sherman's march to the sea civilian casualties

[17], Letter, Sherman to Henry W. Halleck, December 24, 1864. Southern predictions that the Union forces would become lost or decimated by hunger and guerilla attacks were proven false. Considering Sherman's military priorities, however, this tactical maneuver by his enemy to get out of his force's path was welcomed to the point of remarking, "If he will go to the Ohio River, I'll give him rations. This page was last edited on 13 December 2020, at 06:23. "[32] W. Todd Groce, the president of the Georgia Historical Society, stated that the "hard war" practiced by Sherman did not prefigure the "total war" practiced in World War II. Maj. Gen. John G. Foster dispatched 5,500 men and 10 guns under Brig. Background In the wake of his successful campaign to capture Atlanta, Major General William T. Sherman began making plans for a march against Savannah. "[14] On December 26, the president replied in a letter:[15]. Abandoning Atlanta's railhead and telegraph lines was a high-risk operation. Nevin, David, and the Editors of Time-Life Books. Although his formal orders (excerpted below) specified control over destruction of infrastructure in areas in which his army was unmolested by guerrilla activity, he recognized that supplying an army through liberal foraging would have a destructive effect on the morale of the civilian population it encountered in its wide sweep through the state.[5]. Poe oversaw the burning of Atlanta, for which action he was honored by Sherman. Welch, Robert Christopher. Several important skirmishes along the way, including: The March to the Sea was successful. The second objective of the campaign was more traditional. Grant ordered him to “clear the country” ahead of him and to form black regiments when he had encountered enough former slaves (he … He destroyed much of the South's potential and psychology to wage war,” (Eicher 2001). Behind us lay Atlanta, smouldering and in ruins, the black smoke rising high in air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city. Compared to the 51,000 killed, wounded and missing at Gettysburg in the three days of fighting there or the 24,000 in the two days at Shiloh, the month-long March to the Sea was nearly bloodless. Kilpatrick slipped by the defensive line that Wheeler had placed near Brier Creek, but on the night of November 26 Wheeler attacked and drove the 8th Indiana and 2nd Kentucky Cavalry away from their camps at Sylvan Grove. Grant showed that destroying the enemy’s armed forces was another … By moving in Lee's rear, Sherman could possibly increase pressure on Lee, allowing Grant the opportunity to break through, or at least keep Southern reinforcements away from Virginia. Sherman's 60,000 soldiers would have to march quickly. Hundreds of African Americans drowned trying to cross in Ebenezer Creek north of Savannah while trying to follow Sherman's Army in its March to the Sea. The Union suffered another 18,400 casualties and the Confederates another 12,000. Gen. Kilpatrick's, killing one, wounding two and capturing 18. ... From what I remember the actual civilian casualties numbered around 100. The depleted Confederate forces in the South were able to offer little resistance to the Union army as it cut a swath of destruction … For the Savannah Campaign, Sherman's remaining force of 62,000 men (55,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 2,000 artillerymen manning 64 guns) was divided into two columns for the march:[1], The Confederate opposition from Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida was meager. [27] It was widely popular among US soldiers of 20th-century wars. Jacqueline Campbell has written, on the other hand, that some slaves looked upon the Union army's ransacking and invasive actions with disdain. There were approximately 3,100 casualties, 2,100 of which were Union soldiers, and the countryside took years to recover. Even those enslaved at the time held varying opinions of Sherman and his troops. Meanwhile Thomas crushed Hood at the battle of Nashville on 15 December 1864. Should you entertain the proposition, I am prepared to grant liberal terms to the inhabitants and garrison; but should I be forced to resort to assault, or the slower and surer process of starvation, I shall then feel justified in resorting to the harshest measures, and shall make little effort to restrain my army—burning to avenge the national wrong which they attach to Savannah and other large cities which have been so prominent in dragging our country into civil war. V. To army corps commanders alone is entrusted the power to destroy mills, houses, cotton-gins, &c., and for them this general principle is laid down: In districts and neighborhoods where the army is unmolested no destruction of