Tecumseh Sherman's War Crime

William T Sherman was an American soldier, educator and businessman. Sherman served during the American Civil War as a General in the Union Army. He received criticism for his hostility towards the "scorched earth" policies that he carried out while conducting total war against the Confederate States along with gaining recognition for his excellent command of military strategy. He led around 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia for the purpose of frightening Georgia’s citizens so that they would abandon their confederate cause.

In the fall of 1863 General William T. Sherman started planning for the next portion of his battles across the southern states and ending in the Carolinas to try and finally end the Civil War. The campaigns and battles proceeding the spring of 1864 had been conventional warfare, hand to hand and geared more directly at the troops, ships, battery emplacements, and key military facilities. Sherman left Vicksburg February 3, 1864 giving explicit orders to destroy the railroad tracks across Mississippi, as well any facility or establishment that could be utilized in helping or supporting the Confederate war efforts. Sherman continued this reign of destruction the Carolina’s. The definition of Total War given by Hugh Bicheno a historian that

Sherman´s March to the Sea was the most destructive campaign against a civilian population during the Civil War; it began in Atlanta on November 15, 1864, and concluded in Savannah on December 21.The purpose of this “March to the Sea” was to frighten Georgia 's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause.Sherman led more than 60,000 soldiers on a 285 mile march.

Due to high causality figures and with constant confrontation, Sherman come to a decision to broaden the weight and Emotional distress of the war further than rebel soldiers and to include the civilian advocators Particularly, the common People in general of the Confederacy who filled the ranks of the confederacy. Sherman considered that forcing civilian to feel what he called the “hard hand of war” was a military essential. Making the war ruthless and remorseless would bring victory more swiftly and with a minimum loss of life. He considered that by doing this Confederate morale would be weakened and irregular armed force that were fighting the union forces by sabotage and stalking would withdraw. This would disseminate the message that The

The brutality of war has scarred and devastated the world since the beginning of time, and has drastically changed over the course of history. Many precious lives of loved ones have been lost to war and continue to as fighting rages on. Famous Revolutionary War hero, George Washington, stated “My first wish [as president] is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth” (George Washington Quotes). General Washington witnessed the terror of war while fighting for independence from Great Britain. Against his wishes, war and violence continued as history went on. Many years after the American Revolution, conflicts between two halfs of the United States resulted in 620,000 casualties, which was roughly 2% of the population at the time. “The Civil War was America’s bloodiest

Sherman’s March The Civil war was an event that shaped America. There were many important battles,events, and inventions that changed the course of the war. One of those important events was Sherman’s March. Sherman’s March changed the way the rest of the civil war was fought, by entering, “total war” (Carr).

General Grant did not want to accept this offer at first, due to the fact he would have to distribute his own armies supplies and living quarters to 30,000 soldiers. Instead, Grant came up with the theory that if he offered a plea to parole all of the Confederate soldiers, he would not have to manage the responsibilities of all of the Confederate soldiers. Despite the fact he did this, many soldiers were later exchanged back on July 6th to the Confederacy. After this, the renowned city of Vicksburg had come to an end, the city was destroyed by the Union and there was no turning back.

The confederate army was worn out from their march to Shiloh. The next day, Grant’s army once gain clashed with Beauregard’s. This battle lasted until about mid-day, and resulted in Beauregard retreating to Corinth. This led to the battle of Corinth, which was an easy victory for the Union Army. After the union took over the railroad station, they cut off the supplies that were being taken to the confederate Army.

These ‘rules’ of war were explicitly laid out. “Crimes against humanity,” however, were ideas made by the tribunal, not previously or explicitly stated on an international level. These were based on actions seen by Axis powers during the war that exceeded the criteria of ‘war crimes.’ These included ‘murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, and other inhumane acts’ (Bard 82). ‘Crimes against peace’ can include ‘declaration of war upon another state; invasion by its armed forces.... attack by its land naval or air forces…’ (Bard 63).

The Confederate Army did there best to protect their railroads and to intercept the Union’s shipments. M.C. MEIGS, Quartermaster General reported on October 12, 1862 that supplies were intercepted and destroyed by the Confederate Cavalry behind the army at Chambersburg. General Lee learned that the operation of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Harper's Ferry west was viewed by the Union to be of great importance. “He planned on breaking up the Harper's Ferry and Winchester Railroad to increase the obstacles to their advance up the Shenandoah Valley” (Lee). General George Pickett received orders from the lieutenant general in 1863.

His ships bombarded New Orleans, capturing Forts Henry and Donelson. With these victories, the Union decided to move into Vicksburg. Union commanders, Ulysses Grant and William Sherman, divide the army to attack Vicksburg in two different directions; however, they both failed at their first attempt. Finally, the Union came up with a plan to achieve victory. The Union Army would

Admiral David Farragut has successfully seized New Orleans from the grasp of the Confederacy on April 24th, 1862. Two of the major opponents to the Union’s advancement in the war were Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip, which had been brutally seized from Union troops. Those forts were used to provide a front line of defense from any kind of naval assault on New Orleans. Now, however, securing New Orleans has put a serious dent in the Confederacy’s strength. Farragut accomplished this great feat by organizing an assault on the enemy forts with a daring fleet of 24 gunboats, 19 mortar boats, and nearly 15,000 soldiers on the night of April 24th; it soon forced the forts to surrender.

War is immoral. War is cruel.” (Document B). This shows

How could the United States be justified in something so horrific and

Now after, people began to see the United States as a united nation. Grant was aiming to take down Vicksburg as it was one of the last two strongholds left in the confederate states. However, he wanted this one more because it would grant him the ability to control all water traffic in that area with their weapons an control that land for a long time. William Tecumseh Sherman was able to change the course of the war in the way he was able to work and think with Grant. Both of the commander believed that if they could destroy the southern people’s will to continue to fight they would cause the Confederation to collapse.