with ellen sherman i went and wondered what other general had the same career path as william tecumseh sherman. he could hardly get back into the army. even when he did, he could not get a command. he had setbacks and rough footing but by the end of the war, he was on top. who matches that? ulysses grant. and i wanted to look at their wives. i looked at nelly mcclellan and i looked at julia grant and they seemed to have some very similar characteristics to fremont and sherman. and i thought -- this cannot be a coincidence that you could have the wives of two generals that have such a disastrous short tenure of command and their wives versus the wives of the two men who really rose to greatness. susan: it seems the great men are supported by their wives. let us talk about victorian women. the influence of victorian women appears to be an opposing concept. at that time, women were domestic. they were not to have public personas. how did these women wield influence? candy: as part of that thesis, was part of their relationship and their opinion of lincoln. you first begin to get a sense o

i said what other general had the same career path as william sherman?dly get back into the army. he sort of didn't want. to even when he did, he couldn't get a command. he said he was going to look at the others' wives. when i looked at mcclellan's wife, maryellen, marsy or nelly and then i looked at grant's wife, julia grant, and they seemed to have some very similar characteristics. there were coincidences of the two wives that really rose to greatness in four years. >> well, so the thesis, of course, is that the great men are supported by the wives. but we have to talk about victorian women in society. because influence in victorian women seem like opposing concepts. because at that period of time, women were basically domestic. they were to stay in the domestic sphere. so how did the four women wield influence? >> one of the ways -- also as part of that thesis is the relationships or the opinions that these women had about lincoln. >> she was this quiet person and the husband was in the public sphere. but women who wanted to certainly had many ways

confederate army of tennessee's failed assault of the battle of franklin in november 1864 after william sherman began his march to the sea, john belford hood engaged his forces on the way to national. assaulte argues this was more devastating to confederates than the picket't's charge at gettysburg. this talk is about an hour. >> it is my pleasure to introduce our friend lee white. he has been with the park service since 2000. we can literally say lee has spent his whole life on the

after union general william sherman captured atlanta, confederate general engaged his rear forces on the way to nashville. he argues that this assault was more devastating to confederates then gettysburg. this talk is about an hour.

after union general william sherman captured atlanta, confederate general engaged his rear forces on the way to nashville. he argues that this assault was more devastating to confederates then gettysburg. this talk is about an hour. >> is my pleasure to introduce -- it is my pleasure to introduce our friend lee white. he has been with the park service since 2000. lee hasiterally say spent his whole life on the battlefield because he was born in a hospital that sits on the battlefield grounds. this is a man who is deeply rooted in that part. he also has a passion for parks that reach -- that reach beyond the boundaries of his daily work life. he is finishing up work on a book for the emerging civil war series. earlier this afternoon, davis talked about the rise of john bell hood and we will talk about the beginning of the fall of that very same army. what is and gentlemen, mr. lee white -- ladies and gentlemen, mr. lee white. [applause] white: i have a special connection there and it is one -- ie reasons why i did tell that story. familiar with general patrick labor. my first really b

have you heard of william sherman? he was a famous general. at this point, he was a lieutenant and he was witnessing what was happening when the gold was discovered. so here is lieutenant sherman. >> as the spring and summer of 1840 and fans, the advanced became faster and faster. stories of fabulous discoveries spread through the land. everyone was talking of gold. until it assumed the character of a fever. some of the soldiers began to desert. earning of men 50-500-thousands of dollars a day. it seemed ase, though somebody would reach solid gold. professor: thank you. here is an army officer reporting back to his seniors. not long after that, the president made a big speech. if you look on the back and out of the sheet, you will see what the president said. so this was a few months after the initial discoveries were made. >> it was known that the minds of the precious metals going into a considerable amount of california. recent discoveries render it probable that these mines are more valuable than anticipated. the accounts of the abundance

william sherman was three years i had of grant at west point.he grant arrived, congressman who nominated him got it all next up. when he registered, he said, we don't have any ulysses. he said, that is my name. he said, unless you are ulysses simpson grant, you won't be registering. so he became u.s. grant. the boys teased him and called him uncle sam. he was known s sam grant at west point. brian: what happened during the civil war when he had these close friends on the other side? ronald: he respected them. long street told lee, i don't think you understand who you are going to be up against when you fight grant. he finally practiced what lincoln put forward. at the end of the war, he practice what both he and lincoln wanted to be. these men i had all fought on the same side in the war with mexico. brian: want to show you some video. we have covered a lot of grant. this is just a brief excerpt from what we found in our archive. [video clip] brian: many books written on grant. >> grant personify the egalitarian values of a modernizing democrati

william sherman was a famous general during the civil war, and on the right as a young man. he was witnessing what was happening when the gold was discovered. here is lieutenant german. >> the spring of summer of 1840 advanced. the reports can faster from the gold mines. stories reached fabulous discovery has spread to the land. everyone was talking of gold, gold, which soon adopted the character of a fever. citizens were trained with wagons and pat mills to go to the lines. we heard men of turning 50 and thousands of dollars per day. at times it seemed as though someone would reach solid gold. prof. allitt: thanks very much. as the news gets up, his army officer reports to the scene. not long after that, the president himself made a big speech. if you look at the backseat of the handout, you can see what the president said. just a few months after the initial discoveries were made. >> it was known that minds of the precious metals consisted of an conceivable extent in california. these mines are more extensive and valuable than anticipated. they account for the abundance of

william at the comesy sherman at the curvesy sherman -- tecumpseh sherman. his name was higher than ulysses. he said, unless you are a u.s. grant, you will be the wrong one. so he became u.s. grant and he was known as sam, uncle sam, and he was known as sam grant at west point. brian: what happened during the civil war when he had these close friends who were on the other side? ronald: he respected them. longstreet told lee, i don't understand you know who you are against when he fought ulysses s. grant. this was a very difficult time. these men all fought on the same side with the war with mexico. brian: i want to show you some video. we covered a lot of grant over the years and as you know there have been a lot of books written. ronald: yes, yes. brian this is a brief excerpt from a bunch that we found in our archive. many books written on u.s. grant. >> we found hundreds of biographies. >> grant, son of a tanner. personified the ue gal tarian values of a democratic society. >> now grant and there's no victory in the civil war for the union. >> and i do co