Sherman's anger in this case centered on the factory owner, who he strongly suggested should be hung.

Several months later Sherman mentioned repopulating the state,

"Until we can repopulate Georgia, it is useless to occupy it, but the utter destruction of its roads, houses, and people will cripple their military resources."

but I don't believe the Roswell incident had anything to do with his later design. Sherman's language in this dispatch suggests that by removing them to Indiana, he was actually doing these Georgia women and their children a great favor (i.e., transportation out of a war zone at government expense). Within the context of the statement above, it's fair to say that Sherman considered them a Confederate military resource.