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diff --git a/old/51999-0.txt b/old/51999-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3e20bad..0000000 --- a/old/51999-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9127 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Life and Military Career of Major-General -William Tecumseh Sherman, by P. C. (Phineas Camp) Headley - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - - -Title: Life and Military Career of Major-General William Tecumseh Sherman - - -Author: P. C. (Phineas Camp) Headley - - - -Release Date: May 5, 2016 [eBook #51999] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE AND MILITARY CAREER OF -MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN*** - - -E-text prepared by Larry Harrison, Cindy Beyer, and the online Distributed -Proofreaders Canada team (http://www.pgdpcanada.net) from page images -generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 51999-h.htm or 51999-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51999/51999-h/51999-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51999/51999-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - https://archive.org/details/lifemilitarycare00head - - - - - -[Illustration: IN THE EVERGLADES OF FLORIDA.] - - -[Illustration: YOUNG AMERICANS - MODERN HISTORY OF HEROES] - - -LIFE AND MILITARY CAREER OF -MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN. - -by - -REV. P. C. HEADLEY, - -Author of “Napoleon,” “Josephine,” “Women of the Bible,” -“Hero Boy,” etc., etc. - - - - - - - -New York: -William H. Appleton, 92 & 94 Grand Street. -1865. - -Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by -Wm. H. Appleton, -In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the -Southern District of New York. - - - - - T O - - H E N R Y S T A N L E Y A L L E N, E S Q., - - O F N E W Y O R K, - - THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED, - - W I T H S I N C E R E R E S P E C T A N D R E G A R D, - - BY THE AUTHOR. - - - - - P R E F A C E. - - -ALTHOUGH General Sherman’s military career has only reached its most -interesting and brilliant period, grateful and admiring thousands will -welcome an authentic outline of his history to the present time. The -facts of his early life were obtained from those who knew him best. - -To Colonel Bowman, an appreciative friend of General Sherman, whose -sketches of him in the _U. S. Service Magazine_ were graphic and -reliable, to the _Army and Navy Journal_ and able correspondents, we are -indebted for valuable material. - -The pen-portrait of the great commander, by Mr. Alvord, which has never -before been published, will be read with special interest. - -The volume is not offered to the public as a complete biography, with -all that might have been omitted carefully sifted from the essential -statements, but the annals of a remarkable man, with incidents connected -with his movements; affording the youth and all others, a general view -of the nation’s hero, from infancy to the unrivalled distinction he now -holds. - -May the unpretending volume stimulate the youthful mind to virtuous and -noble deeds, while it contributes to the more complete and voluminous -memoirs which will be written in the peaceful future before us, for -whose blessings of a perpetuated Union and civil liberty we shall owe a -lasting debt of gratitude to General Sherman. - - - - - C O N T E N T S. - - - CHAPTER I. - PAGE - The Boyhood of Heroes—The ancestry of William Tecumseh - Sherman—The death of his Father—Why the name of the Indian - Chief was given him—The Birth-place of William Tecumseh, 13 - - CHAPTER II. - The Eventful Call—“Cump” in the Sandbank—The Unexpected - Summons—He obeys—His new Home—School days—A Studious and - Reliable Boy—Is appointed Cadet—Leaves Home for West Point—His - Life in the Academy—Graduates and goes to Florida, 23 - - CHAPTER III. - The Lieutenant in the Florida War—Its Origin—The - “Exiles”—Seminole Indians—Osceola—His wife made prisoner—The - second Seminole War—Wild Cat’s Daughter—Peace—Lessons of the - events before and after, 28 - - CHAPTER IV. - Lieutenant Sherman in Fort Moultrie—The Fortress—The Mexican - War—He goes to California—His Service there—Appointed - Captain—His Marriage—Exciting Scenes in California—In the - Commissary Department—Resigns his Commission—Turns Banker, 39 - - CHAPTER V. - Takes charge of a Military Academy in Alexandria, Louisiana—He - sees the rising storm of Civil War—Resigns—A noble Letter—He - repairs to St Louis, and superintends a Street Railroad, 45 - - CHAPTER VI. - Sumter falls—Sherman repairs to Washington—His Interview with the - Secretary of War and the President—His Prophetic Insight of the - Threatening Times—The state of the Country—Rebel Expectations, 50 - - CHAPTER VII. - The Conflict Deepens—The Captain is made Colonel of the - Thirteenth New York Volunteers—The Battle of Bull Run—The - unterrified Commander of the Thirteenth and his Troops—The - Brave Stand, 54 - - CHAPTER VIII. - General Sherman goes to Kentucky—Muldraugh’s Hill—His army - weakened—General Buckner’s superior force—Succeeds General - Anderson—Writes General McClellan—Interview with Secretary - Cameron—Paducah, 60 - - CHAPTER IX. - Pittsburg Landing—The Surprise—The Battle—The Victory—Sherman’s - glorious part in the Struggle—The Testimony of Officers—His - Letter on the Contest, 67 - - CHAPTER X. - The Morning after the Battle—General Sherman’s column in - Motion—What it did—Corinth the next Goal—The Siege—The - Evacuation—General Sherman’s troops the first to enter the - Works—The Hero is made Major-General—Advance on Holly - Springs—Memphis—General Sherman’s successful Command in that - City—The Guerrillas, 82 - - CHAPTER XI. - General Sherman’s next Post—The Steele’s Bayou Expedition—A Trial - of Courage—The Leader’s Heroism, 89 - - CHAPTER XII. - The Position of the Western Forces—The Expedition against - Vicksburg under General Sherman—The Just and Stringent Orders - of the Chief—He shows the Speculators no Mercy—The Advance of - the Grand Army Checked—The Embarkation of Troops—The - Magnificent Pageant—The Progress and Arrival of the Fleet, 95 - - CHAPTER XIII. - The March—The City—Preparations for an Assault—The Attack—The - Abatis and Rifle-pits—The Charge upon the Hill—Sherman - succeeded by McClernand—General Sherman’s Farewell Order—Result - of the Expedition, 105 - - CHAPTER XIV. - The Plot—General Sherman’s Part—His Successful Feint at Haines’ - Bluff—Joins the Main Army—The Advance toward Jackson, the State - Capital—The Victorious Entry of the City—On to Vicksburg - again—Assaults—Siege—Victory—General Sherman goes after “Joe” - Johnston, 118 - - CHAPTER XV. - General Sherman watching Joe Johnston—Foraging—An Attack—The - Enemy steals away in the Night—The Conquering Battalions have a - brief rest—Encampment on the Big Black River—Scenes - there—Reënforces General Rosecrans—Death of General Sherman’s - Son—Beautiful Letter—The Monument, 127 - - CHAPTER XVI. - The Grand Advance from Memphis—The Enemy prepare to Meet - it—General Sherman’s Genius equal to any Emergency—Rapid - Marches—The Foe driven from the Path—New Command—The Swollen - River—Into Chattanooga—The Tireless Chief and his Gallant - Troops push forward to Missionary Ridge, 136 - - CHAPTER XVII. - The Place of Battle—The Battle-ground—General Sherman’s Part in - the Struggle—Desperate Valor—Victory—Pursuit—No Rest—General - Burnside in Peril—General Sherman hastens to his Relief—The - Bridge breaks down—It is Rebuilt, and the Heroic Battalions - save Knoxville—General Sherman again at Chattanooga, 143 - - CHAPTER XVIII. - A New Expedition—Its Wise Design—Cause of its Failure in the Main - Purpose—The Hero of Vicksburg is created Lieutenant-General—The - New Order of Things—Two Grand Lines of March and of - Conquest—From Chattanooga to Kenesaw Mountain, 162 - - CHAPTER XIX. - The Battle of Kenesaw Mountain—On to Marietta—Across the - Chattahoochie—General Johnston succeeded by General - Hood—Marching and Fighting—Death of McPherson—Fight at - Jonesboro—The last struggle for Atlanta—Victory, 186 - - CHAPTER XX. - The Tidings of Victory at Washington—The President’s Messages to - the People and to the Army—General Sherman congratulates his - Battalions—The Rebel General is indignant—The Correspondence - between him and General Sherman—The authorities of Atlanta also - unreconciled to the new order of things—The noble Letters and - Conduct of the Conquerer, 217 - - CHAPTER XXI. - The Events which followed the Truce—General Hood’s Army in - Motion—Battle at Allatoona Pass—He is left to the care of the - gallant Thomas—The New and Magnificent Campaign of General - Sherman—The Field of his Operations—Burning of Rome—The - Advance—Atlanta partially Burned—The Rebel Fears and Hopes—The - March, 249 - - CHAPTER XXII. - The March beyond the River—The Exciting Discovery by the - Enemy—General Sherman’s Strategy—On to Savannah—The - Rebel—Surprise—The Army approach the City—A bold Movement—The - Scouts—The Signals—Fort McAllister stormed—Savannah invested, 287 - - CHAPTER XXIII. - The Surrender of the City demanded—The Refusal—Preparation to - Attack—The Enemy Flee—The Entrance of the Union Army—Scenes - that followed—General Sherman and the Negroes, 304 - - CHAPTER XXIV. - Major-General Sherman appreciated at Home—A Conflagration—A New - and Bolder Campaign—General Sherman begins his March—Perils and - Progress—Branchville and Columbia—Charleston, 330 - - CHAPTER XXV. - Wilmington—Peace Commissioners—General Sherman’s - Statesmanship—His Characteristics—Interesting Recollections of - General Sherman—His Pure Character, 357 - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - - The Boyhood of Heroes—The ancestry of William Teeumseh Sherman— - The death of his Father—Why the name of the Indian Chief was - given him—The Birth-place of William Tecumseh. - -MY youthful reader, you have heard the adage, “the boy is father of -the man;” which means clearly, that the principles and habits of early -years form the character and destiny of after life. And you will find in -the history of nearly all great and good men, in this country certainly, -that they began, in humble circumstances, their career. Not that poverty -is necessary to success, but the struggle to carve one’s own way in the -world, the almost unaided effort to secure an education for a profession -or business, develops and strengthens character. - -Another thing is true of deservedly eminent men; they were obedient and -dutiful while under the parental roof. A selfish, rebellious boy, never -made an honored member of society and of the State. You will find -illustrations of these truths in the lives of Washington, Adams, -Lincoln, Grant, Mitchel, Sherman, and many others, whose fame is lasting -as our institutions. - -In the year 1634 the Hon. Samuel Sherman, his brother, Rev. John -Sherman, and their cousin, Captain John Sherman, who were residents of -Dedham, England, came to this country. This was only thirteen years -after the _May Flower_, with its pilgrim company, rocked in -Massachusetts Bay. There were no ocean steamers then proudly ploughing -the broad Atlantic. In a ship like the plain bark which bore the first -colony, whose free principles, civil and religious, lie at the -foundation of this Republic, they embarked for the wilderness of the New -World. - -You can see, in imagination, the white-winged vessel glide from its -haven into the “wide, wide sea,” and float like a speck over the waste -of waters. The winds blow, the crested billows toss the _Shermans_, with -the rest of the ship’s company, about for weeks; they little dreaming of -quite a different storm, in which a descendant would figure so -conspicuously, just two hundred and thirty years later. At length the -ship reached Boston harbor. - -The Rev. John Sherman; a graduate of Immanuel College, “and a Puritan,” -went at once to his work. The Sabbath dawned, and under an ancient tree -in the present town of Watertown, three miles from Boston, you might -have seen a quiet and attentive congregation listening to his first -sermon in America. Here he settled, after receiving a call to Milford, -Conn. Some of his descendants were excellent and popular divines. The -captain also settled there; and from his branch of the family came Roger -Sherman, the signer of the Declaration of Independence. - -The Hon. Samuel Sherman pushed on to Wethersfield, Conn. Soon after he -removed to Stamford, and finally settled down in Stratford. The “coat of -arms,” that is to say, the family escutcheon or badge, bears a lion -rampant, and a sea lion on the crest. The motto is: “Conquer death by -virtue.” From him descended the “hero of our story,” whose grandfather, -Taylor Sherman, for many years judge, died May 4th, 1815, in the -ripeness of his manhood, at the age of fifty-eight. - -The widow, like the families of Generals Grant and Mitchel, and of our -most worthy President, turned her face toward the far West; for it was -then a long and weary way to the rich valleys of the Mississippi and its -tributaries. The beautiful State of Ohio—the empire State of the -western world—became her home. The prospects, for her sons especially, -on the cheap, rich soil, and in the rising towns of that vast and new -territory, were much better than in New England. - -The pleasant settlement of Lancaster was their first residence. -Subsequently she removed to Mansfield, in the same State, where she died -in 1848. Her children were Charles Robert, who was born September 26th, -1788, Daniel and Betsey. Charles married Mary Hoyt, May 8th, 1810, and -settled in Lancaster. His profession was law, in which he excelled -particularly as an advocate; he was very eloquent and successful in -pleading the cause of his clients before the judge and jury. - -In the year 1823 he was elected judge of the Superior Court of Ohio. He -continued in this high position till June 20th, 1829. Could you have -stood in the court room on that early summer day, you would have seen -the fine intelligent face of the judge suddenly grow pale, followed by -an expression of suffering. The eyes of the “gentlemen of the bar,” and -of citizens present, are turned with anxious interest toward him. Soon -after, he is compelled to leave the bench and remove to his private -apartment, where he rapidly sinks into the embrace of death. His disease -was supposed to be that fatal scourge of eastern lands and our own—the -cholera. Probably my young reader was not born when it spread terror -through nearly all the cities of our Union. In 1840 his remains were -removed to Lancaster, Ohio. Should you become a western lawyer, you may -have occasion to consult his decisions, contained in the first three -volumes of the Ohio Reports. - -This gifted, highly educated and popular judge left a widow with eleven -children. She was a devoted wife and mother, and a communicant in the -Presbyterian Church. Charles T., the eldest, is now a successful lawyer -in Washington, D. C.; the next in order was Mary Elizabeth; the third, -James; the fourth, Amelia; the fifth, Julia; and the sixth, William -Tecumseh, our hero. After him were L. Parker, John, the able and loyal -senator from Ohio, who was born May 10th, 1823; and after him were Susan -D. Hoyt and Frances B. - -William Tecumseh was born February 8th, 1820. It was quite difficult to -decide upon a name for the boy. “What shall we call him?” was the topic -of much domestic chat. Two or three favorite names were suggested and -discussed, but still the child was nameless. - -One day the father, who had seen the Indian chieftain Tecumseh, and -admired that really great man, came in and said, “I have the name of a -better man than either we have mentioned.” The eye and ear of those -around the cradle were turned to know whom he could be. The bright boy -only seemed to have no interest in the matter. “_Tecumseh_, we will name -him,” was the almost startling announcement. It was softened down to the -tone of civilized life by the addition of William. The further reason -for the selection of a warrior’s name who fought for the English, I will -tell you, as I did the story of “Ulysses S. Grant,” now his -lieutenant-general, in the language of another who wrote me on the -subject: “Tecumseh, the celebrated chief and warrior of the Shawanoese -tribe, who was killed at the battle of the Thames, October 5th, 1813, -was for a long time kept in rather fond remembrance in this immediate -vicinity, by those who were engaged in that conflict, of whom Captain -Sanderson is still a resident here; because they knew that several times -he prevented the shedding of innocent blood. This fact, with the desire -of Mr. Sherman to have one son educated for military life, led him to -choose Tecumseh for the boy, he being born not long after the death of -that chieftain.” - -Tecumthé, or as it is written Tecumseh, a Shawanoese Indian, was born in -Piqua, since called West Boston, on Mad River, in Clarke County, Ohio. -Tecumseh’s grandmother was the daughter of a Southern English colonial -governor, who fancied the handsome young Creek, and married him. Their -only son took for his wife a Shawanese woman, who gave birth to Tecumseh -while on a journey from the southern to the western hunting grounds. A -few years later three more sons were born at the same time, one of whom, -Tenskwautawaw, became the famous prophet who was the artful and -unprincipled instrument of his brother, Tecumseh, in his great lifework, -which was to arouse and unite the western tribes in the last determined -effort to drive and keep their white neighbors from the valley of the -Mississippi. While a boy, his splendid genius gave him the leadership -among his playmates, and he “was in the habit of arranging them in -parties for the purpose of fighting sham battles.” - -When about fifteen years old, he was so shocked at the scene then common -among the Indians—burning prisoners at the stake—that he determined to -give his voice against the horrid custom. The young reformer first -displayed his commanding eloquence in his bold condemnation of the -practice, which through his powerful influence gradually disappeared. He -advocated total abstinence from ardent spirits, the principal source of -savage degradation and destruction, and urged his people to drop all -superfluous ornaments, and abstain from the use of articles sold by the -traders. Like his illustrious namesake, our hero, he was mighty in -speech as well as in the battle-field. I will give in illustration a -brief address made August 12th, 1810, to Governor Harrison, whom he met -in council at Vincennes, on the Wabash River. The fine words and grand -views of the warrior, will make you think of our own Tecumseh marching -over the very country from which the ancestors of the Shawanoese came: - -“I have made myself what I am; and I would that I could make the red -people as great as the conceptions of my mind, when I think of the Great -Spirit that rules over all. I would not then come to Governor Harrison -to ask him to tear the treaty; but I would say to him, Brother, you have -liberty to return to your own country. Once there was no white man in -all this country; then it belonged to red men, children of the same -parents, placed on it by the Great Spirit to keep it, to travel over it, -to eat its fruits, and fill it with the same race—once a happy race, -but now made miserable by the white people, who are never contented, but -always encroaching. They have driven us from the great salt water, -forced us over the mountains, and would shortly push us into the lakes; -but we are determined to go no further. The only way to stop this evil -is for all the red men to unite in claiming a common and equal right in -the land, as it was at first and should be now—for it never was -divided, and belongs to all. No tribe has a right to sell, even to each -other, much less to strangers, who demand all, and will take no less. -The white people have no right to take the land from the Indians, who -had it first—it is theirs. They may sell, but all must join. Any sale -not made by all is not good. The late sale is bad; it was made by a part -only. Part do not know how to sell. It requires all to make a bargain -for all.” - -This upright, humane, and unequalled warrior, after struggling in vain -to save his declining race, fell gloriously during the last war with -England, in the battle of the Thames, not many miles from Detroit, on -the Canada side. - -His American namesake, by a singular course of providential events, as -you know and will read in the record of his life more fully, became the -greatest military commander of the age, in the very region from which, -with his people, he emigrated to the West. - -I will now take you to the place of William Tecumseh’s birth. Lancaster -is in Fairfield County, Ohio, on the Hockhocking River, twenty-eight -miles east of Columbus, the capital of the State. The valley is very -beautiful. It was the home of the Wyandots less than a century ago, and -was called Tarh or Crowtown, from the name of the principal chief. His -wigwam was on the bank-border of a prairie, near a clear and living -spring, from whose gushing waters he slaked his thirst for many years. - -In 1800 a Mr. Fane laid out Lancaster on Mount Pleasant, called by the -Indians, who at that time still lingered there, “Standing-Stone,” -because the summit was formed of masses of sandstone. It was a place of -popular resort on account of the extensive and magnificent views of the -surrounding country. Duke Saxe Weimar, who travelled in this country -about forty years since, carved his name on its rock. - -For several years after Lancaster was settled, the people had a curious -regulation, of which I must tell you, and something like which would not -be a bad arrangement at the present day. Stumps of the forest trees so -lately there, were scattered along the streets; and when a man was -caught intoxicated, the penalty was, the _removal of a stump_. The -drunkards and the stumps both were thinned out; for whenever a citizen -went staggering among the remnants of the primeval woods, he was watched -till sober enough to go to work, then set to digging at the roots. -Tipplers were careful to walk abroad in straight lines; and if one -failed to keep within the limits of _temperate_ drinking, he must take -good exercise at the stump, which was both a public exposure and a -blessing to the village. - -Lancaster is now a handsome city, full of western activity, and keeping -step to the music— - - “Westward the star of empire takes its way.” - -Such was and is the birthplace of William Tecumseh Sherman. - -[Illustration: WILLIAM TECUMSEH IN THE SAND BANK.] - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - - The Eventful Call—“Cump” in the Sandbank—The Unexpected Summons - —He obeys—His new Home—School days—A Studious and Reliable - Boy—Is appointed Cadet—Leaves Home for West Point—His Life in - the Academy—Graduates and goes to Florida. - -“MOTHER, may I go and play in the sand?” said a bright boy one day, -cap in hand, ready to bound into the open air. Almost before the -expected “yes” had ceased to echo in the room, “Cump,” as he was -familiarly called, hastened to a bank in which excavations had been -made, and the sand taken away. He was soon “busy as a bee,” throwing up -miniature fortifications and heaps in various forms, after the models of -his own juvenile invention. - -Meanwhile the distinguished Hon. Thomas Ewing, now the venerable -representative of the statesmen of the past, a resident of Lancaster, -entered the widowed mother’s dwelling. He knew that the benevolent and -departed father had not left her large family a fortune. It would -therefore be no easy task to educate and start them in the world. And -his errand there was to ask her to commit one of the boys to his home -and care. He said, with a playful earnestness, “I must have the smartest -of the lot; I will take no other, and you must select him for me.” After -a short consultation between the mother and eldest daughter, the choice -fell upon “Cump.” So it was decided that Mr. Ewing should take him to -his house and educate him with his own children. - -Leaving the mother and sister saddened with the prospect of parting with -the boy, he went to the sandbank, where we just now left William at -play. “Come, my boy,” said the unexpected visitor, “you are going to -live with me. I have seen your mother; she has given her consent.” - -The astonished little worker listened, and looked a moment at his -benefactor, then straightened up, brushed off the sand, and started -after him. That night he went to his bed in his new and beautiful home -with strange thoughts, and a shadow upon his young spirit. He had left -mother and the home of his childhood for life; only as an occasional -visitor. It was a crisis in his history, and one which decided in the -result his brilliant martial career. The public schools, which are now -the pride of our land, were not then known in Ohio. But Lancaster could -boast a good academy, and into its English department Tecumseh was -entered as a pupil. He had reached his ninth year, and soon convinced -his teacher and companions that he could take a high rank among the -boy-students of his age. - -Mr. Ewing assured me that there was nothing remarkable or eccentric in -his experience during the years that followed, excepting his executive -ability in little matters of business committed to him. He “never knew -so young a boy who would do an errand so correctly and promptly as he -did. He was transparently honest, faithful, and reliable. Studious and -correct in his habits, his progress in education was steady and -substantial.” At the age of sixteen, Mr. Ewing, in his official -position, had at his disposal the appointment of a cadet to the Military -Academy at West Point, and determined to offer it to his “_protégé_.” -Tecumseh had a taste for military life, and of course gladly accepted -the honor. - -Before we follow him to that institution we will take another glimpse of -the home of his adoption. Mrs. Ewing was a highly intelligent lady, a -member of the Roman Catholic Church, and had the privilege of educating -her children in her own faith. Her daughter Ellen was at this time an -attractive girl of nearly the same age of Tecumseh. For half a dozen of -life’s most careless, happy years, they had been to school, talked and -played together. And it is not strange that among the friends he left -behind him, when he turned the second time from home, and now for a -distant abode among strangers, that to part with her should be no common -trial for his young and manly heart. But he had entered for himself - - “Upon life’s broad field of battle,” - -and hastened to the ordeal of examination for admission to the academy. -The bright day of trial has come. Look in upon the spacious hall where -the Examining Board and distinguished visitors have gathered, to see and -hear what the young candidates for freshman honors may know. Now listen; -young Sherman’s name is called. He is modest, yet perfectly -self-possessed. After answering a test question with remarkable -propriety and dignity, a professor remarked: “He is a _blooded_ fellow!” -that is, he was of good blood—had the _ingrained_ qualities of -manliness, and the promise of honorable distinction. This was in the -summer of 1836. He advanced from class to class, mastering the studies -in the course, and maintaining a high reputation in all his relations to -the officers and students of the academy. He was quite at home in -artillery, which you know is the handling of heavy guns; and in the -saddle at the riding school of the institution. He graduated fifth in -his class June 30th, 1840. The rebel General Beauregard was a classmate. - -You have learned that, as a man, he _loses no time_ in his military -movements. Created second lieutenant in the Third Artillery, he repaired -to Florida in the service of the regular army. When the autumnal leaves -rustled in the war-path, he was fairly in the ranks and under the old -flag, which he was destined to honor so well, and with whose stars his -name would shine while it floats over the land of his birth. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - - The Lieutenant in the Florida War—Its Origin—The “Exiles”— - Seminole Indians—Osceola—His wife made prisoner—The second - Seminole War—Wild Cat’s Daughter—Peace—Lessons of the events - before and after. - -WHEN Lieutenant Sherman reached the Southern peninsula, our war with -the “exiles” and Seminoles had been in progress about five years. “Who -were the ‘exiles?’” you ask. In answering that question I shall give you -some account of the Florida wars, in which many of our West Point -graduates have been actors; among them Generals Grant, Mitchel, and -Sherman. And I shall let a distinguished statesmen, who has recently -died,[1] and who wrote a book about the “exiles,” tell you some -interesting things concerning these people. - -“Florida was originally settled by Spaniards in 1558. They were the -first people to engage in the African slave trade, and sought to supply -other nations with servants from the coast of Guinea. The colonists held -many slaves, expecting to accumulate wealth by the unrequited toil of -their fellow-men. - -“Carolina, by her first and second charters, claimed a vast extent of -country, embracing St. Augustine and most of Florida. Here was the first -occasion for hostilities, the conflicting claims to jurisdiction, of the -Spaniards and the colonies. The Carolinians also held many slaves. -Profiting by the labor of their servants, the people sought to increase -their wealth by enslaving the Indians who resided in their vicinity. -Hence in the early slave codes of that colony we find reference to -‘negro and _other_ slaves.’ - -“When the boundaries of Florida and South Carolina became established, -the colonists found themselves separated by the territory now -constituting the State of Georgia, at that time mostly occupied by the -Creek Indians. The efforts of the Carolinians to enslave the Indians -brought with them the natural and appropriate penalties. The Indians -soon began to make their escape from service to the Indian country. This -example was soon followed by the African slaves, who also fled to the -Indian country, and, in order to secure themselves from pursuit, -continued their journey into Florida. - -“We are unable to fix the precise time when the persons thus exiled -constituted a separate community. Their numbers had become so great in -1736 that they were formed into companies, and relied on by the -Floridians as allies to aid in the defence of that territory. They were -also permitted to occupy lands upon the same terms that were granted to -the citizens of Spain; indeed, they in all respects became free subjects -of the Spanish crown. Probably to this early and steady policy of the -Spanish Government, we may attribute the establishment and continuance -of this community of ‘exiles’ in that territory. A messenger was sent by -the Colonial Government of South Carolina to demand the return of those -fugitive slaves who had found an asylum in Florida. The demand was made -upon the Governor of St. Augustine, but was promptly rejected. This was -the commencement of a controversy which has continued for more than a -century, involving our nation in a vast expenditure of blood and -treasure, and it yet remains undetermined. The constant escape of -slaves, and the difficulties resulting therefrom, constituted the -principal object for establishing a free colony between South Carolina -and Florida, which was called Georgia. It was thought that this colony, -being free, could afford the planters of Carolina protection against the -further escape of their slaves from service. These ‘exiles’ were by the -Creek Indians called ‘Seminoles,’ which in their dialect signifies -‘runaways,’ and the term being frequently used while conversing with the -Indians, came into almost constant practice among the whites; and -although it has now come to be applied to a certain tribe of Indians, -yet it was originally used in reference to these ‘exiles’ long before -the Seminole Indians had separated from the Creeks.” - -These “exiles,” once slaves, had settled in rich valleys, and had their -flocks, and herds, and children around them. The great State of Georgia -did not like to see this paradise of escaped bondmen prosper. Indeed, -she looked with covetous eye upon every foot of Indian territory within -her limits, and seems to have early decided, with or without the -national sanction and help, to take possession of the “exiles,” and of -the lands belonging to the Aborigines. The first thing was to get -Florida from Spain, then seize the “exiles.” - -Such influences were brought to bear upon Congress, that in _secret_ -session a law was passed in 1811 to wrest the territory from the -authority of Spain. And now commenced the invasion of that country by -the most desperate men. It was like the outrage upon “bleeding Kansas” -since. - -The Seminoles had refused to surrender the “exiles,” and the Georgians -determined to exterminate them. This injustice and cruelty opened the -_first_ war with the Seminoles. Hostilities continued for many years, -attended with deeds of savage heroism, scenes of horror and of death, -till many an American soldier found a grave in the gloomy everglade and -dark river channel. At length there was a pause in the terrible border -warfare. Outrages by the white people continued, “exiles” were captured, -treaties broken, and the effort renewed to remove the Seminoles to the -western territory. Upon a certain day when a consultation was held over -a speech addressed by the Secretary of State, General Cass, urging -emigration, a youthful warrior, named “Osceola,” since very famous, drew -his burnished knife from his belt, and said, while striking it into the -table before him, “_This is the only treaty I will ever make with the -whites._” It was a threat of war again, soon realized. He was the son of -an Indian trader, a white man named Powell. His mother was the daughter -of a Seminole chief. He had recently married a woman said to have been -very “beautiful.” She was the daughter of a chief who had married one of -the “exiles,” but as all colored people, by slaveholding laws, are said -to follow the condition of the mother, she was called an African slave. -Osceola was proud of his ancestry. He hated slavery, and those who -practised the holding of slaves, with a bitterness that is but little -understood by those who have never witnessed its revolting crimes. He -visited Fort King in company with his wife and a few friends, for the -purpose of trading. Mr. Thompson, the agent, was present, and while -engaged in business, the wife of Osceola was seized as a slave. -Evidently having negro blood in her veins, the law pronounced her a -slave; and, as no other person could show title to her, the pirate who -had got possession of her body, was supposed, of course, to be her -owner. Osceola became frantic with rage, but was instantly seized and -placed in irons, while his wife was hurried away to slaveholding -pollution. He remained six days in irons, when, General Thompson says, -he became penitent, and was released. From the moment when this outrage -was committed, the Florida War may be regarded as commenced. Osceola -swore vengeance upon Thompson, and those who assisted in the -perpetration of this indignity upon himself, as well as upon his wife, -and upon our common humanity. The “exiles” endeavored to stimulate the -Indians to deeds of valor. In general council they decreed that the -first Seminole who should make any movement preparatory to emigration, -should suffer death. Charley E. Mathlu, a respected chief, soon after -fell a victim to this decree. Osceola commanded the party who slew him. -He had sold a portion of his cattle to the whites, for which he had -received pay in gold. This money was found upon his person when he fell. -Osceola forbade any one touching the gold, saying it was the price of -the red man’s blood, and with his own hands he scattered it in different -directions as far as he was able to throw it. But his chief object -appeared to have been the death of General Thompson. Other Indians and -“exiles” were preparing for other important operations, but Osceola -seemed intent—his whole soul was absorbed in devising some plan by -which he could safely reach Mr. Thompson, who was the object of his -vengeance. He, or some of his friends, kept constant watch on the -movements of Thompson, who was unconscious of the danger to which he was -exposed. Osceola, steady to his purpose, refused to be diverted from -this favorite object. Thompson was at Fort King, and there were but few -troops to protect that fortress. But Indians seldom attempt an escalade, -and Osceola sought an opportunity to take it by surprise. With some -twenty followers he lay secreted near the fort for days and weeks, -determined to find some opportunity to enter by the open gate, when the -troops should be off their guard. Near the close of December, 1835, a -runner brought him information that Major Dade, with his command, was to -leave Fort Brooke on the twenty-fifth of that month, and that those who -intended to share in the attack upon that regiment, must be at the great -“Wahoo Swamp” by the evening of the twenty-seventh. This had no effect -whatever upon Osceola. No circumstance could withdraw him from the -bloody purpose which filled his soul. - -“On the twenty-eighth, in the afternoon, as he and his followers lay -near the road leading from the fort to the house of the sutler, which -was nearly a mile distant, they saw Mr. Thompson and a friend -approaching. That gentleman and his companions had dined, and, on taking -their cigars, he and Lieutenant Smith, of the second artillery, had -sallied forth for a walk and to enjoy conversation by themselves. At a -signal given by Osceola, the Indians fired. Thompson fell pierced by -fourteen balls; Smith received about as many. The shrill war-whoop -followed the sound of the rifles, and alarmed the people at the fort. -The Indians immediately scalped their victims, and then hastened to the -house where Mr. Rogers, the sutler, and two clerks, were at dinner. -These three persons were instantly massacred and scalped. The Indians -took as many valuable goods as they could carry, and set fire to the -building. The smoke gave notice to those in the fort of the fate that -had befallen the sutler and his clerks. But the condition in which the -commandant found his troops forbade his sending out any considerable -force to ascertain the fate of Thompson and his companion. Near -nightfall a few daring spirits proceeded up the road to the hommock, and -brought the bodies to the fort, but Osceola and his followers had -hastened their flight, not from fear of the troops, but with the hope of -joining their companions at Wahoo in time to engage in scenes of more -general interest.” - -The election campaign for President occurred the very fall Lieutenant -Sherman went to Florida. Martin Van Buren was defeated, and there was no -greater cause of it than the continuance of the Florida war, wasting -precious life and treasure. You will be interested in the story of Wild -Cat’s daughter. He was the son of King Philip, a Seminole chief, and -became himself one of the mighty leaders in the Indian struggle for -existence. Not far from the time young Sherman went to the field of -conflict, the daughter of Wild Cat, “an interesting girl of twelve years -of age, fell into the hands of our troops in a skirmish near Fort -Mellon. This was regarded as a most fortunate circumstance, as it would -be likely to procure an interview with the father. Miceo, a sub-chief -and friend of Wild Cat, was despatched with a white flag, on which were -drawn clasped hands in token of friendship, with a pipe and tobacco. He -found Wild Cat, and delivered the message of the commanding-general, -requesting an interview. Wild Cat agreed to come in, and gave Miceo a -bundle of sticks, denoting the days which would elapse before he -appeared in camp. Miceo returned and made his report. - -“On the fifth of March Wild Cat was announced as approaching the -American camp with seven of his trusty companions. He came boldly within -the line of sentinels, dressed in the most fantastic manner. He and his -party had shortly before killed a company of strolling theatrical -performers, near St. Augustine, and having possessed themselves of the -wardrobe of their victims, put it on. He approached the tent of General -Worth, calm and self-possessed, and shook hands with the officers. He -then addressed the general without hesitation and with dignity, saying -he had received the talk and white flag sent him. He had come according -to invitation to visit the American camp with peaceful intentions, -relying upon his good faith. - -“At this moment his little daughter escaped from the tent where she was -to remain till General Worth should think the proper time to present her -to her father had come. With the feelings and habits of her race, she -gave him musket balls and powder which she had managed to obtain and -secret until his arrival. On seeing his child he could no longer command -that dignity of bearing so much the pride of every Indian chief. His -self-possession gave way to parental emotions; the feelings of the -father gushed forth; he averted his face and wept. - -“Having recovered his self-possession he addressed General Worth, -saying: ‘The whites dealt unjustly by me. I came to them, when they -deceived me. I loved the land I was upon; my body is made of its sands. -The Great Spirit gave me legs to walk over it; eyes to see it; hands to -aid myself; a head with which I think. The sun, which shines warm and -bright, brings forth our crops; and the moon brings back the spirits of -our warriors, our fathers, our wives and children. The white man comes; -he grows pale and sickly; why can we not live in peace? They steal our -horses and cattle, cheat us, and take our lands. They may shoot us—may -chain our hands and feet, _but the red man’s heart will be free_. I have -come to you in peace, and have taken you all by the hand. I will sleep -in your camp, though your soldiers stand around me thick as pine trees. -I am done: when we know each other better, I will say more.’ - -“During the interview, Wild Cat spoke with great sincerity; frankly -stated the condition and feelings of his people; stated the friendly -attachment between the ‘exiles’ and Indians; said that they would not -consent to be separated; that nothing could be done until their annual -assemblage in June, to feast on the green corn; that, hard as the fate -was, he would consent to emigrate, and would use his influence to induce -his friends to do so. After remaining four days in camp, he and his -companions left, accompanied by his little daughter, whom he presented -to her mother on reaching his own encampment.” - -Young Sherman was created first lieutenant November, 1841, and soon -after the war closed, followed by the removal of the “exiles” to the -country beyond the State of Arkansas, joining the Creeks there. - -There are two very interesting facts you will think of in this glimpse -of the early experience of our cadet-soldier. The first is, the real -beginning of the great rebellion, in the unjust and oppressive claims of -the Southern States upon other races, and upon our national legislation. -The other curious fact is the awful desolation of that leading State in -this wrong, Georgia, by the lieutenant, more than a score of years -afterwards, in the defence of our own imperilled liberties. - ------ - -[1] Hon. Joshua R. Giddings. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - - Lieutenant Sherman in Fort Moultrie—The Fortress—The Mexican War - —He goes to California—His Service there—Appointed Captain— - His Marriage—Exciting Scenes in California—In the Commissary - Department—Resigns his Commission—Turns Banker. - -LIEUTENANT SHERMAN was next ordered to Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan’s -Island, in Charleston harbor. Do you know the origin of that fortress -and of its name? Six days before the Declaration of Independence was -signed, there was a memorable battle and victory here, over the British -squadron commanded by Sir Peter Parker. A post had been commenced, -which, upon the appearance of the fleet was hastily completed, under the -command of General Moultrie, a very brave officer. - -General Charles Lee, the commander-in-chief at this post, urged Moultrie -to abandon the works, because the men-of-war would soon blow them to -pieces. “Then we will fight behind the ruins,” said the gallant leader -of a band, who answered his bold words with a “_hurrah!_” The battle -opened, and soon the American flag, which was then a white crescent on a -ground of blue, went down. The spectators at a distance thought the post -had surrendered. But no—the flag-staff was shot off, and Sergeant -William Jasper leaped through the embrasure of the wall, and seizing it, -restored it to its place on the battlements. He was a young hero, and -his name is among those of the daring defenders of the _first_ banner of -the Revolution. - -In this fortress Lieutenant Sherman had an unexciting round of duty. But -more active service was near. If you will turn to the map of the United -States you will see that the boundary between Texas and Mexico on the -south, runs northwesterly toward the Pacific Ocean, where lies -California, bounded on the southern side by Mexico. When war followed -the dispute between the United States and the Mexican Government about -the dividing line, in 1846, it was necessary to have troops in -California. With the forces sent to that new and thinly-settled region, -Lieutenant Sherman went under the banner he loved with all the -enthusiasm of his ardent nature. The fighting was principally done, you -know, at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey, Molino del Rey, and a -few other points far from the post of Sherman. But he did his duty in -the ranks of the frontier-guard, and was off on recruiting service when -those fierce battles were fought. - -California had been for many years under the Government of Mexico. The -people rebelled against Santa Anna, asserted their independence, but -again submitted to the old authority. In 1842 its rich plains attracted -emigration from all lands, which increased rapidly till war with Mexico -was declared. General Fremont was there. A quarrel began between the -Mexican people and the settlers. This was increased by the conflict of -the two nations, which resulted in our establishing a territorial -government. The whole was ceded to the United States at the close of the -war for $15,000,000, and became a State in 1850. With the flood of -population from many countries, before and after Lieutenant Sherman went -there, lawlessness of all kinds prevailed. Gambling was a common -business, incendiarism equally so, and justice was almost unknown, even -in the Government. Men were shot in open day for giving offence; the -people became alarmed, and appointed a vigilance committee, who took law -into their own hands. Our still youthful officer opposed such assumption -of power, believing in redress for wrongs through the constitutional -remedies. And often since the civil war commenced has he beguiled the -weary hours of camp-life by recounting the exciting scenes of those wild -days of California life. He saw a calmer period of history there. The -vigilance committee at length surrendered its power to the State -Government, and California has taken her place among the noblest of our -commonwealths, loyal to the flag in the darkest hour of strife. - -California gold! You have heard of the mania for the mines it created -all over our land when the boy now sixteen was in his cradle. But you -may not know what a chance to make a fortune Lieutenant Sherman had in -that territory—that he saw the small _beginning_ of the excitement. He -was dining, February 8th, 1848, with Captain Sutter, of Sacramento, who -was building a saw-mill. The workmen opened a sluice to wash out the -“tail-race,” when lo! there was gold in the sand. A specimen was brought -into the room where the officers sat, and pronounced to be the precious -particles, which have since attracted the fortune-hunters of every land -under the sun. But the lieutenant quietly returned to his post, and left -to others the great discovery. - -The rough experiences in southern and western forests—watching the -stealthy Indians, and riding through perilous and difficult paths—were -fitting him for work which would attract the admiring interest of the -world. So well did he improve his opportunities to serve his country and -perfect himself in military science, that his farther promotion to a -captaincy was ordered while on the Pacific coast. The war closed in the -winter of 1848, and the treaty of peace was signed in February of that -year. The life of a “regular” in the army became monotonous. Garrisons -and surveys occupied the troops. But there came, two years later, an -interesting change in the social relations of Captain Sherman. - -The friend he left with so much regret when he bade adieu to Lancaster, -Ohio, for a home at West Point, Miss Ellen B. Ewing, attracted the -gallant young soldier’s steps from the round of martial duty. In the -spring of 1850 he led her to the altar of marriage, in Washington, D. -C., where the bride’s father, the Hon. Thomas Ewing, has spent much of -his long life in Congress, and in the Cabinet. Two of the greatest -statesmen in this or any other nation, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, -were guests on the occasion, also General Zachary Taylor. Not many -weddings in the Republic can boast of so many distinguished persons -among the spectators of the ceremonies, offering their congratulations -to the happy pair. - -Captain Sherman was for a period connected with the Commissary -Department of the Army. Its duties are the furnishing of the various -supplies for the troops. Tired of the quiet and tameness of the service, -in 1853 he resigned his commission, and retired to private life. That -well-known and wealthy citizen of St. Louis, Mr. Lucas, proposed to -establish a banking-house in San Francisco, under the name of “Lucas, -Turner & Co.,” at the head of which was placed Captain Sherman. - -We have come to a singular turn in his history. The cadet has been from -the Florida swamps to the mountains of the northern border, rising in -position, and steadily, honorably pursuing the object immediately before -him, till tired of an almost useless existence, as it seems, in the -army, he is at length a gentlemanly banker in the principal city of the -“golden coast.” Days, weeks, months, and years, find him in the -comparatively quiet round of business affairs. He is at home in the -material condition and politics of the country; for he is familiar -always with the current events of the times. The faithful boy at -errands, is the trusty soldier and banker also. No stain rests on the -record of his success in life. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - - Takes charge of a Military Academy in Alexandria, Louisiana—He - sees the rising storm of Civil War—Resigns—A noble Letter—He - repairs to St. Louis, and superintends a Street Railroad. - -CAPTAIN SHERMAN, of the house of Lucas, Turner & Co., was not -unsuccessful in the banking-office; but it was not suited to his culture -and taste, and he was without large capital. It is not strange, -therefore, that when, in 1860, he was offered the presidency of the -Louisiana State Military Academy at Alexandria, on a salary of five -thousand dollars per annum, he should accept the honorable position. - -You know that, besides the national institution for discipline in the -art of war, there are smaller schools of a similar character in several -of the States, besides private enterprises of great merit. The Academy -at Alexandria was organized in 1860, and, intended to accommodate two -hundred cadets. Whether the State had reference to the possibility of a -collision with the Government in this preparatory work we do not know, -but are sure that the chief officer had no thought of serving the cause -of revolt in taking its management. The town is situated on the Red -River, nearly in the centre of the State, three hundred and fifty miles -from New Orleans, which lies southeast of it, and down the Mississippi. - -Louisiana is a great cotton-growing State, and Alexandria is in one of -the richest portions of the wide plains skirting the stream which poured -its flood into the magnificent tide of the “Father of Waters.” It is -beautifully situated in the midst of cotton plantations, which, like -snow-fields in summer, spread away in every direction from the village. -Here the professor was directing his genius and attainments to carry out -the wishes of the founders of the school, when the first ominous sounds -of rebellion followed the election of Abraham Lincoln. - -He knew the Southern feeling well. The intercourse with the people of -the cotton States, from the association at West Point with their sons to -that hour, convinced him of what we at the North were slow to believe, -that they were determined to have their own way or _fight_. His clear -judgment and forecast caught the signal of revolution in the stormy -councils and secession resolutions which succeeded the political -revolution. The evil spirit of rebellion was in the very atmosphere -about him. There was hot blood, even in the recitation-rooms of the -Academy. The year 1860 closed over a purpose which had slowly but -steadily matured, to leave the institution in which he had just begun to -feel at home, and was fully qualified to manage. It had cost him anxious -thought. But far in advance, as he has been ever since, in his views of -the true issue—the men and the measures we must meet—he was sure a -sanguinary struggle was at hand. It saddened his heart, but nerved his -strong hand to grasp the starry banner and enter the arena of carnage -and victory. - -Thus decided in his convictions and loyalty, he did not wait for the -thunder of cannon around Fort Sumter. He wrote the following manly, -strong, and patriotic letter, which tells its own glorious story: - - “JANUARY 18, 1861. - “GOV. THOMAS O. MOORE, BATON ROUGE, LA. - - “SIR:—As I occupy a _quasi_-military position under this State, - I deem it proper to acquaint you that I accepted such position - when Louisiana was a State in the Union, and when the motto of - the seminary was inserted in marble over the main door, ‘_By the - liberality of the General Government of the United States_: The - Union—_Esto Perpètua_.’ - - “Recent events foreshadow a great change, and it becomes all men - to choose. If Louisiana withdraws from the Federal Union, _I_ - prefer to maintain my allegiance to the old Constitution as long - as a fragment of it survives, and my longer stay here would be - wrong in every sense of the word. In that event, I beg you will - send or appoint some authorized agent to take charge of the arms - and munitions of war here belonging to the State, or direct me - what disposition should be made of them. - - “And furthermore, as President of the Board of Supervisors, I - beg you to take immediate steps to relieve me as superintendent - the moment the State determines to secede; for on no earthly - account will I do any act, or think any thought, hostile to or - in defiance of the old Government of the United States. - - “With great respect, &c., - “(Signed) W. T. SHERMAN.” - -What a scorching rebuke is that in the first paragraph! How sublimely -loyal the sentiments of the last! - -The resignation was accepted. The professor turned his back upon his -cadets and upon Louisiana, till he shall return under the torn and -blackened flag of conquest. Repairing to St. Louis, he had no employment -for his brain or hands. But he was ready for any honest work. Mr. Lucas, -one of the millionaires of the city, offered him the office of -superintendent of a street railroad, on a salary of two thousand dollars -a year. He at once entered upon its duties, without a regret that he had -abandoned the halls of military science and a larger reward for his -labor. - -My young reader, it is a lesson for all ages and all times. Embrace the -providential openings for reputable and useful labor, without regard to -the present applause or the favor of the busy multitude about you. Think -of the brave Captain—the educated instructor—managing the affairs of a -city horse-railway! Then think of the host of young men, who would -rather starve, or _gamble_, to keep up the appearance of wealth and -position, rather than _go down_ in the world’s estimate of what is -respectable and fashionable, and you will admire the truly heroic -character of the gifted Sherman. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - - Sumter falls—Sherman repairs to Washington—His Interview with - the Secretary of War and the President—His Prophetic Insight of - the Threatening Times—The state of the Country—Rebel - Expectations. - -THE traitorous Secretary of War, John B. Floyd, had not lost sight of -the probable uprising of the South at no distant period, for a moment, -during all of his official career. Every fort on her soil was made an -easy prey to her rebellious hand by reducing their garrisons. - -The magnificent Fortress Monroe, on which the United States had expended -nearly two and a half millions, could muster only eight companies of -artillery. The forts, Moultrie, Pinckney, and Sumter, of Charleston -harbor, had only eighty men, who were in Fort Moultrie. - -And yet, had you been in the Halls of Congress when Mr. Clarke, of New -Hampshire, offered a resolution of inquiry into the condition of those -defences, you would have heard a storm of apparently virtuous -indignation from Jefferson Davis and his fellow-conspirators, as if the -intimation of treachery were an insult to Southern chivalry. - -A week later General Anderson and his band, loyal to the national -banner, having become assured that their capture with Fort Moultrie was -designed, after destroying its equipment as far as possible, stole at -dead of night from its walls and floated over the waters to silent -Sumter, whose massive battlements promised a safer refuge from the -passions of infatuated men. The rebels immediately seized Forts Moultrie -and Pinckney; and ten days later the Star of the West, an unarmed -steamer conveying a reënforcement of two hundred and fifty soldiers and -supplies for the destitute garrison, was fired upon from newly-erected -earthworks. - -The spring came with flowers and birds, but the angry storm of rebellion -beat around Sumter with increasing fury. Iron-clad batteries had risen -on every hand to cut off the approach of our ships, and grim ordnance -now pointed toward the old fortress. - -April 12th a messenger approached it with a very brief message to Major -Anderson; it was, “Surrender!” The reply was nearly as short: “His sense -of honor and his obligations to the Government would prevent -compliance.” - -A few hours after, and “boom! boom!” was the sound, followed with shot -and shell, against Sumter’s walls, which opened a bloody civil war. In -the iron hail the fort was scarred, and its ground covered with -exploding shells. At length the band, one-third the number of the famous -warriors at Thermopylæ, against ten thousand, saw the hopelessness of -resistance, and made honorable terms to themselves, of surrender. Every -telegraphic wire in the land, North and South, trembled to the tidings -of the battle hour. - -The Hon. Thomas Ewing wrote Charles Taylor Sherman, of Washington, the -brother of William Tecumseh, to use his influence to get the latter -again into the army. He felt that he was, and _would be_ needed. The -intelligent, patriotic mind of the captain did not require _light_ for -action, but only _opportunity_. - -Our railroad superintendent at St. Louis thought that all observant -people must see that a terrible conflict had begun, and like Grant in -Galena, left his office to offer his services to the Government, and his -life, if that should be the sacrifice, included in their acceptance. He -hastened to the nation’s capital. Soon after reaching Washington he -called on Secretary Cameron. - -“Mr. Secretary, civil war is imminent, and we are unprepared for it. I -have come to offer my services to the country in the struggle before -us.” - -“I think,” replies Mr. Cameron, “the ebullition of feeling will soon -subside, we shall not need many troops.” - -Indeed the Secretary was quite surprised, if not annoyed, at the -earnestness of Captain Sherman. He next sought an interview with the -President, and made a similar statement and offer to him. The good -President was inclined to take the whole thing as a joke. After -listening to the serious enthusiasm expressed in the strong appeal, he -replied, pleasantly: “We shall not need many more like you; the whole -affair will soon blow over.” - -He left the Chief Magistrate of a republic whose very existence he knew -was assailed, with a shadow of disappointment on his brave, loyal -spirit—not for himself, but for the cause near his heart. Friends then -advised him to go to Ohio and superintend the organization of three -months’ men there. He declared “it would be as wise to undertake to -extinguish the flames of a burning building with a squirt gun, as to put -down the rebellion with three months’ troops.” - -To talk of any thing less than a gigantic war was to him absurd. But he -was then nearly alone in his just estimate of the struggle. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - - The Conflict Deepens—The Captain is made Colonel of the - Thirteenth New York Volunteers—The Battle of Bull Run—The - unterrified Commander of the Thirteenth and his Troops—The - Brave Stand. - -INSTEAD of “blowing over,” the storm of rebellion grew darker, and -extended toward every point of the horizon. The appointment of Captain -Sherman to an important command was discussed and urged by those who -knew him. And what do you think he said? You recollect our -Lieutenant-General, when he asked the privilege of serving his country, -declined a generalship because too modest to aspire to its honors. The -lamented Major-General Mitchel desired any place, however humble, where -he might defend the Stars and Stripes. And said the gallant Sherman: “I -do not wish a prominent place; this is to be a long and bloody war.” - -Real _ability_ to achieve, and moral worth, are never boastful and -impatient to astonish the people. Even the great rebel General Lee, in a -letter recently published, urges the same unassuming, calm performance -of present duty upon his son: quoting as an illustration the “old -Puritan,” who in the early period of our legislation, when the day -suddenly became outwardly dark, as if the sun had disappeared from the -heavens, causing a pause of alarm, some fearing the judgment-day was at -hand, called for a light, saying he wished to proceed to business, and -be found at his post of duty when the final catastrophe came. This is -good counsel for us all, though from a _rebel’s_ pen. - -General McDowell, who was then one of our most popular commanders, seems -to have had a just appreciation of Sherman. He wanted his services; and -on the 13th of June, 1861, offered him the colonelcy of the Thirteenth -Infantry in the regular army, the command dating May 14th of that year. - -A month of preparation for the field passed, and the first great meeting -of the opposing armies summoned him to the war-path. July 16th, General -McDowell, with thirty-two thousand five hundred men, moved in four -divisions upon Manassas, through which lay the route to Richmond, the -capital of Virginia and of the Confederacy. From Arlington Heights, Long -Bridge, and Alexandria, the troops marched proudly forward, anticipating -an early victory. - -Never before, my young reader, did a large army go to the plain of -carnage with hearts so light and gay—“as if on a pic-nic excursion.” It -was a splendid, and to most of the troops a novel spectacle, that march -upon the “sacred soil” of the “Old Dominion,” to the animating notes of -“The Star Spangled Banner” and other national airs. July 21st, the -Sabbath day, the signals of battle were seen in our lines, regardless of -the hallowed time, and confident of an almost bloodless conquest. - -Colonel Bowman, one of General Sherman’s officers since, and a faithful -friend, has given a clear and unvarnished story of his part in the -affray: - -“The enemy had planted a battery on Warrenton turnpike, to command the -passage of Bull Run, and seized the stone bridge which crossed it, -erecting a heavy abatis to prevent our advance in that direction. The -object of the battle was to force this position, with a view to -subsequent operations beyond. The army engaged was commanded by -Brigadier-General McDowell. The fourth division was left in the rear. -The first, second, third, and fifth were commanded respectively by -Brigadier-General Tyler, and Colonels Hunter, Heintzelman, and Miles. In -the plan of battle, Miles was to be in reserve on the Centreville Ridge; -Tyler was to advance directly in front of Stone Bridge, on the Warrenton -road, and cannonade the enemy’s batteries; Hunter and Heintzelman were -to move to the right and cross the run above, and get to the enemy’s -rear. Colonel Sherman commanded the third brigade in Tyler’s (first) -division, consisting of troops since renowned for gallantry—Captain -Ayres’ Regular Battery, the Thirteenth, Sixty-ninth, and Seventy-ninth -New York, and Second Wisconsin infantry. - -“The advance was commenced on the morning of the 21st, and a part of -Hunter’s and Heintzelman’s divisions, according to McDowell’s official -report, ‘forced the enemy back far enough to allow Sherman’s and Keyes’s -brigades of Tyler’s division to cross from their position on the -Warrenton road. These drove the right of the enemy, understood to have -been commanded by Beauregard, from the front of the field, and out of -the detached woods, and down the road, and across it, up the slopes, on -the other side.’ Pressing on, these two brigades, with the two divisions -on the right, came upon an elevated ridge or table of land. Here was the -severest fighting of the famous battle. Sherman led his brigade directly -up the Warrenton road, and held his ground till the general order came -to retreat. It will be the verdict of history that the fighting at Bull -Run was no more disgraceful to us than the unsuccessful fighting of the -French at Waterloo. It was the disorganized _rout_ after the day was -done that showed that our army was as yet but an undisciplined rabble. -The day was lost partly by the delay in attack, but chiefly by the -arrival of reënforcements under Johnston, when victory was already in -our hands. General Patterson was the Grouchy of our Waterloo. - -“One fact in the battle has hitherto escaped comment. The orders of -Tyler’s division were to cross Bull Run, when possible, and join Hunter -on the right. This was done, Sherman leading off, with the Sixty-ninth -New York in advance, and encountering a party of the enemy retreating -along a cluster of pines. Lieutenant-Colonel Haggerty, of the -Sixty-ninth, without orders, rode over to intercept their retreat, and -was shot dead by the enemy. Furious at his loss, the Sixty-ninth sprang -forward and opened fire, which was returned. ‘But,’ says Sherman, -‘determined to effect our junction with Hunter’s division, I ordered the -fire to cease, and we proceeded with caution toward the field, where we -then plainly saw our forces engaged.’ Turning to Colonel Burnside’s -official report, we shall find that he was at this time overwhelmingly -pressed by the enemy. It was a critical juncture. At length Major -Sykes’s battalion of regulars came up, and staggered the enemy, and at -the same moment Sherman came marching over the hill. ‘It was Sherman’s -brigade,’ says Burnside, ‘that arrived at about twelve and a half -o’clock, and by a most deadly fire assisted in breaking the enemy’s -lines.’ So much for soldierly promptness and strict obedience to orders. -From the vigor with which Sherman fought his brigade, the loss in his -four regiments was one hundred and five killed, two hundred and two -wounded, two hundred and ninety-three wounded or missing, with six -killed and three wounded in the battery, making a total of six hundred -and nine, the whole division losing eight hundred and fifty-nine. The -loss of the army, excluding prisoners and stragglers, was computed thus: -killed, four hundred and seventy-nine; wounded, eleven hundred and -eleven; total killed and wounded, fifteen hundred and ninety. When the -conduct of Sherman had become known, the Ohio delegation in Congress -unanimously urged his immediate promotion. This was easily effected, and -on the 3d of August, 1861, he was confirmed a brigadier-general of -volunteers.” - -Colonel Sherman’s brigade was the only one which retired from the field -in order, making a stand at the bridge on the track to Washington, to -dispute bravely “the right of way,” should the enemy pursue our -panic-stricken forces toward the capital. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - - General Sherman goes to Kentucky—Muldraugh’s Hill—His army - weakened—General Buckner’s superior force—Succeeds General - Anderson—Writes General McClellan—Interview with Secretary - Cameron—Paducah. - -AWAY on the borders of Kentucky the tramp of war was heard. The hero -of Sumter, General Anderson, was in command of the department. With the -advent of autumn, the Union Home Guards of Kentucky, with other troops, -had gathered to the banks of the Rolling Fork of Salt River—a branch -two hundred feet wide and only three feet deep. Two miles from the road -crossing lie the Muldraugh’s Hills, rising in romantic outline. Half way -upon the ascent runs the railroad, whose bridge is trestle-work ninety -feet high; it then enters Tunnel Hill, emerging into an open plain. - -General Buckner, the rebel commander, was at Bowling Green, looking -toward Louisville, where he boasted he would spend the winter. General -Sherman was sent to join General Anderson, the second in command, and -moved his force to Muldraugh’s Hills. Buckner had burned the bridge; the -Home Guards were withdrawn; and the enemy’s troops numbered twenty-five -thousand. To retire to Elizabethtown with the five thousand Union -soldiers was the best that General Sherman could do. - -At this crisis General Anderson resigned his command on account of ill -health, and the mantle of authority fell on General Sherman; no very -desirable honor at that time, for “most of the fighting young men of -Kentucky had gone to join the rebels. The non-combatants were divided in -sentiment, and most of them far from friendly. He lacked men, and most -of those he had were poorly armed. He lacked, also, means of -transportation and munitions of war; and if the rebel generals had known -his actual condition, they could have captured or driven his forces -across the Ohio in less than ten days. He applied earnestly and -persistently for reënforcements, and, at the same time, took every -possible precaution to conceal his weakness from the enemy, as well as -from the loyal public. At that time newspaper reporters were not always -discreet, and often obtained and published the very facts that should -have been concealed. He issued a stringent order excluding all reporters -and correspondents from his lines. This brought down upon him the -indignation of the press. More unfortunately still, he failed to impress -the Secretary of War with the necessities of his position and the -importance of holding it. On the 3d of November he telegraphed to -General McClellan the condition of affairs, with the number of his -several forces, showing them to be everywhere, except at one single -point, outnumbered, and concluded his despatch with the emphatic remark, -‘Our forces are too small to do good, and too large to be sacrificed.’ - -“In reply, General McClellan asks, ‘How long could McCook keep Buckner -out of Louisville, holding the railroad, with power to destroy it inch -by inch?’—giving no hint of a purpose to send reënforcements, but -looking to the probable abandonment of Kentucky. Previous to this, -General Sherman had had an interview with Secretary Cameron, in presence -of Adjutant-General Thomas, at Lexington, Kentucky, and fully explained -to him the situation of his command, and also of the armies opposed to -him; and, on being asked what force was necessary for a successful -forward movement in his department, answered, ‘Two hundred thousand -men.’ By the 1st of November, Adjutant-General Thomas’s official report -of this conversation, in all its details, was published in most of the -newspapers of the country, giving the enemy full knowledge of many -important facts relating to General Sherman’s department. He was too -weak to defend his lines; and the enemy knew it. He had no hope of -reënforcements, and, withal, was evidently in discredit with the War -Department, as being too apprehensive of the power, strength, and -resources of the enemy. He, therefore, felt he could not successfully -conduct the campaign, and asked to be relieved. He was succeeded by -General Buell, who was at once reënforced, and enabled to hold his -defensive positions until Grant, the following spring, should advance -down the Mississippi and up the Cumberland. - -“General Sherman was now set down as ‘crazy,’ and quietly retired to the -command of Benton Barracks, near St. Louis. The evidence of his insanity -was his answer to the Secretary of War—_that to make a successful -advance against the enemy, then strongly posted at all strategic points -from the Mississippi to Cumberland Gap, would require an army two -hundred thousand strong_! The answer was the inspiration or the judgment -of a military genius; but to the mind of Mr. Secretary Cameron it was -the prophecy of a false wizard. - -“It has been said of the Spaniards, ‘that they generally managed to have -an army when they had no general, and a general when they had no army;’ -and during the first years of the war we surpassed in folly their -example. It was vainly expected the rebellion could effectually be put -down without either a general or an army, by a mere flourish of -trumpets—as if the foundations of the Confederacy, like the walls of -Jericho, would yield and fall at the blowing of a ram’s horn. Subsequent -events have sufficiently vindicated General Sherman’s opinion expressed -in his reply to the Secretary of War. - -“Meantime General Halleck succeeded to the command of the Department of -the West, and General Sherman was not long allowed to remain in charge -of a recruiting-rendezvous at St. Louis. When General Grant moved on -Fort Donelson, Sherman was intrusted with the forwarding to him of -reënforcements and supplies from Paducah. General Grant subsequently -acknowleged himself ‘greatly indebted for his promptness’ in discharging -that duty. After the capture of that stronghold, General Sherman was put -in command of the fifth division of Grant’s army at Pittsburg Landing. -At the same time Beauregard was industriously collecting the rebel -forces at Corinth, a strong strategic point, well fortified, thirty -miles distant. Grant had moved up from Fort Donelson, and Buell was on -his way.” - -How grandly General Grant and Commodore Foote did their work at Forts -Henry and Donelson! What deeds of valor were performed by our Western -boys, whose couch at night was the snowy earth, reddened with the blood -of carnage! - -But while that storm of conflict was raging, an officer who had no -superior, and longed to enter its perils and glory for his native land -and his own loyal West, was patiently, and “without observation,” -sending, with an intelligent appreciation of what was needed, and -remarkable promptness, supplies for the heroes of the great border -battles. General Grant _knew_ the value of that service, and warmly -expressed in his despatches his “indebtedness to General Sherman” for -his activity, his timely and indispensable aid, apart from the bloody -field. - -My reader will recollect that the fall of Fort Donelson, about the -middle of February, 1862, startled the whole of “rebeldom.” The -strongest fortress in the West was taken. The next position in -importance was Corinth, because at the junction of the Memphis and -Charleston and the Mobile and Ohio Railroads. Memphis, the enemy knew, -must soon be the prize for which our victorious troops would strike. - -“Corinth must be defended!” was the cry from the South. General -Beauregard, the hero of Sumter and Bull Run, hastened to the field of -conflict, to lend the power of his name and generalship to the cause of -treason. - -General Grant had moved the gunboats after the surrender of Fort -Donelson down the Cumberland and up the Tennessee River to Pittsburg -Landing, making Savannah, ten miles distant, his own headquarters. - -General Buell, with the Army of the Ohio, was marching toward this point -to join him, from the pursuit of General Johnston through Nashville. The -rebel officers decided to concentrate their forces, by the railroads in -their possession, unexpectedly upon the Union army before Buell could -get there, and after annihilating it, turn upon him and scatter his -battalions. The enemy kept his counsels well, while preparing to hurl -his legions upon our columns. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - - Pittsburg Landing—The Surprise—The Battle—The Victory— - Sherman’s glorious part in the Struggle—The Testimony of - Officers—His Letter on the Contest. - -PITTSBURG is the nearest point to Corinth on the river, three miles -from which, in the sparsely settled country, is the old log building -called Shiloh Church—a dilapidated sanctuary of primitive, or rather -_backwoods_ style. Around this desolate place of former worship lay -General Sherman’s division, bordering both sides of the lower road to -Corinth. - -Sunday morning, April 6th, the fifty thousand men or more, under such -leaders as Beauregard, Johnston, Breckinridge, and Polk, fell upon the -army of the Republic, emerging from their forest paths like spectres in -the early light. “Carleton,” who was there, and carefully went over the -field of conflict to know all that was done, thus notices our hero: - -“Sherman’s pickets were being driven back by the rapid advance of the -rebel lines. It was a little past sun-rise when they came in, -breathless, with startling accounts that the entire rebel army was at -their heels. The officers were not out of bed. The soldiers were just -stirring, rubbing their eyes, putting on their boots, washing at the -brook, or tending their camp kettles. Their guns were in their tents; -they had a small supply of ammunition. It was a complete surprise. -Officers jumped from their beds, tore open the tent-flies, and stood in -undress to see what it was all about. The rebel pickets rushed up within -close musket range and fired. - -“‘Fall in! Form a line! here, quick!’ were the orders from the officers. - -“There was running in every direction. Soldiers for their guns, officers -for their sabres, artillerists to their pieces, teamsters to their -horses. There was hot haste, and a great hurly-burly. - -“General Hardee made a mistake at the outset. Instead of rushing up with -a bayonet charge upon Sherman’s camp, and routing his unformed brigades -in an instant, as he might have done, he unlimbered his batteries and -opened fire. - -“When the alarm was given General Sherman was instantly on his horse. He -sent a request to McClernand to support Hilderbrand. He also sent word -to Prentiss that the enemy were in front, but Prentiss had already made -the discovery, and was contending with all his might against the -avalanche rolling upon him from the ridge south of his position. He sent -word to Hurlbut that a force was needed in the gap between the church -and Prentiss. He was everywhere present, dashing along his lines, paying -no attention to the constant fire aimed at him and his staff by the -rebel skirmishers, within short musket range. They saw him, knew that he -was an officer of high rank, saw that he was bringing order out of -confusion, and tried to pick him off. While galloping down to -Hilderbrand, his orderly, Halliday, was killed. - -“Sherman tried to hold his position by the church. He considered it to -be of the utmost importance. He did not want to lose his camp. He -exhibited great bravery. His horse was shot, and he mounted another. -That also was killed, and he took a third, and, before night, lost his -fourth. He encouraged his men, not only by his words but by his reckless -daring. Captain Behr had been posted on the Purdy road with his battery, -and had had but little part in the fight. He was falling back, closely -followed by Pond. - -“‘Come into position out there on the right,’ said Sherman, pointing to -the place where he wanted him to unlimber. Then came a volley from the -woods. A shot struck the captain from his horse. The drivers and gunners -became frightened and rode off with the caissons, leaving five unspiked -guns to fall into the hands of the rebels! Sherman and Taylor, and other -officers, by their coolness, bravery, and daring, saved Buckland’s and -McDowell’s brigades from a panic; and thus, after four hours of hard -fighting, Sherman was obliged to leave his camp and fall back behind -McClernand, who now was having, a fierce fight with the brigades which -had pushed in between Prentiss and Sherman.” - -You shall hear from the general’s fellow-officers about his appearance -and gallantry on this terrible field of strife. A brave cavalry officer -said of him: “Having occasion to report personally to General Sherman, -about noon of the first day of Shiloh, I found him dismounted, his arm -in a sling, his hand bleeding, his horse dead, himself covered with -dust, his face besmeared with powder and blood. He was giving directions -at the moment to Major Taylor, his chief of artillery, who had just -brought a battery into position. Mounted orderlies were coming and going -in haste; staff officers were making anxious inquiries; everybody but -himself seemed excited. The battle was raging terrifically in every -direction. Just then there seemed to be universal commotion on our -right, where it was observed our men were giving back. ‘I was looking -for that,’ said Sherman, ‘but I am ready for them.’ His quick, sharp eye -flashed, and his war-begrimed face beamed with satisfaction. The enemy’s -packed columns now made their appearance, and as quickly the guns which -Sherman had so carefully placed in position began to speak. The deadly -effect on the enemy was apparent. While Sherman was still managing the -artillery, Major Sanger, a staff officer, called his attention to the -fact that the enemy’s cavalry were charging toward the battery. ‘Order -up those two companies of infantry,’ was the quick reply, and the -general coolly went on with his guns. The cavalry made a gallant charge, -but their horses carried back empty saddles. The enemy was evidently -foiled. Our men, gaining fresh courage, rallied again, and for the first -time that day the enemy was held stubbornly in check. A moment more and -he fell back over the piles of his dead and wounded.” - -General Rousseau, a division officer of Buell’s Army of the Cumberland, -speaks of him in the following handsome manner: - -“He gave us our first lessons in the field in the face of an enemy; and -of all the men I ever saw he is the most untiring, vigilant, and -patient. No man that ever lived could surpass him. His enemies say that -he was surprised at Shiloh. I tell you no. He was not surprised nor -whipped, for he fights by the week. Devoid of ambition, incapable of -envy, he is brave, gallant, and just. At Shiloh his old legion met him -just as the battle was ended; and at the sight of him, placing their -hats upon their bayonets, gave him three cheers. It was a touching and -fitting compliment to the gallant chieftain. I am thankful for this -occasion to do justice to a brave, honest, and knightly gentleman.” - -Nor did he escape the attention of his commanding officer. General -Grant, in a letter to the War Department, under date of July 25, 1863, -said: - -“At the battle of Shiloh, on the last day, he held, with raw troops, the -key point of the landing. It is no disparagement to any other officer to -say that I do not believe there was another division commander on the -field who had the skill and experience to have done it. To his -individual efforts I am indebted for the success of that battle.” - -Writes Colonel Bowman: “He formed his first line of battle on the brow -of a hill, or rather ridge, on the west of Lick and Owl Creeks, which -served as a natural fortification. The men, by lying down or retiring a -few steps, were well covered, and, by rising and advancing a few paces, -could deliver their fire with terrible effect. But his troops were -mostly green, and wholly untrained in the art of war. The rebel onset -was well directed, rapid, and most persistent. Some of Sherman’s -regiments broke and fled, while others fought like veterans. The fight -soon became general; Beauregard hurled his massed columns with great -impetuosity against our attenuated lines, which, though yielding to the -pressure, did not break. The rebels gained ground inch by inch, but -could do no more than compress the semicircle of our line of battle. -Beauregard had promised his troops to drive us into the Tennessee that -day before three o’clock, but nightfall found him contemplating the -chances of successful retreat; for Buell had arrived. Sherman’s conduct -on that day showed him to be a man of the first order of military -talent. He was not disconcerted by the panic among his green troops, -and, indeed, had expected it. All he asked was, that a reasonable number -should remain and obey orders; and in an American army there can always -be found a goodly proportion of officers and men incapable of being -cowards under any circumstances. With such he did battle on the 6th of -April, 1862—a day long to be remembered, as the day of the battle of -Shiloh. There was not a commanding general on the field who did not rely -on Sherman, and look to him as our chief hope; and there is no question -that but for Sherman our army would have been destroyed. He rode from -place to place, directing his men; he selected from time to time the -positions for his artillery; he dismounted and managed the guns; he sent -suggestions to commanders of divisions; he inspired everybody with -confidence; and yet it never occurred to him that he had accomplished -any thing worthy of remark.” - -General Nelson, a few days before his death, in conversation with Larz -Anderson and two or three other gentlemen, said: “During eight hours, -the fate of the army on the field of Shiloh depended on the life of one -man: if General Sherman had fallen, the army would have been captured or -destroyed.” - -General Halleck, in his despatch to the Secretary of War, recommending -General Sherman for promotion, said of him: “It is the unanimous opinion -here that Brigadier-General W. T. Sherman saved the fortunes of the day -on the 6th of April, and contributed largely to the glorious victory of -the 7th. He was in the thickest of the fight on both days, having three -horses killed under him, and being wounded twice. I respectfully request -that he be made a major-general of volunteers, to date from the 6th -instant.” - -Acting upon this recommendation, General Sherman was promoted to the -rank designated, to date from May 1st, 1862. - -I shall give you now a letter of considerable length, written by General -Sherman himself about the battle. Some of my readers may not care to -read it all; but it should have a place in the annals of his life, -because it is one of many illustrations of his power with the pen, and -is also his honest and truthful record of the great contest at Pittsburg -Landing: - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION MISSISSIPPI. - “_Professor Henry Coppee, Philadelphia_: - - “DEAR SIR: In the June number of the _United States Service - Magazine_ I find a brief sketch of Lieutenant-General U. S. - Grant, in which I see you are likely to perpetuate an error, - which General Grant may not deem of sufficient importance to - correct. To General Buell’s noble, able, and gallant conduct you - attribute the fact that the disaster of April 6th, at Pittsburg - Landing, was retrieved, and made the victory of the following - day. As General Taylor is said in his later days to have doubted - whether he was at the battle of Buena Vista at all, on account - of the many things having transpired there, according to the - historians, which he did not see, so I begin to doubt whether I - was at the battle of Pittsburg Landing of modern description. - But I was at the battles of April 6th and 7th, 1862. General - Grant visited my division in person about ten A. M., when the - battle raged fiercest. I was then on the right. - - “After some general conversation, he remarked that I was doing - right in stubbornly opposing the progress of the enemy; and, in - answer to my inquiry as to cartridges, told me he had - anticipated their want, and given orders accordingly; he then - said his presence was more needed over at the left. About two P. - M. on the 6th, the enemy materially slackened his attack on me, - and about four P. M. I deliberately made a new line behind - McArthur’s drill field, placing batteries on chosen ground, - repelled easily a cavalry attack, and watched the cautious - approach of the enemy’s infantry, that never dislodged me there. - I selected that line in advance of a bridge across Snake Creek, - by which we had all day been expecting the approach of Lew. - Wallace’s division from Crump’s Landing. About five P. M., - before the sun set, General Grant came again to me, and, after - hearing my report of matters, explained to me the situation of - affairs on the left, which were not as favorable. Still the - enemy had failed to reach the landing of the boat. - - “We agreed that the enemy had expended the _furore_ of his - attack, and we estimated our loss, and approximated our then - strength, including Lew. Wallace’s fresh division, expected each - minute. He then ordered me to get all things ready, and at - daylight the next day to assume the offensive. That was before - General Buell had arrived, but he was known to be near at hand. - General Buell’s troops took no essential part in the first day’s - fight, and Grant’s army, though collected together hastily, - green as militia, some regiments arriving without cartridges - even, and nearly all hearing the dread sound of battle for the - first time, had successfully withstood and repelled the first - day’s terrific onset of a superior enemy, well commanded and - well handled. I know I had orders from General Grant to assume - the offensive before I knew General Buell was on the west side - of the Tennessee. I think General Buell, Colonel Fry, and others - of General Buell’s staff, rode up to where I was about sunset, - about the time General Grant was leaving me. General Buell asked - me many questions, and got of me a small map, which I had made - for my own use, and told me that by daylight he could have - eighteen thousand fresh men, which I knew would settle the - matter. - - “I understood Grant’s forces were to advance on the right of the - Corinth road and Buell’s on the left, and accordingly at - daylight I advanced my division by the flank, the resistance - being trivial, up to the very spot where the day before the - battle had been most severe, and then waited till near noon for - Buell’s troops to get up abreast, when the entire line advanced - and recovered all the ground we had ever held. I know that with - the exception of one or two struggles, the fighting of April 7th - was easy as compared with that of April 6th. - - “I never was disposed, nor am I now, to question any thing done - by General Buell and his army, and know that, approaching our - field of battle from the rear, he encountered that sickening - crowd of laggards and fugitives that excited his contempt and - that of his army, who never gave full credit to those in the - front line, who did fight hard, who had, at two P. M., checked - the enemy, and were preparing the next day to assume the - offensive. I remember the fact the better from General Grant’s - anecdote of the Donelson battle, which he told me then for the - first time—that, at a certain period of the battle, he saw that - either side was ready to give way if the other showed a bold - front, and he determined to do that very thing, to advance on - the enemy, when, as he prognosticated, the enemy surrendered. - - “At four P. M. of April 6th, he thought the appearances the - same, and he judged, with Lew. Wallace’s fresh division, and - such of our startled troops as had recovered their equilibrium, - he would be justified in dropping the defensive and assuming the - offensive in the morning. And, I repeat, I received such orders - before I knew General Buell’s troops were at the river. I admit - that I was glad Buell was there, because I knew his troops were - older than ours, and better systematized and drilled, and his - arrival made that certain which before was uncertain. I have - heard this question much discussed, and must say that the - officers of Buell’s army dwelt too much on the stampede of some - of our raw troops, and gave us too little credit for the fact - that for one whole day, weakened as we were by the absence of - Buell’s army, long expected, of Lew. Wallace’s division, only - four miles off, and of the fugitives from our ranks, we had - beaten off our assailants for the time. At the same time our - Army of the Tennessee have indulged in severe criticism at the - slow approach of that army which knew the danger that threatened - us from the concentrated armies of Johnston, Beauregard, and - Bragg, that lay at Corinth. - - “In a war like this, where opportunities for personal prowess - are as plenty as blackberries, to those who seek them at the - front, all such criminations should be frowned down; and were it - not for the military character of your journal, I would not - venture to offer a correction to a very popular error. - - “I will also avail myself of this occasion to correct another - very common mistake in attributing to General Grant the - selection of that battle-field. It was chosen by that veteran - soldier, Major-General Charles F. Smith, who ordered my division - to disembark there, and strike for the Charleston Railroad. This - order was subsequently modified by his ordering Hurlbut’s - division to disembark there, and mine higher up the Tennessee to - the mouth of Yellow Creek, to strike the railroad at Burnsville. - But floods prevented our reaching the railroad, when General - Smith ordered me in person also to disembark at Pittsburg - Landing, and take post well out, so as to make plenty of room, - with Snake and Lake Creeks the flanks of a camp for the grand - army of invasion. - - “It was General Smith who selected that field of battle, and it - was well chosen. On any other we surely would have been - overwhelmed, as both Lick and Snake Creeks forced the enemy to - confine his movements to a direct front attack, which new troops - are better qualified to resist than where flanks are exposed to - a real or chimerical danger. Even the divisions of that army - were arranged in that camp by General Smith’s orders, my - division forming, as it were, the outlying pickets, whilst - McClernand’s and Prentiss’s were the real line-of-battle, with - W. H. L. Wallace in support of the right wing, and Hurlbut on - the left; Lew. Wallace’s division being detached. All these - subordinate dispositions were made by the order of General - Smith, before General Grant succeeded him in the command of all - the forces up the Tennessee—headquarters, Savannah. - - “If there were any error in putting that army on the west side - of the Tennessee, exposed to the superior force of the enemy - also assembling at Corinth, the mistake was not General Grant’s; - but there was no mistake. It was necessary that a combat, fierce - and bitter, to test the manhood of the two armies, should come - off, and that was as good as any. It was not then a question of - military skill and strategy, but of courage and pluck, and I am - convinced that every life lost that day to us was necessary; for - otherwise at Corinth, at Memphis, at Vicksburg, we would have - found harder resistance, had we not shown our enemies that, rude - and untutored as we then were, we could fight as well as they. - - “Excuse so long a letter, which is very unusual for me; but of - course my life is liable to cease at any moment, and I happen to - be a witness to certain truths which are now beginning to pass - out of memory, and form what is called history. - - “I also take great pleasure in adding that nearly all the new - troops that at Shiloh drew from me official censure have more - than redeemed their good name; among them that very regiment - which first broke, the Fifty-third Ohio, Colonel Appen. Under - another leader, Colonel Jones, it has shared every campaign and - expedition of mine since, is with me now, and can march, and - bivouac, and fight as well as the best regiment in this or any - army. Its reputation now is equal to that of any from the State - of Ohio. - - “I am, with respect, yours truly, - “W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.” - -Rarely for young and old is there a finer example of Professor -Longfellow’s words in the Psalm of Life— - - “Learn to labor and to wait,” - -than this part of General Sherman’s career affords. He did his work -well, and two years afterwards the military genius, unrecognized then by -the country, filled the land with his praise. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - - The Morning after the Battle—General Sherman’s column in Motion— - What it did—Corinth the next Goal—The Siege—The Evacuation— - General Sherman’s troops the first to enter the Works—The Hero - is made Major-General—Advance on Holly Springs—Memphis— - General Sherman’s successful Command in that City—The - Guerrillas. - -THE eighth of April dawned upon the silent, sanguinary field of recent -conflict. Soon large companies of men were moving from the Union camps -with spades and other implements of burial, to lay in trenches the heaps -of the slain. The weather was warm in that southern latitude, and -General Grant hastened the work of interment alike of slaughtered -friends and foes. - -General Beauregard wrote to our commander, requesting leave to take -rebel bodies from our lines under flag of truce; but other hands were -completing the sad labor for the disfigured, blood-stained, and -pulseless warriors. - -Look away from that scene, after the battle, along the Corinth road, and -you see the serried files of living men, led by the unresisting Sherman, -dashing along in hot pursuit of the enemy. The chief of the fifth -division, with a force of cavalry and two brigades of infantry, is in -the war-path again. Suddenly appear the white tents of the abandoned -camps of the enemy, and hospital flags are flying over them in the early -breeze. What does it mean? They are _false_ signals, hung out to deceive -the pursuing commander, and protect the deserted canvas cities. Onward -the sagacious, daring leader hurries after the foe. - -And now a shout rings from the lips of our “boys.” The rebel cavalry are -in sight. A few moments later swords cross, pistols crack, and horses -rush together in the strife. Then the “graybacks” turn and fly, leaving -the field, camps, and all, to our victorious ranks. The work of -destruction followed. Tents, arms, ammunition, were mingled in a common -ruin. The road for miles was lined with wagons the foe were compelled to -leave in their haste to get out of our way; ambulances stood unused, -although thousands of the mangled were in need of them; limber-boxes, -which belong to the guns, were also abandoned; indeed, every thing -showed a hurried retreat, which but for the cavalry in the rear to cover -the flight of the infantry, would have been a complete rout of the -enemy. - -The victor returned from his gallant exploit only to repeat it. The -general advance toward Corinth immediately followed. The fifth division -swept over the country, which was arrayed in vernal verdure and bloom. -The birds sang as sweetly as in any former spring-time, startled beside -the highway only by the tramp of the marching host. - -May 17th the first shock came. The division of General Grant’s army -under Sherman, met the rebels in a severe conflict on the road to -Corinth. They had to fall back before the human tide, crested with fire -and steel. This brief contest only opened the way to the fortress of -rebel strength. And the question was, how shall Corinth be taken? It -must either be by direct and bloody assault, or by siege, surrounding -it, and compelling the imprisoned army to surrender. - -Beauregard watched with sleepless vigilance his foe. He ordered troops -to intrench on a ridge near Philip’s Creek and oppose the Union forces. -General Jeff. C. Davis approached the works; then, feigning a retreat, -drew the garrison out, when a severe struggle defeated the enemy -completely. This occurred May 21st; and, on the 27th, General Sherman -also had a fight with the rebels. - -The decisive hour at length has come; all is activity and excitement. We -cannot furnish you a more vivid description of the stirring and awfully -sublime scenes of such a crisis in army operations, than one given in a -letter from this field of conquest: - -“Regiments and artillery are placed in position, and, generally, the -cavalry is in advance; but when the opposing forces are in close -proximity, the infantry does the work. The whole front is covered by a -cloud of skirmishers, then reserves formed, and then, in connection with -the main line, they advance. For a moment all is still as the grave to -those in the background; as the line moves on, the eye is strained in -vain to follow the skirmishers as they creep silently forward; then, -from some point of the line, a single rifle rings through the forest, -sharp and clear, and, as if in echo, another answers it. In a moment -more the whole line resounds with the din of arms. Here the fire is slow -and steady, there it rattles with fearful rapidity; and the whole is -mingled with the roar of the reserves as the skirmishers are at any part -driven in; and if, by reason of superior force, these reserves fall back -to the main force, then every nook and corner seems full of sound. The -batteries open their terrible voices, and their shells sing horribly -while winging their flight, and their dull explosion speaks plainly of -death; their canister and grape go crashing through the trees, rifles -ring, the muskets roar, and the din is terrific. Then the slackening of -the fire denotes the withdrawing of the one party, and the more distant -picket firing that the work was accomplished. The silence becomes almost -painful after such a scene as this, and no one can conceive the effect -who has not experienced it. The line of works was selected, and, at the -word of command, three thousand men, with axes, spades, and picks, -stepped out into the open field from their cover in the woods. In almost -as short a time as it takes to tell it, the fence rails which surrounded -and divided three hundred farm lots, were on the shoulders of the men, -and on the way to the intended line of works. Then, as, for a time, the -ditches deepen, the dirt is packed on the outer side, the bushes and all -points of concealment are cleared from the front, and the centre -divisions of our army has taken a long stride toward the rebel works. -The siege guns are brought and placed in commanding positions. A -log-house furnishes the hewn and seasoned timber for the platforms, and -the plantation of a southern lord has been thus speedily transformed -into one of Uncle Sam’s strongholds, where the Stars and Stripes float -proudly. - -“Soon after daylight, on Friday morning, the army was startled by rapid -and long-continued explosions, similar to musketry, but much louder. The -conviction flashed across my mind that the rebels were blowing up their -loose ammunition, and leaving. The dense smoke arising in the direction -of Corinth strengthened this belief, and soon the whole army was -advancing on a grand reconnaissance. The distance through the woods was -short, and in a few minutes shouts arose from the rebel lines, which -told that our army was in their trenches. Regiment after regiment -pressed on, and passing through extensive camps just vacated, soon -reached Corinth, and found half of it in flames.” - -The troops under General Sherman were first in the works. Their columns, -as we have seen, were conspicuous in the entire and triumphant progress -from Shiloh, sustaining the heaviest blows, and bearing aloft proudly -the banner of the republic. General Sherman was in subordinate command, -but in his field of action he was the uniformly wise, shrewd, daring, -and successful leader. Wrote General Grant: “His services as division -commander in the advance on Corinth, I will venture to say, were -appreciated by the new general-in-chief beyond any other division -commander.” He was appointed major-general of volunteers, dating from -May 1st, 1862. - -Holly Springs, of which you will read more hereafter, is situated on the -railroad from Jackson, Tennessee, to New Orleans. June 20th, General -Sherman coolly relieved the rebels of its care, and took possession -himself, burning long stretches of trestle-work on the Mississippi -Central Railroad, to prevent an unpleasant surprise by the rebels. They -had removed their machinery for making and repairing arms to Atlanta, -Georgia, not dreaming of a visit to that city two years later by the -division-general at Holly Springs. - -A few weeks after these events, July 11th, General Halleck was ordered -to Washington in the high position of generalissimo of the Union armies, -and a reorganization of them followed. General Grant was placed in -command of the “Department of West Tennessee,” covering a large -territory bordering the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers. Memphis, which -had surrendered June 6th, was a very important base of operations and -supplies. But guerrillas and contraband traders infested the country -around, making the city a dangerous haunt of traitors from the -border-land. General Grant displayed his wisdom in sending General -Sherman to the post, declaring that he could the most effectually -restore order and security to that disturbed district. Soon quiet -reigned, guerrillas disappeared, and villanous traders went to more -comfortable quarters. General Sherman did all and more than General -Grant expected of him. He was just, humane, and yet severe in his -administration, according to his views freely and often expressed; that -when people appeal to war for the settlement of claims, they must abide -entirely by the rules and consequences of so terrible a means of real or -imaginary redress. His ideas were comprehensive, and, had they prevailed -at an earlier period, our Government and commanders would have ended the -civil strife long ago, we cannot doubt. