Sherman's March to the Sea (aka Savannah Campaign) took place from November 15 - December 21, 1864. He burned the core of Atlanta and had the people evacuated. Then he let his troops forage for food and equipment, so when they reached a home or any type a building they took what they wanted, destroying what they couldn't use. Some homes were saved, but generally they were burned, as were many government buildings and storage facilities. It is called scorched earth warfare. He did not burn Savannah. He set up his headquarters downtown in a building owned by St. John's Episcopal Church. The presented the entire town to Lincoln as a Christmas present.
William T. Sherman
Atlanta :(
yes yes he did.
Sherman burned down Atlanta before starting his March to the Sea.
Georgia
He burned Atlanta after failing to destroy the Army of Tennessee, which had escaped the city. He then decided to ignore that army, and launch an entirely different kind of operation, targeting the infrastructure that supported the Confederate armies. That was the march to the sea.
Union General made Atlanta his southern headquarters for a month after he took control of the city. Upon his orders to advance well into Georgia, he burned down much of Atlanta. Catholic priests begged Sherman not to burn down orphan homes and hospitals and Sherman agreed to that.
He ordered the burning of all buildings of military potential. But it went beyond that, and Sherman began to see the point of destroying civilian morale.
No... Confederate troops were ordered to do slash and burn campaign through GA so the AtTlantians could.... Well.... Leave no evidence of the spires and domes of Atlanta burning in the distance... As they looked from the Mountain, saw the city, and went peaceably to South Carolina, where Sherman had once lived and knew the people there well.
During his March to the Sea in 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman and his troops are estimated to have burned around 3,000 buildings, primarily in the city of Atlanta and throughout Georgia. The campaign aimed to destroy the South's logistical and infrastructural capabilities, contributing to the Union's victory in the Civil War. While the focus was on military targets, significant civilian property was also affected in the process.
They destroyed anything that might be of use to the enemy that was in their path.
During the American Civil War, General William Tecumseh Sherman famously led his "March to the Sea" in 1864, during which he burned significant portions of Atlanta, Georgia, and the surrounding countryside. His strategy aimed to destroy Confederate infrastructure, supplies, and morale by targeting railroads, factories, and civilian property. This campaign exemplified his doctrine of total war, emphasizing the destruction of not just military targets but also resources that supported the Confederate war effort. Sherman's actions were pivotal in weakening the Confederacy and hastening the end of the war.