Question

Identify Sherman's goals in his march across Georgia in 1864.

A) To capture the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia.
B) To destroy Confederate supply lines and demoralize the South.
C) To negotiate a peace treaty with Confederate leaders.
D) To establish a new Confederate state in the West.

Answer 1

Sherman's goal during his March to the Sea was to destroy Confederate supply lines and demoralize the South (Option B). This included burning Atlanta, destroying infrastructure, and freeing slaves, thereby hastening the Confederacy's defeat.

Step-by-step explanation:

General Sherman's primary goal during his march across Georgia in 1864, famously known as Sherman's March to the Sea, was B) To destroy Confederate supply lines and demoralize the South. His strategy was not to negotiate peace or capture specific Confederate leaders, but rather to sap the will of the Southern population and armies to continue the war by causing widespread destruction to infrastructure, supply lines, and civilian property.

After capturing Atlanta, Sherman set the city ablaze and severed communications with Washington before heading to Savannah, laying waste to the countryside and freeing slaves along the way. This scorched-earth policy effectively crippled the Confederacy's war effort and contributed to its eventual surrender.

Sherman's march was a critical aspect of the Union's military strategy, applying the concept of total war to crush the Confederate resistance. His troops destroyed railroads, plantations, and farms, markedly diminishing the Confederacy's ability to sustain itself. This approach culminated in the fall of Savannah on December 21, 1864, which further demoralized the South and bolstered Union morale.