[1] And so, in Atlanta, Sherman instituted tactics later generations of American war leaders would use in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Sherman estimated a total Confederate economic loss of $100 million (more than $1.5 billion in the 21st century) in his official campaign report. 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. The death count on November 15, 1864 stood at around 12,100. To this day, many believe that Sherman did not bring any supplies with . One word still resonates more deeply in the American psyche than any other in the field of Civil War study: Sherman. [29] After a successful two-month campaign, Sherman accepted the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston and his forces in North Carolina on April 26, 1865.[30]. The March to the Sea played psychological warfare in which . Sherman demanded a surrender on December 17, but his request was promptly rejected. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Black and white pioneers cleared the path ahead, with Sherman himself sometimes joining in the physical labor. [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. The cavalry captured two Confederate guns at Lovejoy's Station, and then two more and 50 prisoners at Bear Creek Station. Smith's 1,500 Georgia militiamen, 3 miles (4.8km) south of Grahamville Station, South Carolina. Gen. John P. Hatch from Hilton Head, hoping to assist Sherman's arrival near Savannah by securing the Charleston and Savannah Railroad. Sherman had his favorite regimental band present a concert for the city and brought supply ships from the North to help the city and its people regain a sense of normality. Apart from its economic and military payoff, the marchs impact may have lingered longest in the Southern psyche. It seized 5,000 horses, 4,000 mules, and 13,000 head of cattle. Yet, the March is remembered to this day as barbarism unleashed. 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. Sherman's March to Sea. More Union troops entered the campaign from an unlikely direction. He destroyed much of the South's potential and psychology to wage war. Some of the 134 Union casualties were caused by torpedoes, a name for crude land mines that were used only rarely in the war. Abraham Lincoln: I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.. Subsequent historians have objected to the comparison, arguing that Sherman's tactics were not as severe or indiscriminate. No matter Sherman kept marching. 39 Joseph T. Glatthaar's The March to the Sea and Beyond focuses specifically on the experiences of Sherman's soldiers. [9] Sherman therefore planned an operation that has been compared to the modern principles of scorched earth warfare. The city was undefended when they got there. General Sherman finally gained control of the city of Atlanta on September 2, 1864. Hood had taken the bulk of forces in Georgia on his campaign to Tennessee in hopes of diverting Sherman to pursue him. [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'. The campaign began on November 15 with Sherman's troops leaving Atlanta, recently taken by Union forces, and ended with the capture of the port of Savannah on December 21. 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. 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]. In Special Field Order No. With Kilpatrick as a mobile screen, Howard took the right wing southeast of Atlanta in the direction of Macon, while Slocums left wing marched east toward Augusta. Confederate Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood was threatening Chattanooga, and Sherman detached two armies under Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas to deal with Hood in the FranklinNashville campaign. Sherman demanded surrender, and he would accept nothing less, so his men tore through the Palmetto State. 120 he encouraged foraging and the confiscation of livestock but forbade home invasions. Look it up now! Sherman wanted only the "best fighting material." Rhodes, James Ford. Hood moved his battered Army of Tennessee northwest from their southerly position to Palmetto, Georgia. His scorched-earth tactics changed the history of warfare and are still studied and taught in military institutions . Factories, farms and railroads provided Confederate troops with the things they needed, he reasoned; and if he could destroy those things, the Confederate war effort would collapse. They quietly abandoned their trenches and crossed the Savannah River into Confederate-held South Carolina. The March to the Sea, which culminated with the fall of Savannah in December 1864, cut a swath of torn-up railroads, pillaged farms and burned-out plantations through the Georgia countryside . His vision of hard war brought the Confederacy to its knees, but forestalled thousands of battlefield and civilian deaths. [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. 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. To that end, Shermans troops marched south toward Savannah in two wings, about 30 miles apart. After Sherman's crushing campaign through the Carolinas, Johnston surrendered to Sherman at the Bennett House near Durham Station. 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!" Maj. Gen. John G. Foster dispatched 5,500 men and 10 guns under Brig. 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. [34], The March to the Sea was devastating to Georgia and the Confederacy. Soldiers dug up buried food, valuables and keepsakes, seemingly at will. The . It is estimated that during the six-week March to the Sea fewer than 3,000 casualties resulted. He fooled the Confederates into believing that one part of his army was heading toward Augusta, while the other wing was heading for Macon. As the army would be out of touch with the North throughout the campaign, Sherman gave explicit orders, Sherman's Special Field Orders, No. 