William Tecumseh Sherman (
February 8,
1820 –
February 14,
1891) was an
American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a
general in the
United States Army during the
American Civil War (1861–65), receiving both recognition for his outstanding command of
military strategy, and criticism for the harshness of the "
scorched earth" policies he implemented in conducting
total war against the enemy.
Military historian Basil Liddell Hart famously declared that Sherman was "the first modern general."
[1] Sherman served under General
Ulysses S. Grant in 1862 and 1863 during the campaigns that led to the fall of the
Confederate stronghold of
Vicksburg on the
Mississippi River and culminated with the routing of the Confederate armies in the state of
Tennessee. In 1864, Sherman succeeded Grant as the
Union commander in the
western theater of the war. He proceeded to lead his troops to the capture of the city of
Atlanta, a military success that contributed decisively to the
re-election of
President Abraham Lincoln. Sherman's subsequent march through
Georgia and the
Carolinas further undermined the Confederacy's ability to continue fighting. He accepted the surrender of all the Confederate armies in the Carolinas, Georgia, and
Florida in April 1865.
The
Medal of Honor is the highest
military decoration awarded by the
United States. It is often colloquially referred to as the
Congressional Medal of Honor because the
President presents the award "in the name of the Congress". It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself "…conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States…" Members of all branches of the
U.S. military are eligible to receive the medal, and each service has a unique design (although the Marine Corps uses the Navy's medal and a specific Coast Guard's version of the medal has never been awarded. The Medal of Honor is often presented personally to the recipient or, in the case of
posthumous awards, to survivors, by the President of the United States. Due to its high status, the medal has special protection under U.S. law.
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