What Sherman’s Troops Did to Atlanta When They Left: A Local’s Guide to a City Remade

For anyone living in or visiting Atlanta, Georgia, it’s hard to miss the references to Sherman, the Civil War, and the burning of Atlanta. But many people wonder: what exactly did Sherman’s troops do to Atlanta when they left, and how did that shape the city you see today?

This guide walks through what happened in 1864, what they destroyed and why, and how those choices still affect Atlanta’s layout, landmarks, and identity.

The Basics: Sherman’s Occupation and Departure from Atlanta

In September 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman captured Atlanta, a major railroad and industrial hub for the Confederacy.

• The Union army occupied Atlanta for about two months
• During this time, many civilians had already evacuated or were ordered to leave
• In mid-November 1864, Sherman’s troops left Atlanta to begin the “March to the Sea” toward Savannah

When they left, they did not just march out quietly. They systematically destroyed key parts of the city to cripple the Confederacy’s ability to fight.

What Sherman’s Troops Destroyed in Atlanta

When people talk about Sherman “burning Atlanta,” they’re usually referring to what happened as his army left the city. The destruction focused mostly on military and infrastructure targets, but the impact spread further.

1. Railroad Lines and Depots

Atlanta’s biggest importance in 1864 was as a rail center, roughly where today’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods sit.

Sherman’s troops:

• Tore up railroad tracks in and around the city
• Heated and twisted rails, making so-called “Sherman’s neckties” that were hard to reuse
• Blew up and burned depots and warehouses holding Confederate supplies

If you stand today near Five Points, Underground Atlanta, or around the Fulton County Government Center, you’re close to areas that were once rail and warehouse zones targeted in this destruction.

Why it mattered:
Wrecking Atlanta’s rail network made it very difficult for the Confederacy to move troops, weapons, and food, not only in Georgia but across a major portion of the South.

2. Factories, Foundries, and Military Facilities

Sherman’s forces also targeted anything that could produce or repair war materials:

• Armories and foundries that made weapons, ammunition, or equipment
• Factories producing uniforms, supplies, and machinery
• Machine shops and industrial plants tied to the Confederate war effort

Much of this industry clustered in and around what we now think of as Downtown and parts of Westside and Old Fourth Ward, though the city’s layout was different then.

Important point:
The destruction was not random. The focus was on crippling Atlanta’s ability to support the Confederate army, not on erasing every home and business.

3. Public Buildings With Military Use

Some public buildings in Atlanta had been turned into military hospitals, storage facilities, or command centers during the war.

As they left, Sherman’s troops often:

• Destroyed or burned buildings that had been used for military purposes
• Damaged nearby structures when ammunition or supplies exploded

This added to the impression of a “city on fire,” especially around what’s now Downtown Atlanta.

4. Areas That Were (and Weren’t) Burned

A common belief is that all of Atlanta was burned to the ground. That’s not accurate.

What was heavily damaged:

• Rail corridors and depots
• Industrial districts
• Military-related facilities
• Nearby buildings affected by spread of fire or explosions

What was often spared:

• Many private homes
• Some churches and structures not clearly tied to Confederate military use
• Buildings further out from the main industrial/military zones

For example, there are historic homes and churches in Atlanta today that predate the Civil War or were rebuilt soon after, showing the destruction was severe but not total.

Why Sherman Ordered the Destruction

From Atlanta’s perspective, the key reasons behind Sherman’s actions help explain why the city looks and feels the way it does today.

Military Strategy

Sherman’s goal was to:

• Break the Confederacy’s capacity to wage war
• Isolate Georgia from the rest of the Confederate states
• Prepare for a long march from Atlanta to Savannah, living off the land and disrupting supply networks along the way

By:

• Destroying Atlanta’s railroads,
• Burning military-supported factories, and
• Wrecking supply depots,

he turned Atlanta from a Confederate stronghold into a broken logistics base that would be hard to restore quickly.

Psychological Impact

Many people in Atlanta still recognize Sherman’s campaign as an early example of “hard war” or “total war”, meant to:

• Undermine Southern morale
• Show that the Confederate government could not protect key cities
• Push for a quicker end to the war

For Atlantans today, this explains why the story of “burned Atlanta” remains so emotionally loaded and symbolically powerful.

What Survived: Atlanta After the Fires

Sherman’s troops did not erase Atlanta completely. When they left:

• Some neighborhoods and homes survived
• Road patterns and rail corridors still existed, even if damaged
• Many residents returned after the war to rebuild on the same land

Atlanta’s post-war leaders embraced the idea of a “Phoenix City”—rising from the ashes.

