The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Sherman's March to the Sea-- Part 10: "Forage Liberally"

In his orders for the march, Sherman noted that without supply lines his army would need to live off the land.  They would need to take whatever they needed.  Sherman even had census maps to show output of counties along the way and he made sure he directed the various parts of his army to places with the most.

"Forage liberally," he famously ordered  he did note that the poor should be spared and that private homes shouldn't be entered and that stealing was forbidden.  It definitely didn't work that way.  His troops went way beyond just getting food.  His troops took the order to read as a license to pillage..

--Old Secesh

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