Question

What was General Sherman's strategy in Georgia and South Carolina? 1) Capture major ports such as Charleston and Savannah. 2) Destroy the ability of the Southern people to supply the Confederate Army. 3) Capture the Confederate Army led by Johnston. 4) Free and make use of as many slaves as he could.

Answer 1

General Sherman's strategy in Georgia and South Carolina included capturing major ports, destroying the ability of the Southern people to supply the Confederate Army, capturing the Confederate Army led by Johnston, and freeing and utilizing as many slaves as possible.

Step-by-step explanation:

General Sherman's strategy in Georgia and South Carolina involved several key objectives:

1. Capture major ports such as Charleston and Savannah: General Sherman aimed to seize control of important coastal cities to disrupt Confederate supply lines and weaken their ability to support their army.
2. Destroy the ability of the Southern people to supply the Confederate Army: Sherman sought to systematically destroy crops, livestock, and infrastructure to deprive the South of resources that could be used by the Confederate Army.
3. Capture the Confederate Army led by Johnston: Sherman aimed to defeat General Johnston's forces in order to further weaken the Confederate Army.
4. Free and make use of as many slaves as he could: During Sherman's march, thousands of slaves were freed and some joined his army, providing manpower and weakening the South's labor force.

Answer 2

General Sherman's strategy in Georgia and South Carolina was grounded in the total war doctrine, aiming to demoralize the South by destroying its ability to sustain the war and by freeing slaves. His March to the Sea focused on destructive swathes through Georgia to the Atlantic, and later his forces captured and burned parts of South Carolina.

Step-by-step explanation:

General Sherman's Strategy

General William Tecumseh Sherman's strategy during his campaigns in Georgia and South Carolina was rooted in the concept of total war and included several major objectives aimed at ending the Civil War by weakening the Confederate infrastructure and morale. Sherman's March to the Sea, which began after capturing Atlanta, Georgia, was a devastating military campaign designed to demoralize the South and destroy its capacity to sustain war. His twin goals during this strategy included:

• Destroying the ability of the Southern people to supply the Confederate Army by burning homes and barns, looting homes, destroying crops, burning orchards, and confiscating livestock.
• Freeing and making use of as many slaves as he could, which is evidenced by the fact that thousands of slaves followed his army and were liberated in the process.

While capturing major ports such as Charleston and Savannah was a part of the overall Union strategy, it was not Sherman's primary focus. His intention was to cut a swath of destruction across Georgia, weakening the Confederate war effort significantly. Sherman's force eventually invaded South Carolina, capturing Charleston and Columbia, and engaged in actions such as the burning of Columbia to further damage Confederate infrastructure and supply lines. However, the capture of Confederate armies led by generals like Johnston was not Sherman's central aim, as he was primarily focused on destroying Confederate resources and will to fight.