You can see this symbolism in:

• The Phoenix emblem used by the City of Atlanta government
• Public art and historical markers referencing rebirth and renewal
• The long-running civic narrative of Atlanta as a city of resilience and reinvention

Where You Can See Traces of Sherman’s Impact in Atlanta Today

If you live in or are visiting Atlanta, you can connect the history of Sherman’s departure to places you can actually visit or recognize.

1. Downtown and the “Zero Mile Post” Area

Atlanta originally grew around a railroad terminus, close to where Underground Atlanta and the Five Points MARTA Station sit today.

• The original “Zero Mile Post” (marking the end of the railroad line) used to sit in this area
• The surrounding rail yards and depots were primary targets for Sherman’s destruction

Even though modern skyscrapers and highways dominate the view, the idea of Atlanta as a rail hub—and a target because of that role—started right here.

2. Oakland Cemetery

Oakland Cemetery (248 Oakland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312) is one of the most historically rich sites in the city.

Visitors can find:

• Civil War-era graves, including soldiers who fought in and around Atlanta
• Monuments and sections that reflect the city’s wartime experience
• Landscapes that survived while the surrounding city changed dramatically

While Sherman’s troops did not target cemeteries in the same way they did rail lines and warehouses, Oakland is a powerful place to understand how the war and its aftermath shaped the community.

3. Historic Neighborhoods and Rebuilt Areas

Some older neighborhoods and districts help tell the story of what came after Sherman left:

• Grant Park and Inman Park: Largely developed or redeveloped after the war, reflecting a reborn city
• Areas near Downtown and the Old Fourth Ward: Show how industrial districts and transportation corridors later gave way to neighborhoods, parks, and commercial areas

If you walk or drive through these areas, you’re seeing how Atlanta used the scars of war as a foundation for something new—rail corridors becoming BeltLine trails, industrial sites turning into mixed-use developments, and so on.

How Sherman’s Destruction Still Shapes Modern Atlanta

Even though the events of 1864 are long past, Sherman’s decisions still influence how Atlantans experience their city.

1. City Layout and Transportation

Because Sherman destroyed so much rail and industry, Atlanta had to rebuild its infrastructure almost from scratch. Over time, that led to:

• A city that clung to rail lines, then highways, as it grew back
• A long tradition of transportation reshaping neighborhoods, from railroads to the Downtown Connector to MARTA and the BeltLine

For Atlantans frustrated with traffic or fascinated by the city’s growth patterns, it helps to know that the “do-over” forced by 1864 is part of why Atlanta developed the way it did, instead of as a preserved antebellum town.

2. Civic Identity: The Phoenix City

Atlanta leans heavily into a story of resilience:

• The Phoenix is a core symbol in city seals and public art
• Local history tours frequently tie modern Atlanta’s ambition and constant redevelopment to the idea of “rising from the ashes” of Sherman’s fires
• Many residents and civic leaders describe Atlanta as a city that reinvents itself every few decades, echoing that same narrative

Understanding what Sherman’s troops did when they left Atlanta helps explain why the city often sees itself this way.

3. Tourism, Education, and Commemoration

If you’re visiting or exploring your own city, you’ll find that Sherman’s departure from Atlanta is woven into museums, tours, and school lessons:

• Atlanta History Center (130 West Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305)
  • Exhibits on the Civil War in Atlanta, including the Battle of Atlanta and its aftermath
• Cyclorama painting (now at the Atlanta History Center)
  • A massive 19th-century painting of the Battle of Atlanta, part of the larger story of the city’s wartime experience

These sites focus mostly on the battle and occupation, but they also connect to the devastation and rebuilding that followed Sherman’s departure.

Quick Reference: What Sherman’s Troops Did to Atlanta When They Left

What This Means for You as an Atlantan or Visitor

Understanding what Sherman’s troops did when they left Atlanta can add depth to:

• Daily life: Recognizing why Atlanta is so focused on reinvention and infrastructure
• Neighborhood exploring: Seeing historic districts, cemeteries, and rail corridors as part of a larger story
• Local conversations: Making sense of why the Civil War and the idea of “burned Atlanta” still come up in civic debates, school projects, and public art

In simple terms:
When Sherman’s troops left Atlanta in November 1864, they destroyed much of the city’s military, industrial, and transportation backbone—especially rail lines, depots, factories, and warehouses—while leaving portions of the residential and civic fabric intact. That destruction forced Atlanta to rebuild, giving rise to the modern city’s layout, symbols, and identity as a place that rose from the ashes and never stopped changing.