"Sherman's March to the Sea, 1864 A Southerner's" Topic

…Perspective

"Atlanta fell to Sherman's Army in early September 1864. He 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.

Sherman's "scorched earth" campaign began on November 15th when he cut the last telegraph wire that linked him to his superiors in the North. 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. In the wake of his progress to the sea he left numerous "Sherman sentinels" (the chimneys of burnt out houses) and "Sherman neckties" (railroad rails that had been heated and wrapped around trees.)…"

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Armand

The Union plan to destroy southern military capabilities began before November 1864. Plenty of Union raids large and small were conducted in Alabama. Goals were not to ravage the countryside but had specific goals. Alabama produced a map, which I laminated a copy of for my classroom, which traced the major raids. However several Union outposts conducted weekly or even daily patrols to destroy CSA supplies.

And yet, Sherman bypassed the very productive and poorly defended Augusta (Georgia) Powder Works during his March to the Sea.

The large chimney still stands.

It might be noted that the Confederates burned much of Atlanta when they retreated from it before Sherman's capture. And during the 'March to the Sea' the official policy was to not burn private homes, unless they had been used as sniper posts to shoot at Union troops from. No doubt some got burned anyway, but the notion that Sherman's troops burned everything in their path is not true.

Sherman troops attacked the Iron works and naval yard in Columbus Georgia which is on the Alabama state line.
Today there is great Naval museum on US 280 at the border.
The battle has been well documented.
These are the times my great great uncle would tell his wife that he was going Yankee hunting with some friends. Not easy patrols for Union out riders.
There are also well documented Union raids on Talladega.some successful but one skirmish where the Union was turned back was fought at Mumford Station.

I just get frustrated when people think all the action took place on the March.

Destroying railroads was a critical part of the raid. IIRC the southerners had particular difficulty producing rails, so the more destroyed the less they could cannibalize for more important routes. And it effectively cut half the Confederate states off from Richmond.

Thanks

Armand

Much of the "unauthorized destruction" was done by Bummers, deserters and freed slaves. (I admit the latter had a fine reason.)

(smile)

Armand