Sherman's March to the Sea

Sherman's March to the Sea

• After capturing Atlanta in September 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman proposed a strategy to General Ulysses S. Grant to take Savannah, Georgia, an important Confederate supply base of ammunition and cotton.
• Sherman's plan was to cut his army loose from Atlanta as a logistical base, and instead, supply itself through foraging, not leaving a garrison in Atlanta to protect the supply base and supply line.

The March Through Georgia

• Sherman led the March through Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah, proposing to bring the horrors of war to the civilian population through destruction and devastation of the land as his army supplied itself with food and forage.

Negotiating Surrender

• On December 17, Sherman sent a letter to General Hardee, demanding the surrender of Savannah and all fortified positions, offering liberal terms to the inhabitants and garrison if they surrendered.
• General Hardee did not surrender, but instead escaped with his garrison, and the mayor of Savannah, Richard Arnold, offered to surrender the city if Sherman would agree to protect the citizens and property of Savannah.

Occupation of Savannah

• Sherman accepted the surrender and ordered General Geary's XX Corps to occupy the city, providing provisions to the city's inhabitants.

Significance of the March

• Sherman's army stayed in and around Savannah for a month before heading north into North Carolina, intending to move into Virginia and combine with Grant's army.
• The March to the Sea demoralized the civilian population of Georgia, making them experience the fact that their government could not protect them.

Total War

• Sherman's March to the Sea was an example of "Total War," a concept that civilians are a military target during war.
• Sherman's troops dismantled railroads, burned bridges, and destroyed infrastructure, leading to an increase in desertions in Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

Conduct of the March

• Sherman issued General Order 120, prescribing what he expected from his officers and soldiers, including foraging for food and forage, and conduct towards civilians.
• Foraging parties, nicknamed "bummers," searched for and commandeered food, vegetables, and meat, leaving families with enough for their own maintenance.
• Cavalry and artillery units were allowed to appropriate horses from rich slave owners, not poor or industrious farmers.

Learn about Major General William Tecumseh Sherman's controversial strategy to capture Savannah, Georgia during the American Civil War in 1864. Discover the importance of Savannah as a Confederate supply base and its impact on the overall war effort.