3.05.13
The Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea
   There were two main reasons for this particular campaign. The first was strategic. At the time, Atlanta was a major rail center and by capturing it, the Union would be able to cut off nearly all of the rail lines supplying the south. The second reason was political. The next presidential election was coming around and it did not appear that Lincoln would have a second term. His opponent was George B. McClellan whom Lincoln had discharged as a general of the Union army. McClellan ran on peace platform with the idea that if he won, the Civil war would be over. The support of the war was minimal to nonexistent at that point in the north. By capturing Atlanta, the support for Lincoln increased in the North. When the Capture of Atlanta was successful, it was crucial because it practically insured the reelection of Lincoln and increased the support of the war among northerners. Another crucial event directly resulted from the Atlanta campaign: Sherman's March to the Sea. Sherman's plan was to march with his army all the way from Atlanta to Savannah with the policy known by historians as total war, hard war,and scorched earth. The idea was that the soldiers would destroy everything in their path so that the war morale in the south was weakened so much that the soldiers no longer wished to fight and the war would more quickly end. Both General Grant and President Lincoln were very nervous and on-the-fence about Sherman's idea. Eventually, Grant's trust and friendship with Sherman prevailed and his idea was approved. Few of the soldiers accompanying Sherman knew the exact goals of the mission. The march was very risky. If they were to fail, the soldiers were in the deep south and there was no retreat. Additionally, Sherman would have no communication with anyone and he and his soldiers would have to forage for food. Fortunately, the march was a success. This event mattered for four reasons. The first is that Atlanta had symbolized industry and progress to the south and its destruction meant major demoralization for the Confederacy. It also meant that Lincoln had the reelection in the bag. Additionally, the south's railroads had been destroyed leaving it with next to zero supply lines. The final effect was the realization the the Confederate army was no longer as successful and the soldiers were less loyal. Sherman's march to the sea was pretty much the death blow to the south. It soon wrought around the end of the Civil War. 
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