The Burning of Atlanta EXPLAINED: Why Did General Sherman Wage Total War on the South?

it is impossible for you to imagine or for me to describe the magnificent spectacle which this city and flames presented especially after dark we sat up on the top of our house for hours watching it for miles around the country was its lightest day the business portion of atlanta embracing perhaps 20 acres was all on fire at one time the flames shooting up for hundreds of feet into the air in one of the depots was a quantity of old rebel shells and other ammunition the constant explosion of these heightened the effect coming from the sublime to the ridiculous in the midst of this brand display the 33rd massachusetts band went up and serenaded general sherman it was like the fiddling over the burning of rome welcome to dates and dead guys we're going to open this story a few years in the civil war the focus is on the decision of general william t sherman to evacuate and burn the city of atlanta in late 1864. the decision will leave thousands of southerners homeless in atlanta in ruins sherman is a controversial figure loved and used a hero by the union and tree enthusiasts everywhere but absolutely despised for the south and considered a war criminal the first few years of the war were difficult for the union strong southern leadership led to many failures by the north it wasn't until 1863 with back-to-back victories in the battles of gettysburg and vicksburg that the tide of the war seemed to turn these victories helped the war had grown unpopular in the north thousands of young men had been crippled or killed as a result despite the major victories there were massive riots in new york city in opposition to draft policies an estimated 120 people were killed northern democrats called copperheads by republicans were running former union general george mcclellan in the 1864 presidential election on a campaign to end the war president abraham lincoln himself believed there was little chance of them getting re-elected but in order to win the war restore the union and end slavery he had to be understanding the necessity for another major victory and gaining further support for the war commanding general ulysses s grant sends general sherman and his army on a campaign to take the city of atlanta atlanta was a vital manufacturing center for the confederacy thousands worked there to make munitions clothes and shoes for the military warehouses stored bacon dried beef and flour by the ton maybe most vital was that the city was a point of convergence for several major railroads that could be used to ship these materials to southern forces when the campaign began general sherman commanded three armies of roughly 110 000 men to use in taking the city a reinforced confederate general joseph johnson had just under 70 000 men to stop him between may and august 1864 the two generals tried to outmaneuver each other as general sherman's forces moved toward the city his army a marauding force overwhelmed the timothy johnson and outnumbered the confederacy they withdraw to the majority of union advances with few major engagements taking place frustrated with johnson's lack of offensive action and vision for keeping atlanta from union hands confederate president jefferson davis fires in mid-july and replaces him with a young general john b hood hood is a notable character in our story only 33 this time of appointment he had already fought in gettysburg in chickamauga and was injured in both he lost the use of his left arm and had basically his whole right leg amputated at the respective battles i wonder if there were jokes about his standing orders actually he apparently got around quite well on horse and on crutches too despite being more aggressive than his predecessor the confederacy was already in a bad position throughout july they'd been backed up to atlanta and hood's forces didn't have much success here is where the story gets ethically controversial sherman telegraphed chief of staff henry haleck on july 20th quote the city seems to have a line around it at an average distance to the center of town of about one and a half miles but our shot passing over this line will destroy the town end quote does hood build his line so close to the city because it's the best spot for fortification or is he trying to put the union artillery in a difficult position and make them decide if they were willing to murder civilians in 1864 atlanta was home to about 23 000 people most left with the union at the gates and you know the shelling but there were still 3 000 civilians in the city this doesn't dissuade sherman from his perspective he felt hood put him in this position over the next month his army will fire over 100 000 projectiles some landing well within city limits and a few dozen civilians will be killed as well as hundreds more wounded additionally the use of hotshot will start scores of fires throughout the city at one point sherman's chief telegrapher wired washington quote as i write our heavy artillery is at work and large fires are burning in atlanta end quote in letters sherman will blame hood on september 10th he writes quote you defended atlanta on a line so close to town that every cannon shot and many musket shots that overshot their mark went into the habitations of women and children end quote hood will respond on september 12th quote there are a hundred thousand witnesses that you've fired in the habitations of women and children for weeks i have too good an opinion of the skill of your artillerists to credit the insinuation that they unintentionally fired too high for my modest field works and slaughtered women and children by accident and walk of skill end quote neither side is taking blame but i'll let you make your own judgment on who is right i really enjoy that throughout these engagements generals are sending and receiving letters from each other at a distance [ __ ] you thank you [ __ ] you [ __ ] you that is how i picture by the first of september the severely outnumbered hood was forced to start evacuating his forces from the city leaving it to sherman and the union army that came to take it after having occupied the city for a day on september 3rd sherman sends a telegram to washington quote atlanta is ours unfairly one end quote before the confederate army left there was a massive explosion in the city maybe the largest of the entire war hood had his army destroy anything that they couldn't take of military value including 28 box cars carrying munitions every building within a quarter mile was damaged or destroyed as well as a rolling melon cannon factory a 10 year old girl named carrie berry wrote about the events in her diary she is 