1995 32c Civil War: William T. Sherman
# 2975q - 1995 32c Civil War: William T. Sherman
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U.S. #2975q
1995 32¢ William T. Sherman
Civil War
- Issued for the 130th anniversary of the Civil War
- From the second pane in the Classic Collections Series
- Declared the most popular stamps of 1995 by the USPS
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Civil War 130th Anniversary
Value: 32¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: June 29, 1995
First Day City: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued: 15,000,000
Printed by: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 20 in sheets of 120
Perforations: 10.1
Why the stamp was issued: To mark the 130th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.
About the stamp design: The Civil War stamps featured artwork by Mark Hess, who had previously produced the artwork for the Legends of the West sheet. The USPS explained that they liked his painting style because of its “folksy stiffness,” that “emulates people standing uncomfortably in front of daguerreotype cameras.”
William T. Sherman is pictured with a pair of binoculars, preparing to scan the area. The binoculars are based on a pair that Sherman owned. Hess used two different photos as the sources for Sherman’s head and body.
First Day City: The official first day ceremony was held at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the site of one of the war’s most famous battles. Because they received a large number of requests, the USPS made the stamps available for sale across the country the same day.
Unusual facts about the Civil War stamps: The Civil War sheet was available by mail order in uncut press sheets of six panes. Of these, 20,000 were signed by stamp artist Mark Hess. The USPS also produced a set of postcards featuring the same images as the stamps (US #UX200-19). Imperforate and partially imperforate error panes have also been found.
About the Civil War Stamps: The Civil War stamp sheet featured 16 individuals – eight from the Union and eight from the Confederacy. The four battles in the corners included one victory for each side and two that are considered draws.
This was the second sheet in the Classic Collections Series following the famed Legends of the West sheet. Stamps in this series follow a similar format – 20 stamps, a decorative header, and information about each stamp printed on its back under the gum.
Plans for the Civil War sheet began while the 1994 Legends of the West sheet was still in its planning stage. The USPS believed that the Civil War was a natural addition to the new series and would be informational for the public. Initially the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee rejected the idea, saying they should wait 20 years for the 50th anniversary of the war. But they were eventually swayed and the Civil War stamps were created. A group of historians were tasked with making a list of protentional subjects and Shelby Foote was hired to make the final selections. Foote was an expert in the Civil War, having written a three-volume history of the war and been featured in Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series on the war.
The USPS wanted the Civil War stamps to have more action to them – so only the two presidents were depicted in traditional portraits. The rest of the individuals were placed in the field or amidst an activity. After the Legends of the West mix-up, in which the Bill Pickett stamp mistakenly pictured his brother Ben, the USPS completely revamped their research process. The release of the 20 Civil War stamps marked the most extensive effort in the history of the USPS to review and verify the historical accuracy of stamp subjects. As Hess completed each version of his paintings, they were sent to a panel of experts who commented on the historical accuracy of everything from the weather to belt buckles.
Some of the people and battles featured in the Civil War sheet had appeared on US stamps before. This was also the second time the Civil War was honored – a set of five stamps (US #1178-82) was issued for the centennial in the 1960s. And from 2011-15, the USPS issued a series of stamps for the war’s 150th anniversary (US #4522/4981).
History the stamp represents: William Tecumseh Sherman was born February 8, 1820 in Lancaster, Ohio. After the death of his father in 1829, nine-year-old Sherman went to live with a family friend, the prominent Whig politician Thomas Ewing. The Ohio senator – and later Secretary of the Interior – steered young Sherman toward West Point, securing an appointment for him at the age of 16.
After graduating from West Point, Sherman served in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant, stationed in Florida during the Second Seminole War. Following assignments in Georgia and South Carolina, Sherman went to California during the Mexican-American War, where he performed administrative duties. He was present during the California Gold Rush, but didn’t profit financially.
By 1850, Sherman had been promoted to captain and married his foster sister in a wedding attended by President Zachary Taylor. The couple would eventually have eight children. Sherman held various jobs before becoming the first superintendent of the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy (which would become Louisiana State University). While there, Sherman became attached to the South and the people who lived there. However, as the clouds of war gathered, he resigned his post and moved north to defend the Union cause. Sherman declined the offer of a job in the War Department, which the Lincoln administration intended as a stepping-stone to becoming assistant secretary of war.
