"No one is really sure why Sherman skipped Augusta on his way to and from the sea, though the number of Confederate soldiers placed to defend Augusta is one theory."
Actually, no one in the Confederacy would readily admit that Sherman was a genius at warfare and far outwitted the confederacy. 150 years later and the neo-confederates still can't admit it. Sherman's brillant tactics were followed and used by the U.S. Navy and Marines in the island hopping campaigns of WWII. Sherman left the Confederate troops alone in Macon, Augusta, and Charleston. He merely reduced the supplies in these areas to nothing, not by destroying them, but by cutting the rail lines from these places to Alabama and Lee in Virginia.
Cutting the rail lines at Branchville, SC, totally unknown to virtually all students of Civil War, Sherman cut the lines to Charleston and north to Virginia and R.E. Lee. Cutting the line was the same as attacking Augusta and losing supplies and troops in battle. Cutting the railroad line, left Augusta hanging in the air. They had gunpowder; they had no way of getting it to Alabama, Charleston and Virginia. So brilliant was Sherman.
RICHMOND, VA., December 19, 1864.
General R. E. LEE,
Petersburg, Va.:
The following dispatch just received from General Beauregard.
SAVANNAH, December 18, 1864.
(Via Hardeeville.)
General Sherman demanded the surrender of Savannah yesterday of General
Hardee, which was refused. The loss of Savannah will be followed by that of the railroad from Augusta to Charleston, and soon after of Charleston itself.
JEFF’N DAVIS.
Actually, no one in the Confederacy would readily admit that Sherman was a genius at warfare and far outwitted the confederacy. 150 years later and the neo-confederates still can't admit it. Sherman's brillant tactics were followed and used by the U.S. Navy and Marines in the island hopping campaigns of WWII. Sherman left the Confederate troops alone in Macon, Augusta, and Charleston. He merely reduced the supplies in these areas to nothing, not by destroying them, but by cutting the rail lines from these places to Alabama and Lee in Virginia.
Cutting the rail lines at Branchville, SC, totally unknown to virtually all students of Civil War, Sherman cut the lines to Charleston and north to Virginia and R.E. Lee. Cutting the line was the same as attacking Augusta and losing supplies and troops in battle. Cutting the railroad line, left Augusta hanging in the air. They had gunpowder; they had no way of getting it to Alabama, Charleston and Virginia. So brilliant was Sherman.
RICHMOND, VA., December 19, 1864.
General R. E. LEE,
Petersburg, Va.:
The following dispatch just received from General Beauregard.
SAVANNAH, December 18, 1864.
(Via Hardeeville.)
General Sherman demanded the surrender of Savannah yesterday of General
Hardee, which was refused. The loss of Savannah will be followed by that of the railroad from Augusta to Charleston, and soon after of Charleston itself.
JEFF’N DAVIS.