40 Charles Royster's The Destructive War looks at the March's increasing violence through the figure of . Sung from the point of view of a Union soldier, the lyrics detail the freeing of slaves and punishing the Confederacy for starting the war. Sherman's March to the Sea With the full support of both Lincoln and Grant, Sherman devised an unusual plan. Updated: October 4, 2018 | Original: February 22, 2010, 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. Since spreading terror farther afield only intensified the impact of his March to the Sea, all of this suited Shermans purposes perfectly. Knowing that Confederate cavalry was nearby, the fugitives, fearful of being captured and killed or re-enslaved, panicked. Jordan, Philip D. Ohio Comes of Age: 1874-1899. We stood upon the very ground whereon was fought the bloody battle of July 22d, and could see the copse of wood where McPherson fell. And so, in Atlanta, Sherman instituted tactics later generations of American war leaders would use in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. At the same time, Slocum's left wing approached the state capital at Milledgeville, prompting the hasty departure of Governor Joseph Brown and the state legislature. [34], The March to the Sea was devastating to Georgia and the Confederacy. Negroes who are able-bodied and can be of service to the several columns may be taken along, but each army commander will bear in mind that the question of supplies is a very important one and that his first duty is to see to them who bear arms Sherman, commanding the Military Division of the Mississippi, did not employ his entire army group in the campaign. [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. Barns, gardens and farms were overrun. Sherman's March to Sea. By encroaching into the rear of Lee's positions, Sherman could increase pressure on Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and keep Confederate reinforcements from reaching him. But Sherman prevailed upon his commanding officer, who, in turn, convinced the president. Marszalek, John F. Sherman's March to the Sea. [5], The March to the Sea owes its common name to a poem written by S. H. M. Byers in late 1864. By ripping up and melting down tracks, Union soldiers slowly crippled the states industrial and military potential in full view of its civilians. The only real combat of the March took place on November 22, near Griswoldville. On November 15, 62,000 men split into two infantry wings (actually four parallel corps columns) with screening cavalry to protect the main bodies as they spread across the landscape departed Atlanta. [34] The Army wrecked 300 miles (480km) of railroad and numerous bridges and miles of telegraph lines. Slocum's wing, accompanied by Sherman, moved to the east, in the direction of Augusta. So Sherman proposed to split his Union force, taking 62,000 of his best troops on a destructive march, while Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas used the remainder to contain Hood. Shermans troops arrived in Savannah on December 21, 1864, about three weeks after they left Atlanta. 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 wanted to keep his movements as secret as possible; he cut telegraph lines to prevent intelligence reports from reaching the enemy (or his superiors in Washington). The state legislature extended the existing state draft to include men from 16 to 65 years of age. When it came time to march through the Carolinas, states still in rebellion against the United States, however, destructive war returned. Now, the undertaking being a success, the honor is yours; for I believe none of us went further than to acquiesce. Sherman had completely uprooted his army and marched it unassisted through enemy territory. 1. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Rockwell. Sherman would later defend Daviss actions at Ebenezer Creek as a necessary reality of war. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. On December 21, Union forces captured Savannah; Sherman presented the city to Lincoln as a Christmas gift. Reveille came at daybreak and sometimes earlier. Yet, whenever they had a choice, they preferred the Federals to Confederate soldiers and civilians who had no compunction about killing them or returning them to slavery. His focus on crushing civilian morale presaged the bloody World Wars of the 20th century. "[37], According to a 2022 American Economic Journal study which sought to measure the medium- and long-term economic impact of Sherman's March, "the capital destruction induced by the March led to a large contraction in agricultural investment, farming asset prices, and manufacturing activity. In the wake of his successful campaign to capture Atlanta, Major General William T. Sherman began making plans for a march against Savannah. In the summer of 1864, during the U.S. Civil War (1861-65), Union General William T. Sherman faced off against Confederate . Shermans soldiers did not destroy any of the towns in their path, but they stole food and livestock and burned the houses and barns of people who tried to fight back. Seeing their terror and desperation, some Federals began throwing logs and anything else they could find toward the drowning people. 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. Some band, by accident, struck up the anthem of "John Brown's Body"; the men caught up the strain, and never before or since have I heard the chorus of "Glory, glory, hallelujah!" It stood between the Union Army and two of its most prized targets: the Gulf of Mexico to the west and Charleston to the East. In 1870, five years after the wars end, the Souths overall agricultural output was 28 percent of the nations total output, some 10 percent below prewar levels. Acting as the rear guard for the army, on December 9, 1864, Federals under the command of Maj. Gen. Jefferson C. Davis were crossing the flooded Ebenezer Creek on a pontoon bridge. Barrett, John G. (1960) "Sherman and Total War in the Carolinas". Consulting with Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, the two men agreed that it would be necessary to destroy the South's economic and psychological will to resist if the war was to be won. With Wheeler close behind, many of them attempted to swim the distance. The . Sherman believed that the Confederacy derived its strength not from its fighting forces but from the material and moral support of sympathetic Southern whites. Gen. Kilpatrick's, killing one, wounding two and capturing 18. Federal troops sprinted the 600-yard stretch to the forts walls, and within 15 minutes they had captured the structure. Desertions soared as news of Georgias devastation began to reach the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, which was engaged in some of the wars most intense combat. Look it up now! 