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - - General Sherman’s next Post—The Steele’s Bayou Expedition—A - Trial of Courage—The Leader’s Heroism. - -TO secure the forces necessary for a new movement against Vicksburg, -General Grant requested the War Department to reunite the thirteenth and -fifteenth corps with his own. Accordingly, after the completion of the -work of destruction of rebel defences and munitions at Arkansas Post, -the troops reported to him at Memphis. - -The country was then excited over a quiet, and yet startling act of the -Chief Magistrate—one which would be felt over the world, and through -all ages—the Proclamation of Emancipation! General Grant immediately -addressed himself to the enforcement of its provisions within the limits -of his command. Thousands wept for joy; thousands more trembled or -cursed with alarm over the immortal document. Issuing his order in -harmony with it, he soon after removed a portion of his magnificent army -to Young’s Point, in Louisiana, and another at Milliken’s Bend down the -Mississippi River, taking up his headquarters at the former place, where -General Sherman was also stationed with his troops. - -There was now a new device to get _around_ Vicksburg, and so open -communication with forces below the city. Canals were tried, but heavy -rains, and the troops being required to _fight_ the floods rushing into -camp and excavations, compelled the commander-in-chief to abandon the -enterprise. Providence Lake and its connections, and Yazoo Pass, were -successively explored, and the effort made to find a ship-path through -the wild region. - -Admiral Porter had been looking along the shores of the “Father of -Waters,” to see if he could discover a highway or _byway_ for his -gunboats. About the middle of March, 1862, he told General Grant that he -was quite sure he could get through by Steele’s Bayou, Black Bayou, to -Duck Creek, thence to Deer Creek, into Rolling Fork, and down Sunflower -River into the Yazoo, which empties into the Mississippi. - -[Illustration: IN THE BAYOUS.] - -General Grant and Admiral Porter proceeded on the experimental excursion -over these dark bayous. “And what are they?” you may ask. - -A bayou is a channel or outlet running from a river to other -waters—sometimes it is an old bed of the stream—forming thus -connections by which vessels can pass from one stream to another. - -General Grant returned to Young’s Point to send a pioneer corps to cut -away moss-covered trees overhanging the waters, and obstructing the way. -You can scarcely imagine the awful gloom and solitude of those tangled -woods, whose drooping boughs and long plumes of moss sweep the surface -of the dismal bayous. - -Admiral Porter soon found that the enemy were on his track, and might -shut him into the wilderness. He therefore sent to General Grant for -troops. The ignorance of the country, and the difficult winding way, -gave the rebels time to cut off the advance, and stop the bold -travellers just when near their journey’s end. - -General Sherman now appears in the adventure, ordered forward by his -chief, to help the admiral out of the perilous spot. - -The despatch from the Admiral having reached him March 21st, that the -channel was obstructed, and the enemy six hundred strong, with field -batteries disputing his advance, General Sherman, with the promptness -and decision characteristic of his unsleeping martial spirit, issued his -orders to the troops. They made a forced march, skirmishing part of the -way, and reached the gunboats before night of the 22d, a distance of -twenty-one miles, over a terrible road. But the brave fellows had -learned that General Sherman always had a reason for his movements, and -cheerfully advanced to the rescue through exhausting trial and peril. -“During the day the enemy had been largely reënforced from the Yazoo, -and now unmasked some five thousand men—infantry, cavalry, and -artillery. The boats were surrounded with rebels, who had cut down trees -before and behind them, were moving up artillery, and making every -exertion to cut off retreat and capture our boats. A patrol was at once -established for a distance of seven miles along Deer Creek, behind the -boats, with a chain of sentinels outside of them, to prevent the felling -of trees. For a mile and a half to Rolling Fork, the creek was full of -obstructions. Heavy batteries were on its bank, supported by a large -force. To advance was impossible; to retreat seemed almost hopeless. The -gunboats had their ports all closed, and preparations made to resist -boarders. The mortar boats were all ready for fire and explosion. The -army lines were so close to each other that rebel officers wandered into -our lines in the dark, and were captured. It was the second night -without sleep aboard ship, and the infantry had marched twenty-one miles -without rest. But the faithful force, with their energetic leader, kept -successful watch and ward over the boats and their valuable artillery. -At 7 o’clock that morning, the 22d, General Sherman received a despatch -from the admiral, by the hands of a faithful contraband who came along -through the rebel lines in the night, stating his perilous condition.” - -He was now fairly shut up in the bayou by the rebels. - -“The first firing of the gunboats was heard by General Sherman near the -Shelby plantation. He urged his troops forward, and after an hour’s hard -marching, the advance, deployed as skirmishers, came upon a body of the -enemy who had passed by the force which had been engaged. Immediately -engaging them, the enemy stood a while disconcerted by the unexpected -attack, fought a short time, and gave way. - -“The next effort of the rebels was to pass around our lines in the -afternoon and night, and throw their whole force still further below us; -General Stuart, with four regiments, marched on Hill’s plantation the -same morning, having run his transports in the night, and immediately -advanced one regiment up Deer Creek, and another still further to the -right. The rebels, who were making a circuit about General Sherman, thus -found the whole line occupied, and abandoned the attempt to cut off the -gunboats for that day. During the afternoon the troops and gunboats all -arrived at Hill’s plantation. - -“There were destroyed by our troops and by the rebels at least two -thousand bales of cotton, fifty thousand bushels of corn, and the gins -and houses of the plantations whose owners had obstructed our progress, -and joined in the warfare. The resources of the country we found ample -to subsist the army at Vicksburg for some length of time, and by the -destruction of them we crippled the enemy so far.” - -The rescue of the admiral’s force was next thing to a miracle: it was -God’s kind and timely interposition. A half hour’s delay in the -movements of Generals Sherman and Stuart, or of the second forced march -of the former, and all would have been lost. In the hands of a less -gifted and energetic leader, one of our bravest admirals, with his -fleet, would have been taken by the rebels, who were confident of the -prey and booty. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - - The Position of the Western Forces—The Expedition against - Vicksburg under General Sherman—The Just and Stringent Orders - of the Chief—He shows the Speculators no Mercy—The Advance of - the Grand Army Checked—The Embarkation of Troops—The - Magnificent Pageant—The Progress and Arrival of the Fleet. - -BEFORE following our brave commander further in his war-path, let us -survey the field of action in the West. The goal of patriotic ambition -was now the “Gibraltar of the Father of Waters”—Vicksburg. The great -work of preparation to move went forward during the autumn and early -winter under the eye of the patient, persistent Grant. - -December 22d, 1862, he issued an order dividing the troops into four -army corps, stating that “the fifth division, Brigadier-General Morgan -L. Smith commanding, the division from Helena, Arkansas, commanded by -Brigadier-General Steele, and the forces in the district of Memphis, -will constitute the fifteenth army corps, and be commanded by -Major-General W. T. Sherman.” Meanwhile, General Sherman had been -quietly put in command of his forces, and ordered to sail for Friar’s -Point, eighteen miles below Helena, and be ready to coöperate with the -main body of troops under General Grant, in a combined movement on the -stronghold. The former had been in the vicinity of the Tallahatchie -River, making reconnaissances, and was acquainted with that country by -this personal observation. He had issued an order of march which showed -no mercy to speculators, and, as you will see, is marked with the clear -thought and forcible words of its gifted author: - -“1. The expedition now fitting out is purely of a military character, -and the interests involved are of too important a nature to be mixed up -with personal and private business. _No citizen, male or female, will be -allowed to accompany it_, unless employed as part of a crew or as -servants to the transports. Female chambermaids to the boats and nurses -to the sick alone will be allowed, unless the wives of captains and -pilots actually belonging to the boats. No laundress, officer’s, or -soldier’s wife must pass below Helena. - -“2. No person whatever, citizen, officer, or sutler, will, on any -consideration, buy or deal in cotton or other produce of the country. -Should any cotton be brought on board of any transport going or -returning, the brigade quartermaster, of which the boat forms a part, -will take possession of it, and invoice it to Captain A. R. Eddy, Chief -Quartermaster at Memphis. - -“3. Should any cotton or other produce be brought back to Memphis by any -chartered boat, Captain Eddy will take possession of the same, and sell -it for the benefit of the United States. If accompanied by its actual -producer, the planter or factor, the quartermaster will furnish him with -a receipt for the same to be settled for, on proof of his loyalty at the -close of the war. - -“4. Boats ascending the river may take cotton from the shore for -bulkheads to protect their engines or crew, but on arrival at Memphis it -will be turned over to the quartermaster, with a statement of the time, -place, and name of its owner. The trade in cotton must await a more -peaceful state of affairs. - -“5. Should any citizen accompany the expedition below Helena, in -violation of these orders, any colonel of a regiment or captain of a -battery will conscript him into the service of the United States for the -unexpired term of his command. If he show a refractory spirit unfitting -him for a soldier, the commanding officer present will turn him over to -the captain of the boat as a deck hand, and compel him to work in that -capacity without wages until the boat returns to Memphis. - -“6. Any person whatever, whether in the service of the United States or -transports, found making reports for publication, which might reach the -enemy, giving them information, aid, and comfort, will be arrested and -treated as spies.” - -The columns of the three army corps had advanced along the railroad -leading from Grand Junction to Grenada, the advance passing onward -through Holly Springs the last of November. By the middle of December -General Grant’s headquarters were at Oxford, his face set toward -Vicksburg. On the 20th occurred a painful and memorable affair to check -the forward march. Although Gen. Grant had taken every precaution -against raiding parties, a dash was made at Holly Springs in his rear, -held by Colonel Murphy, who at once surrendered the post. - -General Grant was indignant at the cowardly surrender, and immediately -dismissed the unworthy officer from the service. In consequence of the -destruction of supplies, the commander-in-chief had to fall back to -Holly Springs and prepare to start again. While this serious -interruption in the army’s progress was transpiring, General Sherman had -located his headquarters on board of the _Forest Queen_ with his staff. -This magnificent fleet consisted of one hundred and twenty-seven -steamers besides the gunboats. The troops were hardy, western men, -unsurpassed in the ranks for the qualities of brave warriors. - -War does not often present such a pageant as that of this _armada_ -sailing down the Tennessee and then the Mississippi Rivers. The Stars -and Stripes waved over the crowded decks, and music floated over the -waters. The grand procession of vessels moved majestically over the -broad current, which in the sunlight reflected their forms, and in the -evening unnumbered signal lanterns from mast and prow and stern. Various -were the scenes and incidents of the voyage. - -Writes a passenger: “Until we got below Helena, wood was so scarce on -the river that it was only to be obtained by cutting it, either entirely -green or from the water-logged drifts which had caught against the -banks. Wherever a good placer was discovered, the boats lucky enough to -find it landed and all hands went out with axes, and in a few hours -enough was obtained to steam on to the next good place. - -“When the fleet approached Napoleon, Arkansas, the _Post Boy_, which is -a transportation boat, was in the advance, and as she neared the shore -she was hailed by a person bearing a flag of truce, with the information -that there was a band of guerrillas just below, waiting to fire upon -her. At this time she was the only boat visible, but in a short time the -remainder of the fleet made its appearance, and the guerrillas, if there -were any, concluded, no doubt, that we were too many for them. At all -events, at this point there was firing. The houses in the town appeared -to be nearly all deserted, but in some of them could be seen persons -standing back in the door, as if to escape the observation of their -neighbors, and waving their handkerchiefs. Napoleon is the place where -the first shot was fired at a Federal steamer on the Mississippi River, -but there may be some Union people there nevertheless. - -“As we reached Helena, very little of the city could be seen for the -long line of tents stretched along the bank. The fleet stopped there for -the night and took on the troops that were to accompany the expedition, -and next morning started on for Friar’s Point, the first place of -rendezvous. It lay there all night, and about nine o’clock next morning -again started down the river, and reached Gaines’ Landing, one hundred -and fifty miles below Helena, about two o’clock P. M., where it stopped -to wood. As the fleet approached this point the bank appeared to be -lined with negroes, who all started down the shore hurrahing and -shouting and jumping, and cutting all kinds of antics. I learned from -some of them that they thought the fleet was going down to set all the -slaves free. - -“When the boats landed, a negro gave information of a large store of -wood of the best quality, amounting to more than two thousand cords, -secreted in the timber near the bank, in a place where it would not -readily have been found. This was a great prize, and was instantly -levied on for the use of Uncle Sam. Every soldier able to do duty was -sent on shore to pack wood, and by nightfall all the boats were well -supplied for nearly the whole trip. Near the wood were some ten or -twelve houses, one of them a very fine frame. The negroes said the -owners had gone to join the Southern army, and the soldiers, without -more ado, burned them all down. Many of the negroes, if not all, came on -the boats, and are now under the protection of the army. - -“At early light the next morning the fleet moved on again, and as -General Morgan’s division came opposite a little village known as Wood -Cottage Landing, some guerrillas, secreted in a clump of undergrowth, -fired a volley at one of his transports. To teach them a lesson for the -future, General Morgan sent some troops on shore and burnt every house -in the neighborhood. - -“Milliken’s Bend was to be the last rendezvous of the fleet before it -started out for active operations on Vicksburg, and we arrived there -about dark on the evening of the 24th December. The next day would be -Christmas, and many of the soldiers had the idea that the fleet would -sail right in without difficulty, and that they would take their -Christmas dinner in Vicksburg. Many invitations were given among friends -for a dinner at the Preston House. They little dreamed of the -disappointment in store for them, or that New Year’s day would find them -on the wrong side of the hill. - -“On the night of the 24th, General Sherman sent out a detachment of -troops, under command of General M. L. Smith, to tear up a section of -the line of the Vicksburg and Texas Railroad, about ten miles west of -Vicksburg. The work was well and quickly done, and the stations at Delhi -and Dallas burned. - -“At daylight next morning all was ready, and the fleet started for its -destined port, which it reached on the banks of the Yazoo about noon the -same day. Many years ago, about eight miles below the mouth of the -Yazoo, the Mississippi cut a new channel for itself across a bend, -coming into the main channel again just above Vicksburg. The Yazoo -followed the old channel, and the mouth of the river is, therefore, -really from twelve to fifteen miles below where it was originally; but -from the old mouth to the new the river is known to pilots as ‘Old -River.’ Where the fleet landed was about three miles above Old River, -where the right rested, and the left extended to within three miles of -Haynes’ Bluff, the intervening space being about six miles. - -“On entering the Yazoo, the first object that attracted the attention -was the ruins of a large brick house and several other buildings, which -were still smoking. On inquiry, I learned that this was the celebrated -plantation of the rebel General Albert Sidney Johnston, who was killed -at Shiloh. It was an extensive establishment, working over three hundred -negroes. It contained a large steam sugar refinery, an extensive steam -saw-mill, cotton-gins, machine-shop, and a long line of negro quarters. - -“The dwelling was palatial in its proportions and architecture, and the -grounds around it were magnificently laid out in alcoves, with arbors, -trellises, groves of evergreens, and extensive flower-beds. All was now -a mass of smouldering ruins. Our gunboats had gone up there the day -before, and a small battery planted near the mansion announced itself by -plugging away at one of the iron-clads, and the marines went ashore -after the gunboats had silenced the battery, and burned and destroyed -every thing on the place. If any thing were wanting to complete the -desolate aspect of the place, it was to be found in the sombre-hued -pendant moss, peculiar to Southern forests, and which gives the trees a -funereal aspect, as if they were all draped in mourning. As on almost -every Southern plantation, there were many deadened trees standing about -in the fields, from the limbs of all of which long festoons of moss -hung, swaying with a melancholy motion in every breeze. - -“The weather, since the starting out of the fleet, had, up to this time, -been very fine; but as evening now approached, a heavy rain commenced, -which, from the appearance of things, bid fair to continue for an -indefinite period. The Yazoo River was low, and the banks steep and -about thirty feet high. Along the edge of the water, and reaching to the -foot of the bank, is a dense undergrowth of willows, briers, thorns, -vines, and live oaks, twined together in a most disagreeably promiscuous -manner. To effect a landing of the troops and trains, a way had to be -cut through this entanglement, from every boat, and this caused such a -delay that it was quite dark before all the troops were got on shore. -Tents were pitched for the night, pickets sent out, and the army -encamped, anxiously awaiting the dawn of the next day.” - -That General Grant would fail to communicate with him, General Sherman -could not know. He carried out his part of the great programme, and -steadily advanced in accordance with its provisions for united action. -In this profound ignorance of the occasion of the failure, he prepared -to move upon Vicksburg. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - - The March—The City—Preparations for an Assault—The Attack—The - Abatis and Rifle-pits—The Charge upon the Hill—Sherman - succeeded by McClernand—General Sherman’s Farewell Order— - Result of the Expedition. - -ON Saturday morning, December 27th, the advance of the “right wing of -the Army of the Tennessee” reached Vicksburg. The approach to the city -from Johnston’s Landing was very difficult, the town “being on a hill, -with a line of hills surrounding it at a distance of several miles, and -extending from Haines’ Bluff, on the Yazoo River, to Warrenton, ten -miles below, the city, on the Mississippi River. The low country in the -vicinity is swampy, filled with sloughs, bayous, and lagoons; to -approach Vicksburg with a large force by this route, even in times of -peace, would be a matter of great difficulty, and with an enemy in -front, it was almost an impossibility.” - -The line of battle was soon formed by the army, and, from different -points, the onset made upon the enemy’s works. Oh! how gallantly those -Western legions beat against the ramparts! And when the twilight shadows -stole over the bristling walls and hill-sides, they had driven the rebel -forces a mile from their original position. Sunday dawned upon the -night’s repose of the combatants, and on the sacred air rang out the -summons to carnage again. But the affair at Holly Springs had broken up -the grand plan of attack, while the flying troops from General Grant’s -front reënforced the garrison. Over the battlements of rebellion poured -the iron tempest upon Sherman’s unyielding lines. Securely the foe -remained behind those defences, rising for two miles along the bluff, -presenting a barrier no army small as the “right wing” could scale or -remove. Meanwhile the sharpshooters from the forest dropped the officers -on every hand. - -The brave Sherman was all the while expecting every moment to hear the -roar of General Grant’s guns in the rear. With Monday came a succession -of brilliant charges, which were fruitless as the dash of sunlit waves -against the cannon-pierced granite of Gibraltar. If a momentary -advantage were gained, it was lost in the return tide of overwhelming -numbers. A spectator of these terribly sublime encounters, wrote: - -“General Morgan, at eleven o’clock A. M., sent word to General Steele -that he was about ready for the movement upon the hill, and wished the -latter to support him with General Thayer’s brigade. General Steele -accordingly ordered General Thayer to move his brigade forward, and be -ready for the assault. The order was promptly complied with, and General -Blair received from General Morgan the order to assault the hill. The -artillery had been silent for some time; but Hoffman’s battery opened -when the movement commenced. This was promptly replied to by the enemy, -and taken up by Griffith’s First Iowa battery, and a vigorous shelling -was the result. By the time General Blair’s brigade emerged from its -cover of cypress forest, the shell were dropping fast among the men. A -field-battery had been in position in front of Hoffman’s battery; but it -limbered up and moved away beyond the heavy batteries and the -rifle-pits. - -“In front of the timber where Blair’s brigade had been lying was an -abatis of young trees, cut off about three feet above the ground, and -with the tops fallen promiscuously around. It took some minutes to pass -this abatis, and by the time it was accomplished the enemy’s fire had -not been without effect. Beyond this abatis was a ditch fifteen or -twenty feet deep, and with two or three feet of water in the bottom. The -bottom of the ditch was a quicksand, in which the feet of the men -commenced sinking, the instant they touched it. By the time this ditch -was passed the line was thrown into considerable confusion, and it took -several minutes to put it in order. All the horses of the officers were -mired in this ditch. Every one dismounted and moved up the hill on foot. -Beyond this ditch was an abatis of heavy timber that had been felled -several months before, and, from being completely seasoned, was more -difficult of passage than that constructed of the greener and more -flexible trees encountered at first. These obstacles were overcome under -a tremendous fire from the enemy’s batteries and the men in the -rifle-pits. The line was recovered from the disorder into which it had -been thrown by the passage of the abatis; and with General Blair at -their head, the regiments moved forward ‘upon the enemy’s works.’ The -first movement was over a sloping plateau, raked by direct and -enfilading fires from heavy artillery, and swept by a perfect storm of -bullets from the rifle-pits. Nothing daunted by the dozens of men that -had already fallen, the brigade pressed on, and in a few moments had -driven the enemy from the first range of rifle-pits at the base of the -hill, and were in full possession. - -“Halting but a moment to take breath, the brigade renewed the charge, -and speedily occupied the second line of rifle-pits, about two hundred -yards distant from the first. General Blair was the first man of his -brigade to enter. All this time the murderous fire from the enemy’s guns -continued. The batteries were still above this line of rifle-pits. The -regiments were not strong enough to attempt their capture without a -prompt and powerful support. For them it had truly been a march - - Into the jaws of death— - Into the mouth of hell. - -“Almost simultaneously with the movement of General Blair on the left, -General Thayer received his command to go forward. He had previously -given orders to all his regiments in column to follow each other -whenever the first moved forward. He accordingly placed himself at the -head of his advance regiment, the Fourth Iowa, and his order—‘Forward, -second brigade!’—rang out clear above the tumult. Colonel Williamson, -commanding the Fourth Iowa, moved it off in splendid style. General -Thayer supposed that all the other regiments of his brigade were -following, in accordance with his instructions previously issued. He -wound through the timber skirting the bayou, crossed at the same bridge -where General Blair had passed but a few minutes before, made his way -through the ditch and both lines of abatis, deflected the right and -ascended the sloping plateau in the direction of the rifle-pits -simultaneously with General Blair, and about two hundred yards to his -right. - -“When General Thayer reached the rifle-pits, after hard fighting and a -heavy loss, he found, to his horror, that only the Fourth Iowa had -followed him, the wooded nature of the place having prevented his -ascertaining it before. Sadly disheartened, with little hope of success, -he still pressed forward and fought his way to the second line, at the -same time that General Blair reached it on the left. Colonel -Williamson’s regiment was fast falling before the concentrated fire of -the rebels, and with an anxious heart General Thayer looked around for -aid. - -“The rebels were forming three full regiments of infantry to move down -upon General Thayer, and were massing a proportionately formidable force -against Gen. Blair. The rebel infantry and artillery were constantly in -full play, and two heavy guns were raking the rifle-pits in several -places. With no hope of succor, General Thayer gave the order for a -return down the hill and back to his original position. The Fourth Iowa, -entering the fight five hundred strong, had lost a hundred and twenty -men in less than thirty minutes. It fell back at a quick march, but with -its ranks unbroken and without any thing of panic. - -“It appears that just at the time General Thayer’s brigade started up -the hill, General Morgan sent for a portion of it to support him on the -right. General Steele at once diverted the Second Regiment of Thayer’s -brigade, which was passing at the time. The Second Regiment being thus -diverted, the others followed, in accordance with the orders they had -previously received from their commander. Notice of the movement was -sent to General Thayer; but, in consequence of the death of the courier, -the notification never reached him. This accounts for his being left -with nothing save the Fourth Iowa regiment. The occurrence was a sad -one. The troops thus turned off were among the best that had yet been in -action, and had they been permitted to charge the enemy, they would have -won for themselves a brilliant record. - -“When General Blair entered the second line of rifle-pits, his brigade -continued to pursue the enemy up the hill. The Thirteenth Illinois -infantry was in advance, and fought with desperation to win its way to -the top of the crest. Fifty yards or more above the second line of -rifle-pits is a small clump of willows, hardly deserving the name of -trees. They stand in a corn-field, and from the banks of the bayou below -presented the appearance of a green hillock. To this copse many of the -rebels fled when they were driven from the rifle-pits, and they were -promptly pursued by General Blair’s men. The Thirteenth met and engaged -the rebels hand to hand, and in the encounter bayonets were repeatedly -crossed. It gained the place, driving out the enemy; but as soon as our -men occupied it, the fire of a field-battery was turned upon them, and -the place became too hot to be held. - -“The road from Mrs. Lake’s plantation to the top of the high ground, and -thence to Vicksburg, runs at an angle along the side of the hill, so as -to obtain a slope easy of ascent. The lower side of this road was -provided with a breastwork, so that a light battery could be taken -anywhere along the road and fired over the embankment. From the nearest -point of this embankment a battery opened on the Thirteenth Illinois, -and was aided by a heavy battery on the hill. Several men were killed by -the shell and grape that swept the copse. - -“The other regiments of the brigade came to the support of the -Thirteenth, the Twenty-ninth Missouri, Colonel Cavender, being in the -advance. Meantime the rebels formed a large force of infantry to bring -against them, and when the Twenty-ninth reached the copse the rebels -were already engaging the Union troops. The color-bearer of the Twelfth -had been shot down, and some one picked up the standard and planted it -in front of the copse. The force of the rebels was too great for our men -to stand against them, and they slowly fell back, fighting step by step -toward the rifle-pits, and taking their colors with them. - -“In this charge upon the hill the regiments lost severely. In General -Blair’s brigade there were eighteen hundred and twenty-five men engaged -in this assault, and of this number six hundred and forty-two were -killed, wounded, and captured.” - -Under a flag of truce the dead were buried and the wounded removed, -after which General Sherman gave the order for his troops to reëmbark. - -The arrival of General McClernand at the scene of action caused a change -in the command, as he ranked General Sherman by over one month in the -date of his commission; and an order was at once given by the former to -withdraw from the Yazoo River, where the vessels were stationed, and -return to the Mississippi River. General McClernand, on assuming the -command, ordered the title of the army to be changed, and General -Sherman announced the fact in the following order: - - “HEADQUARTERS RIGHT WING ARMY OF TENNESSEE, } - STEAMER FOREST QUEEN, MILLIKEN’S BEND, _January 4, 1863_. } - - “Pursuant to the terms of General Orders No. 1, made this day by - General McClernand, the title of our army ceases to exist, and - constitutes in the future the Army of the Mississippi, composed - of two ‘army corps,’ one to be commanded by General G. W. Morgan - and the other by myself. In relinquishing the command of the - Army of the Tennessee, and restricting my authority to my own - corps, I desire to express to all commanders, to soldiers and - officers recently operating before Vicksburg, my hearty thanks - for their zeal, alacrity, and courage manifested by them on all - occasions. We failed in accomplishing one purpose of our - movement, the capture of Vicksburg; but we were part of a whole. - _Ours was but part of a combined movement, in which others were - to assist. We were on time; unforeseen contingencies must have - delayed the others._ We have destroyed the Shreveport road, we - have attacked the defences of Vicksburg, and pushed the attack - as far as prudence would justify; and having found it too strong - for our single column, we have drawn off in good order and good - spirits, ready for any new move. _A new commander is now here to - lead you._ He is chosen by the President of the United States, - who is charged by the Constitution to maintain and defend it, - and he has the undoubted right to select his own agents. _I know - that all good officers and soldiers will give him the same - hearty support and cheerful obedience they have hitherto given - me._ There are honors enough in reserve for all, and work enough - too. Let each do his appropriate part, and our nation must in - the end emerge from this dire conflict purified and ennobled by - the fires which now test its strength and purity. All officers - of the general staff now attached to my person will hereafter - report in person and by letter to Major-General McClernand, - commanding the Army of the Mississippi, on board the steamer - _Tigress_, at our rendezvous at Gaines’ Landing and at - Montgomery Point. - - “By order of Major-General W. T. SHERMAN. - “J. H. HAMMOND, A. A.-G.” - -The morning light of January the 9th, 1864, fell upon the _White Cloud_, -carrying the mail with tidings of disaster, death, and suffering, bound -for St. Louis, and the _City of Memphis_, bearing the sick and wounded. -In the Army of the Mississippi, under General McClernand, acting for the -time independent of General Grant’s command, the late chief acted a -subordinate part. - -The fleet was again in motion, steaming up the broad current for -Arkansas Post, whose fortress was the object of the expedition. It lies -nearly north of Vicksburg, as a glance at the map will show you. On the -11th the transports and gunboats appeared before the fort. - -The commander’s brief report will tell the story of attack, conflict, -and victory, in which General Sherman had no inferior part. - - “HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE MISSISSIPPI, } - POST OF ARKANSAS, _January 11, 1863_. } - “Major-General U. S. GRANT, _Commanding Department of Tennessee_: - - “I have the honor to report that the forces under my command - attacked the Post of Arkansas to-day, at one o’clock, having - stormed the enemy’s work. We took a large number of prisoners, - variously estimated at from seven thousand to ten thousand, - together with all his stores, animals, and munitions of war. - - “Rear-Admiral David D. Porter, commanding the Mississippi - Squadron, effectively and brilliantly coöperated, accomplishing - this complete success. - - “JOHN A. MCCLERNAND, Maj.-Gen. Com’ding.” - -The noble Admiral Porter, a child of the sea, whose father was famous in -the last war with England, also gives an account of his work with the -grim warriors of the waters: - - “UNITED STATES MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, } - ARKANSAS POST, _January 11, 1863_. } - “Hon. GIDEON WELLES, _Secretary of Navy_: - - “SIR: The gunboats _Louisville_, _De Kalb_, _Cincinnati_, and - _Lexington_, attacked the heavy fort at the Post, on the - Arkansas, last night, and silenced the batteries, killing twenty - of the enemy. - - “The gunboats attacked again this morning, and dismounted every - gun, eleven in all. - - “Colonel Dunnington, late of the United States Navy, commandant - of the fort, requested to surrender to the navy. I received his - sword. - - “The army coöperated on the land side. The forts were completely - silenced, and the guns, eleven in number, were all dismounted in - three hours. - - “The action was at close quarters on the part of the three - iron-clads, and the firing splendid. - - “The list of killed and wounded is small. The _Louisville_ lost - twelve, _De Kalb_ seventeen, _Cincinnati_ none, _Lexington_ - none, and _Rattler_ two. - - “The vessels, although much cut up, were ready for action in - half an hour after the battle. - - “The light draught _Rattler_, Lieutenant-Commander Wilson Smith, - and the other light draughts, joined in the action when it - became general, as did the _Black Hawk_, Lieutenant-Commander R. - B. Breese, with her rifle-guns. Particulars will be given - hereafter. - - “Very respectfully, your obedient servant, - “DAVID D. PORTER, _Acting Rear-Admiral_.” - -Thus did the army and navy share equally in the honors of the success; -neither is complete without the other. - -The results of the original expedition seem small; and severe comments -were spoken and written about General Sherman’s haste and failure. That -his gallant spirit was loyal, and his aim to serve the country, his -whole career has amply shown. That he relied upon the expected -battalions of Grant to meet the strength of the garrisoned enemy -victoriously, is evident. The defeat was one of the lessons of our early -warfare, which no leader has so well improved as Major-General Sherman. