He destroyed much of the South's potential and psychology to wage war. Shermans March to the Sea, coupled with his Atlanta Campaign, may have tipped the scales of victory toward the Union in the Civil War. Uncle Billy, I guess Grant is waiting for us in Richmond? was a common sentiment along the march. The name immediately conjures visions of fire and smoke, destruction and desolation; Atlanta in flames, farms laid to waste and railroad tracks mangled beyond recognition. Meanwhile, his troops could undermine Southern morale by making life so unpleasant for Georgias civilians that they would demand an end to the war. From the outset, Shermans men destroyed tunnels and bridges, expending particular effort to make railroad tracks unusable. Sherman's personal escort on the march was the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, a unit made up entirely of Southerners who remained loyal to the Union. To average Americans, whether they are Northerners or Southerners, Sherman was a hard, cruel soldier, an unfeeling destroyer, the man who rampaged rather than fought, a brute rather than a human being. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In reality it was a final iteration of his campaign to show mercy immediately upon surrender. The Cavalry Corps of Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler, reinforced by a brigade under Brig. The militia, temporarily under the inexperienced command of Brig. The Union soldiers were just as unsparing. [34], The March to the Sea was devastating to Georgia and the Confederacy. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Join us online July 24-26! The economic impact of the march was staggering. In addition to its effects on Georgia and the South, Shermans March to the Sea revolutionized the military tactics of his time. Apart from its economic and military payoff, the marchs impact may have lingered longest in the Southern psyche. By December 12 Shermans force had neared Savannahs outer defenses. Know about the significance and outcome of the Atlanta Campaign. They wandered out five or more miles from the main columns and became experts at finding hidden food, horses, wagons and even slaves. Not realizing that these Federals had repeating rifles and were dug in, temporary commander Phillips ordered his motley force to attack, and they were ripped to pieces by the Federals. Sherman's March To The Sea summary: Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman taking place from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864. which followed the successful Atlanta . In fact, his true destination was the Georgia capital of Milledgeville. Some of the 134 Union casualties were caused by torpedoes, a name for crude land mines that were used only rarely in the war. more formally known as the Savannah Campaign, was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia from November 15 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William T Sherman of the Union Army. 15. The full story, however, is not this simple. While the local high society turned its nose up at the Union Army, refusing to be seen at social events with Union officers present, Sherman was ironically focused on protecting them. On December 21 Savannahs mayor formally surrendered the city to the Union. The pontoons floated away, leaving the slaves unable to cross the deep water. General William Tecumseh Sherman's march to the sea during the Civil War was a strategy to break the morale of Confederate supporters by marching a division . The arrival of the main columns was even more frightening to the Georgians in their path than the passage of the foragers. I never heard of any cases of murder or rape. Indeed relatively few charges of rape were made, and military medical records showed little sexual disease. Field Order No. Union soldiers sang many songs during the March, but it is one written afterward that has come to symbolize the campaign: "Marching Through Georgia", written by Henry Clay Work in 1865. In the hearts of Georgians, Sherman left behind a smoldering resentment of the North that persisted well into the 20th century. Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant preferred for Sherman to destroy the Southern army first and then initiate his psychological war of destruction. [1] Thomas would go on to defeat Hood, leaving Sherman's main army effectively unopposed. At the Battle of Honey Hill on November 30, Hatch fought a vigorous battle against G.W. The Union lost 130 men in this assault and the Confederacy 40. Sherman was charged with three armies totaling some 100,000 men: the Army of the Cumberland, the Army of the Tennessee, and the Army of the Ohio. The second objective of the campaign was more traditional. "[24] On December 26, the president replied in a letter:[25]. Georgia, stretching before Shermans army with its red clay hills and sandy terrain, was the largest of the Confederate states. As soon as the mayor of Savannah surrendered his city, Sherman the fiend became Sherman the friend. He fooled the Confederates into believing that one part of his army was heading toward Augusta, while the other wing was heading for Macon. Politicians hurried to escape the city, and its civilian inhabitants were infuriated when Shermans men celebrated Thanksgiving there and mockingly re-enacted a legislative session to vote Georgia back into the Union. Though he had his reservations about the plan, Grant gave his official approval on November 7. The destruction wreaked by the operation caused significant Confederate economic loss and diminished Confederate morale, generating deep resentment in Southerners. Two weeks after this incident, and 20 miles removed, the march ended in Savannah. Confederate Maj. Gen. Wheeler's cavalry struck Brig. The man leading the . Seeing their terror and desperation, some Federals began throwing logs and anything else they could find toward the drowning people. It is estimated that during the six-week March to the Sea fewer than 3,000 casualties resulted. The pacification of Georgia cut the Confederacy in half and denied the insurgent states much of their former industrial and agricultural capacity. Clearly this soldier was practicing the psychological destructive warfare against Georgia that his commander wanted. Wheelers 3,500 man Confederate cavalry tried to hinder Shermans army, but Brig. Those prisoners in the state jail willing to take up arms for the Confederacy 175 out of 200 were freed, although some of the newly liberated men burned down the penitentiary rather than report for duty. It confiscated 9.5 million pounds of corn and 10.5 million pounds of fodder, and destroyed uncounted cotton gins and mills. