After capturing Atlanta in September 1864, Major General William Sherman marched his army from Atlanta to Savannah Georgia. Sherman had two reasons for his March to the Sea. Savannah was a warehouse city for the Confederacy, goods for export and significant stores of ammunition. Sherman's army terrorized many civilians they encountered in the Georgia countryside. Sherman wanted to demonstrate to Confederate citizens that their government could not protect them. The result was a path of devastation and destruction as the army passed through.
At the beginning of the March to the Sea, Sherman's army captured Atlanta and burned it to the ground. Sherman's army bypassed most cities on the march. Sherman's army left Atlanta on November 15, 1864 and accepted the surrender of Savannah on December 21, 1864. The March to the Sea lasted 37 days. This was total warfare that had a huge impact on bringing the South to its knees.