Sherman distinguished himself at the First Battle of Bull Run, which led to a promotion to brigadier general. He was assigned to serve in the Department of the Cumberland in the border state of Kentucky, where he was soon given overall command. However, he was quickly replaced following what some historians believe was a nervous breakdown. When he returned to duty in December 1861, Sherman was again sent to Kentucky where he served under Ulysses S. Grant during his attempt to capture Fort Donelson.
The two became friends and allies during the long siege of Vicksburg, leading one newspaper to comment, “the army was being ruined in mud-turtle expeditions, under the leadership of a drunkard (Grant), whose confidential adviser (Sherman) was a lunatic.” Sherman would later recall, “[Grant] stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk; and now … we stand by each other always.”
At the Battle of Shiloh, Sherman’s troops prevented a rout on the first day and staged a counterattack on the second. Sherman was wounded twice and earned a promotion to major general of volunteers. Though he continued to rise in the Union ranks, his overall performance was mixed at best. In the spring of 1864, Lincoln ordered Grant to take charge of all the Union armies. Grant then assigned Sherman to take his place as head of the Military Division of the Mississippi. This placed Sherman in charge of the entire Western Theater.
Sherman devised a strategy that called for Grant to beat Lee in the North while he divided the South by marching his troops through Georgia. Sherman gathered three armies with nearly 100,000 Union troops and set out for Atlanta. On September 2, 1864, he captured the city.
Sherman was given permission to march south – after intentionally giving up his line of communication – so he could “make Georgia howl.” As Union troops destroyed John Bell Hood’s army at the battles of Franklin and Nashville, Sherman set off with 62,000 men on a march to Savannah, Georgia. Sherman’s “scorched earth” policy was a severe blow to morale in the Confederacy, which was further damaged by his December 21, 1864, capture of Savannah, Georgia. The general then turned his men northward, again destroying everything in his path. Sherman’s last significant battle was at Bentonville on March 19-21. A few weeks later, Lee surrendered at Appomattox and the Civil War came to a close.
Four years later, Sherman succeeded General Grant as Commanding General of the Army, a position he held for 14 years. In that role, Sherman oversaw the Army’s involvement in the Indian Wars. He retired from the Army in 1884 and spent his last years in New York City enjoying theater, art, and delivering speeches, before his death on February 14, 1891.
U.S. #2975q
1995 32¢ William T. Sherman
Civil War
- Issued for the 130th anniversary of the Civil War
- From the second pane in the Classic Collections Series
- Declared the most popular stamps of 1995 by the USPS
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Civil War 130th Anniversary
Value: 32¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: June 29, 1995
First Day City: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued: 15,000,000
Printed by: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 20 in sheets of 120
Perforations: 10.1
Why the stamp was issued: To mark the 130th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.
About the stamp design: The Civil War stamps featured artwork by Mark Hess, who had previously produced the artwork for the Legends of the West sheet. The USPS explained that they liked his painting style because of its “folksy stiffness,” that “emulates people standing uncomfortably in front of daguerreotype cameras.”
William T. Sherman is pictured with a pair of binoculars, preparing to scan the area. The binoculars are based on a pair that Sherman owned. Hess used two different photos as the sources for Sherman’s head and body.
First Day City: The official first day ceremony was held at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the site of one of the war’s most famous battles. Because they received a large number of requests, the USPS made the stamps available for sale across the country the same day.
Unusual facts about the Civil War stamps: The Civil War sheet was available by mail order in uncut press sheets of six panes. Of these, 20,000 were signed by stamp artist Mark Hess. The USPS also produced a set of postcards featuring the same images as the stamps (US #UX200-19). Imperforate and partially imperforate error panes have also been found.
About the Civil War Stamps: The Civil War stamp sheet featured 16 individuals – eight from the Union and eight from the Confederacy. The four battles in the corners included one victory for each side and two that are considered draws.
This was the second sheet in the Classic Collections Series following the famed Legends of the West sheet. Stamps in this series follow a similar format – 20 stamps, a decorative header, and information about each stamp printed on its back under the gum.
Plans for the Civil War sheet began while the 1994 Legends of the West sheet was still in its planning stage. The USPS believed that the Civil War was a natural addition to the new series and would be informational for the public. Initially the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee rejected the idea, saying they should wait 20 years for the 50th anniversary of the war. But they were eventually swayed and the Civil War stamps were created. A group of historians were tasked with making a list of protentional subjects and Shelby Foote was hired to make the final selections. Foote was an expert in the Civil War, having written a three-volume history of the war and been featured in Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series on the war.
