General William Tecumseh Sherman's 1864 burning of Atlanta solidified his legacy as a ruthless leader. Evolving from a spirited student at West Point, Sherman became a general who fought in some of the Civil War's most decisive campaigns--Shiloh, Vicksburg, Atlanta--until finally, seeking a swift ending to the war's horrendous casualties, he devastated southern resources on his famous March to the Sea across the Carolinas. Later, as general-in-chief...