John Joseph Pershing was born in Laclede, Missouri on September 13, 1860. As a young child he was exposed to the horrors of the Civil War. His hometown of Laclede was attacked by a band of Confederate soldiers. Growing up, he never aspired to a career in the military. Instead, he dreamed of one day studying law and becoming a lawyer. However, after his father experienced economic hardship during an economic depression in 1873, Pershing submitted an application to the Military Academy at West Point in hopes of a free education that might lead to more law school. late in life. Even after accepting admission to West Point, he had no intention of pursuing a career in the military, but once at the Military Academy he quickly assimilated into the military way of life. He became her class president and he was the senior captain in charge of the cadets, which was the highest position possible. He was known as a strict disciplinarian and a leader among his peers (2). Pershing graduated from West Point in 1886 and was assigned to the Sixth Calvary. On his first assignment, he was stationed in New Mexico and Arizona, leading troops on routine patrols to protect against the Apaches led by Geronimo. Soon after, he was tasked with leading a campaign to eliminate threats from the Lakota tribes in Dakota Territory. An infamous conflict between the Lakota and the U.S. Army occurred while Pershing was stationed in Dakota Territory, at a site called Wounded Knee. A confrontation resulted in gunfire that resulted in the deaths of 200 to 300 Sioux men, women and children. Although Pershing did not lead the attack, he helped establish the perimeter that prevented the Lakota from fleeing. This misfortune...... middle of paper ......erence Library. Ed. Sara Pendergast, Christine Slovey and Tom Pendergast. Flight. 2: Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 118-125. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Internet. April 20, 2014.(3) “John J. Pershing (1860 – 1948).” Historical Missourians. The Missouri State Historical Society, Web. April 20, 2014. .(4) Pershing, John J. “American Expeditionary Forces.” Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Flight. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 149. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Internet. April 20, 2014. (5) Cashin, Herschel V., Under Fire With the 10th US Cavalry, Chicago: American Publishing House (1902) pp. 207-208 (6) Patterson, Michael R. "John Joseph Pershing, General of the Armies." Arlington National Cemetery, 2011. web. April 21. 2014. .