The cavalry captured two Confederate guns at Lovejoy's Station, and then two more and 50 prisoners at Bear Creek Station. 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 pacification of Georgia cut the Confederacy in half and denied the insurgent states much of their former industrial and agricultural capacity. The militia, temporarily under the inexperienced command of Brig. Join us online July 24-26! Sherman's March to the Sea was one of the most stunning operations of the Civil War, yet few people outside of Georgia knew anything about it while it was underway. In the summer of 1864, during the U.S. Civil War (1861-65), Union General William T. Sherman faced off against Confederate . Send Students on School Field Trips to Battlefields Your Gift Tripled! As soon as the mayor of Savannah surrendered his city, Sherman the fiend became Sherman the friend. it was necessary to make the entire Confederate population, not just the military, feel the pain of war in order to defeat the rebellion. After they lost Atlanta, the Confederate army headed west into Tennessee and Alabama, attacking Union supply lines as they went. In fact, his true destination was the Georgia capital of Milledgeville. Most Union soldiers complied with Shermans orders. Historians consider the march and the psychological warfare it waged to be an early example of total war. Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History, The Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg, A little more butchery. The death count on November 15, 1864 stood at around 12,100. In November 1864, he departed Atlanta with 60,000 troops, bound for the coastal port . The former slaves grew increasingly hesitant about getting too close to the white soldiers, who might be their source of freedom, but who often treated them with harshness and disrespect. He is rightly called the American father of total warfare, a harbinger of the psychological tactics of the next century. 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. Perhaps in denial of this reality, they came to accuse Sherman of carrying out countless grim acts. The economic impact of the march was staggering. On November 15 th, 1864 Union General William Tecumseh Sherman marched his army of 60,000 troops out of the burning city of Atlanta, Georgia to embark upon a military campaign that stretched 300 miles to Savannah, leaving utter destruction in their wake. Sherman had completely uprooted his army and marched it unassisted through enemy territory. In planning for the march, Sherman used livestock and crop production data from the 1860 census to lead his troops through areas where he believed they would be able to forage most effectively. Although Shermans army had systematically destroyed Atlantas war-making potential, and had used artillery to bombard the city before taking it, 400 houses were still standing when he left. [14], This was the process by which the 62,000 men (55,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 2,000 artillerymen manning 64 guns) Sherman commanded were assembled, and would leave Atlanta for Savannah. The field order also permitted able-bodied Black labourers to join the march, but commanding officers were instructed to remain cognizant of supplies intended for their army group. In fact, South Carolina suffered more at Shermans hands than Georgia had during the March to the Sea. I suppose it will be safer if I leave General Grant and yourself to decide. The purpose of Sherman's March to the . 120 he encouraged foraging and the confiscation of livestock but forbade home invasions. (These groups of foraging soldiers were nicknamed bummers, and they burned whatever they could not carry.) (Since Atlanta, South Carolinian Mary Boykin Chestnut wrote in her diary, I have felt as ifwe are going to be wiped off the earth.). This freed all his troops for the upcoming movement, rather than relegating a significant number for logistical duty, but this meant that the men would need to live off the land. From Atlanta, Sherman would set out across the Southern heartland toward the Atlantic Ocean, eventually turning north to pin Robert E. Lees army between his troops and those of Grant. The campaign was designed by Grant and Sherman to be similar to Grant's innovative and successful Vicksburg campaign and Sherman's Meridian campaign, in that Sherman's armies would reduce their need for traditional supply lines by "living off the land" after consuming their 20 days of rations. Sherman's March To The Sea: Gen. William T. Sherman. They raided farms and plantations, stealing and slaughtering cows, chickens, turkeys, sheep and hogs and taking as much other foodespecially bread and potatoesas they could carry. Savannah was now surrounded on land. Geary telegraphed Sherman, who advised him to accept the offer. The March to the Sea. Reveille came at daybreak and sometimes earlier. Slavery. 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. The Union defensive position was strong and Howards men were equipped with repeating rifles. 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. Sherman successfully fought a psychological war of destruction. Burke Davis' Sherman's March is brief and readable, though pitched to the general reader rather than scholars. