Sherman's+March+8

 **Sherman's March** One legendary event of the Civil War was Sherman's March. It was 1864, and General William Tecumseh Sherman had just captured Atlanta. His next plan was to capture Savannah, Georgia, an important Confederate seaport on the Atlantic Ocean. Just before leaving, he burned down Atlanta.

On November 15th, Sherman's troop of 62,000 Union soldiers left on the 300-mile march, leaving behind a 60-mile wide trail of destruction across the Georgia countryside. The union troops wrecked buildings, bridges, factories, and railroad lines. They also seized and slaughtered livestock, burned crops, and destroyed property.The army faced a few small skirmishes with Confederate forces but easily overcome them.

The union troops arrived at Savannah on December 21st. Waiting there was the Confederate lieutenant general Hardee, who realized that his small army would not stop Sherman's forces. He surrendered, and Sherman offered the city of Savannah to President Lincoln as a Christmas present. Sherman then continued the rampage into South Carolina.

**Aftermath  ** Sherman's March was a psychological win because it greatly hurt the south's morale. The south believed that they could defend themselves, but Sherman breezed through facing little opposition. His troops destroyed civillian structures and consumed food and supplies of Georgia and left behind many hungry civilians. Sherman estimated about $100 million in damage. The legendary march made Sherman a hero in the north and hated in the south.

    ** Sherman's Neckties ** Railroads were essential for transporting supplies to Confederate soldiers in the South. To block lines of transportation, Sherman ordered for railroad tracks to be twisted in a necktie shape while hot. This put them beyond repair. By following this method, the Union army quickly destroyed major Confederate railroad lines. Sherman's Neckties became a symbol of the destruction of Georgia by the Union Army.

Works Cited "Sherman's March to the Sea." __New Georgia Encyclopedia__. 08 Jan. 2009 . "Sherman's Neckties." __About North Georgia__. 08 Jan. 2009 . Ulbrich, David J. "Sherman's March to Sea." __Encyclopedia of the American Civil War__.