William Tecumseh Sherman

Definition

William Tecumseh Sherman was a Union General during the American Civil War best known for his "March to Sea," where he used scorched earth tactics across Georgia causing significant damage to Confederate resources.

Analogy

Imagine Sherman as an aggressive chess player who doesn't just aim for checkmate but also takes out as many opponent's pieces along his path, disrupting their game plan significantly - that's what Sherman did with his March to Sea strategy.

Related terms

Scorched Earth Policy: A military strategy which involves destroying anything that might be useful to enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area.

Atlanta Campaign: A series of battles fought throughout northwest Georgia and Atlanta during summer of 1864, which ended with a famous siege and burning of Atlanta by Sherman's forces.

Savannah, Georgia: The final destination of Sherman's March to the Sea, where he offered the city to President Lincoln as a "Christmas gift."