September 21, 2024 | by Unboxify
In November of 1864, the American Civil War had entered its fourth grueling year. General William Tecumseh Sherman, restless and vigilant, watched as the railroad depot illuminated what little was left of the Atlanta skyline. The city had fallen in September after a costly siege, but for Sherman, this was merely the starting point. As the Union sought a decisive end to the grinding conflict, Sherman plotted his next move: a daring march to split Georgia—and the Confederacy—in two by reaching Savannah.
After the Battle of Jonesboro cut Confederate railway supply lines to Atlanta, Confederate Lieutenant General John Bell Hood evacuated the city, leaving behind a trail of destroyed railcars full of ammunition. On September 2nd, Union forces occupied Atlanta, providing President Abraham Lincoln with a much-needed military victory just two months before the presidential election. Major General Sherman set up his headquarters in the city and ordered the remaining civilians to evacuate.
Sherman faced multiple challenges, including Confederate forces under Hood harassing Union supply lines leading to Atlanta. After several false starts in pursuing Hood, Sherman clashed with his superiors on the strategy to follow next. He eventually sent a communication to Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant, detailing his plan:
“I propose we break up the road from Chattanooga and strike out with wagons for Milledgeville, Millen, and Savannah. Until we can repopulate Georgia, it is useless to occupy it, but utter destruction of its roads, houses, and people will cripple their military resources. I can make the march and make Georgia howl.”
After much deliberation, Grant replied simply on November 2nd, “Go as you propose.”
On November 11th, just three days after Lincoln’s reelection, Union soldiers began tearing up the rail lines in Atlanta. By November 15th, Sherman’s Army was ready for its fateful 225-mile march to Savannah. Sherman ordered the destruction of Atlanta’s industrial and commercial capacity, sparing only churches and private homes. Despite these orders, many residential areas were also caught up in the flames, and by the morning of November 16th, nearly 40% of the city lay in ruins.
Sherman’s army for the march comprised 62,000 men, predominantly infantry. They were supported by a 5,000-strong cavalry division and 2,000 artillerymen armed with 64 guns. Having obliterated their primary supply route, these soldiers were now reliant on the resources of the Georgia countryside. Sherman dispatched foraging units with explicit instructions to gather supplies while avoiding civilian homes, primarily targeting wealthier residences.
Despite Sherman’s orders, the reality of foraging often blurred target lines. The foraging units saw themselves as having free reign, seizing livestock, meat, grains, and valuables from homes. Many Southern families buried their possessions to evade the Union soldiers, often for slaves to lead the soldiers to them. Confederate defenses against these foraging expeditions were minimal, led by Lieutenant General William Hardee and roving cavalry units under Major General Joseph Wheeler.
Howard’s Union forces feigned movements to confuse Hardee and Wheeler. On several occasions, Wheeler’s cavalry ambushed Union regiments but failed to stall Sherman’s overall advance. The Union’s superior numbers overwhelmed Georgia militia units, and in the richer northern parts of Georgia, Union foragers freed slaves while ransacking plantations. Although welcomed by people held in bondage, the influx of liberated slaves added logistical challenges for Sherman’s army.
By November 23rd, Sherman’s left wing, led by Major General Henry Slocum, entered Milledgeville, Georgia’s state capital. With the government officials having fled, Union forces mockingly voted to repeal Georgia’s secession in the capital building. After capturing the political heart of Georgia without a shot fired, Sherman increased pressure on the Confederacy. Federal troops now had free rein to target infrastructure like cotton gins, mills, and manufacturing centers, burning or shelling them to cripple Southern resources.
The scorched-earth campaign saw the Union forces not only targeting industrial capabilities but also uprooting miles of rail lines to prevent future use. Sherman’s men meticulously twisted the rails into shapes almost impossible to repair. As they neared Savannah, Confederate skirmishers led by Wheeler grew more frequent, harassing the Union columns.
One of the most tragic moments occurred on December 8th when Brigadier General Jefferson C. Davis reached Ebenezer Creek. Amid efforts to cross, Davis ordered the pontoon bridge cut, abandoning 600 fugitive slaves to Confederate cavalry. Many tried to swim the icy waters, and while some were aided by Union soldiers, many more were killed or captured.
Major James Connolly fiercely objected, criticizing Davis’s inhumane act, and voiced his complaints up to Sherman. Despite the moral outrage, Davis retained his position due to a shortage of experienced field commanders. Still, this atrocity remained a blot that Sherman sought to reconcile through Special Field Order Number 15, aiming to allocate land to freed slaves.
As Sherman’s men approached Savannah on December 10th, Confederate General Hardee with 10,000 troops entrenched to halt the Union advance. Hoping for resupply, Sherman sent a contingent to capture Fort McAllister, successfully opening a supply route with the US Navy on December 13th. Presenting Savannah with a surrender ultimatum on December 17th, Sherman forced Hardee into an impossible decision while tactically outmaneuvering Confederate forces.
On December 20th, Hardee evacuated Savannah, and the city’s mayor surrendered unconditionally to Sherman, marking an extraordinary strategic victory. Sherman’s audacious march, carried out without supply or communication lines, had brought an essential Confederate state to its knees.
This march was a devastating 37-day campaign that caused an estimated $100 million in damages in 1864, equivalent to about $1 billion today. Sherman’s forces destroyed over 300 miles of railroad, seized countless livestock, and laid waste to Southern infrastructure. Despite high damages, the march provided little tangible benefit to the marauding Union army. However, it effectively isolated General Robert E. Lee from other Confederate units, hastening the Confederacy’s downfall.
Sherman’s march hammering the first nail in the Confederate coffin culminated in General Lee’s surrender on April 9, 1865. The reputation of Sherman’s actions remains debated among historians and enthusiasts alike. It serves as a testament to a brutal yet decisive strategy designed to eradicate the Confederacy’s war capacity and, as Sherman himself put it, to finally eliminate the institution of slavery that had become so deeply interwoven into America’s fabric that only war could eradicate it.
The legacy of Sherman’s March to the Sea continues to provoke debate, emphasizing the profound and transformative impact of the Civil War on the United States. Sherman’s strategic brilliance, despite his controversial methods, played a crucial role in hastening the end of the conflict and bringing about the long-awaited abolition of slavery, marking a turning point in American history.
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September 21, 2024 | by Unboxify
September 21, 2024 | by Unboxify
September 21, 2024 | by Unboxify
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