such property should be permitted; but should guerrillas or bushwhackers molest our march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army commanders should order and enforce a devastation more or less relentless according to the measure of such hostility. Sherman's March to the Sea shortened the war by at least six months, at almost nil casualties. There were approximately 3,100 casualties, 2,100 of which were Union soldiers, and the countryside took years to recover. For all of the ink written about Sherman and the way he burned, scorched and killed between Atlanta and Savannah, the monstrous event lasted only 22 days. The operation broke the back of the Confederacy and helped lead to its eventual surrender. On September 1, 1864, Sherman and his army captured Atlanta, Georgia, an important transportation center in … The following is an excerpt from the general's orders: ... IV. Georgia's farms could feed his troops. Sherman himself estimated that the campaign had inflicted $100 million (about $1.6 billion in 2020 dollars)[22] in destruction, about one fifth of which "inured to our advantage" while the "remainder is simple waste and destruction". Smith's militia fought off the Union attacks, and Hatch withdrew after suffering about 650 casualties, versus Smith's 50. The campaign began with Sherman's troops leaving the captured city of Atlanta, … The campaign began with Sherman's troops leaving the captured city of Atlanta on November 15 and ended with the capture of the port of Savannah on December 21. [21], The March to the Sea was devastating to Georgia and the Confederacy. Hardee decided not to surrender but to escape. "[25], According to a 2018 National Bureau of Economic Research paper which sought to measure the medium- and long-term economic impact of Sherman's March, "the capital destruction induced by the March led to a large contraction in agricultural investment, farming asset prices, and manufacturing activity. He and the Union Army's commander, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, believed that the Civil War would come to an end only if the Confederacy's strategic capacity for warfare was decisively broken. ... Sherman's march … The next morning, Savannah Mayor Richard Dennis Arnold, with a delegation of aldermen and ladies of the city, rode out (until they were unhorsed by fleeing Confederate cavalrymen) to offer a proposition: The city would surrender and offer no resistance, in exchange for General Geary's promise to protect the city's citizens and their property. He destroyed much of the South's potential and psychology to wage war. [16], From Savannah, after a month-long delay for rest, Sherman marched north in the spring through the Carolinas, intending to complete his turning movement and combine his armies with Grant's against Robert E. Lee. Casualties Of Shermans March To The Sea, Beautiful Sea, Casualties Of Shermans March To The Sea Kilpatrick abandoned his plans to destroy the railroad bridge and he also learned that the prisoners had been moved from Camp Lawton, so he rejoined the army at Louisville. Shermans March To The Sea ... With Hood moving north and west, Sherman would be pulled away from where he felt he could end the war sooner with fewer casualties, the South. Both U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant had serious reservations about Sherman's plans. The March to the Sea had two wings: the right wing (15th and 17th corps) headed by Major General Oliver Howard was to move south toward Macon; the left wing (14th and 20th corps), headed by Major General Henry Slocum, would move on a parallel route toward Augusta. Sherman's "March to the Sea" followed his successful Atlanta Campaign of May to September 1864. Away off in the distance, on the McDonough road, was the rear of Howard's column, the gun-barrels glistening in the sun, the white-topped wagons stretching away to the south; and right before us the Fourteenth Corps, marching steadily and rapidly, with a cheery look and swinging pace, that made light of the thousand miles that lay between us and Richmond. Wikipedia lists the casualties for both sides as "?". Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration, Southeast Region. Sherman was blocked from linking up with the U.S. Navy as he had planned, so he dispatched cavalry to Fort McAllister, guarding the Ogeechee River, in hopes of unblocking his route and obtaining supplies awaiting him on the Navy ships. Sherman's March to the Sea took place from November 15 to December 22, 1864, during the American Civil War. "Sherman's March to the Sea". General William Tecumseh Sherman remains famous – or infamous – for his “March to the Sea.” He has been regarded by many Southerners as a horrendous villain of the Civil War. Sherman’s so-called “scorched earth policies” remain controversial, with many Southerners still detesting his memory. Smith's 1,500 Georgia militiamen, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Grahamville Station, South Carolina. 