Sherman's March
Sherman 's March
Donald G. Campbell
Grand Canyon University
Civil War and Reconstruction HIS 310 (OL101) Professor Karl M. Golemo
August 1, 2010
Sherman 's March William Tecumseh Sherman (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891) was a U.S. Army general that had graduated from West Point. While serving in the army he left the army for a civilian career but rejoined the army at the outbreak of the Civil War. He fought at the Battle of bull Run, Vicksburg Campaign and the Battle of Chattanooga. He is most notable for his invasion of Georgia where he captured Atlanta and then his famous March to the Sea to capture Savannah, Georgia. The army marched in four columns using a route that was 60 miles wide. This victory would assure Lincoln would be reelected. After Savannah he went north and after destroying railroads and other resources defeated Confederate General Johnston on April 26. How did this campaign reflect the changing nature of war? - Sherman’s campaign would add a new dimension to this war. It would be defined as Total War. It is interesting to consider that Alexander the Great embraced the concept of Total War and Sherman endorsed that concept to Grant was mired in a battle of attrition. Virtually all the experience to fight this war was gained by experience. Sherman used all his resources to seek victory. Carl von Clausewitz, pointed to the implementing a concept of crushing your enemy and said wars trend to increase in violence. World Wars I and II are considered as total wars. McPherson, J. (1988). The battle cry of freedom A person could say that the experience to fight the Civil War was like on the job training. As this war fit between other wars it brought with it an evolution of changes in transport, weapons and administration. It was at the start a political war and at the start did not have a professional army on either side as the last war fought by the U.S. was with Mexico. Politics carried an immense weight on the shoulders of
Donald G. Campbell
Grand Canyon University
Civil War and Reconstruction HIS 310 (OL101) Professor Karl M. Golemo
August 1, 2010
Sherman 's March William Tecumseh Sherman (February 8, 1820 – February 14, 1891) was a U.S. Army general that had graduated from West Point. While serving in the army he left the army for a civilian career but rejoined the army at the outbreak of the Civil War. He fought at the Battle of bull Run, Vicksburg Campaign and the Battle of Chattanooga. He is most notable for his invasion of Georgia where he captured Atlanta and then his famous March to the Sea to capture Savannah, Georgia. The army marched in four columns using a route that was 60 miles wide. This victory would assure Lincoln would be reelected. After Savannah he went north and after destroying railroads and other resources defeated Confederate General Johnston on April 26. How did this campaign reflect the changing nature of war? - Sherman’s campaign would add a new dimension to this war. It would be defined as Total War. It is interesting to consider that Alexander the Great embraced the concept of Total War and Sherman endorsed that concept to Grant was mired in a battle of attrition. Virtually all the experience to fight this war was gained by experience. Sherman used all his resources to seek victory. Carl von Clausewitz, pointed to the implementing a concept of crushing your enemy and said wars trend to increase in violence. World Wars I and II are considered as total wars. McPherson, J. (1988). The battle cry of freedom A person could say that the experience to fight the Civil War was like on the job training. As this war fit between other wars it brought with it an evolution of changes in transport, weapons and administration. It was at the start a political war and at the start did not have a professional army on either side as the last war fought by the U.S. was with Mexico. Politics carried an immense weight on the shoulders of
References: McPherson, J. (1988). The battle cry of freedom: The Civil War era. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Spurr, Michael Jason, ""The latent enmity of Georgia": Sherman 's March and its effects on the social division of Georgia" (2009). UNLV Theses/Dissertations. Paper 53. http://digitalcommons.library.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/53 Foreign Affairs. from a public web page on 7/31/2010 page 1 http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/64731/walter-russell-mead/southern-storm- shermans-march-to-the-sea The Carolinas Campaign Johnston 's Surrender at Bennett Place on Hillsboro Road, from a public web page on 7/31/2010 page 1 http://www.wadehamptoncamp.org/hist-js.html ernational Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.