plantations, railroads, and fertile farmlands as much as the enemy’s legions. Sherman understood that the materiel production of the South was essential to maintaining the Confederate War effort in the field. And no other commander destroyed the Southern infrastructure with more ruthless efficiency than he.
When General Grant promoted Sherman to head the Division of the Mississippi, it was a smart decision. Despite Sherman’s earlier struggles and a nervous breakdown, Grant saw his potential. Sherman proved to be Grant’s most faithful subordinate, and his men loved him for his refusal to waste their lives in fruitless frontal attacks.
The loyalty flowed down through the ranks as well. The men loved “Uncle Billy” precisely because they knew he would not waste their lives in fruitless frontal attacks. A more rugged lot than their spit-and-polish eastern counterparts, his men were mostly from the Western states of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, and Minnesota. They wore broad-brimmed hats rather than the more iconic cap, and the officers not very distinguishable from the rankers, who called themselves Sherman’s “bummers”.
Sherman’s foresight and ingenuity set him apart from other military commanders of the 19th century. He vowed not to waste his men’s lives in foolish frontal assaults, unlike his friend Grant who was doing just that in Virginia. Instead, Sherman engaged in constant maneuvering and flanking tactics to outmaneuver his Confederate opponents.
Instead, tasked by Grant with taking Atlanta, Sherman would engage in a war of constant maneuver against his very capable Confederate opponent, Gen. Joe Johnston, and repeatedly flank, march, flank, and march his way south through Georgia until he had Atlanta cut off. Only once during his relentless 110-mile advance south towards the city, at Kennesaw Mountain, did Sherman lose his patience and attempt a frontal attack, suffering severe if predictable losses. He never tried such a foolish tactic again.
Sherman’s march through Georgia and the Carolinas left a lasting impact. He systematically destroyed the South’s ability to feed and supply their armies, ultimately advancing the South’s collapse and saving countless lives on both sides.
It is hard to argue against the notion that Sherman’s campaigns not only saved the Union by saving Lincoln’s presidency but saved tens of thousands of lives on both sides by advancing the South’s inevitable collapse and defeat by at least six months to a year.
Sherman’s legacy is complex. While he is hailed as a hero in the North for his crucial role in saving the Union, he is vilified in the South as a symbol of destruction. However, the record shows that Sherman targeted the plantation class, whom he blamed for waging the war, rather than indiscriminately harming civilians.
As far as the Southern gentry was concerned, however, Sherman’s cardinal sin was to wage war on property. Sherman understood the unavoidable nexus between civilian labor and the capabilities of their armies in the field. An unheard-of approach in a supposedly more genteel age where civilians and armies were considered separate and distinct.
William Tecumseh Sherman’s military brilliance and strategic vision left an indelible mark on American history. His campaigns not only shaped the outcome of the Civil War but also paved the way for modern warfare tactics. Sherman’s legacy, though controversial, cannot be denied.
America’s Top 11 Generals:
- #11 Curtis E. LeMay
- #10 Matthew Ridgway
- #9 Nathanael Greene
- #8 George Patton
- RELATED: #7 Robert E. Lee
- #6 Admiral Chester Nimitz
- #5 Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson
Brad Schaeffer is a commodities trader, columnist, and author of two acclaimed novels. His newest book, the fact-based LIFE IN THE PITS: My Time as a Trader on the Rough-and-Tumble Exchange Floors will be published in December and is currently available for pre-order. You can also find more of Brad’s articles on Substack.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
What was the significance of Sherman’s “March To The Sea” and its impact on the Confederate war effort?
Ica’s Finest Commanders: Remembering the Remarkable Generals and Admirals
As Veterans Day approaches on November 11, it’s time to celebrate and honor the exceptional generals and admirals that the United States has produced over the years. While many have made their mark, only a few have truly stood out as world-class strategists and leaders of troops. Here is my list of America’s finest 11 commanders.
William Tecumseh Sherman, 1820 – 1891 (Civil War)
On the eve of the Civil War, William Tecumseh Sherman wrote a chilling letter to a friend in the South, warning of the bloodshed to come. He understood the horrors of war, stating, “War is a terrible thing.” Sherman’s words and actions during the war solidified his reputation as a prophet of modern warfare.
Such language prompts some to remember the grizzled, steely-eyed Sherman as an Old Testament-like prophet of modern war and all its desolations. And with good reason. He is associated with the destruction of Georgia in his ”March To The Sea” and then up through the Carolinas. In doing so, Sherman tore the guts out of the Confederate war machine and in many ways ushered in the modern age of conflict. But, unlike his superior Grant, who ended up bogged down for months in a grisly stalemate with Lee’s army in Virginia, his war was waged on factories, plantations, railroads, and fertile farmlands as much as the enemy’s legions. Sherman understood that the materiel production of the South was essential to maintaining the Confederate War effort in the field. And no other commander destroyed the Southern infrastructure with more ruthless efficiency than he.
When General Grant promoted Sherman to head the Division of the Mississippi, it was a smart decision. Despite Sherman’s earlier struggles and a nervous breakdown, Grant saw his potential. Sherman proved to be Grant’s most faithful subordinate, and his men loved him for his refusal to waste their lives in fruitless frontal attacks.
The loyalty flowed down through the ranks as well. The men loved “Uncle Billy” precisely because they knew he would not waste their lives in fruitless frontal attacks. A more rugged lot than their spit-and-polish eastern counterparts, his men were mostly from the Western states of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, and Minnesota. They wore broad-brimmed hats rather than the more iconic cap, and the officers not very distinguishable from the rankers, who called themselves Sherman’s “bummers”.
Sherman’s foresight and ingenuity set him apart from other military commanders of the 19th century. He vowed not to waste his men’s lives in foolish frontal assaults, unlike his friend Grant who was doing just that in Virginia. Instead, Sherman engaged in constant maneuvering and flanking tactics to outmaneuver his Confederate opponents.
Instead, tasked by Grant with taking Atlanta, Sherman would engage in a war of constant maneuver against his very capable Confederate opponent, Gen. Joe Johnston, and repeatedly flank, march, flank, and march his way south through Georgia until he had Atlanta cut off. Only once during his relentless 110-mile advance south towards the city
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