Sherman's March to the Sea
Poet involved
What happened
From November 15 to December 21, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman led his army on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, devastating the Confederate infrastructure and economy. Sherman's 'total war' tactics aimed to break the Confederacy's will to fight by destroying its resources and morale. The march ended with the capture of Savannah, which Sherman presented to Lincoln as a Christmas gift.
Literary impact
Sherman's March to the Sea inspired one of the most famous Civil War poems, S.H.M. Byers's 'The March to the Sea' (1864), which was written while Byers was a prisoner of war. Herman Melville also wrote 'The March to the Sea' (1864), capturing the campaign's epic sweep and its emotional impact on soldiers and civilians alike. The march became a symbol of total war and a subject of both Northern celebration and Southern lamentation in poetry.
Source: Wikipedia