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant conferred with his generals in order to devise a strategy to bring the Confederate war machine to its knees. Gen. [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. Sherman pursued the smaller Confederate army west and south until mid-October, when Hood crossed into Alabama. Many, many thanks for your Christmas gift, the capture of Savannah. The purpose of Shermans March to the Sea was to frighten Georgias civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. Smith's 1,500 Georgia militiamen, 3 miles (4.8km) south of Grahamville Station, South Carolina. [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'. 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. Sherman's next major action was the capture of Columbia, the strategically important capital of South Carolina. And even in this Union army of liberation, the racism of the age was still prevalent throughout the ranks. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. 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. 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. He ordered Major General George Thomas and the U.S. Army of the Cumberland to follow and engage Hood's Army of Tennessee. Sherman further arranged for 50,000 bushels of captured rice to be sold in the North to raise money to feed Savannah. But the way to the sea was not open; Sherman still had to contend with the Confederate army of Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood. 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. Soldiers must not enter the dwellings of the inhabitants, or commit any trespass, but during a halt or a camp they may be permitted to gather turnips, apples, and other vegetables, and to drive in stock in sight of their camp. Sherman's . involuntary servitude of African-Americans in the United States from 1619-1865. Howard's infantry marched through Jonesboro to Gordon, southwest of the state capital, Milledgeville. Federal troops sprinted the 600-yard stretch to the forts walls, and within 15 minutes they had captured the structure. 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. The Yankees were not only fighting hostile armies, but a hostile people, Sherman explained; as a result, they needed to make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war., General Shermans troops captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864. The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Help Save 820 Acres at Five Virginia Battlefields, Save 343 Acres at FIVE Battlefields in FOUR Western Theater States, Save 42 Historic Acres at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Phase Three of Gaines Mill-Cold Harbor Saved Forever Campaign, An Unparalleled Preservation Opportunity at Gettysburg Battlefield. Sherman wanted only the "best fighting material." By attempting to hold the roads we will lose a thousand men monthly and will gain no result. On November 22 three Confederate militia brigades (comprising some 4,500 men) from Macon discovered the carnage before chancing upon 1,500 Union soldiers. Having anticipated Confederate designs against Nashville, Sherman had already sent two divisions to the Tennessee capital. Subsequent historians have objected to the comparison, arguing that Sherman's tactics were not as severe or indiscriminate. In short, the March to the Sea demonstrates not that Sherman was a brute, but that he wanted to wage a war that did not result in countless deaths. As the marching Federals progressed, they attracted a growing throng of ex-slaves, who greeted them as emancipators. The staffs of the various headquarters were ruthlessly restricted, and much clerical work was done by permanent offices in the rear. Although his formal orders (excerpted below) specified control over destruction of infrastructure in areas in which his army was unmolested by guerrilla activity, he recognized that supplying an army through liberal foraging would have a destructive effect on the morale of the civilian population it encountered in its wide sweep through the state.[10]. Letter, Sherman to Henry W. Halleck, December 24, 1864. Wheelers Confederate cavalry responded by killing Union prisoners. Sherman's March to the Sea, (November 15-December 21, 1864) American Civil War campaign that concluded Union operations in the Confederate state of Georgia. Smith's militia fought off the Union attacks, and Hatch withdrew after suffering about 650 casualties, versus Smith's 50. 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). Field Order No. He defeated Confederate General John Hood at the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864. Gen. William H. Jackson, had approximately 10,000 troopers. "[24] On December 26, the president replied in a letter:[25]. During the campaign, the Confederate War Department brought in additional men from Florida and the Carolinas, but they never were able to increase their effective force beyond 13,000.[18]. He eliminated Atlanta's war making potential and brought sheer destruction to Georgia, then offered generous surrender terms. He returned at the Battle of Shiloh to victory and then gathered 100,000 troops . Union men successfully defended the supply depot northwest of Atlanta at Allatoona Pass, but Hood seized Dalton with little resistance. The most potent Confederate force in the state was Joseph Wheelers 3,500-man cavalry, which managed to harass Shermans marchers but was too small to pose a deadly threat. 