Sherman had the original “scorched earth policy.” Not content to win the war the old-fashioned way by merely winning battles, the Northern Aggressors were determined that the South should pay for trying to leave. After destroying everything they came into contact with, they then subjected the South to 10 years of Reconstruction in order to punish us. The Northern Elites have continued their punishment ever since, though not as blatantly as they did during Reconstruction. They just won't leave us alone to live our lives as we see fit. No wonder we call them “damn Yankees.”
It's nice of you to give credit to Sherman for being the originator of urban foraging as a military tactic, but Lee employed it very effectively at Gettysburg the year before.
And, of course, this has been the common practice of armies for centuries.
Moreover, what is with all this talk of "aggression"? Did the Union fire on Fort Sumter?