AllMovie

After winning Atlanta in September of 1865, General Sherman proceeded to take the war to the people of Georgia: His army would cut a path to the sea, living off the land and destroying anything of value along the way. They tore up railroads, twisted railroad ties, and burned houses, causing approximately 100 million dollars worth of damage on the 425-mile trip. The Union Army's march into South Carolina would prove even more destructive. The Confederate government, meanwhile, had begun to disintegrate. After Lee abandoned Petersburg and traveled west, Richmond, the Confederate capital, was defenseless. Jefferson Davis and his cabinet relocated to Danville, VA, while fleeing Southerners looted and burned the city. Food became a scarce commodity in the South and many Confederate soldiers deserted after receiving letters of the harsh conditions at home. Lee and his dwindling army continued west, hoping to join Johnston's forces in North Carolina, but were finally surrounded by Grant's army. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox, VA.