Sherman's March to the Sea Facts

November 15, 1864–December 21, 1864

Key facts about Union General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea, also known as the Savannah Campaign.

Black and white photo of William T. Sherman.

In late 1864, Major General William T. Sherman marched the Army of Tennessee and the Army of Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah, leaving a swath of destruction about 60 miles wide and 250 miles long. [Wikimedia Commons]

Also Known  As

Date

  • November 15–December 21, 1864

Location

  • Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia

Timeline of Sherman’s March to the Sea

These are the main battles and events of the Sherman’s March to the Sea in order.

  • November 22, 1864 — Battle of Griswoldville
  • November 28, 1864 — Battle of Buck Head Creek
  • December 4, 1864 — Battle of Waynesboro
  • November 30, 1864 — Battle of Honey Hill

Principal Union Commanders

Principal Confederate Commanders

Union Forces Engaged

  • Army of the Tennessee
  • Army of Georgia

Confederate Forces Engaged

  • Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, Confederate militia

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

  • Roughly 62,000

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

  • Roughly 12,500

Estimated Union Casualties

  • Undetermined

Estimated Confederate Casualties

  • Undetermined

Result

  • Union victory

Impact of Sherman’s March to the Sea

  • In a telegram to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, dated October 9, 1864, Major General William T. Sherman stated that he would “make Georgia howl” during his March to the Sea.
  • The Union army traveled in two columns as it moved across Georgia during Sherman’s March to the Sea; the right wing was the Army of the Tennessee, commanded by Major General Oliver O. Howard, and the left wing was the Army of Georgia, commanded by Major General Henry W. Slocum.
  • Major General William T. Sherman’s personal escort on the Sherman’s March to the Sea was the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, a unit made up entirely of Southerners who remained loyal to the Union.
  • The depleted Confederate forces in the South were able to offer little resistance to the Union army as it cut a swath of destruction across Georgia during Sherman’s March to the Sea.
  • Major General William T. Sherman estimated that the March to the Sea inflicted about $100 million in damages to the South (about $1.378 billion in 2010 dollars).
  • Historian Lee Kennett calculated that Sherman’s troops wrecked 300 miles of railroad and numerous bridges and miles of telegraph lines; seized 5,000 horses, 4,000 mules, and 13,000 head of cattle; confiscated 9.5 million pounds of corn and 10.5 million pounds of fodder; and destroyed uncounted cotton gins and mills during the March to the Sea.
  • The path of destruction the Union arm cut as it moved across Georgia during Sherman’s March to the Sea was about 60 miles wide and about 250 miles long.
  • After occupying Savannah, Georgia at the conclusion of the March to the Sea, Major General William T. Sherman telegraphed President Lincoln, “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.”

Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Article Title Sherman's March to the Sea Facts
  • Date November 15, 1864–December 21, 1864
  • Author
  • Website Name American History Central
  • Access Date September 30, 2023
  • Publisher R.Squared Communications, LLC
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update April 13, 2022

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