Battle Command in the 1864 Campaign for Atlanta. The Emergence of William Tecumseh Sherman as a Strategic Leader.

Abstract : Commanders in the twenty-fist century will face extraordinary challenges in command and control. The art of leading, motivating, and decision making is described in Army doctrine in terms of battle command. Ultimately, battle command describes the ability of the commander to lead his organization to accomplish missions based upon his mastery of many personal and professional disciplines. This study examines the battle command of one of the great captains of the Civil War--General William T. Sherman--from both strategic and operational perspectives. The study explores General Sherman's ability to dominate his battlespace in terms of time, space, and purpose using a model prescribed by the U.S. Army Battle Command Battle Laboratory. finally, the paper suggests some implications for the future of battle command as an operational concept.