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. Observing the movements of Howards right wing, Confederate Lieut. When you were about leaving Atlanta for the Atlantic coast, I was anxious, if not fearful; but feeling that you were the better judge, and remembering that 'nothing risked, nothing gained,' I did not interfere. Abraham Lincoln: I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.. More seriously, the soldiers damaged state buildings and destroyed books and manuscripts before leaving Milledgeville on November 24. [19] Still, Grant trusted Sherman's assessment and on November 2, 1864, he sent Sherman a telegram stating simply, "Go as you propose. Gen. Marszalek, John F. Sherman's March to the Sea. It was just such a conflict of interest that caused one of the most horrific events of the campaign. The March to the Sea, which occurred over a six week period in November and December of 1864, is considered the most damaging action against civilian people in the Civil War of 1861 to 1865.The objective of Sherman's March to the Sea was to instil fear in the civilian population of Georgia to abandon the cause of the Confederacy. When Joe Wheelers horsemen also began destroying property and looting, the psychological shock of Confederates abusing their own people was hard for the Georgia civilians to take. To my smoke house, my Dairy, Pantry, kitchen & cellar. It was difficult to hide anything from the foragers or the massive main column. In Atlanta Cox offers readers a compact, comprehensive, and balanced history of that campaign. Shermans army marched 285 miles (458 km) east from Atlanta to the coastal town of Savannah, which surrendered without a siege. Confederate leadership was unable to discern the final destination of the two-pronged Union force. The poem would go on to lend its name to Sherman's campaign, and a version set to music became an instant hit with Sherman's Army and later the public. Shermans true objective, hidden from even his own rank and file, was to seize the state capital of Milledgeville. 1. After capturing Atlanta in September 1864, General Sherman decided to use a different tactic to bring the South to its knees and . Gen. W.J. These orders have been depicted in popular culture as the origin of the "40 acres and a mule" promise. This December marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War's surrender of Savannah, where in 1864 Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman ended his infamous March to the Sea. Foraging parties may also take mules or horses to replace the jaded animals of their trains, or to serve as pack-mules for the regiments or brigades. after earning a reputation at Shiloh and earning key victories in Vicksburg, promoted to . The destruction of Georgia displayed the unfettered might of the Union war machine. Dozens drowned, and Wheeler captured many of those who lived. After they lost Atlanta, the Confederate army headed west into Tennessee and Alabama, attacking Union supply lines as they went. Sherman's famed March to the Sea began in November 15, 1864, when Federal forces began leaving Atlanta. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [40], There has been disagreement among historians on whether Sherman's March constituted total war. On October 9, while still chasing Hood, he had sent the following in a telegram to Grant: I propose we break up the railroad from Chattanooga, and strike out with wagons for Milledgeville, Millen, and Savannah. Sherman dutifully complied with the letters of protection he received, from both North and South, regardless of social standing. Thousands who had been deceived by their lying papers into the belief that we were being whipped all the time, realized the truth, and have no appetite for a repetition of the same experience. He now dispatched the IV and XXIII Corps to Chattanooga, located along the railroad to Nashville. Railroad tracks were upended and destroyed. Major General George Thomas took some 60,000 men to meet the Confederates in Nashville, while Sherman took the remaining 62,000 on an offensive march through Georgia to Savannah, smashing things (he wrote) to the sea.. Reveille came at daybreak and sometimes earlier. He and the Union Army's commander, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, believed that the Civil War would come to an end only if the Confederacy's strategic capacity for warfare could be decisively broken. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 15, which confiscated as Union property a strip of coastline stretching from Charleston, South Carolina, to the St. John's River in Florida, including Georgia's Sea Islands and the mainland thirty miles in from the coast. Shermans March to the Sea, (November 15December 21, 1864) American Civil War campaign that concluded Union operations in the Confederate state of Georgia. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Some bummers escalated their attacks on the local population. Look it up now! The March to the Sea, the most destructive campaign against a civilian population during the Civil War (1861-65), began in Atlanta on November 15, 1864, and concluded in Savannah on December 21, 1864. During this time he ordered the evacuation of some 3,000 civilians and seized their homes for his soldiers living quarters. 120, regarding the conduct of the campaign. Gen. William H. Jackson, had approximately 10,000 troopers. The following is an excerpt from those orders: IV. Sherman's March to the Sea With the full support of both Lincoln and Grant, Sherman devised an unusual plan. The city was hardly burned to the ground, as Gone with the Wind implies. