Military Leaders
Explain how William T Sherman was influeital to the North.
William Tecumseh Sherman was a major general for the union military forces. Sherman was born on February 8, 1820. Although Sherman never led a major union victory he was the second best union leader. Sherman was very young when his father died, but he was raised by Senator Thomas Ewing. He received a brevet for his services in California during the Mexican War but resigned in 1853 as a captain and commissary officer. He soon succeeded the hero of Fort Sumter in command of the department but got into trouble over his overestimates of the enemy strength. The newspapers actually reported him as being insane. Sherman was known for his destruction and lack of discipline for his soldiers they were known as "Sherman's bummers” mainly to the southerners. In the battle of Bull Run Sherman proved he was saner then people thought. August 12, 1864, Sherman had been promoted to major general in the regular army and replaced grant as commander-in-chief. In the battle of Shiloh grant said “ I am indebted for the success of that battle”.
Explain how Robert E Lee and Jeferson Davis were influetial to the South.
As an army commander, Robert E Lee favored quick, bold thrusts, which reflected the Confederate spirit. At the peak of his success, in summer 1862, he gave the Confederacy so much credibility that Britain came close to recognizing it as a new nation. Perhaps more than any other Civil War General, he also possessed the quality of human greatness, and he inspired intense loyalty right to the end, when his men were barefoot and starving. Over the next year, Lee again distinguished himself on the battlefield. In May 1862 he took control of the Army of Northern Virginia and drove back the Union Army in Richmond in the Seven Days Battle. In August he gave the Confederacy a crucial victory at Second Manassas.
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis was a great inspirational man for the Confederacy. He was a great role model for people in the south. One of the reasons Jefferson Davis was a inspiring person because he was a war hero from the Mexican war. Back in that time period if you were a war hero you were considered to be great. Being a war hero he was thrown right into politics. He was then made a U.S. Senator for Mississippi in 1847. When the time came around the civil war was upon the people and the south was seceding and they needed a leader and who better to pick than Jefferson Davis. He was a tall lean laid back gentleman from the south. He was also a slave owner and liked the idea of states’ rights which made him the ideal candidate to lead the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis was the only president of the Confederacy which shows me that he was well liked the ideal person and a influential person for the south.
Works Cited
Encyclopedia Virginia Davis. Ethan S. Rafuse, Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Davis_Jefferson_1808-1889>.
History.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://www.history.com/topics/robert-e-lee>.
Pbs.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/lee/>.
Encyclopedia Virginia Davis. Ethan S. Rafuse, Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Davis_Jefferson_1808-1889>.
History.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://www.history.com/topics/robert-e-lee>.
Pbs.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/lee/>.