Union Blockade of GA's Coast, Sherman's Atlanta Campaign / March to the Sea

     The Union blockade of Georgia's coastline was a major factor in the Union winning the war. This blockade lasted four years long (1861-1864). The blockade was created in order to win the war by siege. A siege is when you cut off an area's supplies and reinforcements in order to capture the area or win a battle (no violence involved). The blockade seemed unsuccessful at first, however as the skill of the blockaders advanced, one in every three ships sailing to Georgia was intercepted. Lee's soldiers had little food for the last two years of the war. Not only did the troops suffer, but the state of Georgia itself was in trouble. For instance, cotton exports dropped by 95%; and being the soul item of revenue in the South, Georgia was in danger of economic collapse.

   
     After many hours of hard thought battle strategy, General Sherman finally had devised his master plan: the Atlanta Campaign. There were two reasons for this campaign: one because Atlanta was a major rail center, causing its destruction to be a major blow to the South, and two, because Lincoln needed to beat the South and end the war quickly. The capture of Atlanta was crucial for the following two reasons: it would increase Northern support for the war, and it would ensure Lincoln's reelection. The Atlanta Campaign was successful. It was incredibly successful at that. Atlanta was torched, burned to the ground. Everything was in chaos. Civilians were out of their homes. Soldiers were destroying anything and everything in their paths. The Confederacy's hopes of winning the war diminished even further than earlier. Southern soldiers began to desert in order to escape the horrors and humiliation of the army.

     
     Sherman's march to the sea was next. After the success in the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman wanted to deliver a knockout punch to the South: he planned to march his 60,000 men from Atlanta, to Savannah, destroying everything in his path. Even though the idea of the march was brilliant, many other officers thought the plan too risky. This was because there would be no communication along the way, and there would be no consistent food supplies. The soldiers would have to live off the land. At last Sherman's march was given approval to. On November 16, 1864, Sherman's troops departed Atlanta for Savannah. Until December 21, 1864 the troops tramped through Georgia. They left a scar through the South's heartland. Southern homes were emptied, livestock stolen, crops destroyed, houses burned, families dead. Along the way, many slaves joined the march in order to contribute to the Union's effort. However Sherman managed to discourage many adventurous youngsters not to accompany the Union in order to not have to supply extra food. Sherman was the king of hard war, total war, and scorched earth (the names given to his policy of war). Sherman's plan ended up working. Southerners became increasingly weary of the war, and were ready to give in to the Union.

The Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's march to the sea matter for four reasons:

• Capture of Atlanta insured Lincoln's reelection
• Atlanta's capture was demoralizing to Southerners
• Atlanta's railroads were destroyed
• Confederate soldiers' spirits were low, they began to run away

Sherman's march to the sea: extra facts

• Atlanta was the heartland of the South
• Sherman's army caused one billion dollars of damage
• Ulysses Grant was the first Union commander, Sherman the second
• People thought Sherman to be crazy and Grant a drunk
• Grant was a strategist, Sherman was the front line commander
• The South lost 1,700 men at Jonesboro
• Sherman's march to the sea put 60,000 soldiers lives in danger
• Sherman and Grant had a great friendship
• Sherman called his soldiers "my little devils", and the soldiers called him "Uncle Billy" in return
• Blacks saw Sherman as a hero

Sources:

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-3763

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/siege?s=t

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2713

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-641

http://cwmemory.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/general-william-tecumseh-sherman.jpg

http://media-1.web.britannica.com/eb-media/97/5997-004-8D6A21C6.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Scott-anaconda.jpg/300px-Scott-anaconda.jpg

Video in Class 3/4/13- 3/5/13