(A) They were trying to lure the Union soldiers deeper into the South.
(B) ** They were running short on men and ammunition.
(C) The South was retreating to divert the Union forces into two parts to make them weaker.
(D) The South was hoping to trick Union forces.
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -Sherman’s goal was to destroy the Army of the Tennessee, capture Atlanta and cut off vital Confederate supply lines. While Sherman failed to destroy his enemy, he was able to force the surrender of Atlanta in September 1864, boosting Northern morale and greatly improving President Abraham Lincoln’s re-election bid.
Concept note-2: -Atlanta was a major strategic city for the Confederacy that served as a railroad terminus, supply depot, and manufacturing hub. Given Atlanta’s position south of the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, capturing the city would severely threaten the stability of the Confederacy.
Concept note-3: -The Atlanta campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864.