Sherman's March to the Sea started in Georgia, then went next door to S. Carolina. As z4kmorris correctly said above, the Georgia part was primarily for military reasons--Atlanta was one of the few industrial areas in the South, and it was the main rail hub in the Deep South. The South Carolina action was punitive, as S.C. was the first to secede, and the first shots were fired by S.C.
My great-great grandfather fought for the Union (wounded 3 times) as he was an abolitionist, and yet this song moves me so much, it almost makes me feel sorry for Southerners. And I mean no irony in that last sentence. As my Uncle Bill, a combat infantryman in WWII said, "Rich old men start wars and send poor young men off to die in them."
Pretty much the case for almost every war.
@OldFart53. Your Uncle Bill is correct. Thus, the "very best" refers to the young men, the vast majority of whom will always be easily led into war if the small cabal of wealthy elite put out propaganda that "those dirty bastard (fill in the blank...any "other" will do!) MFers are here to take our women! Take our land! Take our liberty!" Even the few who see through the ruse will feel tremendous pressure to conform, and will often be called unpatriotic if they don't support the war of the day.
@OldFart53. Your Uncle Bill is correct. Thus, the "very best" refers to the young men, the vast majority of whom will always be easily led into war if the small cabal of wealthy elite put out propaganda that "those dirty bastard (fill in the blank...any "other" will do!) MFers are here to take our women! Take our land! Take our liberty!" Even the few who see through the ruse will feel tremendous pressure to conform, and will often be called unpatriotic if they don't support the war of the day.
Sherman's March to the Sea started in Georgia, then went next door to S. Carolina. As z4kmorris correctly said above, the Georgia part was primarily for military reasons--Atlanta was one of the few industrial areas in the South, and it was the main rail hub in the Deep South. The South Carolina action was punitive, as S.C. was the first to secede, and the first shots were fired by S.C. My great-great grandfather fought for the Union (wounded 3 times) as he was an abolitionist, and yet this song moves me so much, it almost makes me feel sorry for Southerners. And I mean no irony in that last sentence. As my Uncle Bill, a combat infantryman in WWII said, "Rich old men start wars and send poor young men off to die in them." Pretty much the case for almost every war.
@OldFart53. Your Uncle Bill is correct. Thus, the "very best" refers to the young men, the vast majority of whom will always be easily led into war if the small cabal of wealthy elite put out propaganda that "those dirty bastard (fill in the blank...any "other" will do!) MFers are here to take our women! Take our land! Take our liberty!" Even the few who see through the ruse will feel tremendous pressure to conform, and will often be called unpatriotic if they don't support the war of the day.
@OldFart53. Your Uncle Bill is correct. Thus, the "very best" refers to the young men, the vast majority of whom will always be easily led into war if the small cabal of wealthy elite put out propaganda that "those dirty bastard (fill in the blank...any "other" will do!) MFers are here to take our women! Take our land! Take our liberty!" Even the few who see through the ruse will feel tremendous pressure to conform, and will often be called unpatriotic if they don't support the war of the day.