Before William Tecumseh Sherman became a great union General, he was demoted for insanity. In October 1861, the general of union forces told US Secretary of war Simon cameron that he needed 60,000 men to defend William’s territory, 200,000 men to go on the offensive. Simon called the general request “insane” and removed him from command. In a devastating letter to his brother he wrote, and I quote, “I should think I should have committed suicide were it not for my children. I don’t think I can be trusted with that command again.”  But he was reassigned in 1862 under Ulysses s grant. Who didn’t see insanity but competence in the general. Later, a civilian bad mouthed grant, and Sherman defended his friend by saying,”general Grant is a great general he stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now sir we stand by each other always.”