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