No. There was one city that he spared, and that was Savannah, at the end of his famous March to the Sea.
The Confederate garrison in Savannah had escaped across the river into South Carolina, and Sherman probably felt that he'd made his point by that time - in Georgia, that is.
But when he pursued the Confederates into South Carolina - the state that had started the war - he allowed his troops to put the boot into the state capital, Columbia SC, which was burned to the ground.
There remains one lingering tradition about why Sherman never allowed his men to damage Savannah.
Apparently as a young man, Sherman had loved a girl from Savannah, and he identified the city with her image.
A fairly recent novel has exploited this legend, suggesting that they managed to find this girl in adult life, and there was an emotional reunion. I cannot help you in researching how much of this was based on the truth.
He ordered the burning of all buildings of military potential. But it went beyond that, and Sherman began to see the point of destroying civilian morale.
Atlanta :(
William T. Sherman
He burned Atlanta after failing to destroy the Army of Tennessee, which had escaped the city. He then decided to ignore that army, and launch an entirely different kind of operation, targeting the infrastructure that supported the Confederate armies. That was the march to the sea.
To wreck the railroads in order to ruin the Southern economy, and to burn the farms in order to starve the Confederate troops in the field.
yes yes he did.
He ordered the burning of all buildings of military potential. But it went beyond that, and Sherman began to see the point of destroying civilian morale.
Sherman burned down Atlanta before starting his March to the Sea.
Georgia
Atlanta :(
Destroy the farms, kill the livestock, burn any crops the army can't eat, and wreck the railroads. Violence against civilians was strictly forbidden. When this happened, it was usually not at the hands of Sherman's men, but the mounted vandals ("bummers") who rode alongside the army for the food and the fun.
Burn the farms, wreck the railroads, but no violence to civilians. When violence did happen, it was usually not at the hands of Sherman's troops. It was carried out by lawless mounted vandals (including deserters from both sides), who rode alongside the army for the fun, and the pickings.
Burn the farms, wreck the railroads, but no violence to civilians. When violence did happen, it was usually not at the hands of Sherman's troops. It was carried out by lawless mounted vandals (including deserters from both sides), who rode alongside the army for the fun, and the pickings.
General Sherman wanted to capture Savannah, Georgia by December 25, 1864. He wanted to destroy the South so it would surrender. He practiced a "scortched earth" policy where he would burn everything in his path.
William T. Sherman
The short answer - almost every city he entered was laid waste before he left. With the exception of one city: Union, Mississippi. He respected the name of the city because it was named Union. He spared the city and even stayed in a hotel there. It is now a musuem.
Union General made Atlanta his southern headquarters for a month after he took control of the city. Upon his orders to advance well into Georgia, he burned down much of Atlanta. Catholic priests begged Sherman not to burn down orphan homes and hospitals and Sherman agreed to that.