Historic District - South in Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
The March to the Sea
Photographed By David Seibert, January 19, 2015
1. The March to the Sea Marker
Inscription.
The March to the Sea. . On December 21, 1864, during the Civil War, U.S. forces under Gen. William T. Sherman captured Savannah, completing the March to the Sea, a military campaign designed to destroy the Confederacy’s ability to wage war and break the will of its people to resist. After destroying Atlanta’s industrial and business (but not residential) districts, Sherman’s 62,500 men left that city in mid-November and marched over 250 miles, reaching Savannah by mid-December. Contrary to popular myth, Sherman’s troops primarily destroyed only property used for waging war – food, railroads, train depots, factories, cotton gins, and warehouses. Abandoning their supply base, they lived off the land, destroying food they could not consume. They also liberated thousands of enslaved African Americans. Sherman’s “hard hand of war” demoralized Confederates, hastening the end of slavery and the reunification of the nation.
On December 21, 1864, during the Civil War, U.S. forces under Gen. William T. Sherman captured Savannah, completing the March to the Sea, a military campaign designed to destroy the Confederacy’s ability to wage war and break the will of its people to resist. After destroying Atlanta’s industrial and business (but not residential) districts, Sherman’s 62,500 men left that city in mid-November and marched over 250 miles, reaching Savannah by mid-December. Contrary to popular myth, Sherman’s troops primarily destroyed only property used for waging war – food, railroads, train depots, factories, cotton gins, and warehouses. Abandoning their supply base, they lived off the land, destroying food they could not consume. They also liberated thousands of enslaved African Americans. Sherman’s “hard hand of war” demoralized Confederates, hastening the end of slavery and the reunification of the nation.
Erected 2014 by The Georgia Historical Society and the Georgia Battlefields Association for the Civil War 150 Commemoration. (Marker Number 25-50.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil.
Location. 32° 4.417′ N, 81° 5.65′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in
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Chatham County. It is in the Historic District - South. Marker is at the intersection of Bull Street and West Harris Street, on the left when traveling south on Bull Street. The marker is located on the west side of Madison Square a few yards south of West Harris Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Savannah GA 31401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regarding The March to the Sea. There are many historians who dispute a number of the statements on the marker and use of the word "myth." Sherman's army not only burned a number of residences but all outbuildings -- barns, smokehouses and similar structures -- at many of the plantations.
Related marker.
Photographed By David Seibert, January 19, 2015
2. The March to the Sea Marker
West Harris Street is in the background.
Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . . Sherman's March to the Sea. This article, from the respected New Georgia Encyclopedia, mentions Sherman's "burning many homes on their march to the sea." (Submitted on October 16, 2017, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2017, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 341 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 13, 2017, by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia.
