The Battle of Atlanta, 1864, and March to the Sea - 'Total War' Tactics Used Against Their Own

History's Greatest Battles

The fall of Atlanta to Union forces sealed Abraham Lincoln’s fate as victor in the 1864 election, crushing any hope for George McClellan and his peace platform. With the South in retreat, the North rallied around its war president, determined to see the conflict through to its conclusion. Sherman’s subsequent March to the Sea introduced an ancient breed of warfare that the modern world was unaccustomed to. It was no longer just armies that fell under the hammer of war, but entire societies—cities burned, fields ruined, and the will of the people shattered. This was the dawn of total war, and the modern world would never fight the same way again.
Atlanta. 22 July - 22 December, 1864.
Union Forces: 98,000 Soldiers.
Confederate Forces: 53,000 Soldiers.
Additional Reading and Research:

• Dowdey, Clifford. The Wartime Papers of Robert E. Lee.
• Fellman, Michael. Citizen Sherman.
• Royster, Charles. The Destructive War.
• McPherson, James. Battle Cry of Freedom.
• Borit, Gabor. Lincoln's Generals.

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