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William T. Sherman
To many Georgians, General William T. Sherman’s actions during the Civil War make him the most hated figure in the state’s history. He believed in a concept called “Total War” which often resulted in extreme damage - even to civilians. However, many historians are re-examining Sherman’s military campaigns and are developing varying viewpoints about the purposes and rationales behind his treatment of the South. No matter if Sherman was truly a tyrant who reveled in his “mistreatment” of Georgia, or simply a military commander doing his job to swiftly end the war, Sherman’s military campaigns through Georgia left an enormous impact on the social, economic and political history of the state.
Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea
Though often called “Sherman’s March through Georgia” or simply “Sherman’s March,” Sherman actually led two separate military campaigns in the state. The first was called the Atlanta Campaign. Beginning in the spring of 1864, Sherman set out to capture Atlanta. Capturing the city would bring a devastating blow to the Confederacy because Atlanta was the major railroad hub of the South and had adequate industrial capabilities. The campaign took almost four and one-half months and several major engagements took place between the two armies including the Battles of Dalton, Resaca, and Kennesaw Mountain.
The Southern army was led by General Joseph Johnston who believed that, with his army being outnumbered almost two to one, he should use defensive tactics to slow down Sherman’s aggressive campaign. He hoped to have his army dig into defensive positions and lure Sherman into costly head-on attacks. However, with the exception of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, where the North lost over 2,000 men, Sherman chose to simply go around (“out-flank”) the CSA’s positions and continue to move toward Atlanta forcing the CSA to withdraw from their defensive strongholds.
1.Why was Atlanta such an important city economically and geographically for the North to capture?
2.Describe the Northern and Southern tactics during the Atlanta Campaign?
As Sherman pushed his army closer and closer to Atlanta, CSA President Jefferson Davis removed Johnston from command and replaced him with General John B. Hood, who would attack Sherman’s larger army head on in order to protect the city. Though Hood did as ordered, his attacks were unsuccessful and did not deter Sherman and his movements toward Atlanta. It should be pointed out that there was not one major battle to take Atlanta but instead several small battles that eventually allowed Sherman the opportunity to move close enough to the city to bombard it with cannon fire. These battles include the Battle of Peachtree Creek (July 20, 1864), the Battle of Atlanta (July 22, 1864), and the Battle of Ezra Church (July 24, 1864).
Did Sherman make his way to Atlanta?
Name one of the small battles that helped Sherman make his way to Atlanta.
On September 2, 1864, General Hood was forced to withdraw from Atlanta, leaving the city open to Union occupation. Sherman held the city for more than two months, while planning for what was to be the March to the Sea. On Nov 15, 1864, Sherman’s army left Atlanta. Whether or not the Union army was solely to blame for the fire that spread through the city as it was withdrawing, or if some of the fires were started by Confederate soldiers or civilians, is a topic that has been debated from almost as soon as it happened. Regardless, as Sherman started his new campaign, the city of Atlanta was left smoldering and in ruins. The capture of Atlanta in September of 1864 was critical, not only due to Atlanta’s industrial role for the South, but also because it gave the war weary North a victory to celebrate and boosted the will-power to continue fighting. With Sherman’s victory, Lincoln was assured a triumph in the 1864 presidential election. After leaving the city of Atlanta utterly destroyed, Sherman set his sights on the rest of Georgia. Hoping to end the war as quickly as possible, while punishing the South for starting the war, Sherman began his infamous March to the Sea, which was his second campaign. The march began on November 15, 1864, and ended on December 21, 1864, with Sherman’s capture of Savannah. Due to the losses the CSA sustained during the battles of the Atlanta campaign, and Hood’s attempt to lure Sherman out of Georgia by marching toward Tennessee, Union troops had an unobstructed path to the Atlantic Ocean.
Who is thought to be responsible for setting the city of Atlanta on fire?
How did Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign play a role in the 1864 Election?
Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign was his first attempt at destroying the South. What was the name of his second attempt or second campaign to destroy the South - more specifically Georgia?
Sherman’s March to the Sea ended with the capture of what city?
