Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarheeler
North Carolina was spared because it had a a fairly large part of the population was loyal to the Union. Sherman marched north from SC into NC; the terrain of Virginia had nothing to do with it.
Regarless, the fact that Sherman destroyed Georgia and SC broke the spirits of much of the army, leading to a quick defeat.
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NC did have the largest population of people in the Confederacy still loyal to the union, but the river layout in Virgina (the rivers mainly flowing from East to West) prevented Union forces from marching in from that direction as rivers posed serious obstacles to military forces at that time, especially if there is another force on the opposite side of the river. However, farther West the Mississippi River allowed the Union forces to easily sweep into the South. They then proceeded to march East from there to where much of the South's industry and people were located. Mostly, the geography of Virginia
prevented Sherman from marching South from Maryland, which would have devastated much of Virginia and NC.