Sherman was not against Southerners, he was very generous in his surrender terms to Joe Johnston. He liked Southerners. Sherman's army took pains to treat Southerners according to their loyalty. My great great grandfather in Georgia was in the path of Sherman's army and after the war he even received compensation from the Southern Claims Commission for two mules Sherman's boys had to use in the cause. He also made wagons for the Union army to use deeper in their march into Georgia. He was just one of many Southerners in Walker, Whitfield and Catoosa counties in Georgia that instead of being exterminated actually aided the Union Army in their mission of ending the war.
Sherman's personal escort on his March to the Sea was the 1st U.S. Alabama Cavalry, a regiment made up from some of the 100,000 southern whites who fought for the United States Government during the Civil War.