NextPrevious

The Final Struggles: September 1864 to April 1865

Sherman’s Plan

When did Sherman cut loose from his base?

On November 10, 1864, Sherman headed south-by-southeast, moving toward the coast. His brigade and division commanders understood their orders, which were simple and to the point. They were to destroy whatever infrastructure they saw—houses, barns, factories: anything that could contribute to the Confederate war effort was to be wrecked. One of Sherman’s aides described the scene as they departed:

“A brigade of Massachusetts soldiers are now the only ones left in the town: they will be the last to leave it. To-night I heard the really fine band of the Thirty-Third Massachusetts playing ‘John Brown’s soul goes marching on,’ by the light of the burning buildings. I have never heard that noble anthem when it was so grand, so solemn, so inspiring.”



Close

This is a web preview of the "The Handy Civil War Book" app. Many features only work on your mobile device. If you like what you see, we hope you will consider buying. Get the App