Mariel Walts's Civil War Blog: Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Union Blockade of GA's coast, Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's March to the City

After the turning point in the war, the fighting continued in southern states like Georgia. Chickamauga was the first major battle in Georgia. The union army came down to the south and went to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park where they fought, then they went back to Chattanooga where they were trapped until Grant came to open a supply line. This was because Georgia's coast was tightly blockaded by the Union so the Confederates couldn't import supplies. Lee decided they would probably loose if they fought against the blockades so he used his troops for other battles. When Grant got a supply line to his troops in Chattanooga, it became a supply hub for the Atlanta Campaign. The Atlanta Campaign was when General Sherman was in Atlanta waiting for approval for his march to the sea. He waited for two months and while he waited he evacuated the city with a letter to the people of Atlanta. The letter said he wasn't going to change his mind but he was giving them time to get out before he started burning it. Sherman had to have his march because Atlanta was a big city and the Union needed another win. Even though the march would help the Union, it was risky because his soldiers had to live off the land and take food from the Georgians living there. The march would ensure Lincoln's reelection, it would be demoralizing to the southerners, stop confederate supply lines and there were already problems with confederate leadership so the march was really important to the Union. During the march, the union soldiers saw slavery for the first time and took slaves with them to help them get away from slavery. However, the slaves weren't ensured food but they still came with them. Sherman had personal views of slavery and African Americans which he wrote in his journal. He wrote about how he didn't like Africa Americans but he put those feelings aside and there are pictures of him shaking hands with the slaves.