lanta and included the battles of Dalton, Resaca, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain and Peach-Tree Creek. After the occupation of Atlanta, the Confederate army under Hood having moved westward, Sherman sent Thomas back to Nashville to confront Hood, while with 65,000 men he began his famous “march to the sea,” which was accomplished by the capture of Savannah on Dec. 21. On Feb. 1, 1865, he began his march northward through the Carolinas, closing with the surrender of Johnston's army, April 26, at Durham Station, North Carolina. On May 24, at the head of his magnificent army, which had just completed the march of nearly 2,000 miles in a hostile country, he passed in review before President Johnson, General Grant and thousands of spectators on Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington.
After the war Sherman was appointed to the command of the second military division, with headquarters at St. Louis. When Grant was made general in 1866, Sherman was promoted to be lieutenant-general in the regular army, and, on Grant becoming president in 1869, Sherman was appointed general of the army of the United States. This position he held until, at his own request, Nov. 1, 1883, he was relieved and succeeded by Sheridan. He died at New York, Feb. 14, 1891. Sherman's qualities have, by one well-competent to judge, been summed up thus: "“Above all his other excellencies shone his promptitude, celerity and immeasurable activity. What for some commanders were winter-quarters were to him a bivouac. Always ready for the start, indefatigable on the march, omnipresent in battle, relentless in pursuit, Sherman made himself not only more feared but more respected by the enemy than any general in the national armies save, perhaps, the one who commanded them all.” In 1875 appeared Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by Himself.
Sher′ry. See Wine.
Sher′wood For′est, a stretch of hilly country in Nottinghamshire, England, about 25 miles long and from six to eight wide. It formerly was a royal forest, and is the scene of many of the exploits of the famous Robin Hood. It is almost entirely cleared now, and occupied by country-seats and parks. See Nottinghamshire and Sherwood Forest by White.
Shet′land, a group of islands north of Scotland, forming one of its counties. They number more than 100, 29 being inhabited.. There are no trees and only one sixth of the soil is cultivated, but the cliff-scenery is fine and the coast so broken that no spot is more than three miles from the sea. Fisheries form the leading industry. The little, shaggy, Shetland ponies are well-known. Shetland, the Ultima Thule of the ancients, belonged to Scandinavia until 1468, and Norse was spoken in Foula in 1774. Area 550 square miles; population 28,166; chief town, Lerwick. See The Pirate by Scott and Orkneys and Shetland by Tudor.
Shibboleth (shĭb′ō̇-lĕth), a word used by the Gileadites under Jephtha after their victory over the Ephraimites, to test the fugitives at the ford. The Ephraimites could not pronounce the sh, but called it sibboleth, and so were easily known. The word is still used in the sense of a test.
Shields, South, a town of England, is a seaport in Durham, at the mouth of the Tyne, nine miles northeast of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The coast is fine, with picturesque caves hollowed out in the cliffs. The south pier, a gigantic breakwater 5,218 feet long, was begun in 1854. The harbor is lined with ships and boat-yards, iron, glass, alkali and rope works and paint and varnish factories. The Tyne docks also, which cover 50 acres, are near the town. The first lifeboat (q. v.) was built at South Shields and used first in 1790. The town was a military station in the time of the Romans; salt-works were established as early as 1489 and glass-works in 1619. Population 111,400.
Shill′aber, Benjamin Penhallow, American humorist, known by his pen-name of Mrs. Partington, was born at Portsmouth, N. H., July 12, 1814, and died at Chelsea, Mass., Nov. 25, 1890. Taking early in life to a printing-office, he advanced to journalism, and successively was editor of the Boston Post, the Saturday Evening Gazette and of a comic journal, The Carpet-Bag, to which John G. Saxe was a contributor. In 1854 he published Life and Sayings of Mrs. Partington, which gave him a wide reputation. This was followed by many humorous writings.
Shi′loh, a town of Ephraim, the home of Eli and Samuel and the religious center of Israel for many years. The site is occupied by a ruinous village, 20 miles northeast of Jerusalem.
Shiloh, Battle of, one of the most desperate battles of the Civil War, named for a log meetinghouse two miles from Pittsburg Landing on Tennessee River. The battle between the Confederates under Johnston and the Federal army under Grant lasted two days. On the first the Federals were driven steadily back, but regained the lost ground on the next day, when re-enforced by Buell's command. Johnston was killed and the Confederates retreated, with nearly equal losses on both sides. The battle began on Sunday, April 6, 1862, and is sometimes called the battle of Pittsburg Landing.
Shin′toism. See Japan.
Ship, the name given to most sea-going vessels, but usually applied to sailing-vessels, those moved by steam being called steamers. The art of building vessels that
