March to the Sea

William Tecumseh Sherman was known for waging “hard war.” This image by A.H. Ritchie depicts the March to the Sea. After the capture of Atlanta, Sherman took his troops through Georgia on his way to Savannah. His goal was to destroy the morale of the South to fight. He ordered his men to “forage liberally.” During this march, Sherman was scarcely heard of until just before Christmas 1864. A dispatch was sent to Lincoln stating, “I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah.”