Did Ike also knowingly allow his soldiers to rape German women, the way Sherman turned a blind eye to that? Did Ike order his soldiers to burn conquered German towns to the ground, regardless of their military value?
I understand the concept of "Total War"...but if Sherman had kept the citizenry out of it, I wouldn't be calling him 'terrorist'.
All he had to do (and did) was smash the remnants of the Confederacy stationed in GA as he Marched to the Sea. The burning of ATL and Columbia, SC did nothing to hasten the conclusion of the War Between the States.
I have to agree with you. There was also the fact that the North didn't have plantations, they had factories. And they wanted workers for those factories.
All the better reason to free the slaves.