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. 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. Gen. John P. Hatch from Hilton Head, hoping to assist Sherman's arrival near Savannah by securing the Charleston and Savannah Railroad. Through this March to the Sea, Sherman hoped to deny Georgias resources to the Confederacy. 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. 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. [1] In 1864 William Tecumseh Sherman headed the Atlanta Campaign, an important series of battles in Georgia that eventually cut off a main Confederate supply centre. Kilpatrick was ordered to make a feint toward Augusta before destroying the railroad bridge at Brier Creek and moving to liberate the Camp Lawton prisoner of war camp at Millen. Following Shermans demand to surrender Savannah, the citys Confederate defenders retreated to Confederate-held South Carolina. The purpose of Sherman's March to the . His forces followed a "scorched earth" policy, destroying military targets as well as industry, infrastructure, and civilian property, disrupting the Confederacy's economy and transportation networks. Slaves' opinions varied concerning the actions of Sherman and his army. Well known to Sherman from his study of the 1860 census, Georgias fertile soil still held potential to feed the ravenous Confederacy. Subsequent historians have objected to the comparison, arguing that Sherman's tactics were not as severe or indiscriminate. They destroyed the bridge across the Oconee River and then turned south.[21]. But as the last unit of Daviss rear guard, the 58th Indiana, reached the far side, the bridge was unlashed. I know that this recent movement of mine through Georgia has had a wonderful effect in this respect. 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. 120 (series 1864) were military orders issued during the American Civil War, on November 9, 1864, by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army. "[17] There were about 13,000 men remaining at Lovejoy's Station, south of Atlanta. [13], Sherman had ruthlessly cut to the bone the supplies carried, intending as he did for the army to live off the land as much as possible. Gen. Judson Kilpatricks 5,000 Union horse soldiers cleared it out of the way. 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. Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee commanded the undermanned Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and Maj. Gen. Gustavus W. Smith led the small Georgia state militia. Some of the 134 Union casualties were caused by torpedoes, a name for crude land mines that were used only rarely in the war. Sherman came to dislike the song, in part because he was never one to rejoice over a fallen foe, and in part because it was played at almost every public appearance that he attended. On January 16, 1865, during the Civil War (1861-65), Union general William T. Sherman issued his Special Field Order No. Burke Davis' Sherman's March is brief and readable, though pitched to the general reader rather than scholars. Atlanta: After the Civil War. Corrections? Before leaving Atlanta . On December 4, Kilpatrick's cavalry routed Wheeler's at the Battle of Waynesboro. Instead, they fled South ahead of Shermans troops, wreaking their own havoc as they went: They wrecked bridges, chopped down trees and burned barns filled with provisions before the Union army could reach them. The marauding Yankees needed the supplies, but they also wanted to teach Georgians a lesson: it isnt so sweet to secede, one soldier wrote in a letter home, as [they] thought it would be.. It boasted a garrison of 230 Confederates and more than 20 pieces of artillery. He defeated Confederate General John Hood at the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864. The operation debilitated the Confederacy and helped lead to its eventual surrender. Should you entertain the proposition, I am prepared to grant liberal terms to the inhabitants and garrison; but should I be forced to resort to assault, or the slower and surer process of starvation, I shall then feel justified in resorting to the harshest measures, and shall make little effort to restrain my armyburning to avenge the national wrong which they attach to Savannah and other large cities which have been so prominent in dragging our country into civil war. I suppose it will be safer if I leave General Grant and yourself to decide. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shermans-March-to-the-Sea, Warfare History Network - Shermans March to the Sea, New Georgia Encyclopedia - Shermans March to the Sea, scorched-earth policy during the Atlanta Campaign, American Civil War: western and Carolina campaigns, American Civil War: Union soldiers wrecking railroads in Atlanta. Shermans army reached the sea, took Fort McAllister and re-tied itself to a naval supply line. General Sherman finally gained control of the city of Atlanta on September 2, 1864. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Wheelers Confederate cavalry responded by killing Union prisoners. At the Battle of Buck Head Creek on November 28, Kilpatrick was surprised and nearly captured, but the 5th Ohio Cavalry halted Wheeler's advance, and Wheeler was later stopped decisively by Union barricades at Reynolds's Plantation. A little more slaughter. Compared to the 51,000 killed, wounded and missing at Gettysburg in the three days of fighting there or the 24,000 in the two days at Shiloh, the month-long March to the Sea was nearly bloodless. Rhodes, James Ford. Observing the movements of Howards right wing, Confederate Lieut. Gen. W.J. In the fall of 1864 during the American Civil War, Union forces pushed deeply into the Confederacy. Joe Brown, Hardee and militia commander Smith among them all fell for the ruse. Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields Your Gift Tripled! Uncle Billy, I guess Grant is waiting for us in Richmond? was a common sentiment along the march. Georgia, stretching before Shermans army with its red clay hills and sandy terrain, was the largest of the Confederate states. The two wings of the army attempted to confuse and deceive the enemy about their destinations; the Confederates could not tell from the initial movements whether Sherman would march on Macon, Augusta, or Savannah. He issued these orders in preparation for his famous March to the Sea, also known as the Savannah Campaign. Kilpatrick slipped by the defensive line that Wheeler had placed near Brier Creek, but on the night of November 26 Wheeler attacked and drove the 8th Indiana and 2nd Kentucky Cavalry away from their camps at Sylvan Grove. Neeley, Mark E., Jr. (1991) "Was the Civil War a Total War?". Letter, Sherman to Henry W. Halleck, December 24, 1864. Foragers, known as "bummers," would provide food seized from local farms for the army while they destroyed the railroads and the manufacturing and agricultural infrastructure of Georgia. Shermans 37-day campaign is remembered as one of the most successful examples of total war, and its psychological effects persisted in the postbellum South. Many scholars of military history contend that his psychological warfare was one of the first modern examples of total war. Sherman allowed Hardees army to escape the city, although he could have crushed it. Sherman himself estimated that the campaign had inflicted $100million (equivalent to $874million in 2021) in destruction, about one fifth of which "inured to our advantage" while the "remainder is simple waste and destruction". Sherman recounted in his memoirs the scene when he left at 7 am the following day: We rode out of Atlanta by the Decatur road, filled by the marching troops and wagons of the Fourteenth Corps; and reaching the hill, just outside of the old rebel works, we naturally paused to look back upon the scenes of our past battles. The portion of this march through South Carolina was even more destructive than the Savannah campaign, since Sherman and his men harbored much ill-will for that state's part in bringing on the start of the Civil War; the following portion, through North Carolina, was less so. Hardee had long since retreated to the coastal city and toiled away at its fortifications, which were effective at supplementing Savannahs natural marsh and river defenses. Expert Answers. 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. 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.. Sherman's March to the Sea refers to a long stretch of devastating Union army movements that took place during the United States Civil War. He saw destruction of property as less onerous than casualties. What were the effects of Shermans March to the Sea? Slocums left wing encountered some trouble once they broke camp to continue their eastward march. Background. Although Sherman told his officers and troops little about his plans, they quickly grasped the basic purpose of the march and, trusting their commander fully, were unconcerned about the lack of details. Howard's wing, led by Kilpatrick's cavalry, marched south along the railroad to Lovejoy's Station, which caused the defenders there to conduct a fighting retreat to Macon. Shermans army had now been marching for a week. The Cavalry Corps of Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler, reinforced by a brigade under Brig. The destruction of Georgia displayed the unfettered might of the Union war machine. Having anticipated Confederate designs against Nashville, Sherman had already sent two divisions to the Tennessee capital. Confederate forces were not stationary, however. Photos Library of Congress, Colorized by MADS MADSEN of Colorized History. The March to the Sea played psychological warfare in which . (These groups of foraging soldiers were nicknamed bummers, and they burned whatever they could not carry.) William Tecumseh Sherman's early military career was a near disaster, having to be temporarily relieved of command. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. The Union soldiers were just as unsparing. By the following day, soldiers were setting unauthorized fires, and the flames spread to business and residential districts. But what next? Infrastructure. Locals experienced a sense of growing dread as they anticipated the main columns advancing through their property and seizing everything of value. Shermans March to the Sea spanned some 285 miles (459 km) over 37 days. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Sherman's army marched 285 miles (458 km . 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. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. 120 had permitted Black labourers to accompany the column, despite being a potential drain on resources and slowing the armys pace. Sherman's march to the sea was over. Recognizing the significance of endometriosis as an unmet chronic disease for women and designating March 2023 as "Endometriosis Awareness Month". Kilpatrick abandoned his plans to destroy the railroad bridge and he also learned that the prisoners had been moved from Camp Lawton, so he rejoined the army at Louisville. Wheelers 3,500 man Confederate cavalry tried to hinder Shermans army, but Brig. Shermans total war in Georgia was brutal and destructive, but it did just 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. Sherman remained in Atlanta for a little over a month. Two weeks after this incident, and 20 miles removed, the march ended in Savannah.