Sherman’s March to the Sea
Atlanta to Savannah
November-December 1864
"I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton."
Union General William T. Sherman to President Lincoln-December 21, 1864
In early November 1864, General William T. Sherman, and two columns of Union troops began marching out of Atlanta, Georgia towards the port city of Savannah. The two columns, which stayed between twenty and sixty miles within each other, faced little resistance as they moved southward towards the coast. Burning and pillaging as they went, the troops demoralized the civilian population through Sherman’s “total war” campaign. Finally in early December 1864, Sherman and his troops were on the outskirts of Savannah, taking the city and Fort McAllister (Richmond Hill) as the Confederate defenders snuck across the Savannah River into South Carolina. Though Sherman spared the city from destruction, both South and North Carolina would soon feel the fury of his wrath. Follow this link to visit Fort McAlister:
http://www.quantumtour.com/entity/mcallister/tour/mcallister/scene/center/#viewer
Map of Sherman's March