What significant military action is General William Sherman known for?

General William Sherman is primarily known for Sherman’s March to the Sea, which took place during the American Civil War in 1864. This military campaign involved a brutal and strategic march from Atlanta, Georgia, to the port city of Savannah. Sherman aimed to inflict significant damage on the South's war infrastructure, resources, and morale. His tactics included destroying railroads, factories, and civilian properties, highlighting the concept of total war, where the objective was not just to defeat enemy armies but also to undermine the economic and psychological capacity of the Confederacy to continue fighting. This march is notable not only for its military significance but also for its lasting impact on Southern society and its reflection of Sherman's belief that the war needed to be won decisively to prevent further conflict.

The other options relate to different events or actions that, while significant in their own right, do not encapsulate Sherman's most famous military endeavor. His defense of Washington, D.C., the Battle of Antietam, and the Siege of Vicksburg were pivotal in the broader context of the Civil War but are not directly associated with Sherman’s military legacy.