History In Your Backyard: Sherman’s March

1. History In Your Backyard: Sherman’s March

2. Sherman’s March to the Sea: • Atlanta fell to Sherman's Army in early September 1864. On November 15, 1864, General Sherman gave orders to burn all public buildings, machine shops, depots, and arsenals.

3. Ruins of the Confederate Enginehouse, Showing the Engines "Telegraph" and "O.A. Bull" - Atlanta, GA, September 1864

4. Sherman’s March to the Sea: • Sherman's "scorched earth" campaign began on November 15th. It was the Civil War's most destructive campaign against a civilian population. It concluded in Savannah on December 21, 1864.

5. Sherman’s March to the Sea: • Plantations were burned. Crops were destroyed and stores of food were pillaged. In the wake of his progress to the sea he left numerous "Sherman sentinels" (the chimneys of burnt out houses) and "Sherman neckties" (railroad rails that had been heated and wrapped around trees.).

6. "Sherman's Sentinels”:Only the chimneys stand aftera visit by Sherman's Army

7. Sherman’s Neckties Video IN THIS VIDEO FROM SAVE OUR HISTORY, WE SEE HOW SHERMAN WOULD RIP UP THE RAILROADS AND TWIST THE RAILS INTO BOWTIES. WATCH THIS GREAT VIDEO TO SEE A REENACTMENT FILMED AT FORT MCALLISTER IN RICHMOND HILL!!

8. Sherman had a busy December….. Let’s track his movements from December 8th – December 21st

9. Did Sherman and his armycome here? • Think about it: • About 62,000 Union troops • A path of destruction • 60 miles wide and 300 miles long

10. Sherman’s Map to the Sea:

11. December 8, 1864: On the night of Dec. 8, 1864, Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman, USA, was established here at Zion Church. Headquarters of the Right Wing was at Eden (3 mi. SW). Headquarters of Left Wing was at Springfield (12 mi. N). (Yes! Across from the Marlow Learning Center. Just down the road…)

12. December 9, 1864: On Dec. 9, 1864, Gen. Sherman`s army, which was closing in on Savannah, advanced to Pooler after suffering losses through the day from artillery mounted on RR flat cars, torpedoes planted on the roads, and the stubborn resistance of the Confederate infantry. By evening Pooler had been seized.That night, Gen. Sherman established headquarters in Pooler.

13. December 9, 1864:

14. Also on December 9, 1864: Sherman’s Troop’s were at Ebenezer Creek: Why ?

15. Sometime in November of 1864, Union General William T. Sherman was told of a Confederate prisoner of war camp located near Millen, Georgia. Sherman vowed to free his comrades and ordered his troops to begin marching South towards the camp. However, before Sherman arrived in Millen, Georgia, the Confederate troops stationed there were made aware of his approach. As a result, when Sherman entered the camp a month later, he found it deserted. Sherman ordered the entire camp burned to the ground. He next ordered his troops to continue moving south in pursuit of the Confederates who had deserted the camp.

16. As Sherman’s troops continued south, they began to attract a large number of slaves. Sherman’s troops represented a chance for freedom. Soon, entire slave families began gathering up their possessions and following the Union troops. There are reports that by the time the soldiers reached Ebenezer Swamp there were over 2,000 slaves with them (some think that 5,000 may be a low count).

17. Upon reaching the area surrounding Ebenezer Swamp, Union troops found that the heavy rains caused the riverbanks to overflow, washing away the roads. It was also discovered that Confederate soldiers had destroyed the bridge over Ebenezer Creek, which was the only way to cross the swamp. Davis began to worry that the large number of slaves would slow his troops’ progress. Davis gave orders that the slaves were to stand aside and wait until the Union troops had all safely crossed a newly constructed pontoon bridge.

18. As instructed, the slaves stood silently and waited for their turn. As soon as the last of his men were safely across, Davis ordered the bridge destroyed. Upon seeing the bridge collapse, fear raced through the crowd of slaves gathered at the water’s edge. They had all heard the horror stories from other slaves and were convinced that if the Confederate Army captured them, they would be killed. And so, one by one, thousands of men, women and children jumped into the raging water in a last-ditch attempt at freedom. It is estimated that 600 slave drowned in the freezing water.

19. December 13, 1864: Fort McAllister in Richmond Hill: As Sherman’ s troops approached Savannah they sorely required supplies. Sherman determined that if he could take Fort McAllister, supply ships could reach him. Thus, he ordered his right wing, to take the fort. In the afternoon of December 13, 1864, upon giving the order to attack, his men rushed forward through the various obstacles prepared for them, entered the fort, and captured it. With his supply line open, Sherman could now prepare for the siege and capture of Savannah. This park is home to the best-preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy.

20. GENERAL HAZEN'S DIVISION STORMING FORT McALLISTER, DECEMBER 13, 1864.—SKETCHED BY THEODORE R. DAVIS

21. On December 21, 1864: Sherman enters Savannah GENERAL SHERMAN'S ARMY ENTERING SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, DECEMBER21, 1864. -- SKETCHED BY THEODORE R. DAVIS.

22. Do you think the buildings in that drawing still stand today?

23. The US Customhouse was built in 1848-1852 on the site of the first public building in Savannah. It is located at 1 E Bay St in Savannah, GA.

24. On December 21, 1864: Sherman enters Savannah US Customhouse

25. Before there was City Hall, there was the City Exchange, which for over one-hundred years was the political, commercial and social center of the City of Savannah. Savannah City Hall on Bay St. is a massive gray-stone building. It was built in 1905 to replace a building built in 1799.

26. On December 21, 1864: Sherman enters Savannah City Exchange US Customhouse

27. Green Meldrim House: Hoping to protect his home and his cotton from destruction when Union General William T. Sherman’s army drew near in December of 1864, Mr. Green rode out to meet the Union commander and invited the Civil War commander to “use his home while in Savannah." Shortly after his arrival at Green’s home, Sherman sat down and penned his famous telegram to President Lincoln: “I beg to present you as a Christmas-gift the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.”