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. Slaves' opinions varied concerning the actions of Sherman and his army. Sherman’s March to the Sea devastated Georgia and the Confederacy. )[citation needed] He served in this capacity past the fall of Atlanta to the end of the war. Sherman's March to the Sea. Sherman’s March to the Sea: frightened Georgia's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. 120, regarding the conduct of the campaign. Some of the 134 Union casualties were caused by torpedoes, a name for crude land mines that were used only rarely in the war. Sherman swore to “make Georgia howl,” and in his Special Field Order No. He had defied military principles by operating deep within enemy territory and without lines of supply or communication. The army will forage liberally on the country during the march. The campaign began with Sherman's troops leaving the captured city of Atlantaon November 15 and ended with the capture of th… In early October, Hood moved north of Atlanta to destroy Sherman's rail lines, invade Tennessee and Kentucky, and draw the Union Forces away from Georgia. the civilian population. While Howard's wing was delayed near Ball's Bluff, the 1st Alabama Cavalry (a Federal regiment) engaged Confederate pickets. And taking the work of General Thomas into the count, as it should be taken, it is indeed a great success. Many, many thanks for your Christmas gift, the capture of Savannah. There were only a few Confederate cavalry and Georgia militia to oppose him. Sherman thought the Confederates would likely fortify and defend both cities, so he planned to drive his army southeast between them, destroying the Macon-Savannah Railroad along his way to occupy Savannah. The documentary I saw showed the Home Guard, made up of wounded soldiers, boys, and old men, being mowed down. According to Sherman’s own estimates, his armies seized 5,000 horses, 4,000 mules, and 13,000 head of cattle in addition to confiscating 9.5 million pounds of corn and 10.5 million pounds of livestock fodder. [19] Some who welcomed him as a liberator chose to follow his armies. The purpose of this “March to the Sea” was to frighten Georgia’s civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. According to Sherman's special field orders of November 9, 1865, his troops were to forage liberally in the country, each brigade commander organizing a party to gather resources as needed to keep at least ten days provisions for his commands. Poe directly supervised the destruction of all buildings and structures in Atlanta that could be of any military value to the Confederates once Sherman abandoned the city. The March. Foragers, known as "bummers", would provide food seized from local farms for the Army while they destroyed the railroads and the manufacturing and agricultural infrastructure of Georgia. The infantry brigade of Brig. 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. The real damage was done to the city of Atlanta and the Georgian countryside where over 300 miles of railroad tracks were destroyed along with $100 million worth of property. Wheeler and some infantry struck in a rearguard action at Ball's Ferry on November 24 and November 25. Please make my grateful acknowledgments to your whole army, officers and men. It was, however, at a terrible price. Hood had taken the bulk of forces in Georgia on his campaign to Tennessee in hopes of diverting Sherman to pursue him. Sherman's March to the Sea: 150 years later, its legacy has many stories to tell Sherman's bummers (foragers) in S.C. (Library of Congress) (Part 3) ... even though it meant civilian casualties) could be important components to a successful strategy. to the Sea, the Civil War's most destructive campaign against a civilian population, began in Atlanta on November 15, 1864, and concluded in Savannah on December 21, 1864. 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. Sherman's March to the Sea is the popular name given to the military campaign under the Command of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, in which Union forces tore through Georgia between November 15 and December 21, 1864, destroying Confederate property, infrastructure, railroads, and farmlands as well as civilian … ", ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. The march was made easier by able assistants such as Orlando Metcalfe Poe, chief of the bridge building and demolition team. 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. Stalemate against Robert E. 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