Crossing Into The Carolinas

A Wing of Union General William T Sherman’s Army under the command of Major General Henry W Slocum began to cross the Savannah River at Sister’s Ferry on January 29^th 1865.

After capturing Savannah, Georgia Union General William T Sherman was ordered by Lieutenant General Ulysses S Grant to embark by ship and move his troops to the support of the Army of the Potomac.  Sherman convinced Grant that it would be better if he marched his troops north through the Carolinas.  He would target South Carolina, the first state to have seceded, by destroying everything of value to the military as they passed through.

Sherman ordered the commander of the XIV and XX Corps; Major General Henry W Slocum on January 19^th 1865 to cross the Savannah River into South Carolina at Sister’s Ferry.  However the Union troops; do to a heavy rainfall, weren’t able to leave the city of Savannah until January 29^th 1865.  It took them until February 2^nd 1865 to get completely over the river.  Slocum’s men lagging behind the rest of Sherman’s army proceeded toward the town of Robertville, South Carolina.