Question

What was sherman's march to the sea, and why is it important?

Answer 1

Sherman's March to the Sea was led by Union General William t. Sherman. He led 60,000 soldier from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia to frighten the civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. They didn't burn any towns, houses, or barns but instead stole food and livestock. This allows the old and young, rich and the poor to feel the hard hand of war and for them to know the Yankee were not fighting just the hostile armies but the hostile people. When they had arrived in Savannah on December 21, 1864 it was undefended because all of the soldier had already fled farther south. Sherman had presented the town as a Christmas gilf to President Lincoln. They then marched on to Charleston, South Carolina in 1865. Come April, the Confederacy surrendered and the war was over. It's important because it broke southern morale. It allowed for the north swoop in and take their final stands to make the Confederacy back down. In a way it could be considered a minor but important turning point of the war.

Answer 2

General Sherman's "March to the Sea" was a march of a fighting force of around 60,000 men, going from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia (a distance of 285 miles). It was intended as a show of force, to intimidate. They did not burn everything in sight, but did burn the houses and barns of any people who tried to resist them or fight back.

In addition to intimidation, Sherman also believed that the destruction caused by his march would effectively divide the South in two. As described by William Stroock, writing for the Warfare History Network (December 31, 2018): "Sherman’s grand idea: ... He felt that from Atlanta he could march to the sea and rip out the heart of the Confederacy. The march would create a dead zone that split the Confederacy in two."