The Fall of Atlanta&
General Sherman’s March
The Fall of Atlanta&
General Sherman’s March
May 1864-February 1865
May 1864-February 1865
General Sherman
With Grant off to Virginia to do battle with Lee’s Confederate Army General William T. Sherman was left in charge of the west
He had his eye on taking Atlanta, the Gateway City
Atlanta
On May 5th, 1864 Sherman led over 100,00 men out of Tennessee and south into Georgia
Atlanta was an industrial city whose factories produced many military goods, it also was positioned as a key railroad center
Atlanta
Sherman’s forces attempted to defeat Confederate General Joseph Johnson’s at Kennesaw Mt, about 20 miles from Atlanta
Johnson’s men had good position and knew the Georgia mountains and repelled the Union Army on June 27th
Atlanta Sherman had his large
army and was relentless, outflanking Johnson and crossing the Chattahoochee River just 7 miles away
A new, aggressive Confederate General named Hood attempted to defend the city by attacking Sherman’s army in the field, both times the South was defeated and forced back to protect the city
Atlanta Sherman knew the city was too fortified for a direct
assault so he started bombarding it with cannon fire and destroying all the railroads leading into the city
The Confederate Army abandoned the city and it was taken on September 1st
Sherman’s men began burning the factories and depots that had any military use
A boost for Lincoln
The fall of Atlanta clearly showed that it was the Union now winning the war
The news electrified the north and helped Lincoln win the re-election of 1864
Sherman
Sherman knew he couldn’t count on the railroads for re-supply, they were too vulnerable to Confederate attack
He proposed marching his entire army to the city of Savannah on the Atlantic Coast, 220 miles away
He could use the ocean port to gain access to Union ships
Sherman’s March
He also saw this march as a way to strike a psychological blow to the south, he could make civilians suffer as well as the military and break Southern resistance
After 10 weeks of resting in Atlanta his army set out on November 15th for it’s infamous march
Sherman’s March
There were very few forces to oppose Sherman’s march so he spread his 60,000 troops in a dispersed line 60 miles wide
Anything that might have value to the military was a target, they pulled up railroads and set fire to factories
Many civilians were treated harshly and many slaves were liberated and abandoned
Sherman’s “Neckties”
Sherman’s March
Sherman reached Savannah on December 21st and took control of the ports
He thought about using the sea to join Grant’s army in Virginia but decided to continue his destructive march north through the Carolinas
Sherman’s March
South Carolina was much tougher, there were more Confederate troops, it was February and the route lay across muddy roads and swampy rivers
Still the Confederate commanders were surprised by the speed of the advance - and the level of ruthlessness they witnessed
Sherman’s March
South Carolina suffered even greater destruction than Georgia
Even homes with no military value were robbed and burned On February 18th the state capital of Columbia was
destroyed by fire The event was notorious, but it remained unclear whether
Union forces started the blaze intentionally
Sherman’s March
There was one last attempt to stop the advance in North Carolina
Confederate General Johnston engaged Sherman’s troop at Bentonville March 19-21st but were again beaten
Sherman took control of Raleigh, his marches had been decisive
Sherman’s March
Sherman’s destructive marches made him a figure of hate among many Southerners
While some slaves viewed him as a liberator many remained loyal to their owners, they saw Sherman’s ransacking of the south as a betrayal
Sherman’s words:
We are not only fighting armies, but a hostile people,
and must make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war, as well as their
organized armies. I know that this recent movement of mine
through Georgia has had a wonderful effect…”“
Sherman’s March
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