Who were the bummers who followed William Tecumseh Sherman's army through Georgia?

During William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea in 1864, "bummers" were rogue Union soldiers who operated outside of official military orders. While Sherman’s official policy, outlined in Special Field Order No. 120, authorized foraging parties to gather supplies from the countryside, these rogue soldiers engaged in unauthorized looting and the intentional terrorizing of Confederate civilians.12

Although their conduct was prohibited, the actions of the bummers served the broader psychological objective of Sherman’s campaign: to demonstrate that the Confederacy was unable to protect its people and to cripple the region's economic and industrial resources. By roaming the countryside to destroy property and steal, these soldiers contributed to the "total war" strategy that aimed to break the morale of the Southern population.12