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. Shermans army had now been marching for a week. Very quickly, these foragers came to be called bummers, and it was they who did the most damage to the countryside and provided the most food for the troops. Gen. Charles C. Walcutt arrived to stabilize the defense, and the division of Georgia militia launched several hours of badly coordinated attacks, eventually retreating with about 1,100 casualties (of which about 600 were prisoners), versus the Union's 100. By the following day, soldiers were setting unauthorized fires, and the flames spread to business and residential districts. By December 12 Shermans force had neared Savannahs outer defenses. [28], From Savannah, after a month-long delay for rest, Sherman marched north in the spring in the Carolinas Campaign, intending to complete his turning movement and combine his armies with Grant's against Robert E. Lee. After Sherman's crushing campaign through the Carolinas, Johnston surrendered to Sherman at the Bennett House near Durham Station. The Union soldiers were just as unsparing. He had become familiar with Grant while researching his well-received Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. 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. This had significant ramifications across their remaining military operations. The 360-mile march extended from Atlanta in central . Still, sexual violence, especially in wartime, remains an underreported crime up to the present. 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. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. After capturing Atlanta in September 1864, General Sherman decided to use a different tactic to bring the South to its knees and . The man leading the . [27] As the Army recuperated, Sherman quickly tackled a variety of local problems. Background. Know about the significance and outcome of the Atlanta Campaign. 120 had permitted Black labourers to accompany the column, despite being a potential drain on resources and slowing the armys pace. To the north of this action, Sherman advanced with the left wing into Milledgeville on November 23. The city was hardly burned to the ground, as Gone with the Wind implies. Uncle Billy, I guess Grant is waiting for us in Richmond? was a common sentiment along the march. Gen. Jefferson C. Daviss XIV Corps. 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. Shermans March to the Sea was an American Civil War campaign lasting from November 15 to December 21, 1864, in which Union Major General William Tecumseh Sherman led troops through the Confederate state of Georgia, pillaging the countryside and destroying both military outposts and civilian properties. In the hearts of Georgians, Sherman left behind a smoldering resentment of the North that persisted well into the 20th century. Those Confederate troops blocking Shermans way were few and weak. He saw destruction of property as less onerous than casualties. 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. But what next? "[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. 15. Sherman, reading the paper later in the day, was moved by Byers' poem, and promoted Byers to his staff; the two became lifelong friends. Union troops burned it to the ground. 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. Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant preferred for Sherman to destroy the Southern army first and then initiate his psychological war of destruction. [19] Still, Grant trusted Sherman's assessment and on November 2, 1864, he sent Sherman a telegram stating simply, "Go as you propose. 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. For this reason, he divided his expeditionary force into two infantry groups. 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. 1. After a sparse breakfast, they formed the columns and began moving. Their fates remain largely unknown. Only then, did Sherman and his army begin the March to the Sea. [45] Some historians refer to Sherman's tactics as "hard war" to emphasize the distinction between Sherman's tactics and those used during World War II.[46][47]. Slocum's wing, accompanied by Sherman, moved to the east, in the direction of Augusta. His armies sustained more than 1,300 casualties, with the Confederacy suffering roughly 2,300. [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. 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. Sherman's army marched 285 miles (458 km . In theyears afterthe Civil War, fighting forces around the world have made use of Shermans total war strategy. While many blacks became laborers and performed tasks necessary to the advance, others simply followed in the wake of the column. [33] A Confederate officer estimated that 10,000 liberated slaves followed Sherman's army, and hundreds died of "hunger, disease, or exposure" along the way. Hardee commanding, November 20, 1864", "The Civil War This Week: Oct 27Nov 2, 1864", "Savannah Campaign Confederate order of battle", "Capital Destruction and Economic Growth: The Effects of Sherman's March, 18501920", American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, "Historical markers illustrate overlooked stories", "Savannah Campaign Union order of battle" (, "Savannah Campaign Confederate order of battle" (, Today in Georgia History: March to the Sea, Today in Georgia History: Sherman in Savannah, National Park Service battle descriptions for the Savannah Campaign, National Park Service report on preservation and historic boundaries at the Savannah Campaign battlefields, New Georgia Encyclopedia article on the March, Noah Andre Trudeau Webcast Author Lecture, Georgia Public Broadcasting: 37 weeks Sherman on the March, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sherman%27s_March_to_the_Sea&oldid=1149848697, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, Nevin, David and the Editors of Time-Life Books (1986). Railroads doubled as a conduit for industrial growth and transportation for the military. Atlanta Campaign. 