why did sherman march to the sea
From November 15 until December 21, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of this âMarch to the Seaâ was to frighten Georgiaâs civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. Shermanâs soldiers did not destroy any of the towns in their path, but they stole food and livestock and burned the houses and barns of people who tried to fight back.