1. Sherman’s March to the Sea
Allison Taylor, Meghan Hurst, and Hailee Hoover

2. William T. Sherman Early Life
Born February 8, 1820
His father was an Ohio supreme court judge until he died in 1829.
After his father’s passing Sherman and his family were staying with friends and family.
At one point he stayed with Senator Thomas Ewing who got him into West Point where William graduated sixth in his class.

3. William T. Sherman Career
Some newspapers called him insane. The people didn’t have much confidence in his abilities until his success in Georgia.
Sherman took over as general commander of the U.S. Army when Ulysses S. Grant became president.

4. Getting the March Approved
Lincoln was not easily convinced about Sherman’s idea, because he didn’t want Sherman or any of his troops to move through enemy territory before the presidential election in November.

5. Ulysses S Grant
Sherman persuaded Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant that the campaign was possible during winter. Grant convinced Lincoln to allow the campaign on the condition that Sherman wait until after the election.

6. Motives and Reasons
Sherman believed that marching through the state of Georgia would prove that the Union had a more powerful army than the Confederate states.
Sherman’s purpose of the march was to frighten Georgia’s civilians into abandoning the Confederacy cause of war.
He wanted to “...make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war.”

7. Map of Sherman’s March

8. Definitions
Psychological Warfare- the use of propaganda, threats, and other psychological techniques to mislead, intimidate, demoralize, or otherwise influence the thinking or behavior of an opponent.
Morale- emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., especially in the face of opposition, hardship, etc.

9. What Sherman did on the March
Burned cities.
Captured cities.
Burned and stole all food storage for winter.
Tore up railroads.

10. Pros and Cons of the March
Frightened Southern settlers.
Destroyed Southern morale.
People doubted the abilities of the Confederate Army.
The success of the march is believed to have hastened the end of the war.
Sherman’s army didn’t have any supply lines.
They had to take other farmer’s crops and livestock for food.
They had no way of communicating with the North.
They were far into enemy territory.

11. Scorched Earth Policy
Relating to or being a military policy involving deliberate and usually widespread destruction of property and resources (such as housing and factories) so that an invading enemy cannot use them.

12. Sherman’s Neckties
General Sherman destroyed Georgia’s railroads and made them impossible to repair by wrapping the rails around trees. This became known as Sherman’s Neckties.

13. Sherman’s Sentinels
After Sherman’s March to the Sea all the cities were completely destroyed, leaving nothing left but the chimneys. These became known as Sherman’s Sentinels.

14. South Carolina
After marching through Georgia Grant ordered Sherman to embark his army on steamers and join the Union forces confronting Lee in Virginia, but Sherman instead persuaded Grant to allow him to march north to the Carolinas, destroying everything of military value, as he had done in Georgia.

15. Important Dates
Commander General William T. Sherman captured Atlanta in the fall of 1864.
In December Sherman and his troops arrive in Savannah.
The Confederacy surrenders Savannah, Georgia December 21,

16. Video

17. Bibliography
archaeology/shermans-march-sea
war/shermans-march