Sherman's March
"March To The Sea" By: Aleeshah Nasir
Basic Information
- From November 15 until December 21,1864, Union General William T. Sherman led about 60,000 soldiers on a 285 mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia
- The purpose of this of this "March To The Sea" was to frighten Georgia's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause.
- Sherman's soldiers did not destroy any of the towns in their paths, but they stole food and livsetock and burned the houses and barns of people who tried to fight back
The Trail
The most destructive campaign against a civilian population during the Civil War began in Atlanta on November 15,1864 and concluded in Savannah on December 21,1864.
William T. Sherman
Sherman practiced psychological warfare; he believed that by marching an army across the state he would demonstrate to the world that the Union had a power the Confederacy could not exist. "This may not be war," he said, "but rather statesmanship."
The Capture of Atlanta
General Sherman's troops captured Atlanta on September 2,1864. This was an important triumph because Atlanta was a railroad hub and industrial center of the Confederacy. It was a symbol of Confederate pride and strength, and its fall made even the most loyal Southerners doubt that they could win.
Divide and Conquer
After the Confederate army lost Atlanta they headed west into Tennessee and Alabama, attacking Union supplies as they went. Sherman was reluctant to set off off on a wild goose chase across the South so he split his troops into two groups.
The Two Troops
Major General George Thomas took some 60,000 men to meet the Confederates in Nashville, while Sherman took he remaining 62,000 men on an offensive march through Georgia to Savannah.
Ended in Savannah and started again in South Carolina
Sherman's troops arrived in Savannah on December 21,1864, about three weeks after they left Atlanta. The city was left undefended, the confederates had fled. Sherman and his men left Savannah and pillaged and burned their way through South Carolina to Charleston.
Wrap-Up
Sherman's total war in Georgia was brutal and destructive, but it did what it was supposed to do: it hurt southern morale, made it impossible for the Confederates to fight at full capacity and likely hastened the end of the war.
The Rampage
Burning houses and farms, this picture depicts the chaos that Sherman's march created
HIstorical Site
In Atlanta this marker provides a brief detail of Sherman's march and it's significance on history.