What was the objective of General Sherman's March during the Civil War?

General Sherman's March, often referred to as the "March to the Sea," had a clear objective of destroying the infrastructure of the Confederacy. This included targeting railroads, supply depots, and other strategic resources that were vital to the Confederate war effort. By systematically dismantling the South's ability to sustain its military operations, Sherman aimed to weaken the Confederate army's capacity to fight and to hasten the end of the war.

The destruction of infrastructure was part of a broader strategy of total war, which not only sought to engage enemy forces in battle but also aimed to undermine the will of the Southern populace to continue supporting the war. This tactic aimed to instill a sense of hopelessness and to demonstrate the futility of resisting the Union army.

The other options do not align with the historical objective of Sherman's March. Retreating to the North would have been contrary to his aggressive strategy, supplying the Confederate army directly opposes the mission's objective of weakening them, and establishing a peace treaty was not on the agenda during Sherman's campaign, which was focused on bringing a decisive end to the conflict through destruction rather than negotiation.