November 15, 1864

March To the Sea is another name for the Savannah Campaign conducted by General William T. Sherman. The campaign started when Sherman's troops left the captured city of Atlanta, and ended with the capture of the port of Savannah on Dec. 22, 1864. Sherman's memoirs recount the scene as he left Atlanta at 7:00 am Nov. 15th: "..we rode out of Atlanta on the Decatur Road, filled by marching troops and wagons of the 14th Corps, and reaching the hill, just outside of the old rebel works, we naturally paused to look back at upon the scenes of our past battles. We stood upon the very ground whereon was fought the bloody battle of July 22nd, and could see the corpse of wood where McPherson fell. Behind us lay Atlanta, smoldering and in ruins, the black smoke rising high into the air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city. Away off in the distance, on the McDonough Road, was the rear of Howard's column, the gun-barrels glistening in the sun, the white-topped wagons stretching away to the south; and right before us the 14th Corps, marching steadily and rapidly, with a cheery look and a swinging pace, that made light of the thousand miles that lay between us and Richmond. Some band, by accident, struck up the anthem of 'John Brown's soul goes marching on', the men caught up the strain, and never before or since have I heard the chorus of 'Glory, glory, hallelujah!' done with more spirit, or in better harmony of of time and place. William T. Sherman, Memoirs of Gen. William T. Sherman, Chapter 21. The two wings of the Army attempted to confuse the enemy about their destinations. Howard's wing, led by Kilpatrick's cavalry, marched south along the railroad to Lovejoy's Station. The cavalry captured 2 Confederate guns at Lovejoy's Station, capturing 2 more guns and 50 men at Bear Creek Station. Howard's infantry marched through Jonesboro to Gordon, south west of the state capital of Milledgeville. Slocum's wing, accompanied by Sherman, moved to the east, along the railroad toward Macon. They destroyed the bridge that crossed the Oconee River, then turned south. The state legislature called for Georgians to "Die freemen rather than live as slaves" and fled the capitol. Hardee arrived from his Savannah headquarters and realized the city, not Macon was Sherman's target. He ordered the Confederate cavalry under Wheeler to harass the Federal rear and flanks while militiamen under Smith hurried eastward to protect the seaport city. On Nov. 23rd, Sherman's staff held a mock legislative session in the state capitol, jokingly voting Georgia back into the Union. The first resistance felt by Howard's wing was at the Battle of Griswoldville on Nov. 22nd. Wheeler's cavalry had struck Kilpatrick's, killing 3 and capturing 18. The infantry brigade of Brig. Gen. Charles C. Walcutt arrived to stabilize and defense and the division of Georgia militia, who had launched several hours of badly coordinated attacks , eventually retreating with about 1,100 casualties, versus the Union's 100 casualties. Sherman's armies reached the outskirts of Savannah Dec. 10th, but found that Hardee had entrenched 10,000 men in good positions and his soldiers had flooded the rice fields, leaving only narrow causeways available to approach the city. On Dec. 13th, William B. Havens division of Howard's army stormed the fort in the Battle of Fort McAllister and captured it 15 minutes later. Some of the 134 Union casualties were caused by torpedoes, a name for crude land mines that were rarely used in the war. Now that Sherman had connected the Navy fleet under Rear Admiral John A. Dalgren, he was able to obtain the supplies and siege artillery he required to invest Savannah. On Dec. 17th, Sherman sent Hardee a letter stating that he had "..received guns that can cast heavy destructive shot as far as the heart of your city, also, I have for some days held and controlled every avenue by which the people and garrison of Savannah can be supplied, and I am therefore justified in demanding the surrender of the city of Savannah.." Instead of surrendering, Hardee decided to escape. On Dec. 20th he and his men crossed the Savannah River on a pontoon bridge made hastily out of rice flats. Sherman's men, led by Geary's division of the 20th Corps, occupied the city the next day. Sherman then telegraphed President Lincoln stating, "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with 150 guns, plenty of ammunition, and about 25,000 bales of cotton."