William Tecumseh Sherman was a Union general in the American Civil War. He is most famous for “Sherman’s March to the Sea.” In 1864, after capturing Atlanta, Georgia’s capital, he ordered his army to march to Savannah, on the coast. This took roughly a month’s time, and involved destroying any infrastructure that might be of use to the Confederate army along the way.
On December 22, Sherman telegraphed President Lincoln the following:
“I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah with 150 heavy guns & plenty of ammunition & also about 25.000 bales of cotton.
W. T. Sherman
Major Gen”
Sources:
Telegram- Library of Congress
Sherman’s March to the Sea- New Georgia Encyclopedia