Which Union general led the 'March to the Sea'?

William Tecumseh Sherman led the Union’s March to the Sea through Georgia in late 1864. Officially called the Savannah campaign, the operation began when Sherman’s troops left captured Atlanta on November 15 and ended with the capture of Savannah on December 21.

Sherman’s army moved across Georgia while cutting its supply lines and communications with the Union base in Tennessee. By living largely off the surrounding countryside and destroying military infrastructure, the campaign aimed to damage the Confederacy’s ability and will to continue fighting. Sherman’s strategy is often associated with “hard war,” which targeted resources supporting the Confederate war effort as well as enemy armies.

The march covered roughly 300 miles and faced limited organized resistance. Sherman presented Savannah to President Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift. The campaign helped isolate Confederate forces, disrupted Georgia’s economy and transportation network, and prepared Sherman’s army for its later advance through the Carolinas. Grant was the Union’s overall commanding general, but Sherman directed this specific campaign.