Sherman was a very conflicted person. His allowance of foraging was abused. The south did it too. It’s hard to say which was worse. Sherman’s march devastated all in its path. It was part of what brought the war to an end. At that point the drain on the south was too catastrophic. Had they listen to General Chapman? I think early on and allowed slaves to fight for their freedom they might’ve won but that was a bridge too far for leadership.
There are certainly better historians here than me but the south was doomed from the start. They didn’t have the manufacturing base and resources. Booth was a madman and his actions doomed the reconstruction.
