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

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—ci...