Sherman's March to the Sea: Topics in Chronicling America
In 1864, soldiers marched in a 20-day campaign across Georgia to cripple the Confederacy. This guide provides access to material related to "Sherman's March to the Sea" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
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About Chronicling America
Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
Introduction
“History will brand him a robber and incendiary, and will deservedly ‘damn him to everlasting fame.” In 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman led his troops on a “total warfare” campaign, from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. This campaign, known as Sherman’s March to the Sea, was marked by its objective, to cripple the Confederacy’s ability to wage war. They destroyed anything and everything important to the war effort, leaving ruins where Georgia’s great cities once stood. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
Timeline
November 15, 1864
Sherman’s March to the Sea begins as his troops leave Atlanta, GA.
November 22, 1864
Battle of Griswoldville: First battle in the March to the Sea.
November 24‑25, 1864
Skirmish at Ball’s Ferry.
November 28, 1864
Battle of Buckhead Creek: A victory for the Union and Sherman’s cavalry under the command of General H. Judson Kilpatrick.
November 30, 1864
Battle of Honey Hill: Failed attempt to cut off the Charleston and Savannah Railroad in support of Sherman's projected arrival in Savannah, GA.
December 4, 1864
Battle of Waynesboro: A cavalry battle that cleared the way to Savannah, GA for Sherman’s troops.
December 13, 1864
Battle of Fort McAllister: A strategic victory for Sherman’s troops, gaining control of Fort McAllister just outside of Savannah, GA.