10 so ignore the spelling errors i'm also not going to do a voice quote september 2nd friday we all woke up this morning without sleeping much last night the confederates had four engines and a long train of box cars filled with ammunition and set it on fire last night which caused a great explosion which kept us all awake it reminded us of the shells everyone has been trying to get all they could before the federals come in the morning they've been running with sacks of meal salt and tobacco they didn't act ridiculous breaking open stores and robbing them about 12 o'clock there were a few federals came in we were afraid they were going to treat us badly they were orderly behave very well i think i shall like the yankees very well end quote it will take kerry berry a minute to figure out but she is not going to like these yankees very well on september 8th general sherman ordered the people of atlanta the civilians to vacate the city in a letter to chief of staff halleck sherman gives reasons for his decision they include quote we wanted the houses of atlanta for military storage and occupation atlanta is a fortified town was stubbornly defended and fairly captured as captors we have a right to it and the residents here of a poor population would compel us sooner or later to feed them or to see them starve under our eyes end quote in the letter he goes on to explain that civilians are families of the enemy and that they have a reason to spy and hurt the union cause finally the move is seen by the confederacy as intensely cruel they are essentially creating thousands of homeless but sherman adds that he doesn't care if the southerners object an extremely interesting part of this campaign is the messages that begin to take place between sherman and hood general hood whose army had just left the city days prior became furious with sherman after receiving a letter stating his intentions for civilian evacuation sherman's letter was written on september 7th hood replied on the 9th quote announcer permit me to say that the unprecedented measure you oppose transcends and studied an ingenious cruelty all acts ever before brought to my attention in the dark history of war in the name of god and humanity i protest believing that you will find that you are expelling from their homes and firesides the wives and children of brave people end quote despite the aggressive tone of these letters they all sign off the variation of the words respectfully your obedient servant but it definitely doesn't feel respectful it feels more like this okay okay okay respectfully it's like saying no offense after you say the meanest thing you can think of sherman doesn't take these respectful insults particularly well and he comes with receipts for the confederates he responds on september 10th by insulting hood for burning homes and buildings in atlanta remember the train explosion and for building his line so close to the city that any overshot union artillery would land on it he then moves on to blame the confederacy for starting the war at fort sumter to begin with keep this in mind respectfully it goes back and forth like this for a while hood responds attempting to spell truman's claim and charge the union with others it's aggressive but most of it is based on perspectives and semantics respect respectfully at the same time the mayor of atlanta as well as a couple city councilmen are writing sherman as well on september 11th 1864 sherman received the letter it argues that children and pregnant women whose husbands are dead or at war be forced to leave their homes sherman responds the next day and his response is among the greatest letters i have ever read this letter is beautiful it's poetic it's violent and it's somehow hopeful he opens by acknowledging that the atlanta mayor is right that this decision to evacuate the city is going to cause pain and distress to the citizens but that he will not revoke his orders quote i assert that our military plans make it necessary for the inhabitants to go away and i can only renew my offer of services to make their exodus in any direction as easy and comfortable as possible end quote sherman had made an agreement with hood on saying that people wanted to go south to a rail station called rough and ready and that there would be a temporary truce on both sides among the soldiers helping them but as sherman continues he shows his edge quote you cannot qualify war in harsher terms than i will war is cruelty you cannot refine it and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and male addictions that people can pour out i know i had no hand in making this war and i know i will make more sacrifices today than any of you to secure peace end quote sherman cannot be bargained with he is a juggernaut coming through you dealing you what he believes that you deserve his sacrifice to secure peace is having to be cruel and he blames you for making him do it quote once admit the union once more acknowledge the authority of the national government and instead of devoting your houses and streets and roads to the dreaded uses of war i in this army become at once your protectors and supporters shielding you from danger end quote there is a psychological piece here that i love he places blame and responsibility entirely on the confederacy i'm going to destroy everything but i don't have to you can stop the war we can be friends and i can help you quote you might as well appeal against a thunderstorm as against these terrible hardships of war they are inevitable and the only way the people of atlanta can hope once more to live in peace and quiet at home is to stop the war which can only be done by admitting that it began in error and is perpetuated in pride end quote sherman is the thunderstorm and its wrath is the fault of your own sins quote we don't want your negroes or your horses or your houses or your hands or anything that you have but we do want and will have a just obedience to the laws of the united states that we will have if it involves the destruction of your improvements we cannot help it end quote there is nothing to negotiate and you cannot stop him your only choice is to give him what he wants and if you don't things are going to burn then he signs off quote my dear sirs when peace does come you may call on me for anything then i will share with you the last cracker and watch with you to shield your homes and families against danger from every quarter end quote he encourages them once more to take care of the old and feeble but makes it clear it's time to leave he signs off differently in this letter than he had in the others in haste meaning move your ass sherman is done waiting i love that letter when i