Your NameTeacher's NameClass and SectionDateEthics of Sherman's March General William Techumseh Sherman's march through Georgia and South Carolina was the turning point in the American Civil War. After heavy fighting in Tennessee and Kentucky, General Sherman requested permission to take a large force of men on a campaign across the Atlantic Ocean through North and South Carolina, to Georgia, then back north through the Carolinas and Virginia. The goal of the campaign was to divide the Confederate states by crossing them and destroying anything of military value. General Sherman's march accomplished its objective from a military standpoint, but the manner in which his army achieved its objective was ethically improper. Perhaps the most famous part of Sherman's march was his campaign from Atlanta to Savannah and then on to Columbia, South Carolina. The unique aspect of Sherman's march was that they would be left without a supply line. "Sherman took from his three armies an elite force of sixty-two thousand men, eliminating what he called 'the sick, the wounded and the useless,' leaving the remainder of his army to General Thomas to deal with General Hood." (Kennett) Sherman's forces also included Brigadier General Judson Kirkpatrick's contingent of Union cavalry. Feeding an army is a very difficult task when operating without a supply line. Thanks to Union spies, Sherman discovered "that he would have no problem feeding his army what he could find locally, 'devouring' the country it passed through." (Kennett) Food would be collected for most of the army by special collection teams organized by divisions. This left Sherman's tanks free to carry ammunition and other supplies needed for military operations. General Sherman had several objectives in mind when he set out from Atlanta besides reaching and taking Savannah. Important objectives included the destruction of any buildings that could aid the Confederacy. Other valuable targets for the Union included surplus livestock, railroad tracks and depots, and cotton and tobacco fields. Perhaps the most important thing for General Sherman was to defeat the Confederate spirit. "When asking permission to proceed with his campaign, Sherman wrote to General Grant 'I can make this march and make Georgia scream.'" (Woodworth) Sherman's presence in the heart of the South was an insult to the pride of local residents , and to The fact that the Confederate Army could do little to stop him seriously diminished national unity. Perhaps the most difficult obstacles that General Sherman faced in his march to the sea were weather and terrain..