What wasGeneral Sherman's Special Field Order Number 15?

General Sherman's Special Field Order Number 15, issued on January 16, 1865, during the American Civil War, aimed to address the land needs of newly freed African Americans. The order allocated roughly 400,000 acres of land along the South Carolina and Georgia coasts for settlement by freed slaves, granting each family up to 40 acres. This initiative was part of a broader plan for Reconstruction but was later reversed by President Andrew Johnson, leading to the return of the land to former Confederates. Sherman's order is often cited as a significant moment in the history of land reform and civil rights in the U.S.