The End of the American Civil War Essay

The March through Georgia and South Carolina, lead by General William Techumseh Sherman, was the turning point in the American Civil War. There had been heavy fighting in Tennessee and Kentucky. General Sherman requested permission to take a very large army to the Atlantic Ocean through North and South Carolina, Georgia, then turning North back through the Carolinas and then Virginia. He would divide the Confederate states by blazing a path through the middle of them, foraging and destroying anything of military importance to the Confederates. General Sherman's March achieved his goal, from a military standpoint, but the way his army accomplished it, many southerners say was despicable. The most famous portion of

William Tecumseh Sherman was one of eleven children born to a distinguished Ohio family. Sherman was orphaned at a young age and was enrolled in the United States Military Academy by his legal guardian, Senator Thomas Ewing. He graduated sixth in his class, but never saw extensive action on the battlefield. He tried other professions for a few years, but the outbreak of the Civil War called him back into service. During the early years of the war he served in the battles of Bull Run, Ft. Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg, and slowly moved up the chain of command. Following his successful capture of Jackson, Mississippi, Sherman was promoted to Commander of the Western Theatre, by his boss and friend, General Ulysses S. Grant. It was after this promotion that Sherman set out for the Southern industrial hub of Atlanta and soon after began the famous March to the Sea ("William T. Sherman."). This march, from Atlanta to Savannah, was about two hundred and eighty five miles long and lasted for about three weeks. Sherman’s men stole food and livestock, burned houses and barns, and attempted to scare the state of Georgia into surrender and collapse the Confederate war effort. During this time, Sherman and his men encountered little resistance. The only battle was a small skirmish outside the town of Griswoldsville that the Union won handily. After this failure, the Confederates began to retreat and initiated a scorched earth policy.

commander, Grant, had to take a lot of criticism. Grant wanted to withdraw from the army, but Sherman persuaded him to stay.

He desperately realized that there was no possibility to win or gain any type of victory and he was forced to withdraw. The confederate forces started to move disorderly toward the Huntsville Road. The Union Army started attacking in all directions. Sometime about noon, Sigel’s men met Davis’ forces at Elkhorn Tavern.

In April 1865 Jefferson Davis flees Richmond, Virginia. The Confederate army lines broke and Lee withdrew. Word of Lee’s retreat soon reached Davis. As the Union army headed toward Richmond, Davis prepared to leave. They gathered documents and ordered that bridges and weapons useful to the enemy be burned.

Union general William T. Sherman led nearly 60,000 men on a 285 mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia from November 15 to December 21, 1864. Sherman’s motive behind this march was to intimidate Georgia’s civilians into renouncing their loyalty to the Confederate cause. While Sherman’s men did not eradicate any of the towns they passed, they stole livestock, food, and burned the houses and barns of the individuals who tried to fight back. The Union was “not only fighting hostile armies, but a hostile people,” Sherman explicated; as a result, they needed to “make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war.”. (history.com)

On June 3rd of 1863 Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. This would be his second campaign into the north. If he could get Maryland he would have the upper hand on Baltimore, the District of Columbia, and Philadelphia. Lee headed into the campaign with 72000 men. Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Potomac had over 100000 men. Lee eventually pushed his way up through Virginia to meet the Union army at Gettysburg. The commanding officers of the Union army were Major General George G. Meade, Major General John F. Reynolds, Major General Winfield Scott Hancock, Major General Daniel E. Sickles, Major General George Sykes, Major General John Sedgwick, Major General Oliver O. Howard, Major General Henry W. Slocum,

William Tecumseh Sherman was the general of the Union troops in 1864. Sherman's march through South Carolina began in January of 1865. He was the leader of an unforgettable march through the southern states. The march was called "the march of the sea" it was across Georgia to Savannah and then they moved upward into South Carolina. He and his troops traveled up the coast through the Carolinas stealing, food and livestock on a 100 miles worth of land, and when the people would fight back Sherman’s troops would burn the homes or other buildings. Sherman led his march all through these states leaving nothing but destruction and left the Confederacy in despair over there destroyed towns. The march left a lasting

