At the start of the 1864 campaign in Georgia the Confederates opposing Sherman, the Army of Tennessee, were commanded by General Joseph E. Johnston. Johnston fell back more than one hundred miles before Sherman's larger force, to the area of Atlanta. Johnston almost started a battle two times, but got flanked by the Yankees and had to retire. Johnston was a cautious man and did not like to fight a battle unless everything was perfect. He fought only two battles in the entire war, and lost both. Having retreated all the way to Atlanta Johnston was replaced by John B. Hood. Hood was the exact opposite of Johnston - extremely reckless. Hood promptly attacked Sherman three times, but lost so many men doing so that he no longer had sufficient force to man the vast entrenchments surrounding Atlanta. Hood had to pull out of the city and allow the Yankees to walk right in. Hood continued to lurk in the area.
Then Hood hit on the idea of destroying Sherman's supply line, which was a single railroad line extending back through Chattanooga, Nashville and on to Louisville. Hood did not know that Sherman had already planned to destroy his own supply line, and Atlanta, and strike out for Savannah, "living off the land", "foraging liberally", meaning robbing all the farmers along the way that his army could reach of all foodstuffs. When Hood moved against Sherman's supply line nothing could have delighted Sherman more. Sherman said if Hood would go to the Ohio River he would give him rations for the trip.
So there was the extremely rare spectacle in war of two opposing armies marching off in opposite directions. Hood came to grief in Tennessee in the Battles of Franklin and Nashville, as there was another entire Federal army in Tennessee waiting for him.
All there was remaining in Georgia to oppose Sherman were some state militia troops. These were too few to do much, but did what they could. Convicts were released from the state prison and promised a pardon if they would fight, and these, along with the boys comprising the student body of the Georgia Military Academy tried to fight Sherman at Griswoldsville, but were slaughtered and easily brushed aside.
General Hood lead the Confederate Army of Tennessee North toward Chatanooga hoping he could cut Sherman's supply lines and force the Union army to leave Georgia and come north after him. Thus there were no significant Confederate forces left in Georgia to oppose Sherman.
to fight until he wore out the confederate army
Sherman's troops took the city, but did not destroy it as they had with Atlanta. The Southern troops left the city and it was occupied without a fight. Sherman's army, traveling fast and light, reached Savannah on December 10, 1864 and found Confederate troops under Lt. General Hardee blocking them from the port. Instead, Sherman captured the lightly defended Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River. With supplies and heavy guns delivered from a Union fleet, Sherman sent an ultimatum to the city leaders on December 17: surrender or be destroyed. Hardee's troops slipped away across the river and the city was surrendered on December 21.
General William Techumseh Sherman
he felt that when soldiers marched there should be a fight at the end of it .
Confederate General Longstreet
to fight until he wore out the confederate army
William Sherman and his army marched to take over Savannah,Georgia.They destroyed EVERYTHING in their path that the Confederates could use to keep fighting.Total war destroyed the Confederates' will to fight and their energy.
Sherman's troops took the city, but did not destroy it as they had with Atlanta. The Southern troops left the city and it was occupied without a fight. Sherman's army, traveling fast and light, reached Savannah on December 10, 1864 and found Confederate troops under Lt. General Hardee blocking them from the port. Instead, Sherman captured the lightly defended Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee River. With supplies and heavy guns delivered from a Union fleet, Sherman sent an ultimatum to the city leaders on December 17: surrender or be destroyed. Hardee's troops slipped away across the river and the city was surrendered on December 21.
General William Techumseh Sherman
US General William Sherman learned of the new commander of the Southern Army of Tennessee, John Hood and expected a tough campaign on his way to Atlanta. Despite Sherman's good judgment, he met little resistance from Confederate forces. As the end of July, 1864 approached, he gave thought that the Confederate forces were to evacuate Atlanta without a fight.
No, he fought in a lot of battle like First Bull Run, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Savannah etc.
General Sherman devastated Georgia. He was very determined to get to Savannah. In order to do this, he would need to travel across the entire state to get to the port town. The capitol, one of the first cities he encountered, was Atlanta. Soldiers in Confederate regiments evacuated the town, and layed low trying to fight back the Union corps under Sherman. For thirty days, Sherman kept fire on the town. He put it under siege. Finally after clearly losing control, the confederates pulled out of the town. In their tracks, there was intense fire. They did not want a thing of good to come the Sherman, or the union corps in which he commanded. He still was able to claim the town, but there wasn't a thing left for them to take. So Atlanta, thanks to Sherman's relentless siege, was destroyed. He then travelled on through smaller towns (many more than I care to mention) burning, and destroying them after his men had foraged and gotten so useful supplies. Finally, after as many as five months, he reached his target, Savannah. There was nearly no force opposing him, and he and his corps marched right through the gates of the town. He did not do much to the town except for taking supplies. he wired President Lincoln that he had captured the town. In his wire, he said " President Lincoln, it is my honor to present you a Christmas present; the town of Savannah. This is everything Sherman and his part of the Federal army did on their sixty mile march from Atlanta to the sea.
The battle of saratoga
he felt that when soldiers marched there should be a fight at the end of it .
Sherman was too brutal and kept sending in men to fight he believed in Total Warfare. IMPROVEMENT. Because Hood's Army, after having evacuated Atlanta, instead remaining in Georgia and hindering Sherman's activity there, started a campaign to invade the Tennessee with the ultimate goal of menacing the Ohio Line. Gen. Beauregard, at that time Confederate overall commander of the Western Fronts, authorized the choice. Despite his efforts he didn't succeeded in gathering sufficient troops to effectively fight Sherman's Army.
Because William Sherman Used a method of total war that means taking out the confederate weapons and gear and taking the peoples will to fight (like houses building etc.)
yes