1. To what degree General Sherman be held responsible for the actions of his men,
even if they deliberately violated his orders? Should Sherman be held responsible for
the action of the “bummers”?
2. Sherman’s supporters claimed that his objective—bringing an end to the destructive
Civil War—justified any means to get to that point. Do you agree?
3. Were Sherman’s tactics the only way he could have achieved his goal of bringing the
war to an end? Or is there another course of action he could have taken to achieve the
same end?
4. What do you think the outcome of the Civil War would have been had Sherman not
undertaken his “march to the sea”?
5. Imagine that you were Sherman about to set off from Atlanta to Savannah: Write a
diary entry in which you reflect upon the upcoming journey. What are your goals? Your
concerns about the possible setbacks?
