Sherman's march

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

What if the CSA had begun the war with a campaign like Shermans towards DC or Maryland. What would the results have been?

Sherman marched through enemy territory. Johnston & Beauregard in 1861 would have been moving through either friendly territory (Virginia) or territory they wanted to entice to join the Confederacy (Maryland)

I was never aware of these detailed preparations. Of course I knew of his "dress rehearsal" (the Meridian Campaign), but the map prep is news to me.
Thanks a lot.....now I've got more reading to do!

Southern Storm by Noah Andre Trudeau is an excellent book about the march.

The intention was to destroy the industrial & agricultural assets that supported the Confederate army, not terrorize the population.

Depends on how you define "terrorize." Rape, murder, and pillage private homes certainly not. Intimidate and awe the locals at the unstoppable might of the Union and its armies, definitely.

 

[Rhea Cole]

What if the CSA had begun the war with a campaign like Shermans towards DC or Maryland. What would the results have been? Just curious about CWT thoughts.

That is a good question. A bit of map study will bring things into focus. For one thing, most of Lee's march would have been in Virginia. The other is what would he have done when the AoNV reached the sea? No fleet would be waiting off shore to resupply & reequip his army. The only option would be to follow Napoleon's example & march back through the devastated land. Look what happened when Lee went 45 miles into Pennsylvania. Sterling Price's raid into Missouri is a sobering example of what happened when Southern armies turned to looting. So, to directly answer your interesting question, the situation in the East was apples & oranges.

 

[Rhea Cole]

Just thought I might add that Sherman's march left the chain of supply and logistics between Chattanooga, through NW Georgia and Atlanta. The idea was to resume supply from the navy once the coast was reached. That late in the war, the navy and army had improved inter-service cooperation somewhat--at least to some degree...

Any large body of callow youths is going to cause a lot of trouble when not moving... The attempts by the CSA to try to move into the border states and Union reflect that realization, I'd think.

You put your finger on it exactly. Linking up with the Navy for resupply & re-equipment was an essential element of both the Vicksburg Campaign & March to the Sea. Sherman's staff work was a very sophisticated, meticulously planned & brilliantly implemented.