The American Civil War was a long time coming. Tensions between the North and the South had been building for decades, with both sides preparing for battle.The topic of slavery was at the forefront of this issue, with the North protesting the inhumane practice, and the South defending their traditions. The protests escalated and violence ensued until finally, about a month after Abraham Lincoln’s election, South Carolina seceded from the Union, with the rest of the south following soon after. The attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, was the official start of the war, when Confederate forces fired on a Union held fort that was now in enemy territory - Charleston, South Carolina. Fort Sumter was surrendered, and just three days later President…show more content… His foster mother added ‘William’ to his name. At age sixteen, Ewing secured Sherman a place at West Point Military Academy, where he excelled, finishing near the top of his class. After his graduation, Sherman was offered a position as a lieutenant in the Third U.S. Artillery, and afterwards served in both Florida and at Fort Morgan. However, Sherman saw little to no action at these posts, gaining an insignificant amount of experience. He was then transferred to garrison duty at Fort Moutry in Charleston, South Carolina. During the gold rush in California, 1853, Sherman decided to leave the military and become a banker there in hopes of becoming rich. However, the Panic of 1857 disrupted his dreams, but with the help of his southern friends became the first headmaster of the State Seminary of Learning and Military at Alexandria, which would later become Louisiana State University. His reign there was cut short as his loyalty to the Union made him feel obligated to resign after the secession of Louisiana on January 18, 1861, stating, “I beg you to take immediate steps to relieve me as superintendent, the moment the state determines to secede, for on no earthly account will I do any act or…show more content… During this time, the soldiers under his command wrecked havoc on the city while the generals took over the homes of the elite. The people of Atlanta evacuated as quickly as they could for the most part, the population falling from 20,000 to 3,000. Sherman ordered "the destruction in Atlanta of all depots, car-houses, shops, factories, foundries," while warning his men that fire only be used as a last resort. The army stripped Atlanta of her resources, sending these materials north. By the time the city was finally bare, it was already November 11th. With no more use for the railroads, the soldiers now tore the rails apart, burning and twisting the metal around the wooden ties or nearby trees. These became known as “Sherman’s Neckties.” For the last four days of Atlanta’s occupation, the Union troops began to set fire to homes and smaller buildings. Contrary to popular belief, Sherman actually tried to stop this, punishing those responsible and sending officers to protect the
