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| William T. Sherman |
The Atlanta Campaign is not just one battle, but several. The reasons for these battles are both political and strategic. Since Sherman's troops had invaded most of Georgia, the confederates fled to Atlanta and made it their camp group. Sherman's plan was to block their line of supply; the rail center. That way the confederates had no way of getting the necessary items to survive, they had no choice but to surrender. With the surrender came glory and trust. During this time (1864) Lincoln was working to get his 2nd term in office. Since the citizens were sick of war and what came with it, Sherman's big win put their faith back in the hands of the union and most importantly Lincoln.
March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea, also known as the Savannah Campaign, started on November 15 1864. It is notorious for being the cause of the most civilian destruction of the Civil War.
At this time, Sherman was desperate to put an end to the war, so he constructed a dangerous, irrational, illogical, and brilliant plan that would turn out to be the reason for the Union's win.
Sherman's goal was to capture the city of Atlanta, and the way he sought to do that was by going through and eradicating everything in sight. His troops destroyed industry, infrastructure, and civilian property. David J. Eicher says Sherman "defied military principles by operating deep within enemy territory and without lines of supply or communication. He destroyed much of the South's physical and psychological capacity to wage war." However, it was a necessary sacrifice to make, because in the next couple of months the Confederates finally surrendered. Thanks to these websites for making this blog possible:
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