Sherman’s March

Before It Happened• In 1860 a split in Democratic parties assured Lincoln’s election and convinced the south

to make a bid for independence rather than facing political threat. By March 1861, around the time Lincoln was inaugurated, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama decided to secede, the confederate states of America were formed with Jefferson Davis as president. In Lincoln’s inaugural address, he said the secession was illegal and that he was planning on maintaining federal positions in the south. On April 12, 1861, when Lincoln tried to re-supply Fort Sumter, as they were running out of food and water, then the southern artillery opened fire. Lincoln did not want to be known as violent, but three days later, on April 15 he called troops down for the rebellion. Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee reacted by joining the Conference. After three years of devastating war, Lincoln named Ulysses S. Grant Supreme Commander of the Union army to defeat the Confederates. General William T. Sherman was soon after named his second in command. Eventually it was agreed Grant will confront the confederate army in Virginia and Sherman would attack Atlanta, which was the main supply center of the Southern War effort. 1864, Sherman and his army marched across Georgia destroying nearly everything in their path. Sherman justified this by saying the war would end sooner if the conflict was taken to the civilian south.

Where was Sherman’s March and who did it affect?

• Sherman's March through Georgia, began in Atlanta in November 1864 and culminated in the capture of Savannah on December 21 before the troops continued toward South Carolina. During this campaign, Union general William T. Sherman and his force of 60,000 soldiers marched across Georgia, living off the land and terrorizing Southern civilians. Railroad ties twisted around trees, burned houses and crops, and trampled countryside was all the eye could see.

Why was Sherman doing this?• Sherman devoted the next few weeks to chasing Confederate troops

through northern Georgia in a vain attempt to lure them into a decisive fight. The Confederate's evasive tactics doomed Sherman's plan to achieve victory on the battlefield so he developed an alternative strategy: destroy the South by laying waste to its economic and transportation infrastructure. He left Atlanta in flames and pointed his army south. No word would be heard from him for the next five weeks. Unbeknownst to his enemy, Sherman's objective was the port of Savannah. His army of 65,000 cut a broad swath as it lumbered towards its destination. Plantations were burned, crops destroyed and stores of food pillaged. Along the way, his army was joined by thousands of former slaves who brought up the rear of the march because they had no other place to go. Sherman's army reached Savannah on December 22. Two days later, Sherman telegraphed President Lincoln with the message "I beg to present to you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah..."

Effects of the March

• Some might say the effects of the march were more psychological than practical, though the army did wreak havoc on the infrastructure of Georgia by destroying railroad tracks and looting and burning farms. The biggest effect was that it demoralized the South by demonstrating that Union armies could just move through Southern territory at will and that nobody could stop them. This was as encouraging to the North as it was depressing to the South.

Reactions by Citizens• This is an excerpt of the journals of Dolly Sumner Lunt, who was born in

Maine in 1817. She moved to Georgia as a young woman to join her married sister. She became a school teacher in Covington, Ga. where she met and married Thomas Burge, who was a plantation owner. When her husband died in 1858, and Dolly was there, left alone to manage the plantation and its slaves on her own. Dolly kept a diary of her experiences and we join her story as Sherman's army comes closer to her house:

• “'No, don't!' said I, and ran home as fast as I could, with Sadai.”• “Before we were done talking, up came Joe and Jim Perry from their

hiding-place. Jim was very much excited. Happening to turn and look behind, as we stood there, I saw some blue-coats coming down the hill. Jim immediately raised his gun, swearing he would kill them anyhow.”

• “lt left me poorer by thirty thousand dollars than I was yesterday morning. And a much stronger Rebel!”

Reactions by citizens, continued

• Sherman’s March frightened and made the southerners fear and detest the north even more. It hurt the morale of the confederacy because the civilians thought the confederacy could protect their homes.

• This is a quote from one of the citizens (the Name was not given): “then, presently, more soldiers came by, and this ended the passing of Sherman's army by my place. It was truly terrifying”.

A broader view of the March

William T. Sherman

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Drawing of the March• Drawing titled “General Sherman’s grand march through central Georgia”

the picture shows a column of soldiers through a plantation in Georgia. Homes are burning in the distance.

How Sherman’s March might have affected southerners

• It was a devastating time, everyone knew someone who died, and it was, to some, the northerner’s fault.

• People began to lose faith in the unity of the nation.

• People began to think god was not there to help them and god was a big part of Lincoln’s speeches.

“A house divided against it’s self can not stand.”

• - Abraham Lincoln