William T. Sherman: Bank Collapse, Breakdown and the Making of Hard War

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

William Tecumseh Sherman spent much of his first 40 years by his own account as a failure. Born in Ohio in 1820 and left destitute when his father died, he was raised by the Ewing family and sent to West Point, where he excelled academically and piled up demerits. He missed combat in the Mexican-American War while serving in California, where he drafted documents confirming the gold discovery. He then managed a San Francisco bank that failed in a national panic, survived two shipwrecks, practiced law in Kansas without passing the bar, and ran the Louisiana military college that became LSU, warning Southern friends that Northern industry would beat them.

In 1861 he resigned, fought well at Bull Run, then broke down in Kentucky, overestimating enemy numbers until he was relieved and newspapers called him insane. At Shiloh he had three horses shot from under him and was wounded twice, and the episode argues the battle cured his anxieties. His bond with Grant led to Atlanta, the March to the Sea, and hard war aimed at property rather than civilians. The episode also covers his rejected surrender terms, the Indian Wars, and how Lost Cause writers and British historians reshaped his reputation.

Sherman's troops heated and twisted rails around trees, known as Sherman's neckties.
He fed about 60,000 men off the land after cutting his own supply line in Georgia.
His lenient terms in the Carolinas were rejected in Washington, and the Secretary of War hinted to the press that he might be a traitor.
He attacked corrupt reservation agents while pressing war against tribes resisting the railroads.
He died of pneumonia in New York City in 1891, respected in both North and South.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(16184)

The Art of Adult Friendship: Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore how our understanding of friendship changes as we grow old...

9 Nov 18min

Summer Explained: The Science, History, and Traditions of the Warmest Season

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore summer, the season most closely associated with sunshine, ...

7 Nov 18min

Sir Patrick Stewart: From Shakespeare to Star Trek, the Life and Legacy of a Legend

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary life of Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaim...

7 Nov 49min

Larry David: The Genius of Social Awkwardness, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life and career of Larry David, the comedian, writer, ...

6 Nov 38min

Why Australian Shepherds Aren't From Australia

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the history of the Australian Shepherd, an intelligent, en...

5 Nov 45min

Labrador Retriever: From Newfoundland Fishing Dogs to Modern-Day Heroes

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the remarkable history of the Labrador Retriever, one of t...

4 Nov 53min

Discovering Ireland: A Journey Through History, Culture, and the Wild Atlantic Way

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore Ireland through the philosophy of slow travel: go slower, ...

3 Nov 48min

Willie Hutch: An Overnight I'll Be There Lyric and The Mack's Soundtrack

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!William McKinley Hutchins was born in Los Angeles in December 1944 and raised in Dallas, where h...

2 Nov 21min