"All these civilians were aiding the war effort."
Not true in the least.
Made no difference to Sherman whether they were aiding the war effort or not.
He purposely left Atlanta with no provisions with the intent of stealing every thing he could from civilians along the way.
He pillaged, raped, and robbed his way through Georgia. What food & crops he didn't steal, he destroyed. He spoilt the fields with salt to keep crops from being grown again. The number of raped & sodomized women were uncountable. He shot children because they cried and annoyed him. He broke the legs of any visibly healthy men for 60 miles wide across Georgia. He would be put to a firing squad today for doing this to any fellow humans worldwide.
Any attempt at defending him is telling.
But as you say, it was effective. There are rules for war today even tho' we are the only ones who abide by them. All is NOT fair if there is any compassion.
Sherman was the ultimate Terrorist Coward.
I would still love to piss on his grave.
