William Tecumseh Sherman'sMarch to the Sea |
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William Tecumseh Sherman was born in Lancaster, Ohio, on February 8, 1820. He was raised as a young child by a family friend after the death of his father. Sherman went to the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1840.
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| General Sherman was the second best known Union General. He was an eccentric but tough fighter and ruthless leader. If the question was ask, "Who was and still is the most hated and despised man in the history of Georgia," the response would be William Tecumseh Sherman. He wasn't very like in Georgia because of what happened on the March to the Sea. |
| Sherman wanted to split the Confederacy and began planning the March to the Sea. He kept the most seasoned veterans, 60,000 in all. He sent the rest of his men to Nashville under the command of Major-General George Thomas. |
| General Grant arranged two campaigns for the year of 1864 was one for the seizure of Atlanta Georgia. He had 100,000 men in the army. Sherman declared Atlanta to be the military encampment and ordered civilians to leave the city of Atlanta. Him and hood arranged a safe passage way for them to leave. They couldn't stay living in their homes if they lived within Atlanta. The army moved through Georgia for thirty-six days, with very little opposition, pillaging the countryside. |
| The army consisted of 98,797 troops and 254 cannons, on May 4, 1864, Sherman began the Atlanta Campaign. Sherman and his army captured the city of Atlanta on September 1, 1864, but not before John B. Hood destroyed the railroad yards. |
| Sherman's March to the Sea started on the morning of the 14th , when the entire city of Atlanta excepting its courthouses, churches, and dwelling was committed to the flames. |
| Prior to leaving Atlanta, he set fire to the munitions factories, railroad yards, clothing mills, and other targets resourceful to the Confederacy. Sherman had never intended on burning the whole city but the fire got out of hand and spread through the city. By December 10, 1864 the Confederates were all driven within their lines and Savannah was completely beleaguered. |
| Sherman cut swath 60 miles wide marching towards Savannah, destroying and resourceful aids to the enemies. On December 23, 1864, Sherman sent a telegram to Lincoln stating he was presenting him the city of Savannah as a Christmas gift. |
| After the victory of Savannah, Sherman's troops battled the troops of General Joe Johnston through South Carolina and North Carolina. General Johnston surrendered to Sherman on April 17, 1865 at Releigh, North Carolina. In South Carolina many houses were burned in large numbers. Charleston fell on February 18, 1865. Columbia was taken down on the 19th. Columbia was destroyed by fire that each side blamed on each other for starting. |
| Sherman became General Commander of the United States Army in 1869. Sherman retired in 1883. Sherman refused to run for president and refused to entertain any notion of seeking political office. William Tecumseh Sherman died in New York in 1891 on February 14th. |
| Bibliography |
| ngeorgia, William
Tecumseh Sherman, <http://www.ngeorgia.com/people/shermanwt.html>
pbs, New Perspective on THE WEST,<http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/sherman.htm> swcivilwar, The American Civil War- The Struggle to Preserve the Union,<http://www.swcivilwar.com/sherman.html> sonofthesouth, Sherman's March to the sea,<http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/shermans-march-to-the-sea.htm> PICTURE: sfmuseum, William Tecumseh Sherman,<http://www.sfmuseum.net/bio/sherman.html> |
| Shelby Cowan
8th American History 2005 Project |
