William Tecumseh Sherman

     Born on February 8, 1820, in Lancaster, Ohio, William Tecumseh Sherman was a general in the Union Army during the Civil War. He led his troops on a main offensive march toward Atlanta and the heart of Georgia in 1864. Between May and September, Sherman successfully executed a series of movements against the Confederates that caused them to retreat to edges of Atlanta. Then on September 2, he defeated the city for good, allowing Union forces to occupy the central hub of the Deep South. This was a key part in allowing Lincoln to defeat McClellan in November, as it brought Lincoln and his Cabinet together in a stronger bond and unification. Sherman was also extremely well know for his march through Georgia to the sea (please see "Sherman's March" under Battles and Significant Events.