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| Sherman’s March | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | Sherman's March |
| Partof | American Civil War |
| Date | November–December 1864; February–April 1865 |
| Place | Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, USA |
| Result | Union operational success; capture of Savannah and Raleigh; disruption of Confederate infrastructure |
| Combatant1 | United States (Union) |
| Combatant2 | Confederate States (Confederacy) |
| Commander1 | William Tecumseh Sherman |
| Commander2 | John Bell Hood, Joseph E. Johnston, P. G. T. Beauregard |
| Strength1 | Regular and volunteer infantry, cavalry, artillery |
| Strength2 | Confederate infantry, cavalry, militia |
Sherman’s March was a major Union military campaign during the American Civil War in late 1864 and early 1865, led by William Tecumseh Sherman. The operation traversed from Atlanta, Georgia to Savannah, Georgia and then north through the Carolinas Campaign toward Raleigh, North Carolina, aiming to cripple Confederate States war-making capacity. The campaign combined maneuver, foraging, and destruction of railroad infrastructure to undermine Confederate logistics and morale.
Sherman’s operation followed the Siege of Atlanta and was coordinated with actions by Ulysses S. Grant in the Overland Campaign and the Siege of Petersburg. Sherman received orders from Abraham Lincoln and Henry Halleck to advance while coordinating strategy with commanders such as George H. Thomas and Philip H. Sheridan. The objectives included capturing the port of Savannah, severing railroad lines like the Western and Atlantic Railroad, destroying armament depots, and hastening the collapse of Confederate armed forces. Sherman sought to apply principles similar to total war doctrines advocated by some contemporaries while maintaining lines to Fort McPherson and depots at Nashville, Tennessee.
Beginning in November 1864 after the fall of Atlanta, Sherman ordered a force of approximately 60,000 troops to march southeast from Jonesboro, Georgia toward Savannah, Georgia. The column split into corps under commanders including Oliver O. Howard, Jeff C. Davis, Henry W. Slocum, and Hugh Judson Kilpatrick to conduct flanking moves and foraging. Sherman's troops destroyed sections of the Georgia Railroad, burned bridges and seized supplies at towns like Macon, Georgia and Milledgeville. Confederate opposition, including elements commanded by Joe Johnston and cavalry leaders such as Nathan Bedford Forrest and Joseph Wheeler, failed to halt the advance. The march culminated with the capture of Savannah, Georgia in December 1864 and the presentation of the city and captured cotton bales to Lincoln by telegram.
In early 1865 Sherman turned north into the Carolinas Campaign aiming to join forces with Ulysses S. Grant and pressure remaining Confederate armies. Columns advanced through South Carolina—passing through Columbia, South Carolina and targeting rail junctions like Charleston approaches—and then into North Carolina, moving toward Raleigh, North Carolina. Sherman’s forces confronted Confederate commanders Joseph E. Johnston and units under P. G. T. Beauregard and faced cavalry raids by Wade Hampton and Jubal Early. Battles and skirmishes such as Battle of Bentonville occurred during the northward push. The campaign contributed to the surrender of large Confederate forces in April 1865 and the eventual meeting with Ulysses S. Grant’s strategic outcomes at Appomattox Court House.
Sherman employed maneuver warfare emphasizing mobility, foraging labeled as "living off the land", and systematic destruction of transportation networks. He used interior lines and dispersed columns to confuse Confederate defenders while maintaining communication via couriers and guarded wagon trains. Engineering units specialized in tearing up railroad ties and heating rails—creating "Sherman neckties"—to impede Confederate logistics. Cavalry under leaders like Hugh Judson Kilpatrick and William B. Hazen executed raids and reconnaissance, while infantry secured towns and supply depots. The campaign illustrated evolving Civil War doctrine regarding deep penetration raids and coordinated strategy with simultaneous operations by commanders such as George Meade.
The marches devastated plantations, mills, and railroad depots across Georgia and the Carolinas, contributing to shortages of food, cotton revenues, and transportation for the Confederacy. Urban centers such as Columbia, South Carolina experienced significant property loss, while smaller towns saw confiscation of horses, livestock, and goods. The destruction disrupted Confederate finance tied to cotton markets in Charleston and Savannah and impeded mobilization of remaining Confederate forces. The movement displaced civilians, created refugee flows toward Richmond, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina, and intensified wartime suffering among noncombatants.
Historians have debated whether Sherman’s tactics constituted legitimate military necessity or punitive "hard war". Critics point to incidents like the burning of parts of Columbia, South Carolina and clashes with civilian property, often citing accounts from Confederate-era writers such as James Longstreet and Alexander Stephens. Defenders cite Sherman's operational orders, correspondence with Ulysses S. Grant, and logistical imperatives to deny resources to Confederate armies, referencing primary sources including Sherman’s own memoirs and dispatches archived alongside records from National Archives and Records Administration. Scholarly debate engages works by historians such as James M. McPherson, Bruce Catton, Mark Grimsley, and Eric Foner over morality, legality, and effectiveness.
The campaign has been portrayed in literature, film, and public memory, including depictions in novels about Reconstruction and biographies of Sherman. Monuments and museums in Savannah, Georgia, Columbia, South Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia interpret the march, while Civil War reenactment groups and scholars continue to analyze route maps preserved in archives like the Library of Congress. Popular culture references include portrayals in historical fiction and analysis in documentary series produced by institutions such as PBS and academic presses. The operation remains a touchstone in debates over military conduct, reflected in military studies at institutions like the United States Military Academy and remains part of curricula in American history programs.