On November 15, 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman began his famous “March to the Sea” from Atlanta, Georgia. His troops set out toward Savannah, cutting a path across the state. The campaign aimed to destroy Confederate supply lines, infrastructure, and morale by targeting railroads, factories, and depots that supported the Southern war effort. Sherman’s forces lived off the land, seizing or destroying food and property as they moved. The march was controversial for its harsh impact on civilians but militarily effective, weakening the Confederacy’s ability to continue the war. It ended with the capture of Savannah in December and helped accelerate the collapse of Confederate resistance.
