Scope and Content Note
The papers of William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) span the years 1810-1897, with most dated between 1848 and 1891. The collection consists of correspondence, a journal of Mexican War service, military documents, printed matter, maps, photographs, memorabilia, and manuscripts of his Memoirs. The material is organized in eight series: General Correspondence , Indexes , Letterbooks , Military Papers , Book File , Miscellany , Addition , and Oversize .
Much of the collection deals with the period of Sherman's post-Civil War army career, and the papers are particularly numerous for the years when he was commanding general of the army, 1869-1883. The correspondence during this time relates mainly to military expeditions against the western Indians, problems of maintaining Indian reservations, and military policies in the territories. During the same period there are detailed reports by American military men traveling or stationed abroad of new developments in ordnance and tactics. The material dating from the Civil War constitutes only a small part of the papers. The manuscript of his Memoirs and a long narrative of wartime experiences supplement the correspondence for this period. Other files pertain to Sherman's early military career, his activities as a civilian in banking, law, business, and education, and his retirement after 1883.
Prominent correspondents include George Bancroft, William W. Belknap, Braxton Bragg. Don Carlos Buell, James A. Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Henry W. Halleck, Winfield S. Hancock. James A. Hardie, Ethan Allen Hitchcock. Andrew Johnson, George G. Meade. Montgomery C. Meigs. Nelson A. Miles, Edward O. C. Ord, David Dixon Porter, Joseph J. Reynolds, John M. Schofield. Philip H. Sheridan, John Sherman (his brother), and Emory Upton.