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. To my smoke house, my Dairy, Pantry, kitchen & cellar. It was difficult to hide anything from the foragers or the massive main column. During the march, between 17,000 and 25,000 enslaved Black people were freed. Two weeks after this incident, and 20 miles removed, the march ended in Savannah. Now that Sherman had contact with the Navy fleet under Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, he was able to obtain the supplies and siege artillery he required to invest Savannah. He blamed the ex-slave refugees for ignoring his advice not to follow the army. Major General William Tecumseh Sherman was a contradiction embodied. However, a turn eastward convinced him that Augusta was the target. Sherman demanded a surrender on December 17, but his request was promptly rejected. By ripping up and melting down tracks, Union soldiers slowly crippled the states industrial and military potential in full view of its civilians. [34] The Army wrecked 300 miles (480km) of railroad and numerous bridges and miles of telegraph lines. 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. Special Field Orders No. Pleasant J. Phillips, came upon part of Shermans rear guard of some 1,700 men. Shermans troops arrived in Savannah on December 21, 1864, about three weeks after they left Atlanta. He had defied military principles by operating deep within enemy territory and without lines of supply or communication. Sherman received numerous letters from the very Confederate officers he was fighting against, requesting that Sherman ensure the protection of their families. Omissions? While Howard's wing was delayed near Ball's Bluff, the 1st Alabama Cavalry (a Federal regiment) engaged Confederate pickets. Slaves' opinions varied concerning the actions of Sherman and his army. On December 9, however, tragedy struck Brig. [9] Sherman therefore planned an operation that has been compared to the modern principles of scorched earth warfare. As one Georgia woman wrote in her diary: like Demons they rush in! "[16], The Confederate opposition from Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida was meager. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Gen. Judson Kilpatricks 5,000 Union horse soldiers cleared it out of the way. [34], The March to the Sea was devastating to Georgia and the Confederacy. 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. Shermans March to the Sea, (November 15December 21, 1864) American Civil War campaign that concluded Union operations in the Confederate state of Georgia. Between 17,000 and 25,000 enslaved Black people were freed while on the march, including more than 7,500 in and around Savannah. "[20] The 300-mile (480km) march began on November 15. On the ground and on a much smaller scale, Sherman pioneered this process, becoming the first American to do so systematically. On it was Byers' poem. Although he personally considered them inferior to white men, Sherman treated the blacks he met with courtesies not widespread in the 19th century, shaking hands and carrying on conversations to glean their knowledge of the area. No doubt many acts of pillage, robbery, and violence were committed by these parties of foragers , Sherman acknowledged, but maintained that their crimes were generally against property, not individuals. [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. Walters, John Bennett (1948) "General William T. Sherman and Total War". Soldiers became model gentlemen, no longer foraging, but paying for what they wanted or needed. 120, regarding the conduct of the campaign. 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. The operation debilitated the Confederacy and helped lead to its eventual surrender. The only real combat of the March took place on November 22, near Griswoldville. 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. [7][6][8], Sherman's "March to the Sea" followed his successful Atlanta Campaign of May to September 1864. He issued these orders in preparation for his famous March to the Sea, also known as the Savannah Campaign. [5], The March to the Sea owes its common name to a poem written by S. H. M. Byers in late 1864. Georgia, stretching before Shermans army with its red clay hills and sandy terrain, was the largest of the Confederate states. In the wake of his successful campaign to capture Atlanta, Major General William T. Sherman began making plans for a march against Savannah. Locals experienced a sense of growing dread as they anticipated the main columns advancing through their property and seizing everything of value. 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 .