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. Maj. Gen. Gustavus W. Smith's Georgia militia had about 3,050 soldiers, most of whom were boys and elderly men. During this time he ordered the evacuation of some 3,000 civilians and seized their homes for his soldiers living quarters. [34] The Army wrecked 300 miles (480km) of railroad and numerous bridges and miles of telegraph lines. The Union lost 130 men in this assault and the Confederacy 40. Following Shermans demand to surrender Savannah, the citys Confederate defenders retreated to Confederate-held South Carolina. Whereas more than 6,500,000 women in the United States are living with endometriosis; Whereas endometriosis is a chronic disease that can be painful and debilitating and affects Doctors performed in-depth examinations to weed out the weak and those suffering from disease, and because of this 1% of the men were left behind. On November 2526 at Sandersville, Wheeler struck at Slocum's advance guard. Sherman wasted no time. Determined not to lay a siege unless absolutely necessary, Sherman ordered 4,000 men from the XV Corps to seize Fort McCallister, a crucial element of the citys southern defense. In theyears afterthe Civil War, fighting forces around the world have made use of Shermans total war strategy. Hoods new strategy was to recoup before striking north at Union-occupied Nashville, Tennessee. Most Union soldiers complied with Shermans orders. Until we can repopulate Georgia it is useless to occupy it, but the utter destruction of its roads, houses, and people will cripple their military resources. Pleasant J. Phillips, came upon part of Shermans rear guard of some 1,700 men. As the marching Federals progressed, they attracted a growing throng of ex-slaves, who greeted them as emancipators. Like the morale-focused campaigns of future generals, Shermans march squeezed out a victory with ruthless precision. In these later conflicts, largely through the use of air power, Americans attempted to destroy enemy will and logistics (a doctrine colloquially known as shock and awe in Operation Iraqi Freedom). In South Carolina Sherman waged a new scorched-earth campaign with a vengeance reserved for the first state to have seceded from the Union. On the left, Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum commanded the Army of Georgia. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [31], Sherman's scorched earth policies have always been highly controversial, and Sherman's memory has long been reviled by many Southerners. Shermans army reached the sea, took Fort McAllister and re-tied itself to a naval supply line. Sherman's march to the sea definition at Dictionary.com, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. It was just such a conflict of interest that caused one of the most horrific events of the campaign. The pacification of Georgia cut the Confederacy in half and denied the insurgent states much of their former industrial and agricultural capacity. On December 21 Savannahs mayor formally surrendered the city to the Union. 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. It confiscated 9.5 million pounds of corn and 10.5 million pounds of fodder, and destroyed uncounted cotton gins and mills. William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea during the American Civil War. 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. Facts, information and articles about Sherman's March To The Sea during the Civil War. "[20] The 300-mile (480km) march began on November 15. Not only does it afford the obvious and immediate military advantages, but, in showing to the world that your army could be divided, putting the stronger part to an important new service, and yet leaving enough to vanquish the old opposing force of the whole Hoods army it brings those who sat in darkness to see a great light. I can make the march and make Georgia howl. On the night of December 2021 his Confederate garrison prepared to evacuate. Geary telegraphed Sherman, who advised him to accept the offer. On November 22 three Confederate militia brigades (comprising some 4,500 men) from Macon discovered the carnage before chancing upon 1,500 Union soldiers. Wheeler and some infantry struck in a rearguard action at Ball's Ferry on November 24 and November 25. Some economists have measured residual agricultural effects lasting through 1920. [1] Thomas would go on to defeat Hood, leaving Sherman's main army effectively unopposed. The ensuing campaign and siege occupied most of the summer, with Sherman finally forcing a surrender on September 2. until 1864, the Confederacy had been winning the Civil War. On December 17, he sent a message to Hardee in the city: I have already received guns that can cast heavy and destructive shot as far as the heart of your city; also, I have for some days held and controlled every avenue by which the people and garrison of Savannah can be supplied, and I am therefore justified in demanding the surrender of the city of Savannah, and its dependent forts, and shall wait a reasonable time for your answer, before opening with heavy ordnance. Please select which sections you would like to print: Myles Hudson was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopdia Britannica. Clearly this soldier was practicing the psychological destructive warfare against Georgia that his commander wanted. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. 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. For Shermans part, he made immediate contact with the U.S. Navy before sending the following telegram to Pres. Shermans troops arrived in Savannah on December 21, 1864, about three weeks after they left Atlanta. Sherman then turned his attention back to the pacification of Georgia. 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. However, a turn eastward convinced him that Augusta was the target. Behind us lay Atlanta, smouldering and in ruins, the black smoke rising high in air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city. General William Tecumseh Sherman's march to the sea during the Civil War was a strategy to break the morale of Confederate supporters by marching a division . He had a lot more soldiers than General Hood who only had 51,000. He blamed the ex-slave refugees for ignoring his advice not to follow the army. 120, regarding the conduct of the campaign. Although bummers engaged in prohibited activity, the overall psychological impact on the local population was precisely the purpose of the march. Union general William T. Sherman abandoned his supply line and marched across Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean to prove to the Confederate . Meanwhile, his troops could undermine Southern morale by making life so unpleasant for Georgias civilians that they would demand an end to the war. At the Battle of Honey Hill on November 30, Hatch fought a vigorous battle against G.W. Slaves' opinions varied concerning the actions of Sherman and his army. 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. Field Order No. Sherman had completely uprooted his army and marched it unassisted through enemy territory. March to the Sea. The Union defensive position was strong and Howards men were equipped with repeating rifles. To regular foraging parties must be intrusted the gathering of provisions and forage at any distance from the road traveled. 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. On January 16, 1865, during the Civil War (1861-65), Union general William T. Sherman issued his Special Field Order No. Union soldiers sang many songs during the March, but it is one written afterward that has come to symbolize the campaign: "Marching Through Georgia", written by Henry Clay Work in 1865. