Sherman's March -The Documentary

[Kent Nielsen]

Hi, I was curious if anyone has seen the documentary "Sherman's March" that was broadcast on the History Channel a few months ago. If so, I'd like your thoughts on it. By the ay, if I posted this in the wrong section, I apologize. I didn't know where else to put it.

[cw1865]

I thought it was ok. Southerners didn't like it though and very shortly they will respond and tell you why.

[whitworth]

One of the greatest Confederate failings of the Civil War was not leaving Hood in Georgia to defend Georgia.

Sherman's March was accomplished, rather easily, because the Confederacy had no army to attack Sherman, as he marched from Atlanta to Savannah.

The Confederacy had decided it was more valuable to send Hood and his army to Tennessee, basically in the opposite direction.

[larry_cockerham]

Originally Posted by whitworth

One of the greatest Confederate failings of the Civil War was not leaving Hood in Georgia to defend Georgia.

Sherman's March was accomplished, rather easily, because the Confederacy had no army to attack Sherman, as he marched from Atlanta to Savannah.

The Confederacy had decided it was more valuable to send Hood and his army to Tennessee, basically in the opposite direction.

I think most "Southerners" would agree with this.

[cw1865]

Do you think Hood could've held Atlanta?

[whitworth]

Not anymore than Vicksburg, after the Confederate supply lines were cut.

Hood's movement into Alabama, then Tennessee, certainly ended the war early. Sherman's March started the heavy desertion rate among Georgians in the Army of Northern Virginia. Confederate soldiers were getting stories of areas totally unprotected by any Confederate army. Georgia, became an island, incapable of assisting the Army of Northern Virginia in any great way.

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by whit worth

Not anymore than Vicksburg, after the Confederate supply lines were cut.

Hood's movement into Alabama, then Tennessee, certainly ended the war early. Sherman's March started the heavy desertion rate among Georgians in the Army of Northern Virginia. Confederate soldiers were getting stories of areas totally unprotected by any Confederate army. Georgia, became an island, incapable of assisting the Army of Northern Virginia in any great way.

Sherman's objective was to end the war, his means was to demonstrate that the Confederate forces could not resist against the power of the Union forces. He succeeded.

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[Kent Nielsen]

Originally Posted by samgrant

Sherman's objective was to end the war, his means was to demonstrate that the Confederate forces could not resist against the power of the Union forces. He succeeded.

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Yup. Agreed.

[Kent Nielsen]

I enjoyed the DVD. I do admit there was for me, nothing new in it. And I do wish that they had focused more on the Carolinas Campaign, dealt with with the controversy over the so-called Sherman -Johnston peace treaty and mentioned soemething about what happened to some of the others portrayed in the show, such as Major Hitchcock, Sergeant Upson, Emma Lecomte etc. But all in all I thought it was quite good.

[ole]

"The" presentation wasn't made for us. That would have confused and turned off its viewship. If everyone of "us" turned in $1000 to pay for a real documentary, I suspect we wouldn't get very much for our money.

Let's face it. We should be grateful that the interest in the USCW has lasted as long as it has--and that we get an occasional crumb off the table. Meanwhile, we do have our RTs, symposiums, musters, re-enactions, book discussion groups and, of course, forums like this one.

ole