Reply #8: You might be reading more into his strategy than was true.... [View All]

[Wounded Bear]

At the time, he was far from his base, and needed to pause anyway for his supplies to catch up to him. A high cost assault, both in men and ammo, might have seemed too risky at the time. Plus, he was probably already looking ahead to his March to the Sea, which would be made without conventional supply lines and communications (he wouldn't get a message out to Washington until after he captured Savannah, by boat), and felt that his men needed the break in the action that a siege versus an assault would provide.

Sherman was a ruthless commander. I don't think that humanitarian concerns for the Rebs was high on his list of priorities.