have children i'm going to read it to them before bed this to me is quintessentially sherman war is hell so wage war in a way that it ends as soon as possible hood had agreed to sherman's truce at rough and ready and the remaining families are evacuated over 440 families and about 1600 total people one atlanta woman mary gay wrote of the experience saying the citizens quote were dumped out upon the cold ground without shelter without any of the comforts of home and that they had only the cold charity of the world end quote sherman wasn't going to bear the responsibility of southerners in what was now his city and he pushed them off to the confederacy to take care of but the war isn't over so the unit has to decide what to do with sherman's army grant and lincoln initially favored the idea of sherman continuing to pursue his army thinking he could capture it and deal a devastating blow to the confederacy but sherman opposed the idea hood's army was faster with less men and less heavy equipment sherman didn't think he could catch him brotherhood could bait him away from atlanta and the rest of the east as they maneuver away from him but there was a bigger problem in the two months between the middle of september and november the union was managing long supply lines coming from the north hood was having calvary groups destroy rails and roads that were supplying the army it's difficult to get materials and these small skirmishes were costing lives at one point confederate president jefferson davis even makes a speech about the union being forced to leave atlanta by disaster suggesting that they would starve like napoleon's army leaving moscow when general grant heard of his speech he reportedly quipped this saying who's to furnish the snow for the union staying in atlanta and pursuing hood was not the best choice and sherman wanted to continue on his path of destruction on october 9 sherman telegraphs grant saying quote until we can repopulate georgia it is useless for us to occupy it but the utter destruction of its roads houses and people will [ __ ] their military resources by attempting to hold the roads we will lose a thousand men each month and gain no result i can make this march i can make georgia how we can find plenty of forage in the interior of the state end quote sherman echoes the statement several times over the next month he wants the army to move east and decimate the southern infrastructure in doing so he would abandon the supply lines in lieu of foraging for what they need in the south as they go they would destroy everything useful to the confederacy and [ __ ] southern morale and if hood moves west there will be nothing but small local militias to put up any fight against his army as we get to november the union becomes cops and hood is in fact heading west and grant finally agrees to allow sherman to go on his march to the sea he leaves hood to general henry thomas in tennessee word came through of approval on november 2nd sherman had been stocking materials as best he could for the past month and on repaired rails he's going to send back his sick and injured but before the army leaves atlanta he vows to leave nothing that the confederacy can use sherman put captain orlando poe in charge of the systematic destruction of the city a charge that he seems to have taken on quite willingly in a letter to washington before the plan was executed poe writes quote atlanta will have ceased to exist end quote the plan was executed over the course of a few days in the middle of november about 50 families have been permitted to stay in the city despite the evacuation it's not perfectly clear to me but i think that they were doing some work for the union of them was the family of the 10 year old girl kerry berry mentioned before if you recall she kept a diary and wrote about how she hoped that she would like the union soldiers in regards to one of those night's destruction she wrote the following quote wednesday november 16th oh what a night we had they came burning the store house and about night it looked like the whole town was on fire we set up all night if we had not set up our house would have been burnt up for the fire was very near and the soldiers were going around setting houses on fire where they were not watched they behaved very badly they all left the town about one o'clock this evening and we were glad they left for nobody know what we have suffered since they came in end quote captain poe estimated that 37 of the city had burned an indiana sergeant who witnessed the event got biblical he wrote in his diary quote the entire city was destroyed but for a few occupied houses it reminds me of the destruction of babylon because of the wickedness of her people end quote some soldiers were sympathetic to the southerners but this one was not a few weeks after the burning of atlanta the charlotte democrat published an article titled atlanta as left by the enemy a detailed the destruction it said that all the city pumps were destroyed except for one that car sheds depots machine shops foundries rolling mills merchant mills arsenals laboratories and armories were all burned most business houses were burned with little exception and only 400 houses were left standing of what was previously four to five thousand it wasn't all destruction either looting was also common 250 wagons full of valuable materials like pianos mirrors and furniture were left it appears the union intended to send them home on railroads or ran out of time before the exit orders came in it's also apparent that some of the southern families that stayed in the city took advantage too as some of the unburnt homes that were previously rather modest now seem to have some very nice things that were noticed by those returning at 7am on november 16th sherman left what was left of the city he would later write in his memoirs quote behind us lay atlanta smoldering and in ruins the black smoke rising in the air and hanging like a pail over the ruined city end quote his army continued to burn and pillage their way through the south on the famous marsh the sea they will destroy hundreds of miles of railroads and damage the southern infrastructure on the way to savannah then it will move north to south carolina and colombia and that city will also burn sherman was only one part of the union war effort but within months the civil war will be over but you tell me is sherman a monster or did atlanta deserve to burn [Music] my

Channel: Dates and Dead Guys

Views: 23,709

Keywords: History, Civil War, Sherman, Hood, Atlanta, Total War, March to the Sea, Campaign

Id: dOpVCf1PVqE

Length: 19min 21sec (1161 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 12 2022