How was the city that Sherman captured in his March to the Sea campaign important to Georgia?
During the march, Sherman’s army implemented the Union’s hard-war philosophy, creating a path of destruction that was 300 miles long and 60 miles wide. His plan to wreak havoc on Georgia’s infrastructure (railroads [Sherman’s neckties], roads, cotton gins and mills, warehouses) that assisted in supplying Confederate troops was intentional and deliberate. However, it is widely disputed about how Union soldiers were ordered to behave during the march. Per written orders from Sherman before leaving Atlanta, Union troops were permitted to “forage liberally on the countryside”, but were prohibited from trespassing and entering homes. Sherman’s ill-disciplined men burned buildings and factories, looted civilian food supplies and took civilian valuables as treasures of the march. Modern historians believe that violent aggression was not the norm, but rather the exception. Sherman’s lack of tolerance of violence led to prosecution but, there is ample evidence that the invading army often intimidated Georgians. Sherman believed that destroying the morale of Georgians would lead to a quick end of the war.
The only major infantry battle during the march happened at Griswoldville, a small town that produced the Colt Navy Revolver. Sherman’s men encountered a Georgia militia unit comprised of men too old and boys too young for service in the regular army. The rather lopsided result (Union losses: 62 soldiers v. Georgia militia losses: over 650 men and boys) allowed Sherman’s forces to continue their move toward Savannah. Calvary skirmishes along the way resulted in the same, an unobstructed path toward the port city. In the end, Savannah, not wanting to receive the same bombardment and destruction that beset Atlanta, surrendered to Sherman without a fight on December 22, 1864. Sherman wrote to Abraham Lincoln that Savannah was his Christmas present (along with about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton that was ultimately shipped to Northern factories).
1.Which meaning of the word FORAGE is meant in the reading above?
2. What is meant by the word CIVILIAN?
3. What was known as “Sherman’s Neckties?”
4. What would happen to Sherman’s Neckties? Explain why.
5. Name some of the actions of Sherman’s men against civilians?
6. Why did Sherman think the actions of his men were appropriate?
7. What did Sherman say was Lincoln’s Christmas present?
8. Why do you think Sherman did not destroy and burn Savannah like he did Atlanta?
1. Atlanta was important economically and geographically for the North to capture because it was a major railroad hub of the South and had industrial capabilities that were valuable to the Confederacy.
2. The Northern tactics during the Atlanta Campaign were to aggressively pursue and out-flank the Southern army, while the Southern tactics were to use defensive strategies and lure the Northern army into costly head-on attacks.
3. Yes, Sherman made his way to Atlanta.
4. One of the small battles that helped Sherman make his way to Atlanta was the Battle of Peachtree Creek.
5. It is debated who was responsible for setting the city of Atlanta on fire, but it is believed that Sherman's army, Confederate soldiers, and civilians all played a role.
6. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign played a role in the 1864 Election because the capture of Atlanta gave the war-weary North a victory to celebrate and boosted morale, which helped ensure President Lincoln's triumph in the election.
7. Sherman's second campaign to destroy the South, specifically Georgia, was called the March to the Sea.
8. The March to the Sea ended with the capture of Savannah.
9. The city of Savannah was important to Georgia because it was a major port city.
10. The term forage in the reading above means searching and collecting food and supplies from the countryside.
11. Civilian refers to non-military individuals, specifically in this context, the civilians living in Georgia.
12. "Sherman's Neckties" referred to the deliberate destruction of railroads by heating the rails and twisting them into unusable shapes.
13. Sherman's Neckties would make it difficult for Confederate troops to use the railroads for transportation and supply purposes.
14. Some of the actions of Sherman's men against civilians included burning buildings and factories, looting food supplies, and taking valuable items as treasures of the march.
15. Sherman believed the actions of his men were appropriate because he wanted to destroy the morale of Georgians and force a quick end to the war.
16. Sherman's Christmas present for Lincoln was the capture of Savannah.
17. Sherman likely did not destroy and burn Savannah like he did Atlanta because the city surrendered without a fight and he wanted to avoid the same level of bombardment and destruction.