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Shermans army had now been marching for a week. "[15] After his surrender to Sherman, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston said of Sherman's men that "there has been no such army since the days of Julius Caesar. Not all of the destruction was even Shermans doing: some one-third of the citys buildings were in ruins as a result of entrenchments dug by the Confederates and the detonation of ammunition performed as part of Hoods evacuation. His primary objective was to capture and neutralize the city of Atlanta, which was a major railroad centre, supply depot, and manufacturing hub for both Georgia and the Confederacy. Between 17,000 and 25,000 enslaved Black people were freed while on the march, including more than 7,500 in and around Savannah. But what next? Once the rails became red hot, they were twisted into what came to be known as Shermans neckties or Shermans hairpins. The campaigns chief engineer, Col. Orlando Poe, even devised specialized equipment, called cant hooks, for the task. There was glory to die in Picketts Charge at Gettysburg, but only humiliation to have ones barn burned, silverware taken, house damaged or destroyed, or horses added to the enemy cavalry. On November 22, 3,500 Confederate cavalry started a skirmish with the Union soldiers at Griswoldville, but that ended so badly650 Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded, compared to 62 Yankee casualtiesthat Southern troops initiated no more battles. And so, in Atlanta, Sherman instituted tactics later generations of American war leaders would use in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. [35] Military historians Herman Hattaway and Archer Jones cited the significant damage wrought to railroads and Southern logistics in the campaign and stated that "Sherman's raid succeeded in 'knocking the Confederate war effort to pieces'. Still, sexual violence, especially in wartime, remains an underreported crime up to the present. He is rightly called the American father of total warfare, a harbinger of the psychological tactics of the next century. He saw destruction of property as less onerous than casualties. [12], When Sherman had prepared his forces for the Atlanta Campaign, which immediately preceded the March to the Sea, he took rigorous steps to insure that only the most physically fit men were accepted, that every man in the army could march for long distances and would fight without reservations. Union men successfully defended the supply depot northwest of Atlanta at Allatoona Pass, but Hood seized Dalton with little resistance. It was a strange end to a destructive month, but perhaps it should not have been unexpected. Barns, gardens and farms were overrun. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. (These groups of foraging soldiers were nicknamed bummers, and they burned whatever they could not carry.) Major General William Tecumseh Sherman was a contradiction embodied. Recognizing the significance of endometriosis as an unmet chronic disease for women and designating March 2023 as "Endometriosis Awareness Month". [1] Sherman's next major action was the capture of Columbia, the strategically important capital of South Carolina. Grant himself said that he would not have allowed anyone other than Sherman to attempt such a march so great was the respect and trust between the two. [41] In the years following World War II, several writers[42][43][44] argued that the total war tactics used during World War II were comparable to the tactics used during Sherman's March. And even in this Union army of liberation, the racism of the age was still prevalent throughout the ranks. From November 15 until December 21, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. On November 24 several Union prisoners of war caught up with the left wing, having escaped a Confederate camp at Andersonville. On the night of December 2021 his Confederate garrison prepared to evacuate. Grant's armies in Virginia continued in a stalemate against Robert E. Lee's army, besieged in Petersburg, Virginia. Considering Sherman's military priorities, however, this tactical maneuver by his enemy to get out of his force's path was welcomed to the point of remarking, "If he will go to the Ohio River, I'll give him rations. Behind us lay Atlanta, smouldering and in ruins, the black smoke rising high in air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city. Wheelers horsemen descended on the Federal column at Sandersonville on November 2526, and on November 28 they sprang an attack on Kilpatricks Union cavalry at Buckhead Creek. Sherman believed that the Confederacy derived its strength not from its fighting forces but from the material and moral support of sympathetic Southern whites. Slavery. On January 16, 1865, during the Civil War (1861-65), Union general William T. Sherman issued his Special Field Order No. In all foraging, of whatever kind, the parties engaged will refrain from abusive or threatening language, and may, where the officer in command thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, but no receipts, and they will endeavor to leave with each family a reasonable portion for their maintenance. In the fall of 1864 during the American Civil War, Union forces pushed deeply into the Confederacy. General Sherman finally gained control of the city of Atlanta on September 2, 1864. On November 23, Slocum's troops captured the city and held a mock legislative session in the capitol building, jokingly voting Georgia back into the Union.[22]. Sherman's March to the Sea marked a new development in the war. In the fall of 1864, the Union General William Tecumseh ("Cump") Sherman took 60,000 men and pillaged his way through Georgia's civilian farmsteads. This would prevent the formerly enslaved people from crossing to safety. Davis, who was no stranger to scandal he was arrested for murdering fellow Union general William Nelson in August 1862, but escaped court martial took a great deal of blame for this horror, but Sherman defended him. In 2011 a historical marker was erected there by the Georgia Historical Society to commemorate the African Americans who had risked so much for freedom. General Sherman's March to the Sea was historic. [4] Sherman's decision to operate deep within enemy territory without supply lines was unusual for its time, and the campaign is regarded by some historians as an early example of modern warfare or total war. March to the Sea. Historians consider the march and the psychological warfare it waged to be an early example of total war. He entered the Confederate psyche and remains in some minds to the present day. He eliminated Atlanta's war making potential and brought sheer destruction to Georgia, then offered generous surrender terms. 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