6. Grierson’s Raid Gave Sherman The Idea About a March Through Georgia
Grierson’s Raid was a smashing success in both the literal and figurative senses. As he and his men rampaged at will for over a fortnight deep in the heart of the enemy territory, the Union cavalrymen wreaked significant damage upon enemy property and enemy morale. Although vigorously pursued by Confederate forces, Grierson’s men eluded their pursuers even as they continued to cause mayhem in the enemy’s heartland. After fifteen days of raising Cain, in which they lost only three killed, seven wounded, and nine missing, the federal horsemen crossed into the safety of Union lines near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
In addition to its immediate impact, the raid demonstrated that Union soldiers could live off the land deep within Confederate territory. That started to turn some gears in the mind of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman about the vulnerability of the Confederacy’s interior, which he compared to soft innards surrounded by a brittle shell. A year and a half later, the result was Sherman’s March Through Georgia, then his even more devastating March Through the Carolinas, that sealed the Confederacy’s doom.
Related: Sherman’s Other March Was A Lesser-Known, Vengeful Attack on South Carolina.
