William Tecumseh Sherman is one of the most important and controversial generals in American history. Just about the only thing everyone would agree on is his effectiveness. While he’s lauded as a Union war hero during the Civil War and a forerunner of modern warfare, the South despised him for his heavy-handed tactics, particularly the burning of Columbia and his March to the Sea.

This is a recollection of the time he spent on the West Coast after the Mexican-American War, and his firsthand look at the Gold Rush.