Sherman’s March to the Sea

Allison Taylor, Meghan Hurst, and Hailee Hoover

William T. Sherman Early Life

Born February 8, 1820

His father was an Ohio supreme court judge until he died in 1829.

After his father’s passing Sherman and his family were staying with friends and family.

At one point he stayed with Senator Thomas Ewing who got him into West Point where William graduated sixth in his class.

William T. Sherman Career

Some newspapers called him insane. The people didn’t have much confidence in his abilities until his success in Georgia.

Sherman took over as general commander of the U.S. Army when Ulysses S. Grant became president.

Getting the March Approved

Lincoln was not easily convinced about Sherman’s idea, because he didn’t want Sherman or any of his troops to move through enemy territory before the presidential election in November.

Sherman persuaded Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant that the campaign was possible during winter. Grant convinced Lincoln to allow the campaign on the condition that Sherman wait until after the election.

Ulysses S Grant

Motives and Reasons

Sherman believed that marching through the state of Georgia would prove that the Union had a more powerful army than the Confederate states.

Sherman’s purpose of the march was to frighten Georgia’s civilians into abandoning the Confederacy cause of war.

He wanted to “...make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war.”

Map of Sherman’s March

Definitions

Psychological Warfare- the use of propaganda, threats, and other psychological techniques to mislead, intimidate, demoralize, or otherwise influence the thinking or behavior of an opponent.

Morale- emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., especially in the face of opposition, hardship, etc.

What Sherman did on the March

Burned cities.

Captured cities.

Burned and stole all food storage for winter.

Tore up railroads.

Pros and Cons of the March

Pros

Frightened Southern settlers.

Destroyed Southern morale.

People doubted the abilities of the Confederate Army.

The success of the march is believed to have hastened the end of the war.

Cons

Sherman’s army didn’t have any supply lines.

They had to take other farmer’s crops and livestock for food.

They had no way of communicating with the North.

They were far into enemy territory.

Scorched Earth Policy

Relating to or being a military policy involving deliberate and usually widespread destruction of property and resources (such as housing and factories) so that an invading enemy cannot use them. www.merriam-webster.com

Sherman’s Neckties General Sherman destroyed Georgia’s railroads and made them impossible to repair by wrapping the rails around trees. This became known as Sherman’s Neckties.

Sherman’s SentinelsAfter Sherman’s March to the Sea all the cities were completely destroyed, leaving nothing left but the chimneys. These became known as Sherman’s Sentinels.

South Carolina

After marching through Georgia Grant ordered Sherman to embark his army on steamers and join the Union forces confronting Lee in Virginia, but Sherman instead persuaded Grant to allow him to march north to the Carolinas, destroying everything of military value, as he had done in Georgia.

Important Dates

Commander General William T. Sherman captured Atlanta in the fall of 1864.

In December 1864 Sherman and his troops arrive in Savannah.

The Confederacy surrenders Savannah, Georgia December 21, 1864.

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqw_8WuJHL8

Bibliography

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/shermans-march-sea

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/sherman.htm

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/shermans-march

http://www.meriam-webster.com