Osprey's Campaign series has reached #179 and this one is of special interest to students of the American Civil War. By 1864, the war had turned pretty much against the Confederacy. Union blockades and the inability to use the Mississippi River to move men and materiel had limited what could be done. Union General William T. Sherman had a bold plan to cut through the heart of the Confederacy, destroying everything in his wake in an attempt to further disrupt the South's ability to wage war and cause the local population to lose heart in the war.

Though few of his superiors felt that his plan had any chance of working, especially as he planned to forage for his 60,000 troops, it was with some reluctance that his boss, Ulysses S Grant, gave the OK. Sherman then started paring down the units he would take, leaving behind all the less than 100% troops and those who were malingerers, troublemakers and other types who were not totally fit and totally committed to the endeavor. He also left behind most of his heavy artillery, wanting to travel as light as he could.

To make a long story short, his plan was very successful. It also brought a lot of hatred towards him as his men were not well disciplined and many not only took everything they could find in ways of foodstuffs, but also looted homes, raped women and killed anyone who resisted. Sherman's 'scorched earth' policy left nothing for those who survived his passing, leading to even more deaths as the winter moved along.  While you may be wondering where the Confederate armies were while this was going on, the truth is that they were not equipped either in men or materiel to be able to hold off a force the size of Sherman's.  They did what they could, but it was inadequate to hold off the juggernaut.

This full story is ably told by David Smith, whose area of expertise is the American Civil War. Along with an excellent choice of period photographs and the superb artwork and maps of Richard Hook, the story of this pivotal campaign and the major battles therein are brought to life. It is another superb Osprey work and one that I know you will find as enjoyable and interesting as did I.

March 2007

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