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 56,000 acres in 25 states! Soldiers became model gentlemen, no longer foraging, but paying for what they wanted or needed. The March to the Sea was no off-the-cuff reaction by Sherman to finding himself in Atlanta in September 1864 and knowing he could not remain there. Gen. Jefferson C. Daviss XIV Corps. 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. In preparation, he moved the few people remaining in the city about 10 percent of its 20,000-person population in early 1864 out of the area, and cut his supply line. 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. 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. Gen. Kilpatrick's, killing one, wounding two and capturing 18. While many blacks became laborers and performed tasks necessary to the advance, others simply followed in the wake of the column. They often felt betrayed, as they "suffered along with their owners, complicating their decision of whether to flee with or from Union troops", although that is now seen as a post synopsis of Confederate nationalism. 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. Shermans March to the Sea started in Atlanta and ended in the coastal town of Savannah, Georgia. Still, sexual violence, especially in wartime, remains an underreported crime up to the present. 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. Each division and brigade had a supply train, but the size of the train was strictly limited. This caused Sherman, who was trying to move quickly and live off the land, to worry about their impact on his speed and the supply of food meant for his soldiers. Many, many thanks for your Christmas gift, the capture of Savannah. Together with Shermans Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea may have tipped the scales of victory toward the Union. On the morning of November 16, Sherman set out for the coast at the head of roughly 62,000 men. "[17] There were about 13,000 men remaining at Lovejoy's Station, south of Atlanta. In the summer of 1864, during the U.S. Civil War (1861-65), Union General William T. Sherman faced off against Confederate . On December 13, William B. Hazen's division of Howard's wing stormed the fort in the Battle of Fort McAllister and captured it within 15 minutes. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Confederate leadership was unable to discern the final destination of the two-pronged Union force. Iowa State University thesis, 2011. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Walters, John Bennett (1948) "General William T. Sherman and Total War". 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.. On September 21, 1864, Confederate Gen. John B. [6], When Byers was freed by the Union Capture of Columbia, he approached General Sherman and handed him a scrap of paper. In 2008 he took over as the executive director and managing editor of the Ulysses S. Grant Association. The full story, however, is not this simple. [32] Some who welcomed him as a liberator chose to follow his armies. He seemed to be everywhere at once, and as he grew ever-larger in the Southern imagination, rumors about where he was and what he did to white women and slaves came to be accepted as fact. Instead, he sought to end the war as quickly as possible, with the least loss of life on both sides. Just 25 miles (40 km) north of Savannah, Daviss men were crossing a bloated Ebenezer Creek when they were ordered to destroy their bridge. An army of individuals trained in the school of experience to look after their own food and health, to march far and fast with the least fatigue, to fight with the least exposure, above all, to act swiftly and to work thoroughly. 120 had permitted Black labourers to accompany the column, despite being a potential drain on resources and slowing the armys pace. To sustain it, we must war upon and destroy the organized rebel forces,must cut off their supplies, destroy their communicationsand produce among the people of Georgia a thorough conviction of the personal misery which attends war, and the utter helplessness and inability of their rulers to protect themIf that terror and grief and even want shall help to paralyze their husbands and fathers who are fighting usit is mercy in the end.. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. The March to the Sea, which occurred over a six week period in November and December of 1864, is considered the most damaging action against civilian people in the Civil War of 1861 to 1865.The objective of Sherman's March to the Sea was to instil fear in the civilian population of Georgia to abandon the cause of the Confederacy. Sherman's army marched 285 miles (458 km . Gen. William J. Hardee initially assumed that its goal was to capture Macon. It was also a symbol of Confederate pride and strength, and its fall made even the most loyal Southerners doubt that they could win the war. Sherman's armies reached the outskirts of Savannah on December 10 but found that Hardee had entrenched 10,000 men in favorable fighting positions, and his soldiers had flooded the surrounding rice fields, leaving only narrow causeways available to approach the city. Gen. W.J. Civilian accounts describe the terror of encountering Shermans foraging parties and the unauthorized bands of bummers. After the war, Cox applies those same attributes to his books, Sherman's Battle for Atlanta and Sherman's March to the Sea, two volumes in the landmark series Campaigns of the Civil War. Observing the movements of Howards right wing, Confederate Lieut. The pontoons floated away, leaving the slaves unable to cross the deep water. The Cavalry Corps of Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler, reinforced by a brigade under Brig. The Strategic Significance of Sherman's March to the Sea. 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. Union troops arrived outside the fort on December 13. Slavery. 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. Abilene, TX: McWhiney Foundation Press, 2005. Please make my grateful acknowledgments to your whole army, officers and men. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. The destruction wreaked by the operation caused significant Confederate economic loss and diminished Confederate morale, generating deep resentment in Southerners. He is rightly called the American father of total warfare, a harbinger of the psychological tactics of the next century. He eliminated Atlanta's war making potential and brought sheer destruction to Georgia, then offered generous surrender terms. 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