Introduction: Sherman’s March was a military campaign that started in Georgia and was formed November 15 until December 21, 1864. ( “Shermans March to Sea”). Sherman’s March was also known as the Savannah campaign only because the March ended in the capture of port Savannah. ( “Sherman’s March to Sea”). The March was led by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army. (“Sherman’s March to Sea”).Sherman’s March had many negative effects on the north and south, but it ended as a win for the north. (Union army). It was classified as a win for the union(North) because it is known for its boldness as well as the utter destruction on the South, both to its industry as well as military targets, effectively destroying the Confederate’s capacity to wage war. (History Net).

Before the fall of Atlanta, various battles resulting in Union defeat had left crushed hopes for the Union, General Sherman even having to stand down from his attacks on Kennesaw Mountain and Pigeon Hill when he foresaw their defeat. Despite this, he remained resilient and due to Atlanta’s role as a significant rail and supply hub for the Confederacy, the Union targeted the city and General Sherman consequently cut through Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah in a blaze of flames after evacuating its citizens, crushing the Confederate army’s supplies and morale. His success not only ensured Abraham Lincoln’s reelection but also wreaked havoc across vital Confederate railroads, damaging the Confederacy’s war efforts beyond repair. The reelection of Abraham Lincoln boosted the spirits of the Union and secured Union victory in the nearby

An important series of battles, during the American Civil War, the March to Atlanta, took place in northern Georgia. The Union forces were led by General Sherman with General Johnston commanding the Confederate forces. The Union troops had two objectives, to defeat Johnston’s army and to take the city of Atlanta (Mitchell). The Confederate had three objectives, to defeat the Union armies, to defend Atlanta, and to extend the war for as long as possible (Mitchell). By delaying General Sherman’s arrival in Atlanta, the Confederate armies hoped that the North would believe that the war was too expensive and ultimately blame President Lincoln. The effects of the march to Atlanta would be long term, as the fall of Atlanta unified the Republican

During November 15 to December 21, 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman launched a military campaign known as the Savannah Campaign; during the campaign, the City of Atlanta was captured by Union troops and the campaign ended with the capture of the port of Savannah. During the campaign, the Union forces destroyed civilian infrastructure as well as military infrastructure, and key industrial targets to sustain Confederate’s economy. Some people might view the tactics employed by General Sherman through the Savannah Campaign as excessive and immoral; however, during an armed conflict, such tactics might be necessary to terminate a prolonged conflict. Moreover, the tactics used by Gen. Sherman have been used since ancient times, known

The North takes a lead with Sherman behind it all. On February 17, 1865 Sherman captures South Carolina leading him up to burn Georgia to the ground. From Atlanta to Savannah, Sherman covers 450 miles in 50 days leaving a 40 by 50 mile wide path of destruction. Some people refer to it as “Sherman’s March To The Sea”. William Sherman becomes the terror of the South as he burns everything in his path.

In late June 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia passed through western Maryland and invaded Pennsylvania. General Lee believed that by invading the North, he could draw the Union Army of the Potomac away from their defenses and force them to come after him. He also assumed the people of the North would be so demoralized if the Union were to lose another major battle, especially if it was fought on Northern soil, that President Abraham Lincoln would be forced to negotiate a settlement of the Civil War. On 01 July 1863, then Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, and his 20th Maine received word to begin movement to

On November 15, 1864, Major General William T. Sherman received direct orders from president Abraham Lincoln to a very rare but devastating tactic. Lincoln ordered General Sherman to march his troops from Atlanta, Georgia to Savannah, Georgia. The total distance the army covered was nearly 400 miles from city to city. The trek was long and difficult for the soldiers but was even worse for any family who lived in their path.