Atlanta Campaign:

    Sherman after the battle of Missionary Ridge became the commander of the Armies of the West replacing Grant. Sherman then marched his men the 100 miles to the beating heart of the Confederacy, Atlanta. Sherman, in a series of running battles and flanking maneuvers was able to force Joe Johnson and his army of the Tennessee to Peachtree Creek(July 20th) 5 miles from Atlanta. About this time the confederate government had had enough of Johnson's retreats. They replaced him(on July 17th) with General John Hood, who was more aggressive than Johnson.
    Shermans forces by this time had almost cut Atlanta off from the rest of the Confederacy. On July 21st and 22nd Hood launched a furious and desperate attack against Shermans troops. Hoods men fought an all day battle. Hood sent Hardee's Corps to hit the Union left and rear which was supposed to be unprotected while Cheathams Corps would attack the center. Hood misevaluated the timing of Hardee's march and had Cheathams Corps begin the assault without Hardee. Eventually, sometime in the afternoon Hardee's forces attacked the rear and the left flank. McPherson who was commanding the Union left was concerned about the flank and ordered the XVI Corps under Grenville to hold that area. Hardee encounterd these troops and fought them gallantly but to no avail, the Union left held. Meanwhile, Cheatham around 4:00pm broke the Union line. Sherman seeing a disaster in the making, quickly ordered 20 artillery pieces to open fire on the advancing confederates. This display of gunfire halted the confederate advance. Sherman then ordered Logan's XV Corps to plug the hole created by Cheatham and restore the line, which he did.
    Sherman didn't want a long bloody siege that would drain men and supplies in an election year. So he did what he had done before, he outflanked Hood ,and cut the last rail-road at Jonesboro. Hood, attacked the Union force at Jonesboro and lost. Hood knew he had lost Atlanta and evacuated it on Sept 2nd, Sherman entered the same day. The Atlanta Campaign took about 4  months and cost the Union about 31,000 men(dead, wounded, missing). Also, the Union lost a very good general, McPherson who was killed by a sniper during Hood's attacked on July 22nd. The Confederate lost irreplaceable men, men that would be missed in Hood's last campaign for Tennessee.

Total War:

    Sherman once said that "War is Hell" and the Civil War proved just that. Besides the new and better improved weapons, like repeating guns, ironclads and submarines all designed to kill the enemy and new idea on how to wage war emerged. That idea is Total War. The concept of Total War is simple. It is to bring war to the enemy and the civilians economically, militarily, socially and politically.
    Economically, to destroy and take anything that can be of value to the enemy including simple family gardens and cattle to munitions and steel works. Shermans "bummers" perfected this tactic. Groups of men between 25 and 50 would scour the countryside looking for anything they and the army could use.
    Militarily, by  using  your country's men, technology and supplies so you get the maxim out of each in hopes that you use these to inflict the highest amount of casualties on your enemy and by doing so you will sustain minimal loses.
    Socially, by upsetting the balance to enlist and use the men on the bottom of your  enemies social ladder to help you. Whether these men serve as simple guides or generals use them, they will help you because these men would know the terrain and the enemy. Also, these men would join because they would be more eager to serve and kill the enemy because they had been oppressed and ignored by the other people above them on the social ladder. Sherman as he marched freed the blacks and enlisted about 25,000 to serve as laborers.
    Politically, mobilize your propaganda efforts both in your and the enemies country in order to create chaos and spread information. Also, one should force the government to a quick end by making the war felt not only on the enemies but on the  civilian population as well.  By making the civilians suffer the hardships of  war, the war will end quicker because the civilians will simple force the government either by rebellions or protests, to sue for peace and bring back to them their once happy and uninterrupted lives. The government would comply because they would lose their power and their jobs if they don't.