Lt. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
Born: February 8, 1820
Lancaster, Ohio
Died: February 14, 1891
New York City
West Point: 1840
2nd Lieut. June 1840
Resigned as Captain: 1853
Colonel, USA: May 14, 1861
Brig. General USV: August 7, 1861
Maj. General, USV: May 1, 1862
Brig. General, USA: July 4, 1863
Maj. General, USA: August 24, 1864
Lieut. General, USA: July 25, 1866
General, USA: March 4, 1869
Retired: February 4, 1884
June 1840: West Point Graduate - 6th in class of 42
June 1840: Second Lieutenant in 3rd US Artillery and fought in the Second Seminole War
1853: Resigned as a Captain
1859: First Superintendent of Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Math Academy (later to become Louisiana State University)
December 1860: Sherman told a friend and secessionist, Prof. David F. Boyd of Virginia the description of war
May 14, 1861: Commissioned as Colonel of 13th US Infantry Regiment
June - August 17, 1861: Commanding 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, Army of the Northeastern Virginia
July 21, 1861: Battle of Bull Run - Wounded by bullets grazing his knee and shoulder
July 23, 1861: President Lincoln is impressed by Sherman and promotes him to Brigadier General of Volunteers effective May 17, 1861
August 17-28, 1861: Commanding Brigade, Division of the Potomac
August 28-October 8, 1861: Second-in-Command, Department of the Cumberland
October 8 - November 9, 1861: Commanding Department of the Cumberland
February 14 - March 1, 1862: Commanding District of Cairo, Department of the Missouri
February 1862: Operating out of Paducah, Kentucky, provides Brig. Gen. Grant with logistics support during the Battle of Fort Henry and Donelson
March 1 - July 21, 1862: Commanding 5th Division, Army of the Tennessee
April 6-7, 1862: Battle of Shiloh - Wounded Twice in the hand and shoulder and had three horses shot out from under him
May 1, 1862: Promoted to Major General of Volunteers
April 29 - June 2, 1862: Corinth Campaign
July 21 - September 24, 1862: Commanding Fifth Division, District of Memphis, Army of the Tennessee
September 24 - October 26, 1862: Commanding 1st Division, District of Memphis, Army of the Tennessee
July 21 - October 26, 1862: Commanding District of Memphis
October 24 - November 25, 1862: Commanding District of Memphis, 13th Corps, Army of the Tennessee
December 18, 1862 - January 4, 1863: Commanding Yazoo Expedition, Army of the Tennessee
December 27-29, 1862: Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs
January 4-12, 1863: Commanding II Corps, Army of the Mississippi
January 4-12, 1863: Battle of Fort Hindman
January 12 - October 28, 1863: Commanding XV Corps, Army of the Tennessee
May 16, 1863: Battle of Champion Hill
July 4, 1863: Promoted to Brigadier General in the Regular Army, still maintained his rank of Major General of Volunteers
October 11, 1863: Battle of Collierville
October - November 1863: Chattanooga Campaign
October 24, 1863 - March 26, 1864: Commanding Army and Department of the Tennessee
March 18, 1864 - June 27, 1865: Commanding Military Division of the Mississippi
May 7 - September 2, 1864: Atlanta Campaign
May 5-11, 1864: Battle of Rocky Face Ridge
May 13-16, 1864: Battle of Resaca
May 17, 1864: Battle of Adairsville
May 25-26, 1864: Battle of New Hope Church
May 26 - June 1, 1864: Battle of Dallas
May 27, 1864: Battle of Pickett's Mill
June 9 - July 3, 1864: Operations around Marietta
June 27, 1864: Battle of Kennesaw Mountain
July 5, 1864: Battle of Pace's Ferry
July 20, 1864: Battle of Peachtree Creek
July 22, 1864: Battle of Atlanta
July 28, 1864: Battle of Ezra Church
August 5-7, 11864: Battle of Utoy Creek
August 12, 1864: Promoted to Major General, USA, resigns his position as Major General of Volunteers
August 14-15, 1864: 2nd Battle of Dalton
August 20, 1864: Battle of Lovejoy Station
August 31 - September 1, 1864: Battle of Jonesborough
September 2, 1864: Captured Atlanta
September 1864: General Sherman's letter to the Mayor and Councilmen of Atlanta
December 21, 1864: Captures Savannah, Georgia after General Hardee evacuates the city
February 17, 1865: Captures Columbia, South Carolina, the state capital
March 16, 1865: Battle of Aversboro
March 19-21, 1865: Battle of Bentonville
April 26, 1865: Accepts General Johnston surrender at Bennett Place, Durham, North Carolina
July 25, 1866: Promoted to Lieutenant General, USA
March 4, 1869: Promoted to General of the Army
1869 - November 1, 1883: Commanding General of the United States Army
1881: Established Command School at Fort Leavenworth - School of Application for Cavalry and Infantry which evolves into the Command and General Staff College
November 1, 1883: Steps down as Commanding General
February 4, 1884: Retires from the Army
Boatner, Mark M. III. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: David McKay, 1967. p 750-751
Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State, 1964. p 441-444