The USPS wanted the Civil War stamps to have more action to them – so only the two presidents were depicted in traditional portraits. The rest of the individuals were placed in the field or amidst an activity. After the Legends of the West mix-up, in which the Bill Pickett stamp mistakenly pictured his brother Ben, the USPS completely revamped their research process. The release of the 20 Civil War stamps marked the most extensive effort in the history of the USPS to review and verify the historical accuracy of stamp subjects. As Hess completed each version of his paintings, they were sent to a panel of experts who commented on the historical accuracy of everything from the weather to belt buckles.
Some of the people and battles featured in the Civil War sheet had appeared on US stamps before. This was also the second time the Civil War was honored – a set of five stamps (US #1178-82) was issued for the centennial in the 1960s. And from 2011-15, the USPS issued a series of stamps for the war’s 150th anniversary (US #4522/4981).
History the stamp represents: William Tecumseh Sherman was born February 8, 1820 in Lancaster, Ohio. After the death of his father in 1829, nine-year-old Sherman went to live with a family friend, the prominent Whig politician Thomas Ewing. The Ohio senator – and later Secretary of the Interior – steered young Sherman toward West Point, securing an appointment for him at the age of 16.
After graduating from West Point, Sherman served in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant, stationed in Florida during the Second Seminole War. Following assignments in Georgia and South Carolina, Sherman went to California during the Mexican-American War, where he performed administrative duties. He was present during the California Gold Rush, but didn’t profit financially.
By 1850, Sherman had been promoted to captain and married his foster sister in a wedding attended by President Zachary Taylor. The couple would eventually have eight children. Sherman held various jobs before becoming the first superintendent of the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy (which would become Louisiana State University). While there, Sherman became attached to the South and the people who lived there. However, as the clouds of war gathered, he resigned his post and moved north to defend the Union cause. Sherman declined the offer of a job in the War Department, which the Lincoln administration intended as a stepping-stone to becoming assistant secretary of war.
Sherman distinguished himself at the First Battle of Bull Run, which led to a promotion to brigadier general. He was assigned to serve in the Department of the Cumberland in the border state of Kentucky, where he was soon given overall command. However, he was quickly replaced following what some historians believe was a nervous breakdown. When he returned to duty in December 1861, Sherman was again sent to Kentucky where he served under Ulysses S. Grant during his attempt to capture Fort Donelson.
The two became friends and allies during the long siege of Vicksburg, leading one newspaper to comment, “the army was being ruined in mud-turtle expeditions, under the leadership of a drunkard (Grant), whose confidential adviser (Sherman) was a lunatic.” Sherman would later recall, “[Grant] stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk; and now … we stand by each other always.”
At the Battle of Shiloh, Sherman’s troops prevented a rout on the first day and staged a counterattack on the second. Sherman was wounded twice and earned a promotion to major general of volunteers. Though he continued to rise in the Union ranks, his overall performance was mixed at best. In the spring of 1864, Lincoln ordered Grant to take charge of all the Union armies. Grant then assigned Sherman to take his place as head of the Military Division of the Mississippi. This placed Sherman in charge of the entire Western Theater.
Sherman devised a strategy that called for Grant to beat Lee in the North while he divided the South by marching his troops through Georgia. Sherman gathered three armies with nearly 100,000 Union troops and set out for Atlanta. On September 2, 1864, he captured the city.
Sherman was given permission to march south – after intentionally giving up his line of communication – so he could “make Georgia howl.” As Union troops destroyed John Bell Hood’s army at the battles of Franklin and Nashville, Sherman set off with 62,000 men on a march to Savannah, Georgia. Sherman’s “scorched earth” policy was a severe blow to morale in the Confederacy, which was further damaged by his December 21, 1864, capture of Savannah, Georgia. The general then turned his men northward, again destroying everything in his path. Sherman’s last significant battle was at Bentonville on March 19-21. A few weeks later, Lee surrendered at Appomattox and the Civil War came to a close.
Four years later, Sherman succeeded General Grant as Commanding General of the Army, a position he held for 14 years. In that role, Sherman oversaw the Army’s involvement in the Indian Wars. He retired from the Army in 1884 and spent his last years in New York City enjoying theater, art, and delivering speeches, before his death on February 14, 1891.