the brutal war envisioned by william sherman is nearing its end, and his path of destruction paves the way for america's healing. ♪ >> i carry a message from general grant. ♪ general lee has surrendered the army of northern virginia! [ cheers ] >> lee's surrender at appomattox is considered by many to be the official end of the civil war. though several rebel armies continued fighting in the west, for his role in the conflict, many in the south will vilify william tecumseh sherman as a monster and a terrorist, but it cannot be denied that his war tactics helped bring a speedy surrender, likely saving tens of thousands of lives. in many ways, the civil war is a rebirth of our nation. the america that emerges in 1865 is different economically,