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General Sherman's Girlfriend

Was a girlfriend the reason Sherman spared Augusta?

Augusta Arsenal
Walton Way
Augusta, Georgia

"At the Academy I was not considered a good soldier, for at no time was I selected for any office, but remained a private throughout the whole four years. Then, as now, neatness in dress and form, with a strict conformity to the rules, were the qualifications required for office, and I suppose I was found not to excel in any of these. In studies I always held a respectable reputation with the professors, and generally ranked among the best, especially in drawing, chemistry, mathe-
matics, and natural philosophy. My average demerits, per annum, were about one hundred and fifty, which reduced my final class standing from number four to six."

One of the enduring Augusta stories is that Lt. Sherman, when stationed here after his graduation from West Point in 1840, had a girlfriend and that served as his reason to spare the city of Augusta in his "march to the sea." His troops under Gen. Kilpatrick did make two efforts to destroy Augusta, once in early December 1864 from the south where they came as close as Waynesboro, and again in February, 1865 where they were again stopped by Gen. Wheeler and his men in Aiken.

Pictured here is an 1868 engraving by Alexander Hay Ritchie depicting the March to the Sea.

Whatever the reasons for Sherman sparing Augusta, the city certainly was fortunate.

Article discussing Sherman's time in Augusta.

Map of Sherman's campaigns in Georgia and the Carolinas, 1864–1865

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tecumseh_Sherman
Cashin, Ed. General Sherman's Girlfriend and Other Stories
http://www.aug.edu/~liblsc/Grant/