Why did General Sherman's march to sea cause so much devastation?

Answer 1

The devastation rendered during Sherman's march through the South to the sea WAS INTENTIONAL. He ordered that anything which the Confederacy could use to help in the fight against Union forces be taken for the use of his Union forces, or if that was not possible, then to totally destroy so the Confererates could not use. This scorched earth policy was effective against the Confererate military forces, BUT it wreaked indescribable hardship on the civilian populationalso.

Answer 2

It was late in the US Civil War where US president Lincoln, general in chief US Grant and General Sherman wanted to end the war as quickly as possible. They agreed that the best way to do this was to destroy any property, farmlands, and major Southern cities. This they believed would place Southerners in a terrible position and aid the North in ending the war. Many people believed this strategy was not a good one. One example of this and its ramifications was that the Union was able to absorb heavy casualties due to its superior numbers. They could replace killed or wounded soldiers and the South could not. Because of these actions by the Union, some people labeled US Grant as a butcher. This included Lincoln's wife.

Answer 3

After burning Atlanta almost to the ground, Union General William T. Sherman, became part of the Grant-Lincoln plan to end the war quickly by devastating the South and its economy. As with all plans of this nature, it brought peace faster and also created a "solid South" for the Democrats. By treating the South as a foreign nation, the North only made it more difficult to revive it. It also made it tougher on Freed Blacks.

Answer 4

Destoy is perhaps biased however his March to the Sea was certainly total war.

Answer 5

Everything he could find. FArms, mills, railroad yards, the Georgia capitol at Midgeville.

Answer 6

To help starve the Confederate troops in the field.

To wreck the Southern economy.

To demoralise the civilian population through harsh punitive raids.