February 14: Sherman's March

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is February 14th, and our story is Sherman's March. Some men find their faith in times of war. Other men lose it. William Tecumseh Sherman numbered among the latter. Baptized a Catholic at the age of nine by his foster mother and future mother-in-law, Maria Ewing, the future Civil War general was never a deeply devout man. But as a cadet at West Point, a soldier in California, and a banker in San Francisco and New York, he faithfully attended Sunday Mass.

He also supported his wife Ellen's decision to relocate the family to South Bend, Indiana, so their eight children could attend the University of Notre Dame and St. Mary's College. Sometime after his return to military service at the outset of the American Civil War, however, his attitude towards the Church and God changed.

By the time he conquered Atlanta, marched south to Savannah and back north through the Carolinas, leaving total devastation in his wake, any faith Sherman had was gone. Not only did he refuse to attend Mass with his family from that point on, but when his son Thomas entered the Jesuits, he described it as one of the greatest sorrows of his life. Once peace came and Ulysses S. Grant became president, Sherman's Civil War fame and close friendship with Grant helped him to succeed his friend as commanding general of the U.S.

Army. In that position, he was responsible for the Indian Wars that both facilitated the progress of the railroads and decimated Native American settlements in the West. Sherman retired from the Army in 1884, refusing all requests that he run for public office. He died nine years later, on February 14, 1891. A state funeral was held for him on February 19, but another funeral for Sherman, a Catholic one, took place the following week in St. Louis.

The celebrant was his son, Father Thomas Ewing Sherman, S.J. Sherman's life reminds us that faith can be tested by trauma, responsibility, and human complexity. His story encourages reflection on how we navigate faith through challenges, honor tradition, and seek reconciliation with our values, even amid conflict and the burdens of leadership. Reflect on a time your values or faith were tested.

Take one step this week to reconcile, strengthen, or express them in your daily life. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, February 15th, for another story of faith and courage in America.