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - - The Plot—General Sherman’s Part—His Successful Feint at Haines’ - Bluff—Joins the Main Army—The Advance toward Jackson, the - State Capital—The Victorious Entry of the City—On to Vicksburg - again—Assaults—Siege—Victory—General Sherman goes after - “Joe” Johnston. - -DURING the weeks of early spring the deeply laid plot against -Vicksburg ripened into action. Quietly the master mind of the plan to -reach and take it, had laid out the work for his commanders. On -different sides toward the enemy feigned attacks were made to deceive -the rebels. March 29th, the Thirteenth Corps, led by McClernand, made -the advance from Milliken’s Bend, the grand starting-point. - -Gen. Sherman, with the Fifteenth Corps, was to bring up the rear, and -would therefore be last to leave in the general advance. - -April 28th a message in cipher, _i. e._ secret characters, understood -only by those in correspondence, was received by him from General Grant, -apprising him of the time chosen for an attack on Grand Gulf. It also -informed him that an assault upon Haines’ Bluff, on the Yazoo River, -should “come off” at the same time, if it could be done in a way to be -understood by our loyal people. For, to deceive the enemy and gain -advantage over him, while the pretended attack was thought to be [the] -real one, ending in defeat, would depress the national feeling, and do -more harm than good. This was the problem for General Sherman to solve. -He was sure he could make the affair understood by his troops, and those -for whom they were fighting would not long be in the dark. He therefore -took ten steamers, and embarking with his true-hearted warriors, started -from Milliken’s Bend for the Yazoo. The spectacle was beautiful—itself -a _deception_ when contrasted with the havoc and horrors of conflict. -When the fleet steamed into the mouth of the river, other vessels were -waiting to join in the _ruse_. The whole number of boats then moved, -April 29th, to the Chickasaw Bayou. The morning of the following day the -fleet pushed forward to the fort. Now came preparation for action in the -gunboats of Admiral Porter, the stir of the gunners about their massive -engines of destruction. A few moments later the thunder of bombardment -opened, and for four hours it echoed over the works and waters. The -gunboats then retired out of range, and General Sherman landed his -force, while the rebels looked on, expecting an immediate attack by him. -No sooner had the last soldier left the transports than the naval force -advanced and renewed the fire on the fortress. General Sherman saw that -the feint had succeeded, the foe was getting ready to resist an assault. - -Says General Grant in his official report: “To prevent heavy -reënforcements going from Vicksburg to the assistance of the Grand Gulf -forces, I directed Sherman to make a demonstration on Haines’ Bluff, and -to make all the show possible. From information since received from -prisoners captured, this ruse succeeded admirably.” - -Meanwhile, the magnificent naval scene in the passing of Vicksburg by -Admiral Porter’s fleet, and the unrivalled and romantic raid of Colonel -Grierson through the heart of the enemy’s country to Baton Rouge, -cutting railroads southeasterly of the same defiant Gibraltar, gave -their promise of success to the bold plans of General Grant. - -While General Sherman was frightening the enemy, and learning his -strength and positions, General Grant sent for the heroic commander. He -at once forwarded to Grand Gulf the two divisions of his corps left at -Milliken’s Bend; and soon as the night covered his feints on the Yazoo, -sailed down the tide to his encampment at Young’s Point. Nor did he -pause long here. With all his troops, excepting a garrison to hold the -position, he hastened to Hard Times, four miles from Grand Gulf, which -you will see lies on the banks of the Mississippi in Louisiana. It was a -remarkable march of sixty-three miles in about five days. The columns -reached Hard Times on the morning of the 6th, and the same evening -commenced crossing the ferry to join General Grant. - -And now began in earnest the great movement of the army toward -Vicksburg; for here the supply-wagons were furnished and in line of -march, arrangements made to send on more when needed, and the long -cavalcade put in motion. General Sherman commanded at Hard Times upon -General Grant’s advance, till the provision for the many thousand troops -was completed. Unless you have seen this part of army-work, you have no -idea of the immense scale on which it is conducted. There are miles of -wagons, hundreds of horses and mules to draw them, and an army of -teamsters to drive the brute muscle of the campaign. The gigantic -locomotive storehouse moved toward Hawkinson’s Ferry on the Black River, -where the commander-in-chief was waiting for it and Sherman’s Corps. -While this deliberate and determined progress was made, the -Mississippians were getting alarmed. The Governor of Mississippi issued -a flaming proclamation, calling upon the people “to awake and join their -brothers in arms, who were baring their bosoms to the storm of battle in -defence of all they held dear.” - -On May 12th, “Generals Sherman and McClernand had skirmishing at -Fourteen-Mile Creek, and McPherson a successful engagement at Raymond. -Sherman and McPherson then started for Jackson, the capital of -Mississippi, the former on the turnpike road, the latter on the Clinton -road. The rain fell in torrents, making the roads at first slippery and -then miry. But the troops marched without straggling, and in the best of -spirits, about fourteen miles, and engaged the enemy about twelve -o’clock M., near Jackson. The wily rebel General Johnston, in command -there, made a vigorous feint of resisting Sherman’s progress by posting -infantry and artillery on the south side of the city, meanwhile moving -nearly all his force against McPherson. But Sherman at once penetrated -this device, by sending a reconnoitring party to his right, which -flanked the position. The enemy retreated, after a heavy engagement with -McPherson, who had beaten him. From Jackson McPherson and McClernand -turned to Bolton; but Sherman was left at Jackson, and effectually -destroyed the railroads, bridges, factories, workshops, arsenals, and -every thing valuable for the support of the enemy. General Grant -meanwhile, with the other two corps, had gained the decisive victories -of Champion’s Hill on the 16th of May, and Big Black River on the 17th. -Early on the former day he sent for Sherman ‘to move with all possible -speed until he came up with the main force near Bolton. The despatch -reached him at ten minutes past seven A. M., and his advance division -was in motion in one hour from that time.’ The other followed on its -heels, and both reached Bolton that night, by a forced march of twenty -miles. There orders came to keep on to Bridgeport; and by noon of the -next day the march to Bridgeport was accomplished. There Sherman assumed -the advance, starting before dawn of May 18, and rapidly marched toward -Vicksburg. By a quick detour to the right he managed to throw himself -before night on Walnut Hills, in a brilliant manœuvre, and thereby -established communication between the army and the fleet in the Yazoo. -On these latter movements of Sherman the comment of General Grant is as -follows:—‘His demonstration at Haines’ Bluff, in April, to hold the -enemy about Vicksburg, while the army was securing a foothold east of -the Mississippi; his rapid marches to join the army afterwards; his -management at Jackson, Mississippi, in the first attack; his almost -unequalled march from Jackson to Bridgeport, and passage of the Black -River; his securing Walnut Hills on the 18th of May, attest his great -merit as a soldier.’ - -“General Grant first determined to carry Vicksburg by assault, and -ordered a general attack for two o’clock of the 19th of May. General -Sherman was, curiously enough, on the ground he had before gallantly but -vainly striven to take, in December, having now seized it from the rear -without a struggle. Promptly at the hour his men rushed to the work. The -interval was a broad reach, rugged and broken with deep ravines, and -strewed with abatis or felled timber, and with groves of standing trees. -It would have been a rough and impenetrable region even if unswept with -artillery. But in truth the enemy’s cannon, carefully disposed, raked -and enfiladed almost every step. But the order was Forward! and forward -went the gallant brigade of General A. L. Lee, of Osterhaus’s division, -and, struggling across the impediments, gained the crest of one of the -ridges and planted the colors of the Thirteenth infantry on the enemy’s -first line of works. The charge cost this regiment six officers and -seventy-seven men killed and wounded out of two hundred and fifty. The -column was then called off and covered from fire. General Grant’s report -says: ‘The Fifteenth Army Corps, _from having arrived in front of the -enemy’s works in time_ on the 18th to get a good position, were enabled -to make a vigorous assault. The Thirteenth and Seventeenth Corps -succeeded no further than to gain advanced positions covered from the -fire of the enemy.’ On the morning of the 22d, a second and more -terrific assault was made by all three corps, preceded by a tremendous -cannonading from guns and mortars, mingled with the heavy booming from -the entire fleet. The orders were to advance without firing a musket. -The army dashed forward across ravines and ditches, over ground covered -with artful tangles of cane and grapevines, to find only new -difficulties. Yet so far did some of the gallant brigades advance as to -lie underneath the guns of the fort, while hand-grenades and lighter -shells were hurled over the parapet among them. The assault is worthy to -be mentioned with the names of Mamelon, Vert, and Malakoff. But, like -the Crimean stronghold, this Sebastopol of the Mississippi could only be -carried by assault after a protracted siege. With fearful loss, the -gallant army was retired from the unequal fight, and regular approaches -commenced. The conduct, triumphant issue, and joyful results of the -siege, are familiar. On the 4th of July, 1863, after a campaign of -extraordinary energy, the unconditional surrender of Vicksburg closed up -a series of movements of which General Halleck declares, ‘No more -brilliant exploit can be found in military history.’ - -“While, however, the rest of the army, on the national holiday, moved -into the city they had won, to rejoice in their success, and to rest -after exhausting labors, for Sherman and his corps there was still work -in hand. About a fortnight before the surrender, General Joe Johnston -was threatening the rear of the besieging army with a large improvised -force. Grant at once sent this message to Sherman: ‘You must whip -Johnston fifteen miles from here.’ But Johnston drew back upon Jackson, -and General Sherman was notified to be ready to start against the latter -place on July 6th. ‘I placed Major-General Sherman in command of all the -troops designated to look after Johnston. Johnston, however, not -attacking, I determined to attack him the moment Vicksburg was in our -possession, and accordingly notified Sherman that I would again make an -assault on Vicksburg at daylight of the 6th, and for him to have up -supplies of all descriptions ready to move upon receipt of orders if the -assault should prove a success. His preparations were immediately made, -and when the place surrendered on the 4th, _two days earlier_ than I had -fixed for the attack, _Sherman was found ready, and moved at once_ with -a force increased by the remainder of both the Thirteenth and Fifteenth -Army Corps, and is at present (July 6th) investing Jackson, where -Johnston has made a stand.’ - -“General Sherman was now intrusted with the chief part of General -Grant’s army: he moved so quickly that the latter was able to telegraph -to Washington, July 12th, ‘General Sherman has Jackson invested from -Pearl River on the north to the river on the south. This has cut off -many hundred cars from the Confederacy. General Sherman says he has -force enough, and feels no apprehension about the result.’” - -Nor was there occasion to fear; for the rebel chief was under the eye of -a lion in war’s arena, that never missed his prey when fairly within his -reach. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - - General Sherman watching Joe Johnston—Foraging—An Attack—The - Enemy steals away in the Night—The Conquering Battalions have a - brief rest—Encampment on the Big Black River—Scenes there— - Reënforces General Rosecrans—Death of General Sherman’s Son— - Beautiful Letter—The Monument. - -GENERAL SHERMAN was in no haste to strike; he could leisurely watch -the foe chafing in the narrow limits of his beleagured ground. -Expeditions were sent out in different directions, the gallant troopers -destroying railroad tracks, bridges, and culverts, and bringing in -supplies from the enemy’s lands and granaries. - -July 11th they accidentally found in an old building, carefully packed -away, a large library, and various mementos of friendship. A glance -revealed the owner. A gold-headed cane bore the inscription, “To -Jefferson Davis, from Franklin Pierce.” Precious plunder! The arch -traitor has hidden in the quiet country, and in a place which could -awaken no suspicion, his valuable library, correspondence, and articles -of cherished regard. The excited troopers soon get into the book pile, -and volumes, heaps of letters, and handsome canes, are borne as trophies -(a new kind of forage) to headquarters. Secession is discovered in many -letters, by Northern friends of the treasonable leader, and his right to -that proud distinction freely granted. Added to their capture, hundreds -of cars were taken from the Confederacy. - -On the 13th a heavy fog lay along the river-banks, hiding from each -other’s view the opposing armies. Suddenly rebel shouts came through the -gloom, and a desperate sortie from their works is made upon General -Sherman’s defences. He is ready to meet the shock, and after a brief -struggle they stagger back to their intrenchments. - -The twilight hour of July 16th brought to a projection of the works -rebel bands of music, insulting our troops with “Bonnie Blue Flag,” “My -Maryland,” “Dixie’s Land,” and other airs perverted to the service of -treason. The next morning’s dawn gave signs of a retreating foe. The -fighting Joe Johnston had stolen away, leaving all over Jackson the -marks of ruin. The day before—July 15th—the President issued a -proclamation for national thanksgiving, on the 6th day of August, for -the recent victories. - -General Johnston _was_ fairly _whipped_, and without the awful waste of -life a great battle involves. And now followed other bloodless, and yet -exciting scenes of war. You might have seen squads of cavalrymen -galloping in every direction, in the wake of the retreating foe, and, -with axe and torch, laying in ruins bridges and barns, and whatever -might serve the cause of rebellion. Of our brave chieftain’s successes -to this time, since he dashed forward to Walnut Hills, after the first -occupation of Jackson, “the siege of Vicksburg and last capture of -Jackson, and dispersion of Johnston’s army, entitle General Sherman to -more honor than usually falls to the lot of one man to earn.” - -The short period of rest enjoyed by the heroic army was only one of -preparation for a more difficult and grander advance. The London -_Spectator_ said of the bold and splendid campaign: It comprised “a -series of movements which were overlooked at the time, yet upon which -hung the safety of two Federal armies—the extraordinary march of -General Sherman from Vicksburg to Chattanooga.” - -The camp of the Fifteenth Army Corps, during this interlude of marching, -lay along the Big Black River, between Jackson and Vicksburg, about -twenty miles from the latter. It was acting as guard to all that region -against any return movements or raids of the enemy. A glance at the map -will show you the exact position. - -But there is a history of this and similar encampments which will never -be written. In the sultry air and poisonous vapors of the Big Black, -officers and men resorted to every possible resource for whiling away -the dull hours and cheering the home-sick invalids. - -Not unfrequently, in the light of the evening-lamps, the -commander-in-chief has amused and interested by the hour a circle of -officers gathered about him, with the narratives of his early -adventures, presenting, with the vividness of reality, the exciting life -among the Indians of Florida and the gold-seekers of California. - -But one day there was an unusual stir around the General’s headquarters; -for visitors worth more to him than all earthly honors or gold were -escorted to his tent, his wife and his son, bearing his own name, had -come from their western home, to meet him once more before his long and -perilous marches over hostile soil. But the hours of domestic converse -and delight flew swiftly by, the farewells were spoken, and the -well-guarded visitors went on their homeward way. There was no safeguard -against disease lurking in those Southern swamps. The gifted and -beautiful boy, unconsciously to all, had been smitten, and a raging -fever soon laid him at the gate of death. He had been adopted by the -Thirteenth Corps as their pet—a compliment both to him and his father, -who was himself the idol of those brave battalions. - -How this bereavement affected him and his old veterans, you will know -hereafter. - -September 22d, General Grant telegraphed him from Vicksburg to send -forward immediately a division to reënforce General Rosecrans, who had -been defeated by General Bragg at Chickamauga, and was obliged to -retreat to Chattanooga, unpursued by his successful enemy. General -Rosecrans commanded the Army of the Cumberland, and was now holding the -great central stronghold in the vast battle-field between Vicksburg and -Charleston. At 4 o’clock of the same day the telegram was read by -General Sherman, who is always a minute man. General Osterhaus’ division -was on the road to Vicksburg, and the following day “it was streaming -toward Memphis.” A day later, and the commander-in-chief received orders -to follow with the entire corps. The tents disappeared like dew before -the morning sun, and the proud host were following the columns of -Osterhaus toward Memphis. Two divisions were transported by water. But -the low tide and scarcity of food made their progress slow. The leader -was impatient of delay, for he longed to try the metal of his corps -against that of General Bragg. He is no fancy commander; but an -incarnation of nervous energy, with no display of tinsel in his attire, -helping with his own hands to bring in fence-rails to feed the fires, -then turning teamster to wagons hauling wood from the interior to the -boats. - -During the first days of October, while General Osterhaus is in front of -Corinth, his boats lie before Memphis. - -And amid the absorbing duties of a grand campaign, look into the -General’s tent, and you shall see the warrior for a moment lost in the -grieving father, and will feel that the scene is, indeed, “a touching -episode of the war.” The letter, addressed to the Thirteenth Infantry, -and by its officers ordered to be printed for distribution among the -soldiers of the regiment, cannot but touch a tender chord in every -heart. Stricken father, noble patriot, the hero of uncounted battles; -let the nation pause in its admiration of his gallant deeds, to weep -with the mourner over the young life that no “bugle note” will awaken. - - “GAYOSO HOUSE, MEMPHIS, TENN., _Oct. 4, Midnight_. - “Capt. C. C. SMITH, _Commanding Battalion Thirteenth Regulars_: - - “MY DEAR FRIEND: I cannot sleep to-night till I record an - expression of the deep feelings of my heart to you, and to the - officers and soldiers of the battalion, for their kind behavior - to my poor child. I realize that you all feel for my family the - attachment of kindred; and I assure you all of full reciprocity. - Consistent with a sense of duty to my profession and office, I - could not leave my post, and sent for my family to come to me in - that fatal climate, and in that sickly period of the year, and - behold the result! The child that bore my name, and in whose - future I reposed with more confidence than I did in my own plans - of life, now floats a mere corpse, seeking a grave in a distant - land, with a weeping mother, brother, and sisters clustered - about him. But, for myself I can ask no sympathy. On, on, I must - go to meet a soldier’s fate, or see my country rise superior to - all factions, till its flag is adored and respected by ourselves - and all the powers of the earth. - - “But my poor Willy was, or thought he was, a sergeant of the - Thirteenth. I have seen his eye brighten and his heart beat as - he beheld the battalion under arms, and asked me if they were - not real soldiers. Child as he was, he had the enthusiasm, the - pure love of truth, honor, and love of country, which should - animate all soldiers. God only knows why he should die thus - young. He is dead, but will not be forgotten till those who knew - him in life have followed him to that same mysterious end. - - “Please convey to the battalion my heartfelt thanks, and assure - each and all that if, in after years, they call on me or mine, - and mention that they were of the Thirteenth Regulars, when poor - Willy was a sergeant, they will have a key to the affections of - my family that will open all it has—that we will share with - them our last blanket, our last crust. - - “Your friend, W. T. SHERMAN, _Maj.-Gen._” - -The noble Thirteenth did not stop in their expressions of sympathy with -words. The chieftain went to his war-path, while the sculptor’s chisel -was busy on the marble, until it formed a lasting memorial of manly -affection cherished by the troops for father and son. Wrote one who saw -it in Cincinnati before it was removed to the “silent city:” - -“At Rule’s marble works we observed recently a beautiful monument to the -memory of Major-General Sherman’s son, who died over a year since, in -Memphis, while returning home with his mother from the Black River, -where they had been visiting the General, and where, unfortunately, the -boy contracted a fever. The monument was made by order of the Thirteenth -Regiment of Regular United States Infantry, of which General Sherman was -Colonel four years since, and of which his namesake-son, the deceased -child, was, by general consent, considered a sergeant, having been -elected to that position by the members of the regiment, who were very -proud of him. The monument is about two feet square at the base, and six -feet high. Above the rough ground base is the marble base, an -eight-sided, finely-polished and ornamented block. Upon four of the -faces are inscriptions, and upon the other four, between them, the -American shield, with its Stripes and Stars. Surmounting the base is a -full-sized tenor drum, with straps and sticks complete, and crossed -above this two flags of the Union—all in beautiful white marble. The -inscriptions are as follows: - -“‘In Thy Tabernacles I shall dwell forever. I shall be protected under -the cover of Thy wing. Psalms l. 1.’ - -“‘Our Little Sergeant Willie—from the First Battalion, Thirteenth -United States Infantry.’ - -“‘William Tecumseh Sherman, son of William T. and Ellen E. Sherman. Born -in San Francisco, California, June 8, 1854; died in Memphis, Tennessee, -October 3, 1863.’ - -“‘In his spirit there was no guile.’ - -“‘Blessed are they undefiled in the way, who walk in the way of the -Lord. Psalms cxviii.’” - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - - The Grand Advance from Memphis—The Enemy prepare to Meet It— - General Sherman’s Genius equal to any Emergency—Rapid Marches— - The Foe driven from the Path—New Command—The Swollen River— - Into Chattanooga—The Tireless Chief and his Gallant Troops push - forward to Missionary Ridge. - -OPEN the map, my reader, and spend a few moments, tracing the long way -before the Union troops, and you will understand the greatness of the -success of the march from Memphis to Chattanooga, which are three -hundred and nine miles apart. The Memphis and Charleston Railway connect -them. The Tennessee and Elk Rivers cross the country, many of whose -bridges were gone, and the foe lurked along the lines of travel. - -But when General Sherman received orders from General Halleck to -transport his troops to Athens, Alabama, repairing the railroad and -getting his supplies as best he could, he was off with the haste of a -prepared and fearless leader, whose heart was in the cause, for whose -triumph he fought. But instead of using boats, “his quick eye saw that -he could move his trains faster by road under escort.” He therefore did -so, and conveyed into the enemy’s country the entire Fourth Division -over the iron track. - -“Alarmed by this very dangerous move eastward, the enemy quickly -assembled at Salem and Tuscumbia, with intent to thwart it and to foil -the junction with Rosecrans. At the former point Chalmers collected -three thousand cavalry and eight pieces of artillery, and planted -himself in our path. Hearing of this, General Sherman, on October 11th, -put his whole force in motion toward Corinth, and himself started -thither in a special train with a battalion of the Thirteenth Infantry -(his own regiment) as escort. On approaching Colliersville, which was -defended by a few troops in a stockade, the train was fired upon, and it -was discovered that Chalmers was investing the place. Instantly the -General ordered his regulars to charge, and under his eye they scattered -the rebels in all directions, and reached the stockade. Before General -Sherman’s arrival, the little garrison had been sorely pressed in a -severe contest. The General soon changed the aspect of affairs, and beat -off the superior force. Corinth being reached next night, he sent -General Blair to Iuka with the First Division, and pushed troops toward -Bear Creek, five miles east of Iuka, as fast as they came up. - -“Foreseeing difficulties in crossing the Tennessee, he had written to -Admiral Porter at Cairo to watch the river and send up gunboats as soon -as the water would permit, and to General Allen at St. Louis to despatch -a ferry-boat to Eastport. The requests were promptly fulfilled. It now -only remained to work away at the railroad, in accordance with orders, -covering his working-parties from the enemy’s attacks. At the same time -he despatched Blair with two divisions to drive the enemy from -Tuscumbia, where, under Stephen Lee, they were five thousand strong. It -was accomplished after a severe fight at Cane Creek; and Tuscumbia was -occupied on the 27th of October.” - -Pause here, to get a glimpse of the general movements in the programme -of war, of which this was no inferior part. General Grant had been put -in command of the “Departments of the Ohio, of the Cumberland, and of -the Tennessee, constituting the military division of the Mississippi.” -In the latter General Sherman was appointed to the command, while -General Thomas succeeded General Rosecrans in the department of the -Cumberland. October 23d, General Grant, modestly wearing his new -laurels, reached Chattanooga. The enemy occupying Lookout Mountain, with -their terraces of cannon cut off our troops to get their scanty supplies -by the most difficult mountain routes. Wrote a Union soldier of the sad -condition of things there: - -“I confess I do not see any very brilliant prospects for continuing -alive in it all this winter, unless something desperate be done. While -the army sits here, hungry, chilly, watching the ‘key to Tennessee,’ the -‘good dog’ Bragg lies over against us, licking his Chickamauga sores -without whine or growl. He will not reply to our occasional shots from -Star Fort, Fort Crittenden, or the Moccasin Point batteries across the -river; has forbidden the exchange of newspapers and the compliments of -the day between pickets; has returned surly answers to flag-of-truce -messengers; in fact, has cut us dead. - -“The mortality among the horses and mules is frightful to contemplate. -Their corpses line the road, and taint the air, all along the Bridgeport -route. In these days, hereabouts, it is within the scope of the most -obtuse to distinguish a quartermaster or a staff officer by a casual -glance at the animal he strides. ‘He has the fatness of twenty horses -upon his ribs,’ as Squeers remarked of little Wackford; and so he has. -God help the others. - -“I am assured that this state of things will not last long; that hordes -of men are energetically at work improving our communication, and that -we soon shall be benefited by the overflowing plenty of the North. The -vigor and good spirits of the army all this time are developed in a most -astonishing manner.” - -Relief was nearer than the writer deemed at the time. General Sherman, -at Iuka, reorganized his new command on the very day of the battle at -Cane Creek, and sent General Ewing with a division to cross the -Tennessee, and hasten with all possible speed to Eastport. A messenger -from General Grant on the same day came down the river over the Muscle -Shoals, with an order to suspend his work on the railroad, and press -forward to Bridgeport. No message ever found a more welcome ear. -November 1st, the chieftain led his columns across the Tennessee and on -to the branch of the Elk River. But the river was unfordable, and with -no leisure to construct a bridge or ferry, he was compelled to take a -circuitous route along the stream by the way of Fayetteville, where he -mapped out the routes for the different divisions, and hastening to -Bridgeport, sent to General Grant, by telegram, the position of his -army. November 15th, the unresting commander of admiring and -uncomplaining troops reined up his steed at the headquarters of General -Grant in Chattanooga, after more than three hundred miles of varied and -difficult travel between him and Memphis, where he lay during the early -days of October. - -The hero of Vicksburg welcomed with delight his peer in the field of -war’s most daring exploits. Though worn and weary with their unrivalled, -if not hitherto unequalled march, such was his confidence in his brave -men, he heard without hesitation the order to bring them across the -Tennessee, secure a position at the extremity of Missionary Ridge, and -also threatened Lookout Mountain; saying for himself, “I saw enough of -the condition of men and animals in Chattanooga to inspire me with -renewed energy.” - -Away he flies to execute the commands. He does not wait for means of -conveyance; he has no false ideas of dignity to interfere with the -business in hand. Taking a row-boat, he glides before the strokes of his -own strong arms, down the river to Bridgeport. The divisions are soon in -order of march. But oh! what roads! _Mud—mud—mud!_ is before the -unflinching columns. They toil on, their leader sharing with them the -exhausting labor, till three divisions, on the 23d, are sheltered from -the observation of the enemy behind the hills, opposite the mouth of the -Chickamauga. - -Night comes on, and with silent, stealthy steps, a force advanced along -the Tennessee, taking prisoners nineteen out of twenty men who were on -picket duty. By daylight eight thousand troops were on the banks of the -river, ready to cross over and fasten upon Missionary Ridge. Before the -sun was above the hill-tops, a pontoon bridge, three hundred and fifty -feet long, was commenced, and at 1 P. M. _it was done_. Proudly the -grand cavalcade streamed over the causeway of boats, and advanced toward -the desired position. These movements were favored by the concealment—a -providential interposition—which “a light, drizzling rain and -low-hanging clouds” afforded. Three o’clock found them safely lodged at -the terminus of Missionary Ridge. Up the hill the gallant ranks pressed, -completely surprising the enemy, who, in his vexation at the humiliating -success of the flanking generalship, opened a fruitless fire of -artillery and musketry. The “boys” could not allow this, and, dragging -their own guns up the acclivity, soon silenced the noisy demonstration -of impotent wrath. But beyond and higher was a spur, still more -important in the coming trial of strength between the two great armies. -Fortifying the ground gained, at midnight the orders passed along the -columns to advance at dawn. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - - The Place of Battle—The Battle-ground—General Sherman’s Part in - the Struggle—Desperate Valor—Victory—Pursuit—No Rest— - General Burnside in Peril—General Sherman hastens to his Relief - —The Bridge breaks down—It is Rebuilt, and the Heroic - Battalions save Knoxville—General Sherman again at Chattanooga. - -MY reader cannot even imagine, in his peaceful home, the dread -interest which broods over preparation for a great and decisive battle. -Thoughts of the loved and absent throng the minds of brave men; hasty -letters are written, and messages left, should they fall in mortal -combat. Bibles are read, prayers offered, and hope rekindled in many -heroic hearts. Ambulances and “stretchers” are made ready for the -wounded, and surgeons arrange their instruments, lint, and bandages, -while orders are passed from the commanding general down to the -lieutenant. This work of preparation went forward at Chattanooga during -the hours of November 23d. - -Writes Colonel Bowman, the friend of General Sherman, a scholar, a -gentleman, and a gallant soldier: “In the plan of the battle, Hooker was -to hold the enemy at Lookout Mountain, and carry it, if possible. -General Sherman was to vigorously assault Missionary Ridge. As that was -their vital point, the enemy would mass to defend it. This would weaken -the centre, upon which Thomas would rush, to penetrate it. Simple and -plausible as this plan seemed, and successful as it proved, to most men -who looked up at the frowning and precipitous heights which towered even -into the clouds, above Chattanooga, with rebel works studded with -artillery commanding every rugged approach, the idea of carrying them -seemed little short of madness. The rebels felt so secure as to risk -sending Longstreet’s entire corps to Knoxville, where it closely -besieged the army of Burnside. ‘By half-past three P. M. of the 24th,’ -says Grant, ‘the whole of the northern extremity of Missionary Ridge, to -near the tunnel, was in Sherman’s possession. During the night he -fortified the position thus secured, making it equal, if not superior, -in strength to that held by the enemy.’ - -“Before dawn of the 25th of November General Sherman was in the saddle, -and had made the entire tour of his position in the dim light. It was -seen that a deep valley lay between him and the precipitous sides of the -next hill in the series, which was only partially cleared, and of which -the crest was narrow and wooded. The farther point of the hill was held -by the enemy, with a strong breastwork of logs and fresh earth, crowded -with men, and carrying two guns. On a still higher hill beyond the -tunnel he appeared in great force, and had a fair plunging fire on the -intermediate hill in dispute. The gorge between these two latter hills, -through which the railroad-tunnel passes, could not be seen from -Sherman’s position, but formed the natural _place d’armes_, where the -enemy covered his masses ‘to resist our turning his right flank, and -thus endangering his communications with the Chickamauga depot.’ General -Corse was to have the advance; ‘and the sun had hardly risen,’ says -Sherman, ‘before his bugle sounded the “Forward.”’ - -“His men moved briskly down into the valley and up the steep sides of -the hill in front, and, in spite of all opposition, carried and held a -sort of secondary crest on the enemy’s hill, which, however, was swept -with a murderous fire from the breastworks in front. And now for more -than an hour a very bloody and desperate conflict raged, our line now -swaying up close to the breastwork, as though it would sweep over and -engulf it, and anon dashed back, receding far away to its first -conquest. Meanwhile, Sherman’s left, on the outer spur of the ridge, and -his right abreast of the tunnel, were hotly engaged, and partially drew -the enemy’s fire from the assaulting party on the hill-crest. Our -artillery also plumped shot and shell into the breastwork, and strove to -clear the hill in Corse’s front. About ten A. M. the fight raged -furiously, and General Corse was severely wounded. Two brigades of -reënforcements were sent up; but the crest was so crowded that they had -to fall away to the west of the hill. At once the heavy masses of the -enemy in a gorge, under cover of the thick undergrowth, moved out on -their right and rear. So suddenly overwhelmed, the two supporting -brigades fell back in some confusion to the lower edge of the field, -where they reformed in good order; but, as they constituted no part of -the real attack, the temporary rebuff was unimportant. General Corse, -Colonel Loomis, and General M. L. Smith still stubbornly held the -attacking column proper up at the crest. General Grant says of them, -‘The assaulting column advanced to the very rifle-pits of the enemy, and -held their position firmly and without wavering.’ ‘When the two reserved -brigades fell back,’ says Sherman, ‘the enemy made a show of pursuit, -but was caught in flank by the well-directed fire of one brigade on the -wooded crest, and hastily sought his cover behind the hill.’ - -“The desperate and incessant attack of General Sherman was triumphantly -successful. It was directed against, in the words of Grant, ‘the enemy’s -most northern and vital point,’ and ‘was vigorously kept up all day.’ -Sherman’s position not only threatened the right flank of the enemy, but -also his rear and stores at Chickamauga. The enemy, therefore, began -very early to mass his line down against the single gallant storming -party. ‘At three P. M.,’ writes Sherman, ‘column after column of the -enemy was streaming toward me, gun after gun poured its concentric shot -on us from every hill and spur that gave a view of any part of the -ground.’ Long and anxiously he waited for the centre to open its part of -the contest, and meanwhile held stubbornly to his bloody ridge under -murderous fire. Grant, keeping his eye fixed on this key point, sent a -division to Sherman’s support, but he sent it back with the note that -‘he had all the force necessary.’ Now at last the time had come for -seizing victory out of doubtful battle. Hooker on the right had -gallantly swept round the enemy’s left. ‘Discovering that the enemy,’ -says General Grant, ‘in his desperation to defeat or resist the progress -of Sherman, was weakening his centre on Missionary Ridge, determined me -to order the advance at once.’ It was ordered and gallantly executed. -The huge masses with which Sherman was contending, now, to their dismay, -found Thomas on their left flank, and the centre of their long line -broken in. They turned; but it was too late. The white line of Thomas’s -musketry swept up from ridge to ridge, and the army of Bragg was flung -back, in overwhelming defeat, into the valleys of Georgia. Thus was the -great victory of Chattanooga won. - -“And now pursuit swiftly followed victory. The same night Sherman pushed -his skirmishers out, and, finding that enemy had given way, sent a -division after him to the depot, and followed it up at four A. M. with a -part of Major-General’s Howard’s Eleventh Corps. As the column advanced, -wagons, guns, caissons, forage, stores, pontoons, and all the ruins of a -defeated army and an abandoned camp, were found on the route. At night -of the 26th, so rapid was the pursuit that the rear-guard of the enemy -was reached, and a sharp fight ensued, till darkness closed in. The next -day all three armies pressed on, Hooker and Thomas sharing with Sherman -the marching and fighting. General Sherman meanwhile detached Howard to -move against the railroad between Dalton and Cleveland, and destroy it. -This was done, and communication thereby cut between Bragg and -Longstreet. The same movement also turned the flank of the enemy, who -were engaging Hooker so heavily further south at Ringgold that the -latter sent to Sherman to turn their position. It was already done -before Hooker’s messenger arrived. Continuing to Ringgold, he found -General Grant. The enemy had been driven from Tennessee, and Sherman was -ordered to move leisurely back to Chattanooga. The next day he -effectually destroyed the railroad from half-way between Graysville and -Ringgold to the State line, and General Grant ‘consented that, instead -of returning to Chattanooga, he might send back all my artillery, -wagons, and impediments, and make a circuit by the north as far as the -Hiawassee.’ This, too, was effected, with the destruction of more -railroad and the capture of more stores. ‘This,’ says Sherman, ‘was to -have been the limit of our journey. Officers and men had brought no -baggage or provisions; and the weather was bitter cold.’ But at this -time Grant received an urgent appeal for relief from Burnside, stating -that his supplies could only last until the 3d of December. Nothing but -incomparable energy would save Knoxville and its gallant commander. -Granger had already been ordered thither, but ‘had not yet got off,’ -says General Grant, ‘nor would he have the number of men I directed. -Besides, he moved with reluctance and complaint. I therefore determined, -notwithstanding the fact that two divisions of Sherman’s forces had -marched from Memphis and had gone into battle immediately on their -arrival at Chattanooga, to send him with his command.’ Accordingly -General Sherman received command of all the troops designed for -relieving Knoxville, including Granger’s. ‘Seven days before,’ he -writes, ‘we had left our camps on the other side of the Tennessee, with -two days’ rations, without a change of clothing, stripped for the fight, -with but a single blanket or coat per man, from myself to the private -included. Of course, we then had no provisions, save what we gathered by -the road, and were ill supplied for such a march. But we learned that -twelve thousand of our fellow-soldiers were beleaguered in the mountain -town of Knoxville, eighty-four miles distant, that they needed relief, -and must have it in three days. This was enough; and it had to be done.’ - -“That night General Howard repaired and planked the railroad-bridge, and -at daylight the army passed the Hiawassee and marched to Athens, fifteen -miles. On the 2d of December the army hurried thence toward London, -twenty-six miles distant, and the cavalry pushed ahead to save the -pontoon bridge across the Tennessee, held by Vaughn’s brigade of the -enemy. They moved with such rapidity as to capture every picket, but -found Vaughn posted strongly in earthworks containing artillery in -position. They were forced to wait till night, when Howard’s infantry -came up. During the night the enemy retreated, destroying the pontoons, -running three locomotives and forty-eight cars into the Tennessee, and -leaving for Howard to capture at daylight a large quantity of -provisions, four guns, and other material. - -“The bridge was gone, and but one day of the allotted three remained. -The same night, therefore, Sherman sent word to Colonel Long, commanding -the cavalry brigade, that Burnside must know within twenty-four hours of -his approach—ordering him to select his best material, to start at -once, ford the Little Tennessee, and push into Knoxville, ‘at whatever -cost of life and horse-flesh.’ The distance to be travelled was forty -miles, and ‘the road villanous.’ Before dawn they were off. At daylight -the Fifteenth Corps was turned from Philadelphia to Morgantown; but even -at this place the Little Tennessee was found too deep for fording. A -bridge was skilfully extemporized by General Wilson—‘working partly -with crib-work and partly with square trestles made of the houses of the -late town of Morgantown;’ and by dark of December 4th the bridge was -down and the troops passing. Next morning came the welcome message from -Burnside, dated December 4th, that Long’s cavalry had reached Knoxville -on the night of the 3d, and all was well. Just before this news, the -diagonal bracings of Wilson’s bridge had broken, from want of proper -spikes, and there was delay. But the bridge was mended, and the forced -march continued, till, at Marysville, on the night of the 5th, a staff -officer of General Burnside rode up to announce that Longstreet had -raised the siege the night before. Sending forward Granger’s two -divisions to Knoxville, General Sherman at once ordered the rest of his -gallant army to halt and rest; for their work was done. - -“General Sherman rode from Marysville to Knoxville, greeted General -Burnside, and freely expressed his admiration at the skilful -fortification of the place, including Fort ‘Saunders,’ where -Longstreet’s assaulting columns had met a bloody repulse. Knoxville -being saved, it was obviously best for Sherman’s army, excepting -Granger’s two divisions, to return to support the suspended movement -against Bragg. But before General Sherman left he received the following -letter: - - KNOXVILLE, _December 7th, 1863_. - TO MAJOR-GENERAL SHERMAN: - - I desire to express to you and your command my most hearty - thanks and gratitude for your promptness in coming to our relief - during the siege of Knoxville, and am satisfied your approach - served to raise the siege. - - A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General. - -“General Sherman now leisurely returned to Chattanooga, his cavalry -giving chase for some distance to a rebel wagon-train on the way. On the -14th of December his command reached the banks of the Hiawassee. Four -days of easy marches brought them to Chattanooga, after a three-months’ -campaign unparalleled in the history of the war. His losses had amounted -to something over two thousand men. His official report states that his -men had marched for long periods, without regular rations or supplies of -any kind, through mud and over rocks, sometimes barefooted, without a -murmur. Without a moment’s rest, after a march of over four hundred -miles, without sleep for three successive nights, they crossed the -Tennessee River, fought their part in the battle of Chattanooga, pursued -the enemy out of Tennessee, then turned more than a hundred miles north -and compelled Longstreet to raise the siege of Knoxville, which had been -the source of anxiety to the whole country. ‘The praises of Confederate -generals,’ says the London _Spectator_, in reviewing some of these -facts, ‘have been sung abundantly on this side the water: the facts are, -that all military skill and military perseverance and courage are not on -one side. . . . Such a display of genuine military qualities should not -pass without some record; and we offer it to our readers as some proof -that, with all their faults, the Federal officers and soldiers are not -without great virtues, which soldiers at least should admire.’” - -General Sherman repaired to Vicksburg to look after the affairs of the -widening field of the Union army under his leadership. Here, in answer -to inquiries from Adjutant-General Sawyer, at Huntsville, Alabama, he -wrote a splendid letter, both in comprehensiveness of views and the -clear vigorous style of composition. If you begin it you will want to -finish it, though long. It is full of fire, historical knowledge, and -yet so plain a child can understand it. The matter discussed, is the -treatment of rebels in a conquered territory: - - “HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, } - VICKSBURG, _Jan. 31, 1864_. } - “Major R. M. SAWYER, _Assistant Adjutant-General,_ - _Army of the Tennessee, Huntsville_: - - “DEAR SAWYER: In my former letter I have answered all your - questions save one, and that relates to the treatment of - inhabitants known or suspected to be hostile or ‘secesh.’ This - is in truth the most difficult business of our army as it - advances and occupies the Southern country. It is almost - impossible to lay down rules, and I invariably leave the whole - subject to the local commanders, but am willing to give them the - benefit of my acquired knowledge and experience. - - “In Europe, whence we derive our principles of war, as developed - by their histories, wars are between kings or rulers, through - hired armies, and not between peoples. These remain, as it were, - neutral, and sell their produce to whatever army is in - possession. - - “Napoleon, when at war with Prussia, Austria, and Russia, bought - forage and provisions of the inhabitants, and consequently had - an interest to protect farms and factories which ministered to - his wants. In like manner, the allied armies in France could buy - of the French inhabitants whatever they needed, the produce of - the soil or manufactures of the country. Therefore, the rule was - and is, that wars are confined to the armies, and should not - visit the homes of families or private interests. - - “But in other examples a different rule obtained the sanction of - historical authority. I will only instance that, when in the - reign of William and Mary the English army occupied Ireland, - then in a state of revolt, the inhabitants were actually driven - into foreign lands, and were dispossessed of their property, and - a new population introduced. To this day a large part of the - north of Ireland is held by the descendants of the Scotch - emigrants sent there by William’s order and an act of - Parliament. - - “The war which now prevails in our land is essentially a war of - races. The Southern people entered into a clear compact of - government, but still maintained a species of separate - interests, history, and prejudices. These latter became stronger - and stronger, till they have led to a war which has developed - fruits of the bitterest kind. - - “We of the North are, beyond all question, right in our lawful - cause, but we are not bound to ignore the fact that the people - of the South have prejudices, which form a part of their nature, - and which they cannot throw off without an effort of reason or - the slower process of natural change. Now, the question arises, - should we treat as absolute enemies all in the South who differ - from us in opinion or prejudice, kill or banish them; or, should - we give them time to think, and gradually change their conduct - so as to conform to the new order of things, which is slowly and - gradually creeping into their country? - - “When men take arms to resist our rightful authority, we are - compelled to use force, because then all reason and argument - fail. When the provisions, horses, mules, wagons, etc., are used - by the enemy, it is clearly our duty and right to take them, - because otherwise they might be used against us. - - “In like manner, all houses left vacant by an inimical people - are clearly our right, or such as are needed as storehouses, - hospitals, and quarters. But a question arises as to dwellings - used by women, children, and non-combatants. So long as the - non-combatants remain in their homes and keep to their - accustomed business, their opinions and prejudices in nowise - influence the war, and therefore should not be noticed. But if - any one comes out into the public streets and creates disorder, - he or she should be punished, restrained, or banished either to - the rear or front, as the officer in command adjudges. If the - people, or any of them, keep up a correspondence with parties in - hostility, they are spies, and can be punished with death, or - minor punishment. - - “These are well-established principles of war, and the people of - the South having appealed to war, are barred from appealing to - our Constitution, which they have practically and publicly - defied. They have appealed to war, and must abide its rules and - laws. The United States, as a belligerent party claiming right - in the soil as the ultimate sovereign, have a right to change - the population, and it may be and is both politic and just we - should do so in certain districts. When the inhabitants persist - too long in hostility, it may be both politic and right we - should banish them and appropriate their lands to a more loyal - and useful population. No man will deny that the United States - would be benefited by dispossessing a single, prejudiced, - hard-headed and disloyal planter, and substitute in his place a - dozen or more patient, industrious, good families, even if they - be of foreign birth. I think it does good to present this view - of the case to many Southern gentlemen, who grow rich and - wealthy, not by virtue alone of their industry and skill, but by - reason of the protection and impetus to prosperity given by our - hitherto moderate and magnanimous Government. It is all idle - nonsense for these Southern planters to say that they made the - South, that they own it, and that they can do as they - please—even to break up our Government, and to shut up the - natural avenues of trade, intercourse, and commerce. - - “We know, and they know, if they are intelligent beings, that, - as compared with the whole world, they are but as five millions - are to one thousand millions; that they did not create the land; - that their only title to its use and usufruct is the deed of the - United States, and that if they appeal to war, they hold their - ally by a very insecure tenure. - - “For my part, I believe that this war is the result of false - political doctrines, for which we are all as a people - responsible, viz.: That any and every people have a right to - self-government; and I would give all a chance to reflect, and - when in error to recant. I know slaveowners, finding themselves - in possession of a species of property in opposition to the - growing sentiment of the whole civilized world, conceived their - property in danger, and foolishly appealed to war; and by - skilful political handling involved with themselves the whole - South on the doctrines of error and prejudice. I believe that - some of the rich and slaveholding are prejudiced to such an - extent that nothing but death and ruin will extinguish, but hope - that as the poorer and industrial classes of the South will - realize their relative weakness, and their dependence upon the - fruits of the earth and good will of their fellow men, they will - not only discover the error of their ways, and repent of their - hasty action, but bless those who persistently maintained a - constitutional Government, strong enough to sustain itself, - protect its citizens, and promise peaceful homes to millions yet - unborn. - - “In this behalf, while I assert for our Government the highest - military prerogatives, I am willing to bear in patience that - political nonsense of slave rights, State rights, freedom of - conscience, freedom of press, and such other trash, as have - deluded the Southern people into war, anarchy, bloodshed, and - the foulest crimes that have disgraced any time or any people. - - “I would advise the commanding officers at Huntsville, and such - other towns as are occupied by our troops, to assemble the - inhabitants and explain to them these plain, self-evident - propositions, and tell them it is for them now to say whether - they and their children shall inherit the beautiful land which - by the accident of nature has fallen to their share. The - Government of the United States has in North Alabama any and all - rights which they choose to enforce in war, to take their lives, - their homes, their lands, their every thing, because they cannot - deny that the war does exist there, and war is simply power - unrestrained by constitution or compact. If they want eternal - war, well and good—we will accept the issue and dispossess - them, and put our friends in possession. - - “I know thousands and millions of good people who, at simple - notice, would come to North Alabama and accept the elegant - houses and plantations now there. If the people of Huntsville - think different, let them persist in war three years longer, and - then they will not be consulted. Three years ago, by a little - reflection and patience they could have had a hundred years of - peace and prosperity, but they preferred war; very well, last - year they could have saved their slaves, but now it is too late; - all the powers on earth cannot restore to them their slaves any - more than their dead grandfathers. Next year their lands will be - taken, for in war we can take them, and rightfully, too, and in - another year they may beg in vain for their lives. A people who - will persevere in war beyond a certain limit, ought to know the - consequences. Many, many people, with less pertinacity than the - South, have been wiped out of national existence. - - “My own belief is, that even now the non-slaveholding classes of - the South are alienating from their associations in war. Already - I hear criminations. Those who have property left, should take - warning in time. - - “Since I have come down here I have seen many Southern planters - who now hire their negroes, and acknowledge that they knew not - the earthquake they were to make by appealing to Secession. They - thought that the politicians had prepared the way, and that they - could depart in peace. They now see that we are bound together - as one nation in indissoluble ties, and that any interest or any - people that set themselves up in antagonism to the nation must - perish. - - “While I would not remit one jot or tittle of our nation’s right - in peace or war, I do make allowances for past political errors - and false prejudices. Our national Congress and Supreme Courts - are the proper arenas in which to discuss conflicting opinions, - and not the battle-field. - - “You may not hear from me again, and if you think it will do any - good call some of the better people together and explain these - my views. You may even read to them this letter and let them use - it, so as to prepare them for my coming. - - “To those who submit to the rightful law and authority, all - gentleness and forbearance, but to the petulant and persistent - secessionists, why, death is mercy, and the quicker he or she is - disposed of the better. Satan, and the rebellious saints of - heaven, were allowed a continuance of existence in hell, merely - to swell their just punishment. To such as would rebel against a - Government so mild and just as ours was in peace, a punishment - equal would not be unjust. - - “We are progressing well in this quarter. Though I have not - changed my opinion that we may soon assume the existence of our - National Government, yet years will pass before ruffianism, - murder, and robbery will cease to afflict this region of our - country. - - “Truly, your friend, W. T. SHERMAN, - Major-Gen. Commanding.” - -As it was at the beginning of the war, so in this earnest declaration of -views, the great commander keeps in advance of the popular and ruling -ideas of the conflict. - -Like Napoleon in military genius and sublimely daring marches, he is -vastly his superior in principles of human progress, and the foundations -of true national prosperity. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - - A New Expedition—Its Wise Design—Cause of its Failure in the - Main Purpose—The Hero of Vicksburg is created - Lieutenant-General—The New Order of Things—Two Grand Lines of - March and of Conquest—From Chattanooga to Kenesaw Mountain. - -THE holidays of the season which introduced the year 1863 had scarcely -passed, and your gifts of affection, young reader, were still in your -hands, or in a snug corner of your home, when the untiring chief, who -was and is defending that home from the hosts of rebellion, was planning -a grand expedition into Central Mississippi. - -The map will show you the town of Meridian, where important railroads -have their junction, more than a hundred miles from Vicksburg. To this -centre of the empire, claimed by the usurper Davis, around which lay the -richest corn and cotton fields of the South, and swarmed the toiling -slaves, General Sherman determined to lead his battalions. You must -recollect, he would have to cut loose from his “base of supplies,” and, -with a long wagon-train carrying rations for twenty days, conduct his -“movable column”—that is, the entire army in motion, and with no -communications open—over the enemy’s country, where well-disciplined -troops were not very far from his path. It was a most daring adventure, -but just like the brave commander who conceived it. Comprehending the -gigantic revolt, and the vital points in the Confederacy, he has had but -one view of the means to suppress the infamous rebellion. Had his plan -been adopted, the war might have been ended now. Large armies, bold and -rapid movements into the home of secession, sparing nothing that affords -it any nourishment, has been the war-creed of General Sherman. February -found the campaign complete in preparation. On the 3d the commander left -the streets of Vicksburg, reining his steed toward Meridian. - -Two days before, General W. S. Smith was to leave Memphis, Tenn., with -eight thousand cavalry, and join him at Meridian. The course of march -was in part along the track in which the troops advanced on Vicksburg. -The cavalcade of twenty thousand men, followed by miles of -supply-wagons, crossed the Big Black River, moved along by Champion -Hills and Clinton to Jackson. Here General McPherson, with the Sixteenth -Corps, and General Hurlbut, with the Seventeenth Corps, who had taken -different routes, met General Sherman, and were united to his army. - -The rebels did not seem to care about fighting the daring chieftain, but -retreated before him. At Line Creek resistance was offered, a short -battle followed, and again the host moved forward, taking the towns of -Quitman and Enterprise, on every hand spreading alarm. - -February 13th he reached the Big Chunkey River. Meridian was the next -point to be gained, when, with all his forces, he could push on, getting -between General Johnston and Mobile, where Commodore Farragut was -thundering with his naval ordnance, and perhaps interfere very much with -General Polk’s army. Meanwhile, military depots would disappear before -the torch, and other havoc with supplies distract and cripple the foe. -With such successes, it would not be difficult to hasten over the -intervening ground, and hurl his legions against the city from the land -side, thus finishing the work Commodore Farragut had so well commenced. -At Meridian, February 13th, 150 miles from Vicksburg, he congratulated -his troops in these words: - -“The General Commanding conveys his congratulations and thanks to the -officers and men composing this command, for their most successful -accomplishment of one of the great problems of the war. Meridian, the -great railway centre of the Southwest, is now in our possession, and, by -industry and hard work, can be rendered useless to the enemy, and -deprive him of the chief source of supply to his armies. Secrecy in plan -and rapidity of execution accomplish the best results of war; and the -General Commanding assures all that, by following their leaders -fearlessly and with confidence, they will in time reap the reward so -dear to us all—a peace that will never again be disturbed in our -country by a discontented minority.” - -But as General Grant’s delay at Holly Springs, on account of its -cowardly surrender, turned the first attack upon Vicksburg into a -defeat, so by the failure of General Smith to start from Memphis till -the 13th of February, the further success of the expedition was made -impossible. Still, the affair was a magnificent raid into the heart of -“rebeldom,” which spread terror along its way, and left the ruins of -railroads, bridges, and storehouses behind, while securing animals and -various material for the use of the Union army. - -The great commander was now compelled to turn his column toward -Vicksburg again, which he entered three weeks after his departure, -having led his troops safely across hostile soil more than two hundred -and fifty miles, surrounded by large armies. March 2d, General Sherman -reached New Orleans in the gunboat _Diana_, and when referring to his -expedition, termed it “a big raid only.” Before he had rested his heroic -men, a law which had been before Congress while he was marching, was -passed, creating the office of Lieutenant-General, the President -conferring the honor of it upon Major-General Grant. The same order of -March 12th gave to General Sherman the command before held by the hero -of Vicksburg, called the Department of the Mississippi, and including -the smaller departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, and the Tennessee, -with the Arkansas. Around him were to stand Generals McPherson, Hooker, -Thomas, Hurlbut, Logan, Schofield, and Howard, the “Havelock of the -army.” - -The grandest and most decisive campaigns of the war were now planned. -The Army of the Potomac, commanded by General Meade, was again to start -for Richmond, under the eyes of the Lieutenant-General; and the -divisions of General Sherman were to take Atlanta, the former the “head, -the latter the heart of the Confederacy.” - -It was a sublime crisis in the struggle. The two great heroes of the -conflict had in their hands enterprises worthy of their genius, and -which would hold the interest of the nation and of the world. For if -either of the bold movements succeeded, the other it would seem must, -because beyond the single victory were the vast results of the -cöoperating armies on the coast, from the mouth of the James River to -Savannah. Immediately upon receiving the notice of his appointment, in -the middle of March, General Sherman began a tour of inspection, -visiting Athens, Decatur, Huntsville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and other -places of military importance, carefully acquainting himself with the -extent and resources of the new field of his command. From reports -published, it is believed that on the 1st day of May the effective -strength of the several armies, for offensive purposes, was about as -follows: - - _Army of the Cumberland, Major-General Thomas Commanding._ - - Infantry 54,568 - Artillery 2,377 - Cavalry 3,828 - ——— - Total 60,773 - Guns 130 - - _Army of the Tennessee, Major-General McPherson Commanding._ - - Infantry 22,437 - Artillery 1,404 - Cavalry 624 - ——— - Total 24,465 - Guns 96 - - _Army of the Ohio, Major-General Schofield Commanding._ - - Infantry 11,183 - Artillery 679 - Cavalry 1,679 - ——— - Total 13,541 - Guns 28 - - Grand aggregate number of troops, 98,779; guns, 254. - -About these figures were maintained during the campaign, the number of -men joining from furlough and hospitals about compensating for the loss -in battle and from sickness. These armies were grouped on the morning of -May 6th, as follows: That of the Cumberland at and near Ringgold; that -of the Tennessee at Gordon’s Mill, on the Chickamauga; and that of the -Ohio near Red Clay, on the Georgia line, north of Dalton. - -A reference to the map again will show you Dalton on the railroad -between Chattanooga and Atlanta, with Ringgold northwest of it. A -distinguished general of the army describes the advance: - -“Marching from Chattanooga on the 5th of May, and from Ringgold on the -7th, he first encountered Johnston at Tunnel Hill, a strong position, -but which was used by him merely as an outpost to his still stronger one -of ‘Buzzard Roost.’ This latter is a narrow gorge or pass in the -Chatoogata Mountains, flanked on one side by the precipitous sides of -Rocky Face Ridge (not unlike the Palisades of the Hudson River) and on -the other by the greater but less precipitous elevation called John’s -Mountain. This gorge was commanded on the Dalton side by an amphitheatre -of hills, which, as well as the tops of Rocky Face and John’s Mountain, -was crowned by batteries, lined with infantry, and terraced by -sharpshooters. The railroad and wagon-road wind through the gorge, which -is absolutely the only passage through the mountains at this place. -Taking a leaf from the book of his Yorktown experience, Johnston had -skilfully flooded the entrance to the gorge by damming a neighboring -mountain-stream, and covering both railroad and wagon-road with water to -the depth in some places of eight to ten feet. It is scarcely possible -to conceive a stronger defensive position, and the rebels had been -induced to believe that it was unassailable.” - -The pass, which doubtless received its name from a large bird common at -the south, was made impassable by abatis, and piles driven down filling -the defile, and the whole overflowed by the waters of Mill Creek. Two -days’ reconnoissance and sharp skirmishing proved to General Sherman -that an attack in front would cost too great a sacrifice of life, and -that the pass must be turned. The means for this were found in a gap -called Snake Creek Gap, some fifteen miles to the southwest. The thick -dark forest, by its concealment, would protect the march. Rising almost -perpendicularly are the flinty sides of Rocky Face, on the other side of -which stands Oak Knob. Into this wild and romantic seclusion our army -pushed its front, while the rebels lurked in the heights around and -above the Union “boys.” - -General Morgan, whose command was there, relates, that “a corporal of -Company I, Sixtieth Illinois, broke from the line, and under the cover -of projecting ledges got up within twenty feet of a squad of rebels on -the summit. Taking shelter from the sharpshooters, he called out: - -“‘I say, rebs, don’t you want to hear Old Abe’s amnesty proclamation -read?’ - -“‘Yes! yes!’ was the unanimous cry, ‘give us the ape’s proclamation.’ - -“‘Attention!’ commanded the corporal, and in a clear and resonant voice -he read the amnesty proclamation to the rebels, beneath the cannon -planted by rebel hands to destroy the fabric of Government established -by our fathers. When he arrived at those passages of the proclamation -where the negro was referred to, he was interrupted by cries of ‘None of -your Abolitionism; look out for rocks!’ And down over his hiding-place -descended a shower of stones and rocks. Having finished the reading, the -corporal asked: - -“‘Well, rebs, how do you like the terms? Will you hear it again?’ - -“‘Not to-day, you bloody Yank. Now crawl down in a hurry and we won’t -fire,’ was the response; and the daring corporal descended and rejoined -his command, which had distinctly heard all that passed. I regret I -could not learn the name of the corporal, for he must get promotion at -the hands of Father Abraham and Governor Dick Yates.” - -Another incident of army life at this crisis of the campaign will -interest you: While on Rocky Face General Howard stood upon a ledge of -rocks from which he could see a large force of rebels upon a projecting -spur of the ridge immediately beneath him. Tired of gazing upon the -enemy, the General, in the absence of hand grenades, lighted the fuse of -shells, and amused himself by dropping them down into the centre of the -enemy, in whose ranks there was quite a lively commotion in consequence. -The frightened enemy little suspected that the hand that dropped the -shells into their ranks was the companion of the one lost at Fair Oaks -by the fearless leader of the Eleventh Army Corps. - -The flank movement was led by General McPherson with the Fifteenth and -Sixteenth Corps, and Garrard’s division of cavalry, supported by General -Thomas with the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, while Generals Howard -and Schofield, with the Fourth, Twenty-third, and Stoneman’s division of -cavalry, “amused the enemy in front.” Suddenly General Johnston waked up -from his dream of security, and hastily abandoning his stronghold fell -back upon a new position to save his communications, which were around -the town of Resaca, almost due south from Chattanooga, and distant from -it by railroad fifty-six miles. It is situated in Gordon County, -Georgia, on the north bank of the Coosawattee River, which flows -southwest, changing its name to the Oostalantee, and joins Etowah at -Rome, the two forming the Coosa, which, joining the Tallapoosa, forms -the Alabama, and flows into the Gulf at Mobile. - -The railroad bridge at Resaca, destroyed by the rebels on their retreat, -is one of the most important, perhaps the most important, on the Western -and Atlantic Railway; it is six hundred feet long. The distance from -Resaca to Atlanta is eighty-two miles by rail, and the country much more -favorable for our operations than that from Chattanooga to Resaca. - -The rebel general began to learn lessons of caution in the _flanking_ -school of General Sherman, and so guarded the extremities of his army -that the latter was compelled to try a direct assault in front. For -three days the sound of battle at intervals echoed among the hills, with -constantly increasing advantage to the vigilant, skilful, and unyielding -Sherman, until he had in his possession commanding hills, with railroads -and bridges in his rear. Eight guns, two flags, large quantities of -stores, and several hundred prisoners, were the trophies of the -hard-earned victories. - -The night of the 15th of May the rebel chief, finding himself outwitted -and outflanked, made a hurried retreat. When the morning revealed the -flight of the foe, General Sherman’s army started in pursuit. General -Thomas, second only in splendid achievements and gallantry to his -commander, was “directly on his heels,” while Generals McPherson and -Schofield took different routes. Amusing scenes occasionally lit up the -darkest hours of night and conflict. - -During the whole operations of Saturday and Sunday, while forcing -General Johnston from his intrenchments, General Beatty’s brigade, of -Wood’s division, was in reserve. The boys did not relish their position, -and, while the battle raged with great fury, they showed unmistakable -signs of uneasiness. One fellow, more daring than his companions, -quietly sauntered out and made for the front. Meeting a wounded soldier -returning from the front, the “Buckeye” borrowed his “fixins” and -entered Hazen’s brigade, where he fought bravely until shot in the jaw. -Retiring to the rear, he met a staff-officer, who inquired the number of -his regiment, and, learning it was not under fire, asked how he came to -be wounded. “Well,” replied the soldier, “you see I don’t like to be -back in the rear, so I came out to take a shot at the Johnnies, and I be -dogged if they haven’t peppered me.” - -At nine on Saturday night the Nineteenth Alabama was lying in line, with -a rebel battery separating it from another regiment. The battery was -withdrawn, and the colonel of the Nineteenth went down to fill the gap -with his regiment; he was accompanied by four hundred men. Arriving at -the gap they found it filled with pickets, who quietly “took them in out -of the wet,” and brought them in. Our boys had crawled up unobserved, -and filled the gap in the enemy’s line, captured Colonel McSpadden and -companions, and retired without receiving a shot. The rebel colonel -himself highly praised the strategy of his captors. - -Onward through forest, across streams, and over heights, the nobly proud -and confidant columns pressed toward Atlanta. The song and joke—the -sacred page and prayer—the inexcusable oath—all marked the long -marches, the night encampment, and the morning hour of preparation to -renew the tramp of embattled legions toward the interior of the -Confederate Territory. How sublime the music, rising over that moving -host, which a listener thus describes: - -“At early dawn one morning, ere the troops were fully awakened from -their slumbers, the melodious notes of ‘Old Hundred,’ given forth by one -of the brigade bands, rang out upon the air, and were echoed by the -green-capped hills beyond. Soldiers intently occupied in preparing the -morning meal stood still and listened to the melody, and instinctively -joined in it. It flew from regiment to regiment; brigade after brigade -took it up, and, ere the notes of the band ceased to reverberate, five -thousand voices were raised in ‘Praise God from whom all blessings -flow.’ A moment later all was still. Breakfast was taken; and so -silently did the veterans of many battle-fields break camp and fall into -line that everybody remarked it, and complimented them for their -conduct. I have heard ‘Old Hundred’ often, when the lungs of the organ -seemed inspired with life, and a congregation joined their melodious -voices, but never until to-day did I hear it sung with the full -inspiration of the soul.” - -May 25th, General Thomas’s troops, with the fearless Hooker in the -advance, were sweeping toward Dallas, when the enemy crossed their path. -The action of New Hope Church came off, leaving the Union colors -streaming victoriously over the exulting volunteers. But there was a -different flag taken from hostile hands. General Stoneman, the splendid -cavalry officer, captured from the Third Texas Cavalry a black flag with -a skeleton figured upon it together with a death’s head and cross-bones. -This flag is no myth or creation of the wild fancy of some terrified -trooper, but a reliable thing now in possession of a surgeon in the -General’s command, and seen and handled by the members of General -Schofield’s staff. They are said to have carried it from the first. What -they expect to have understood by it is easily arrived at from the -remark of a member of another Texas regiment who was taken prisoner and -brought to headquarters. When asked by a member of the staff if he -belonged to the regiment which carried the black flag, he replied that -he did not, else he should not have been brought there. It is, perhaps, -needless to state that our men are reported to have taken no prisoners -from the Third Texas Cavalry. - -While the forces were approaching Dallas, occurred one of war’s striking -contrasts, related by a participant in the scenes: - -“Last night the enemy kept up a lively demonstration along our whole -line sufficient to interfere slightly with our slumbers at headquarters. -About three o’clock yesterday afternoon Cheney’s First Illinois Battery, -20-pounder Parrott guns, opened a brisk fire upon a strong rebel -fortification, one mile from Dallas, which frowns upon our lines at an -altitude of nearly two hundred feet, and from which a fine view is -easily obtained of our movements. The cannonade was continued till -sunset, shells bursting in all directions, scattering their -death-dealing fragments among loyal and disloyal. The monotony was -relieved by the constant arrival of mounted orderlies bearing their -important despatches of the enemy’s doings from the respective brigade -and division commanders, while the music of the Minié balls, as they -whistled through the trees over our heads, lent enough exhilarating -excitement to the afternoon hours to dispel all thought of drowsiness. -While the musketry rattled quite lively along our lines, causing the -vales to reverberate, and the loud reports of the deadly rifles rang -through the mountain forests, the military bands were discoursing -sentimental and patriotic melodies within sound of the rebel lines. - -“So near have our skirmishers advanced to the enemy’s front, that last -night, while a prayer-meeting was being held in the rebel camps, our -troops could hear quite distinctly their appeals to Heaven for peace. I -regret to state that some of the ‘Yankees’ were sacrilegious enough to -interpolate the names of Grant and Sherman, just at the point where the -traitors invoked health and strength to Lee and Johnston. The tone of -their petitions was for peace, which Gen. Sherman is determined they -shall not enjoy until he secures that piece of Georgia which he has -marked out as the reward for his invincible army.” - -At this crisis in the march, already among the rivers flowing to the -Gulf, with the iron-works on their banks at different points, General -Sherman issued an order containing directions respecting care of the -wounded, who were to be carried from the field by the musicians and -others not in the ranks; and requiring hospitals to be kept nearer the -moving columns, protecting them by the irregularities on the surface, -and not by distance. Here is what he says of cowards: - -“Skulking, shirking, and straggling behind in time of danger, are such -high detestable crimes that the General Commanding would hardly presume -them possible, were it not for his own observation, and the report that -at this moment soldiers are found loafing in the cabins, to the rear, as -far back as Kingston. The only proper fate of such miscreants is that -they be shot, as common enemies to their profession and country; and all -officers and patrols sent back to arrest them, will shoot them without -mercy, on the slightest impudence or resistance. By thus wandering in -the rear they desert their fellows, who expose themselves in battle in -the full faith that all on the rolls are present, and they expose -themselves to capture and exchange as good soldiers, to which they have -no title. It is hereby made the duty of every officer who finds such -skulkers, to deliver them to any provost guard, regardless of corps, to -be employed in menial or hard work, such as repairing roads, digging -drains, sinks, &c. Officers, if found skulking, will be subjected to the -same penalty as enlisted men, viz., instant death, or the hardest labor -and treatment. Absentees not accounted for, should always be mustered as -deserters, to deprive them of their pay and bounties, reserved for -honest soldiers.” - -We cannot chronicle all the battles and skirmishes of the “running -fight”—not _from_ the enemy, but after him. The charge upon Allatoona -Pass by the Union cavalry, June 2d, where General Sherman had flanked -General Johnston a week before, was a brilliant display of valor -baptized in blood. - -The first week in June had passed, and General Sherman’s troops, after -marching more than a hundred miles since leaving Chattanooga, through a -country unknown to them, daily skirmishing with the watchful foe, -striking against works capable of resisting twice their number of -troops, and all the time without broken ranks, gaining substantial -advantage, now fairly confronted General Johnston intrenched upon Lost -Mountain, Pine Hill, and Kenesaw Mountain, three bold peaks connected -together by a line of ridges, and twenty-six miles north of Atlanta. His -line was closely circumscribed by ours. In no place were the hostile -parallels more than a musket-shot apart. The rebel right rested on -Kenesaw Mountain, on the railroad, four miles north of Marietta, their -left on Lost Mountain, some six miles west of Kenesaw. Between these two -formidable ridges the rebels had gradually been forced back from a -triangle, with the apex toward us, until their line was but a faint -crescent, their centre still being slightly advanced. Right, left, and -centre, their position was closely invested. Our troops shed parallel -after parallel, until the country in their rear was furrowed with -rifle-pits and abatis, and scored with a labyrinth of roads. - -“The country is covered with primitive forests, and in very few places -are there cleared spaces sufficiently large to display the movements of -a brigade. There is an abundance of scrubby undergrowth which hides -every thing a few yards distant from view; and when one inspects the -difficulties, it seems hardly credible, though such is the case, that we -fully developed the enemy’s position with two days’ skirmish.” - -A brave officer from whose accurate observations passages have already -been taken, says of this halting-place in the great race for Atlanta: -“The ridge in front of Kenesaw commences about Wallace’s House on the -Burnt Hickory and Marietta road, and extends thence across the railroad -behind Noonday Creek about two miles in an east-by-north direction. Lost -Mountain and Kenesaw are about eleven hundred feet high, Pine Hill and -Brushy Hill about four hundred feet high, and the ridges everywhere -about one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet, or about the same as, -and, in fact, not very dissimilar to Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga. -The enemy was everywhere strongly intrenched behind log barricades, -protected by earth thrown against them, with a ditch, formidable abatis, -and in many places a chevaux-de-frise of sharpened fence-rails besides. -Their intrenchments were well protected by thick traverses, and at -frequent intervals arranged with emplacements and embrasures for -field-guns. The thickness of this parapet was generally six to eight -feet _at top_ on the infantry line, and from twelve to fifteen feet -thick at the top, where field-guns were posted or where fire from our -artillery was anticipated. The amount of digging and intrenching that -Johnston’s army had done is almost incredible. General Sherman’s tactics -resulted in wresting Lost Mountain, Pine Hill, the ridge in front of -Kenesaw, and Brushy Hill from the enemy, and forcing back his two wings, -Kenesaw Mountain operating as a sort of hinge, until his left was behind -Olley’s Creek, and his right behind the stream which flows between the -houses named on the map as McAffee and Wiley Roberts. Kenesaw Mountain -then became the projecting fortress of the defensive line, the wings -being turned backward from it. It is a rocky eminence, rather -precipitous, thickly-wooded, and crowned with batteries. - -“Our respective lines were about eight or nine miles in length, from six -hundred to seven hundred yards distant from each other, and strongly -intrenched. Skirmishing went on incessantly, and artillery duels -occurred two or three times daily. The enemy at different times made -some dozen or more assaults, sometimes getting within fifty yards of our -intrenchments, but were always repulsed, and generally with heavy loss -to them. To gain certain positions, we opened a heavy artillery fire -upon their whole line, pressed their two flanks heavily, and made -assaults in two places upon their centre. The assaults were -unsuccessful; but the Twenty-third Corps, upon their extreme right, -gained important advantages of position.” - -Wrote another: “We fancy out here that the over-expectant loyal public -are disappointed at the seemingly slow progress of our cause in this -department. It is only necessary to state that the immense amount of -supplies required for an army of this size, to be transported a distance -of over two hundred miles through the enemy’s country, with a -single-track railroad, is a gigantic undertaking. As for subsisting upon -the country, that is out of the question, the inhabitants themselves -depending upon the charity of the ‘ruthless invaders’ for daily -sustenance. Forage, ordnance stores, and commissary supplies, must all -flow through this single artery with lightning rapidity, if we would -replenish these stores as fast as exhausted. Nothing but the most -thorough organization and complete system, with great energy in the -various departments, could ever have prevented our troops from suffering -for the want of food and clothing. The public can never appreciate the -innumerable natural obstacles that have embarrassed the operations of -this unflinching army. The truly loyal do not demand any such -explanations as these, for with such leaders as Grant and Sherman -apprehension is groundless; but of late the Copperhead press, not -content with misrepresenting and belittling General Grant’s victorious -advance toward the rebel capital, sneer at General Sherman’s -generalship, and insinuate already, in the face of brilliant successes -achieved, that the ‘On to Atlanta’ movement is a failure. - -“Standing upon the martial-crowned top of Pine Mountain, amid the -fluttering of those peculiar flags used by the Signal Corps, we learned -that from this eminence were transmitted, in those mysterious signals, -all the movements of the enemy, and such operations of our army as were -necessary. In front of you stands the defiant, frowning Kenesaw, with -its thick woods concealing the rebel batteries from view that line its -steep sides, while five or six miles west of Kenesaw, Lost Mountain -lifts its sugar-loaf crest to the sky, solitary and alone, looming up -against the gorgeously tinted clouds that deck the heavens. Just before -you, looking south, can be discerned the suburbs of Marietta, with the -Georgia Military Institute standing out prominently in the picture. -Gazing down the steep declivity into the thickly-wooded vales which lie -at the spectator’s feet, a magnificent panorama of natural beauty is -unfurled. So close are the lines of the contending armies, that the -dense volumes of smoke from their camp fires roll up united, but hang in -portentous clouds over friend and foe. - -“While wrapt in silent admiration, mixed with a deep sense of awe at the -wild and romantic scene before me, the bands encamped in the valley -which encircles the base of the mountain struck up the ‘John Brown’ or -‘Glory Hallelujah Chorus,’ the echoes of which vibrated, re-echoed, and, -finally, as the sun’s departing rays began to fade from the horizon, its -pathetic notes died away, or mingled with the rattle of musketry which -flashed along our skirmish line. I can never forget the peculiar -impression photographed upon my mind by the swelling of this historical -anthem of Freedom’s first battle, as it grandly sailed over Pine -Mountain. My reverie was soon disturbed by the sudden roar of many -batteries belching out their savage peals with fearful rapidity from -both sides, and for several minutes quite an artillery duel was indulged -in, interspersed with short rolls of musketry. It was curious to watch -the rebel guns, as the smoke lazily curled from the cannon’s mouth, -while the solid shot whizzed and shells shrieked over our breastworks.” - -Among the incidents of this part of the great campaign was a dress -parade of the rebels on the top of Kenesaw Mountain. Our lines were so -near, that the display was distinctly visible and audible. Below the -regiment, whose bayonets gleamed in the rays of the setting sun, were -the bristling rifle-pits. A courier suddenly dashed up to the adjutant, -and handed him a despatch from General Johnston, announcing that General -Sherman “had brought his army so far south, that his line of supplies -was longer than he could hold; that he was too far from his base—just -where their commanding general wished to get him; that a part of their -army would hold the railroad, thirty miles north of the Etowah; and that -the great railroad bridge at Allatoona had been completely destroyed; -that in a few days Sherman would be out of supplies, because he could -bring no more trains through by the railroad. They were urged to -maintain a bold front, and in a few days the Yankees would be forced to -retreat. Breathless silence evinces the attention which every word of -the order receives, as the adjutant reads. Cheers are about to be given, -when hark! loud whistles from Sherman’s cars, at Big Shanty, interrupt -them. The number of whistles increase. Allatoona, Ackworth, and Big -Shanty depots resound with them. Supplies have arrived. The effect can -easily be imagined. The illustration was so apt, the commentary so -appropriate, that it was appreciated at the instant. ‘Bully for the base -of supplies!’ ‘Bully for the long line!’ ‘Three cheers for the big -bridge!’ ‘Here’s your Yankee cars!’ ‘There’s Sherman’s rations!’ Bedlam -was loose along their line for a short time.” - -There was a tree in front of General Herron’s division of the Fifteenth -Army Corps, to which was given the name of _fatal tree_. Seven soldiers -in succession, who hid behind it to shoot, were killed. Then a board was -put on the tree, on which was chalked “dangerous.” The rebels soon shot -this sign to pieces, when a sergeant took his position there, and in -less than two minutes two Minié balls pierced his body, making the -eighth victim of rebel bullets—a tragical _item_ in war’s dread work. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - - The Battle of Kenesaw Mountain—On to Marietta—Across the - Chattahoochie—General Johnston succeeded by General Hood— - Marching and Fighting—Death of McPherson—Fight at Jonesboro— - The last struggle for Atlanta—Victory. - -JUNE 14th, General Hooker was on the right and front of the rebel -intrenchments, General Howard on the left and front. A heavy cannonading -was opened, filling the air with bursting shells and whistling balls, -till the old mountains echoed with the thunder and shouts of battle, and -hung upon their tops the streamers of its sulphurous smoke. Look away -among the rebel battalions, and mark that daring and conspicuous -officer, with the air of dignified, cultivated, and mature manhood. With -words of command on his lips, he reels, and falls from his steed. The -fatal missile has opened the life current of the Bishop and General -Polk, the severest loss to the rebels of that sanguinary day. - -The next morning brightened the summit of Pine Mountain without the -gleaming bayonets and bristling cannon on which the sunset rays fell a -few hours before; the enemy had abandoned the summit during the night. -The heroic Thomas and Schofield immediately advanced, and found the -stubborn foe again strongly intrenched along a range of rocky hills -running from Kenesaw to Lost Mountain. General McPherson crowded the -opposing lines on the left. The unyielding and steady advance of the -Union forces made the sides of Lost Mountain too warm for the rebels, -and on the 17th, just when General Sherman was about to order a charge, -they withdrew, leaving in our hands not only the formidable heights, but -the “admirable breastworks connecting it with Kenesaw Mountain.” Onward -through dark forests and across deep ravines, the resolute chief led the -“boys,” fighting every step of the way, toward the next fiery barrier of -bullets and steel. This was found at Kenesaw. The fastness had become -the last defence against the Northern troops among the peaks which had -for more than two weeks frowned upon them. It was the enemy’s front, the -outer lines having fallen back to cover Marietta and the railroad to the -Chattahoochie. - -Sadly glorious deeds were done in these wilderness fights. When the One -Hundred and Nineteenth New York regiment was so near the hostile ranks -that a halt to throw up a temporary breastwork of logs was necessary, by -some singular and melancholy mistake a party of twelve or fifteen men -were ordered to advance beyond these works on picket duty. Though -knowing that it was almost certain death to show their heads above the -walls of their little fort, still they obeyed without question or -hesitation. They had advanced scarcely more than a rod beyond their -comrades, when a heavy volley of musketry prostrated to the ground every -man save two! Two were killed instantly, and the rest wounded more or -less severely. All of the wounded, however, were able to drag themselves -back and escape, except one poor fellow, Sergeant Guider, who was so -badly wounded that he could not stir from his place. There he lay almost -within arms-length of his comrades, and yet they were powerless to -rescue him or give him aid, so galling was the rebel fire. One bolder -than the rest made the hazardous attempt, but scarcely had he got over -the breastworks when he fell severely wounded. They endeavored to allay -his raging thirst by throwing to him canteens of water, and even one of -these was pierced by a rebel bullet. Finally, as they could not go over -the breastworks, they dug a way under them with no other implements than -their bayonets, and through it two men crawled and succeeded in reaching -him unhurt. Just as they reached him their comrades in the rear gave an -exultant cheer, which elicited from the rebels another volley. A fatal -ball pierced the poor fellow’s breast for a second time, and he had only -time to murmur feebly to his rescuers, “Now I die content; I am in your -hands,” and expired. - -Then came the terrible assault upon the stronghold to dislodge the -enemy. Oh, how bravely yet vainly did the columns to whom the voice of -their leader was enough to take them anywhere, dash against the rocks -terraced with cannon! Again the charge sounded, and, like tides -thundering on the face of Gibraltar, the lion-hearted Hooker hurled his -forces upon the death-dealing intrenchments. There was an Illinois -regiment, whose sublime patriotism, like that of the One Hundred and -Nineteenth New York, shed immortal radiance on the sanguinary field, -assuring all men that our conflict is no tragical play of ambition, or -murderous work of revenge. - -“In the bloody charge led by General Hooker, the Twenty-seventh Illinois -was pressing upon the rebel works; and when they had approached very -near them, Michael Delaney, the color-bearer, rushed some ten paces -forward ahead of his regiment, and holding aloft the starry banner of -his country, shouted to his comrades to follow. Just then a ball struck -his left arm, inflicting a flesh wound, from which the blood trickled in -profuse currents. Still grasping the flag, and keeping it to the breeze, -he drew his revolver, and rushing forward, leaped upon the enemy’s -works, waving his flag, and firing his pistol upon the foe. Thus, -standing upon the enemy’s works, his pistol in hand, and his colors -streaming over his head, two rebels approached him, one on each side, -and thrust their bayonets into the sides of the hero martyr. He felt the -cold steel pierce to the very quick of his young life, yet he did not -falter. With the blood gushing from his wounds, he clasped the flag to -his breast, and bore it back in safety to his comrades, among whom he -soon after bled to death. Though no star or eagle decorated his -shoulders, he is of the country’s heroes, his name stamped among theirs, -high on the roll of honor. Though no sculptured marble may mark the spot -of his lonely grave among the melancholy pines of northern Georgia, his -intrepid bravery entitles him to the homage of all who honor the flag he -so bravely bore, and laid down his life to save. The Twenty-seventh -Illinois regiment suffered heavily, but behaved nobly, in this fierce -and unequal contest.” - -And the unresting, yet patient, sagacious commander, in his own report, -tells us how he alarmed his antagonist, and drew him away from the -slopes of Kenesaw to save his path of retreat: “On the 1st of July -General McPherson was ordered to throw his whole army by the right down -to and threaten Nickajack Creek and Turner’s Ferry, across -Chattahoochie. General McPherson commenced his movement on the night of -July 2d, and the effect was instantaneous. The next morning Kenesaw was -abandoned, and with the first dawn of day I saw our skirmishers appear -on the mountain top. General Thomas’s whole line was then moved forward -to the railroad, and turned south in pursuit toward the Chattahoochie. -In person I entered Marietta at 8.30 o’clock in the morning, just as the -enemy’s cavalry vacated the place. General Logan’s corps of General -McPherson’s army, which had not moved far, was ordered back into -Marietta by the main road, and General McPherson and General Schofield -were instructed to cross Nickajack, and attack the enemy in flank and -rear, and, if possible, to catch him in the confusion of crossing the -Chattahoochie; but Johnston had foreseen and provided against all this, -and had covered his movement well. He had intrenched a strong -_tête-du-pont_ at the Chattahoochie, with an advanced intrenched line -across the road at Smyrna camp-meeting ground, five miles from -Marietta.” - -Strange scenes, indeed, are witnessed in this civil war: “The two armies -in Georgia met in the persons of some of their superior -officers—Generals Clayborne, Cheatham, Hindman, and Maney—parties -having been detailed from each by mutual agreement, for the burial of -their dead. Grouped together in seemingly fraternal unity were officers -and men of both contending armies, who but five minutes before were -engaged in the work of slaughter and death. Cheatham looked rugged and -healthy, though seemingly sad and despondent. He wore his ‘fatigue’ -dress, a blue flannel shirt, black necktie, gray homespun pantaloons, -and slouch black hat. Colonel Clancy, of the Fifty-second Ohio, in -talking to Generals Maney and Hindman, remarked that it was a sad state -of affairs to witness human beings of a common origin and nationality -dig two hours every day to bury the dead of twenty minutes’ fighting. -‘Yes, yes, indeed,’ said one, ‘but if the settlement of this thing were -left to our armies there would be peace and good fellowship established -in two hours.’” - -With the “forward to Atlanta!” ringing over the proud ranks of Generals -Logan, Howard, Palmer, and Hooker, moving out through the enemy’s works, -and defiling into the valley along the railroad toward Marietta, let us -look into the deserted mountain fortress. First you will notice twenty -feet in front of the battlements, to prevent approach, the small trees -cut down and sharpened, presenting an impenetrable thicket of pointed -green-wood under the “dread artillery.” Besides, “hay-rakes,” as they -are called by the “boys,” are added. They are trees half of a foot in -diameter, pierced with two rows of auger holes about the same distance -apart, through which are driven sticks sharp at both ends—no trifling -barrier to a successful charge. Inside of the defences all the means of -strength suggested by military art had been employed to make them -impregnable. But before the irresistible Sherman, General Johnston is -obliged to retreat, hastening on toward the bulwarks of Atlanta. - -At Smyrna, General Sherman continues: “General Thomas found him, his -front covered by a good parapet, and his flanks behind the Nickajack and -Rottenwood Creeks. Ordering a garrison for Marietta, and General Logan -to join his own army near the mouth of Nickajack, I overtook General -Thomas at Smyrna. On the 4th of July we pushed a strong skirmish line -down the main road, capturing the entire line of the enemy’s pits, and -made strong demonstrations along Nickajack Creek, and about Turner’s -Ferry. This had the desired effect, and the next morning the enemy was -gone, and the army moved to the Chattahoochie, General Thomas’s left -flank resting on it near Price’s Ferry, General McPherson’s right at the -mouth of Nickajack, and General Schofield in reserve; the enemy lay -behind a line of unusual strength, covering the railroad and pontoon -bridges and beyond the Chattahoochie.” - -The commander-in-chief now began to cast about for places to ford the -Chattahoochie, whose waters crossed his path. He had secured three safe -points of passage above his enemy, with good roads running toward the -city, ten miles distant, on which his eager eye was fixed. - -Marietta, where General Johnston paused to make a faint resistance -before reaching the river, is a pleasant town which before the war -contained a thousand inhabitants, with neat villas and elegant brick -mansions. Nearly all the families left before or with the rebel army on -their retreat, leaving their deserted houses and gardens as trophies for -the “invading horde of Lincolnites.” But about forty houses were -occupied, principally by rabid rebel women, who, as our officers rode -through the town, betrayed evident uneasiness, rushing into their houses -in some instances, and locking their doors against all callers who -politely asked admittance. The town is beautifully situated in the -Kenesaw valley, with nearly all the houses nestling in beautiful groves -of southern trees that gave forth fragrant odors, to mingle with the air -that is wafted to the mountain resort, where the ladies made their -lookout to witness the efforts of the Federals to drive back Johnston -and his followers. Our troops occupied the town about ten o’clock, while -the bells of the Episcopal Church pealed out the call to public worship. -The minister and the congregation were not interrupted in their -devotions, the troops behaved very orderly, and, after a brief rest, -resumed the march to the Chattahoochie. - -While here, the chieftain wrote the following noble letter to a friend -of former days, the wife of Rev. Charles Bowen, in reply to a note -reminding him of the cherished past in their social relations, and of -the melancholy present with its cruel “Yankee invasion.” - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, } - IN THE FIELD NEAR MARIETTA, GA., _June 30_. } - “_Mrs. Anna Gilman Bowen, Baltimore, Md._ - - “DEAR MADAM: Your welcome letter of June 18th, came to me here - amid the sound of battle, and, as you say, little did I dream, - when I knew you, playing as a school-girl on Sullivan’s Island - beach, that I should control a vast army, pointing, like the - swarm of Alaric, toward the plains of the South. Why, oh why is - this? If I know my own heart it beats as warmly as ever toward - those kind and generous families that greeted us with such warm - hospitality in days long past but still present in memory, and - to-day, were Frank and Mrs. Porcher, and Eliza Gilman, and Mary - Lamb, and Margaret Blake, the Barksdales, the Quashis, the - Pryors, indeed any and all of our cherished circle, their - children, or even their children’s children, to come to me as of - old, the stern feelings of duty and conviction would melt as - snow before the genial sun, and I believe I would strip my own - children that they might be sheltered; and yet they call me - barbarian, vandal, and monster, and all the epithets that - language can invent that are significant of malignity and hate. - All I pretend to say, on earth as in Heaven, man must submit to - some arbiter. He must not throw off his allegiance to his - Government or his God without just reason and cause. The South - has no cause; not even a pretext. Indeed, by her unjustifiable - course she has thrown away the proud history of the past, and - laid open her fair country to the tread of devastating war. She - bantered and bullied us to the conflict. Had we declined battle, - America would have sunk back, coward and craven, meriting the - contempt of all mankind. As a nation, we were forced to accept - battle, and that once begun, it has gone on till the war has - assumed proportions at which even we in the hurly-burly - sometimes stand aghast. I would not subjugate the South in the - term so offensively assumed, but I would make every citizen of - the land obey the common law, submit to the same that we do—no - worse, no better—our equals and not our superiors. I know and - you know that there were young men in our day, now no longer - young, but who control their fellows, who assumed to the - gentlemen of the South a superiority of courage and manhood, and - boastingly defied us of northern birth to arms. God knows how - reluctantly we accepted the issue, but once the issue joined, - like the northern race in other ages, though slow to anger, once - aroused are more terrible than the more inflammable of the - South. Even yet my heart bleeds when I see the carnage of - battle, the desolation of homes, the bitter anguish of families; - but the very moment the men of the South say that instead of - appealing to war they should have appealed to reason, to our - Congress, to our courts, to religion, and to the experience of - history, then will I say Peace—Peace; go back to your point of - error, and resume your places as American citizens, with all - their proud heritages. Whether I shall live to see this period - is problematical, but you may, and may tell your mother and - sisters that I never forgot one kind look or greeting, or ever - wished to efface its remembrance; but in putting on the armor of - war I did it that our common country should not perish in infamy - and dishonor. I am married, have a wife and six children living - in Lancaster, Ohio. My course has been an eventful one, but I - hope when the clouds of anger and passion are dispersed, and - truth emerges bright and clear, you and all who knew me in early - years will not blush that we were once dear friends. Tell Eliza - for me that I hope she may live to realize that the doctrine of - ‘secession’ is as monstrous in our civil code as disobedience - was in the Divine law. And should the fortunes of war ever bring - you or your sisters, or any of our old clique under the shelter - of my authority, I do not believe they will have cause to regret - it. Give my love to your children, and the assurance of my - respects to your honored husband. - - “Truly, W. T. SHERMAN.” - -Wrote a loyal pen in that grand cavalcade of freedom from the heights on -the banks of the Chattahoochie: “The view is exceedingly interesting. -Away off to the southeast, ten miles distant, can be distinctly seen the -farm-houses that nestle in the forests around Atlanta—the tall spires -of the churches and public buildings, and the fortifications that guard -the approaches to the ‘Gate City.’ Stretching away to the south, the eye -beholds a vast forest, dotted by innumerable plantations and villages. -Nearer, almost at the base of the mountain, the Serpentine River can be -seen through the thick growth of trees that line its banks, while the -military, State, and private roads to the east and south, remind the -beholder of a huge spider’s web, so numerous are they, and forming so -many angles. - -“On the 4th the curiosity of the troops to see Atlanta was so strong, -that stragglers left their regiments and climbed the side from which -they viewed the promised land to which they are ‘pilgrimaging.’ Many of -the poor fellows, I fear, will never live to obtain a nearer view, as a -desperate defence will be made ere Johnston evacuates it for another -position, and by surrendering it open the doors for greater Federal -success beyond and on either side.” - -July 10th found General Sherman in possession of the country north and -west of the river, with only the smoking ruins of the enemy’s bridges -left to tell of his hurried retreat toward Atlanta, for whose gates the -race was renewed. Manœuvring, marching, and skirmishing again, marked -the movements of the contending armies. - -I shall let you read further the great commander’s own story of the -chase after leaving the banks of the river, in which he pays a passing -tribute to the gallant McPherson: - -“On the 21st of July we felt the enemy in his intrenched position, which -was found to crown the heights overlooking the comparatively open ground -of the valley of Peach-tree Creek, his right beyond the Augusta road to -the east, and his left well toward Turner’s Ferry, on the Chattahoochie, -at a general distance from Atlanta of about four miles. - -“On the morning of the 22d, somewhat to my surprise, this whole line was -found abandoned, and I confess I thought the enemy had resolved to give -us Atlanta without further contest; but General Johnston had been -relieved of his command, and General Hood substituted. A new policy -seemed resolved on, of which the bold attack on our right was the index. -Our advancing ranks swept across the strong and well-finished parapet of -the enemy, and closed in upon Atlanta, until we occupied a line in the -form of a general circle of about two miles radius, when we again found -him occupying in force a line of finished redoubts, which had been -prepared for more than a year, covering all the roads leading into -Atlanta; and we found him also busy in connecting these redoubts with -curtains strengthened by rifle trenches, abatis, and chevaux-de-frise. - -[Illustration: MAP OF GEORGIA] - -“General McPherson, who had advanced from Decatur, continued to follow -substantially the railroad, with the Fifteenth Corps, General Logan; the -Seventeenth, General Blair, on its left; and the Sixteenth, General -Dodge, on its right; but as the general advance of all the armies -contracted the circle, the Sixteenth Corps, General Dodge, was thrown -out of line by the Fifteenth connecting on the right with General -Schofield near the Howard House. General McPherson, the night before, -had gained a high hill to the south and east of the railroad, where the -Seventeenth Corps had, after a severe fight, driven the enemy, and it -gave him a most commanding position, within easy view of the very heart -of the city. He had thrown out working-parties to it, and was making -preparations to occupy it in strength with batteries. The Sixteenth -Corps, General Dodge, was ordered from right to left to occupy this -position and make it a strong general, left flank. General Dodge was -moving by a diagonal path, or wagon track, leading from the Decatur road -in the direction of General Blair’s left flank. General McPherson -remained with me until near noon, when some reports reaching us that -indicated a movement of the enemy on that flank, he mounted and rode -away with his staff. I must here also state that the day before I had -detached General Garrard’s cavalry to go to Covington, on the Augusta -road, forty-two miles east of Atlanta, and from that point to send -detachments to break the two important bridges across the Yellow and -Ulcofauhatchee Rivers, tributaries of Ocmulgee, and General McPherson -had also left his wagon-train at Decatur under a guard of three -regiments, commanded by Colonel, now General Sprague. Soon after General -McPherson left me at the Howard House, as before described, I heard the -sounds of musketry to our left rear—at first mere pattering shots, but -soon they grew in volume, accompanied with artillery, and about the same -time the sound of guns was heard in the direction of Decatur. No doubt -could longer be entertained of the enemy’s plan of action, which was to -throw a superior force on our left flank, while he held us with his -forts in front, the only question being as to the amount of force he -could employ at that point. I hastily transmitted orders to all points -of our centre and right to press forward, and to give full employment to -all the enemy in his lines, and for General Schofield to hold as large a -force in reserve as possible, awaiting developments. Not more than half -an hour after General McPherson had left me, viz., about 12½ P. M. of -the 22d, his adjutant-general, Lieutenant-Colonel Clark, rode up and -reported that General McPherson was either dead or a prisoner; that he -had ridden from me to General Dodge’s column, moving as heretofore -described, and had sent off nearly all his staff and orderlies on -various errands, and himself had passed into a narrow path or road that -led to the left and rear of General Giles A. Smith’s division, which was -General Blair’s extreme left; that a few minutes after he had entered -the woods a sharp volley was heard in that direction, and his horse had -come out riderless, having two wounds. The suddenness of this terrible -calamity would have overwhelmed me with grief, but the living demanded -my whole thoughts. I instantly despatched a staff officer to General -John A. Logan, commanding the Fifteenth Corps, to tell him what had -happened; that he must assume command of the Army of the Tennessee, and -hold stubbornly the ground already chosen. - -“But among the dead was Major-General McPherson, whose body was -recovered and brought to me in the heat of battle, and I had it sent, in -charge of his personal staff, back to Marietta, on its way to his -northern home. He was a noble youth, of striking personal appearance, of -the highest professional capacity, and with a heart abounding in -kindness, that drew to him the affections of all men. His sudden death -devolved the command of the Army of the Tennessee on the no less brave -and gallant General Logan, who nobly sustained his reputation and that -of his veteran army, and avenged the death of his comrade and -commander.” - -What high appreciation of a gifted and gallant officer, tender regard, -and sublime self-control, are displayed in those words from the field of -carnage! Lieutenant-General Grant was not ashamed to weep in his tent -over McPherson’s death; in the closing circle of conflict around -Atlanta, General Sherman could only feel the pang of poignant regret, -and marshal the unfallen for further and bloodier strife. - -At this crisis, Congress having passed a law authorizing the -organization of colored troops, a Massachusetts State Agent applied to -him to know where, in the rebel States penetrated by our troops, would -be the best points for recruiting stations. His letter in reply will -possess interest, because while it furnishes the desired information, it -contains the writer’s views of the subject. The best treasure, and the -best blood of the nation, has been his estimate of the great and -glorious sacrifice demanded in our struggle for national existence. He -scorns all evasions of duty, and resorts to doubtful expedients, for -relief from any of the burdens of such a war. - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, } - IN THE FIELD, NEAR ATLANTA, GA., _July 30, 1864_. } - - “SIR: Yours from Chattanooga, July 28th, is received, notifying - me of your appointment by your State as lieutenant-colonel and - provost-marshal of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, under the - act of Congress approved July 4, 1864, to recruit volunteers to - be credited to the States respectively. On applying to General - Webster, at Nashville, he will grant you a pass through our - lines to those States, and, as I have had considerable - experience in those States, would suggest recruiting depots to - be established at Macon and Columbus, Miss., Selma, Montgomery, - and Mobile, Alabama, and Columbus, Milledgeville, and Savannah, - Georgia. I do not see that the law restricts you to black - recruits, but you are at liberty to collect white recruits also. - It is [a] waste of time and money to open rendezvous in - Northwest Georgia, for I assure you I have not seen an - able-bodied man, black or white, there, fit for a soldier who - was not in this army or the one opposed to it. - - “You speak of the impression going abroad that I am opposed to - the organization of colored regiments. My opinions are usually - very positive, and there is no reason why you should not know - them. Though entertaining profound reverence for our Congress, I - do doubt their wisdom in the passage of this law: - - “1st. Because civilian agents about an army are a nuisance. - - “2d. The duty of citizens to fight for their country is too - sacred a one to be peddled off by buying up the refuse of other - States. - - “3d. It is unjust to the brave soldiers and volunteers who are - fighting, as those who compose this army do, to place them on a - par with the class of recruits you are after. - - “4th. The negro is in a transition state, and is not the equal - of the white man. - - “5th. He is liberated from his bondage by the act of war; and - the armies in the field are entitled to all his assistance and - labor and fighting _in addition_ to the proper quotas of the - States. - - “6th. This bidding and bantering for recruits, white and black, - has delayed the reënforcement of our armies at the times when - such reënforcements would have enabled us to make our successes - permanent. - - “7th. The law is an experiment which, pending war, is unwise and - unsafe, and has delayed the universal draft which I firmly - believe will become necessary to overcome the wide-spread - resistance offered us; and I also believe the universal draft - will be wise and beneficial; for under the Providence of God it - will separate the sheep from the goats, and demonstrate what - citizens will fight for their country, and what will only talk. - - “No one will infer from this that I am not a friend to the negro - as well as the white race. I contend that the treason and - rebellion of the master freed the slave, and the armies I have - commanded have conducted to safe points more negroes than those - of any general officer in the army; but I prefer negroes for - pioneers, teamsters, cooks, and servants, others gradually to - experiment in the art of the soldier, beginning with the duties - of local garrisons, such as we had at Memphis, Vicksburg, - Natchez, Nashville, and Chattanooga; but I would not draw on the - poor race for too large a proportion of its active, athletic - young men, for some must remain to seek new homes and provide - for the old and young, the feeble and helpless. These are some - of my peculiar notions, but I assure you they are shared by a - large proportion of our fighting men.” - -The honesty, directness, and philanthropy of these views, will command -respect from those who opposed them, and would raise an army of -emancipated slaves. With him it was not contempt of the negro, but the -scorn of a timid, easy policy by the North, while exactly the opposite -course was taken by the South. - -General Sherman now ordered from Chattanooga four rifled cannon, whose -calibre was four and a half inches, and whose signals of his arrival -were to be dropped into streets of Atlanta. August 10th, these -messengers of _peace with victory_, arrived and began their -negotiations. Night and day they sent their globes of fire into the -city, kindling conflagrations and spreading confusion and terror on -every hand. But the enemy had come to the strongest position along the -entire war-path between Chattanooga and the ocean; and although the -“Gate City” was made a heap of ruins, he was resolved to hold the forts, -which would guard the way, even over the smoking embers of destruction. - -The fine cavalry officer, General Stoneman, was sent on a raid to the -Macon Railroad, in which he was taken prisoner. This had so elated the -rebels they began to think of “turning the tables” on General Sherman. -Suddenly Major-General Wheeler appeared before Dalton, which you -recollect was the first important position taken after leaving -Chattanooga, with a force of infantry and cavalry variously reported at -from seventeen hundred to five thousand men. It was defended by a -garrison of four hundred men under Colonel Seibold. Approaching the town -in line of battle, General Wheeler demanded the surrender of the place -in the following terms: “To prevent the effusion of blood, I have the -honor to demand the immediate and unconditional surrender of the forces -under your command at this garrison.” To which Colonel Seibold replied: -“I have been placed here to defend the post, but not to surrender it. B. -Seibold, commanding U. S. forces.” - -On the receipt of this reply, an attack was made on the garrison, who -retired into their defences, where they succeeded in holding their -position until the arrival of General Steedman with reënforcements from -Chattanooga, when the rebels were forced to retreat after inflicting -some slight damage to the railroad track near Dalton. - -A few days later General Sherman issued orders for a general advance of -the army by the right flank. All the sick, with surplus wagons and -encumbrances of every kind, were sent back to the intrenched position -near the river bridge, reducing the number of wagons to three thousand -and of ambulances to one thousand; and on the night of August 25th the -canvas city gave place to the marshalled host, moving forward in the -darkness to gather more closely the fatal cordon around Atlanta. The -following night flung its shadows upon the still marching thousands, -getting nearer and nearer the throat of the foe. The Army of the -Tennessee moved to the West Point Railroad, when General Sherman ordered -“a day’s work to be expended in destroying the road, and it was done -with a will,” to use his own words. Having surveyed in person the ruins, -and satisfied with the thoroughness of the devastation, he led the whole -army forward. - -General Howard moved on the right toward Jonesboro’, General Thomas had -the centre, whose goal was Conch’s, on the Decatur and Fayetteville -road, and General Schofield the extreme left. To get a clear impression -of the army operations here, you will need the help of a large map, on -which the railroads and towns about Atlanta can be seen in their -relation to it. Meanwhile General Hood was growing merry over a fancied -retreat by the manœuvring and confident Sherman. The long trains moving -to the rear, and the course of the battalions backward toward Sandtown -on the Chattahochie, _looked_ like it. But the commander knew his enemy -and the way to trap him. - -August 28th, the grand army was keeping cheerful step to the music of -the march to conflict and victory; the long columns of warriors proudly -gazing after their chief, who with equal pride cared for and led them to -the fields of conquest. - -Atlanta was now the object of enthusiastic interest. It was profound -strategy which divided the rebel forces at Jonesboro’ and Atlanta, -throwing the Union army like a wedge between them, thus making the fall -of Atlanta certain: “During the night of the 28th, the rest of the army -being well under way, the Twenty-third Corps withdrew and followed the -general movement toward the Macon Road, General Schofield timing his -movements with the corps further on the left, which had the longer arc -of the circle to traverse. The general line of march for the -Twenty-third Corps was toward the junction of the two railroads at East -Point, the Third division, under General Cox, holding the advance, and -with the Second Division, under General Hascall, occasionally erecting -temporary works to guard against threatened attacks from the enemy, who -were on the alert against this demonstration. On the 31st these two -divisions effected a junction with General Stanley, of the Fourth Corps. -General Hascall’s division went into position to guard the left toward -East Point, and General Cox pushed forward toward the Macon road, which -was reached by two or three o’clock P. M., General Stanley, of the -Fourth Corps, striking it about the same time. The troops of these two -corps at once set to work fortifying, while details were sent out, which -destroyed the track for miles. No opposition was encountered, and by -dark strong works had been thrown up, facing east and south, the work of -destruction on the railroad being continued through the night. On the -morning of the 1st of September, Newton’s and Kimball’s divisions were -marched along the line of the railroad the length of a brigade front, -and at a given signal the ties and rails were lifted from their bed, -piled up and burnt. Thus a mile and a half was turned up and destroyed -in half an hour. An advance of another mile and a half was then made -down the road, and the operation repeated. Thus alternately marching and -destroying the road, the two divisions marched a distance of ten miles, -to within two miles of Jonesboro’, where they formed a junction with the -Fourteenth Corps. Soon after the Twenty-third Corps, which followed the -Fourth, came into position on its left. Further to the left was the Army -of Tennessee. - -“Previous to this the enemy had discovered the direction of General -Sherman’s march, and two corps under Hardee had been sent to confront -him at Jonesboro’, Hood meanwhile remaining for the defence of Atlanta. -Daring the night of August 30th the march of a rebel column was heard on -our left and centre, and in the morning two corps were found massed on -our right. At daybreak, the Second brigade of Hazen’s division of the -Fifteenth Corps advanced and drove the enemy from a hill, which gave, -our artillery command at Jonesboro’, and the railroad less than one half -mile distant. This success was immediately followed up by the -reënforcement of the brigade holding the hill, by a brigade from -Osterhaus’ division. Toward three P. M. the enemy appeared in front of -Hazen’s position, Lee’s corps advancing to the assault through a field -of corn, while Hardee’s Corps attempted a flanking movement on the -right, which was checked by Harrow’s division. Both divisions were soon -engaged in checking the desperate and determined assault with which the -enemy sought to overwhelm them. The rebels were driven back, only to -rally again and again for the assault, until after two hours of -desperate fighting they were finally repulsed. They had fortunately -struck a position which we held too strongly to be easily dislodged. A -reënforcement of two regiments were sent during the attack, by General -Howard to General Wood, and a brigade of the Seventeenth Corps, Colonel -Bryant’s, to General Hazen. Failing in this assault, Cleburne’s rebel -division marched to our extreme right, and assaulted Kilpatrick, who -held the bridge on Flint River. General Kilpatrick succeeded, however, -in holding his position until relieved by General Giles B. Smith’s -division. - -“During the night Hardee despatched Lee’s corps to look after the safety -of Atlanta, so that but a single rebel corps was found opposed to our -army on the morning of September 1st. This corps lay in position in -front of Jonesboro’, with their right resting on the railroad. Having -failed in the assault with which they hoped to drive back our army, they -were prepared to resist its further advance in the best position they -could secure. They had a large number of guns in position, which did -effective service during the day. Late in the afternoon General Davis -formed his troops for a charge upon the enemy’s position; -Brigadier-General Carlin’s division on the left, and Brigadier-General -Morgan, joining the Fifteenth Corps on the right, General Baird being in -reserve. The line was formed in the arc of a circle on the edge of the -woods, the two flanks thrown forward overlapping the enemy, who held a -position on some commanding ridges in front, covering Jonesboro’. In the -face of a deadly fire of musketry, shell, and canister, the gallant -Fourteenth Corps charged upon the rebel position, driving them from -their breastworks and capturing many prisoners, including -Brigadier-General Govan, several colonels and other commissioned -officers. Eight guns were also taken, among them part of Loomis’s -battery captured at Chickamauga. The troops captured belonged to the -fighting division of Cleburne. The approach of night prevented pursuit -of the broken columns of the rebels, who escaped under cover of the -darkness. - -“At daybreak on the 2d, the Fourth and Twenty-third Corps advanced in -pursuit of the retreating rebels, who came to bay near Lovejoy’s -Station, six miles beyond Jonesboro’, toward Macon, taking position on a -wooded ridge behind a swamp bordering a creek. Some skirmishing was had -with the enemy’s first line until night, which was spent by our troops -in intrenching. The enemy being found in strong position, and his -retreat being assured, no further advance was attempted. - -“Meantime Atlanta was alive with excitement. Despair had succeeded -confidence as it became known that Hardee had been driven from -Jonesboro’ south, while Hood was left in Atlanta with his communications -severed, and our army threatening both from the north and the south. -Early on Thursday, September 1st, the removal of supplies and ammunition -commenced, and was continued through the day. Large quantities of -provisions that could not be removed were distributed to the citizens, -the storehouses at the same time being thrown open to the troops as they -passed through the city. The rolling stock of the railroad, consisting -of about one hundred cars and six engines, was gathered together and -destroyed. The cars were laden with the surplus ammunition taken out on -the Augusta Railroad, and set on fire and blown up, making the earth -tremble with the explosion. Over one thousand bales of cotton were also -given to the torch. The scene of confusion and excitement among the -town’s people when it became evident that the city was to be evacuated, -is beyond description. Every possible and impossible vehicle was brought -into requisition to carry away the effects of the inhabitants, who, in -sorrowful procession, took up their line of march toward the South. For -the third time the peripatetic Memphis _Appeal_ was on the wing, its -editor reporting himself at this time ‘thoroughly demoralized.’ From the -shanties and cellars of the city swarmed out the lower classes of the -population to seize what they could from the general wreck. The -explosion of ammunition was heard by General Slocum, of the Twentieth -Corps, seven miles distant. Suspecting the cause, he sent out a heavy -column to reconnoitre at daybreak on the morning of the 2d instant. They -met with no opposition, and pushed forward on the roads leading into -Atlanta from the north and northwest. Arriving near the city, they were -met by the mayor, Mr. Calhoun, who formally surrendered the city. The -formalities disposed of, our troops entered Atlanta with banners flying -and music playing, the inhabitants looking on in silence. General Slocum -established his headquarters at the Trout House, the principal hotel of -the city. Eleven heavy guns, mostly sixty-six pounders, were found in -the forts of the city, and others were subsequently discovered buried in -fictitious graves. About three thousand muskets, in good order, and -three locomotives were also secured, besides large quantities of -manufactured tobacco. About two hundred rebel stragglers were gathered -up by the Second Massachusetts, which was detailed for provost duty, its -colonel, Cogswell, being appointed provost-marshal. But a small -proportion of the inhabitants remained in the city, and these -principally of the lower classes, and tradesmen who proposed to make an -honest penny out of the army. Their hopes were speedily cut short by a -peremptory order from General Sherman ordering all civilians from the -city.” - -In looking back upon this campaign, a very remarkable feature of it was -the protection of his line of communication: “It was not a little -precarious, and more than once aroused the anxiety of the nation. It -might well occasion solicitude. His base was, in one sense, not at -Chattanooga, but at Nashville; with the former point as a secondary -base. Accordingly, the enemy bent his efforts not only to breaking the -railroad between Atlanta and Ringgold, striking it at Dalton and -Calhoun, but also to raiding on the road from Chattanooga back to -Nashville. From Atlanta to Chattanooga the railroad is one hundred and -thirty-five miles long; from Chattanooga to Nashville, only a little -less. With this line of two hundred and fifty miles, stretched clear -across the great Alleghany chain from flank to flank, in a disputed -country, filled with guerrillas and hostile inhabitants, with myriads of -nooks and eyries in the mountainous region, apt for the assemblage and -protection of marauding bands, with that attenuated line infested by -many squadrons of the best cavalry in the Confederacy, long accustomed -to be victorious everywhere—cavalry who had devastated almost with -impunity the broad States of Kentucky and Tennessee again and again, -under such bold and skilful leaders as John Morgan, Forrest, Wheeler, -Stephen Lee, Rhoddy, and Chalmers—in spite of all, for four eventful -months, through victory and repulse, in action and repose alike, Sherman -has been able to keep his lines strong and clear. - -“While all the Southern newspapers and many Southern generals, and while -even English journals of great ability were proving by all the laws of -logic and strategy that Sherman _must_ now retreat, Sherman did not -retreat. At the very moment, indeed, when the exultation of the -Confederates was the highest at the absolute certainty of his downfall, -Sherman pushed on and took Atlanta, ending logic and campaign both at -once.” - -It was one of the grandest, most decisive and exciting scenes of the -civil war, when the great leader of the Union battalions in Georgia -enjoyed the pause in marches and battles afforded by the occupation of -Atlanta. The sound of booming cannon, the crack of musketry, all the -Babel discord of war, was comparatively hushed. In the distance the foe -was reluctantly, slowly retreating; and along the track of both armies -the new-made graves and the wounded were lying, the waymarks of a -gigantic struggle for - - “The land of the brave, and the home of the free.” - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - - The Tidings of Victory at Washington—The President’s Messages to - the People and to the Army—General Sherman congratulates his - Battalions—The Rebel General is indignant—The Correspondence - between him and General Sherman—The authorities of Atlanta also - unreconciled to the new order of things—The noble Letters and - Conduct of the Conquerer. - -“ATLANTA has fallen!” flew on lightning-wing over the country, making -the wildest rejoicing of the loyal millions, and darkening with -despondency and wrath the faces of traitors in their own camps and those -among the patriots of the north. “Atlanta is ours, and fairly won!” was -the sublimely simple message of General Sherman. The importance and -grandeur of the achievement called forth an enthusiastic expression of -rejoicing in the Executive mansion, and of gratitude to God. - -We can almost imagine our calm and excellent President gathering about -him his Cabinet, and proposing three cheers for Sherman; then retiring -to his private apartment, raising his tearful eye upward to the “King of -kings,” in thankful recognition of the source of strength and conquest, -before he took the pen to send over the land the brief and stirring -messages given below: - - “_To Major-General Dix, New York_: - - “The President has issued the following recommendations and - orders in relation to the recent successes by the United States - forces at Mobile and Atlanta. - - “EDWIN M. STANTON, Secretary of War.” - - “EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON CITY, - _September 3, 1864_. - - “The signal success that Divine Providence has recently - vouchsafed to the operations of the United States army - and navy in the harbor of Mobile, and the reduction of - Forts Powell, Gaines, and Morgan, and the glorious - achievements of the army under Major-General Sherman in - the State of Georgia, resulting in the capture of the - city of Atlanta, call for devout acknowledgments to the - Supreme Being, in whose hands are the destinies of - nations. - - “It is therefore requested that on next Sunday, in all - places of public worship in the United States, - thanksgiving be offered to Him for His mercy in - preserving our national existence against the insurgent - rebels who so long have been waging a cruel war against - the Government of the United States for its overthrow, - and also that prayer be made for the Divine protection - to our brave soldiers and their leaders in the field, - who have so often and so gallantly perilled their lives - in battling with the enemy, and for blessings and - comfort from the Father of Mercies to the sick, and - wounded, and prisoners, and to the orphans and widows of - those who have fallen in the service of their country, - and that he will continue to uphold the Government of - the United States against all the efforts of public - enemies and secret foes. - - “ABRAHAM LINCOLN.” - - “EXECUTIVE MANSION, _September 3_. - - “The national thanks are tendered by the President to - Major-General William T. Sherman, and the gallant - officers and soldiers of his command before Atlanta, for - the distinguished ability, courage, and perseverance - displayed in the campaign in Georgia, which, under - Divine favor, have resulted in the capture of the city - of Atlanta. - - “The marches, battles, sieges, and other military - operations that have signalized this campaign, must - render it famous in the annals of war, and entitle those - who have participated therein to the applause and thanks - of the nation. - - “ABRAHAM LINCOLN.” - - “EXECUTIVE MANSION, _September 3_. - - “Ordered—_First_. That on Monday, the 5th day of - September, commencing at the hour of twelve o’clock - noon, there shall be given a salute of one hundred guns - at the arsenal and navy yard at Washington, and on - Tuesday, the 6th of September, or the day after the - receipt of this order, at each arsenal and navy yard in - the United States, for the recent brilliant achievements - of the fleet and the land forces of the United States in - the harbor of Mobile, in the reduction of Fort Powell, - Fort Gaines, and Fort Morgan. The Secretary of War and - Secretary of the Navy will issue the necessary - directions in their respective Departments for the - execution of this order. - - “_Second._ That on Wednesday, the 7th day of September, - commencing at the hour of twelve o’clock noon, there - shall be fired a salute of one hundred guns at the - arsenal at Washington, and at New York, Boston, - Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburg, Newport, Ky., and - St. Louis, and at New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola, Hilton - Head, and Newbern, the day after the receipt of this - order, for the brilliant achievements of the army under - the command of Major-General Sherman in the State of - Georgia, and the capture of Atlanta. The Secretary of - War will issue directions for the execution of this - order. - - “ABRAHAM LINCOLN.” - -The glad tidings swept over the broad belt of hostile soil to the -headquarters of the lieutenant-general, who sent back a laconic, but -noble response: - - “CITY POINT, VA., _September 4–9_ P. M. - “Major-General SHERMAN: - - “I have just received your despatch announcing the capture of - Atlanta. In honor of your great victory I have just ordered a - salute to be fired with shotted guns from every battery bearing - upon the enemy. The salute will be fired within an hour, amidst - great rejoicing. - - “U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.” - -The gallant chieftain of the conquering battalions, followed with his -official congratulations to the proud and exultant columns which had -pierced, like a wedge, the “heart of the Confederacy.” It is a finished -and eloquent order: - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF MISSISSIPPI, } - IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA, GA., _Sept. 8, 1864_. } - - “The officers and soldiers of the Armies of the Cumberland, - Ohio, and Tennessee, have, already received the thanks of the - Nation, through its President and Commander-in-Chief, and it now - remains only for him who has been with you from the beginning, - and who intends to stay all the time, to thank the officers and - men for their intelligence, fidelity, and courage displayed in - the campaign of Atlanta. - - “On the 1st of May our armies were lying in garrison, seemingly - quiet from Knoxville to Huntsville, and our enemy lay behind his - rocky-faced barrier at Dalton, proud, defiant, and exulting. He - had had time since Christmas to recover from his discomfiture on - the Mission Ridge, with his ranks filled, and a new - commander-in-chief, second to none of the Confederacy in - reputation for skill, sagacity, and extreme popularity. All at - once our armies assumed life and action, and appeared before - Dalton; threatening Rocky Face we threw ourselves upon Resaca, - and the rebel army only escaped by the rapidity of its retreat, - aided by the numerous roads with which he was familiar, and - which were strange to us. Again he took position in Allatoona, - but we gave him no rest, and by a circuit toward Dallas and - subsequent movement to Ackworth, we gained the Allatoona Pass. - Then followed the eventful battles about Kenesaw, and the escape - of the enemy across Chattahoochie River. - - “The crossing of the Chattahoochie and breaking of the Augusta - road was most handsomely executed by us, and will be studied as - an example in the art of war. At this stage of our game our - enemies became dissatisfied with their old and skilful - commander, and selected one more bold and rash. New tactics were - adopted. Hood first boldly and rapidly, on the 20th of July, - fell on our right at Peach Tree Creek, and lost. Again, on the - 22d, he struck our extreme left, and was severely punished; and - finally, again on the 28th he repeated the attempt on our right, - and that time must have been satisfied; for since that date he - has remained on the defensive. We slowly and gradually drew our - lines about Atlanta, feeling for the railroads which supplied - the rebel army and made Atlanta a place of importance. We must - concede to our enemy that he met these efforts patiently and - skilfully, but at last he made the mistake we had waited for so - long, and sent his cavalry to our rear, far beyond the reach of - recall. Instantly our cavalry was on his only remaining road, - and we followed quickly with our principal army, and Atlanta - fell into our possession as the fruit of well-concerted - measures, backed by a brave and confident army. This completed - the grand task which had been assigned us by our Government, and - your general again repeats his personal and official thanks to - all the officers and men composing this army, for the - indomitable courage and perseverance which alone could give - success. - - “We have beaten our enemy on every ground he has chosen, and - have wrested from him his own Gate City, where were located his - foundries, arsenals, and workshops, deemed secure on account of - their distance from our base, and the seemingly impregnable - obstacles intervening. Nothing is impossible to an army like - this, determined to vindicate a Government which has rights - wherever our flag has once floated, and is resolved to maintain - them at any and all costs. - - “In our campaign many, yea, very many of our noble and gallant - comrades have preceded us to our common destination, the grave; - but they have left the memory of deeds on which a nation can - build a proud history. McPherson, Harker, McCook, and others - dear to us all, are now the binding links in our minds that - should attach more closely together the living, who have to - complete the task which still lies before us in the dim future. - I ask all to continue as they have so well begun, the - cultivation of the soldierly virtues that have ennobled our own - and other countries. Courage, patience, obedience to the laws - and constituted authorities of our Government; fidelity to our - trusts and good feeling among each other; each trying to excel - the other in the practice of those high qualities, and it will - then require no prophet to foretell that our country will in - time emerge from this war purified by the fires of war and - worthy its great founder—Washington. - - “W. T. SHERMAN, - “Major-General Commanding.” - - “All the corps, regiments, and batteries composing the army may, - without further orders, inscribe Atlanta on their colors. By - order of - - “Major-General SHERMAN. - “L. M. DAYTON, Aide-de-Camp.” - -I am sure you will read with lively interest the remarkable -correspondence between General Hood, with that of the city authorities, -and General Sherman. The favorite motto among literary men, “The pen is -mightier than the sword,” is not quite true perhaps of our hero; for he -excels in the use of _both_, as the Georgia campaign and letters will -show. The annals of war have no finer productions of cultivated genius -from the plains of death and victory. The following orders opened the -spirited battle of the chiefs with the weapons of intellect: - - “HEADQUARTERS, MILITARY DIV. OF THE MISS., } - IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA, GA., _Sept. 4_. } - - “1. The city of Atlanta being exclusively required for warlike - purposes, will at once be vacated by all except the armies of - the United States, and such civilian employés as may be retained - by the proper departments of Government. - - “2. The chief quartermaster, Colonel Easton, will at once take - possession of buildings of all kinds, and of all staple article, - such as cotton, tobacco, &c., and will make such dispositions of - them as are required by existing regulations, or such orders as - he may receive from time to time from the proper authorities. - - “3. The chief engineer will promptly reconnoitre the city and - suburbs, and indicate the sites needed for the permanent defence - of the place, together with any houses or other buildings that - stand in his way, that they may be set apart for destruction. - Colonel Easton will then, on consultation with the proper - officers of the ordnance, quartermaster, medical, and railroad - departments, set aside such buildings and lots of ground as will - be needed for them, and have them suitably marked and set apart; - he will then, in consultation with Generals Thomas and Slocum, - set apart such as may be necessary to the proper administration - of the military duties of the department of the Cumberland and - of the post of Atlanta, and all buildings and materials not thus - embraced will be held subject to the use of the Government, as - may hereafter arise, according to the just rules of the - quartermaster’s department. - - “4. No general, staff, or other officer, or any soldier, will, - on any pretence, occupy any house or shanty, unless it be - embraced in the limits assigned as the camp of the troops to - which such general or staff belongs. But the chief quartermaster - may allow the troops to use boards, shingles, or other materials - of building, barns, sheds, warehouses and shanties, not needed - by the proper departments of Government, to be used in the - reconstruction of quarters and barracks as the troops and - officers serving with them require. And he will also provide, as - early as practicable, the proper allowance of tents for the use - of the officers and men in their encampments. - - “5. In proper time, just arrangements will be made for the - supply to the troops of all articles they may need over and - above the clothing, provisions, &c., furnished by the - Government; and on no pretence whatever will traders, - manufacturers, or suttlers, be allowed to sell in the limits of - fortified places; and if they manage to come in spite of this - notice, the quartermaster will seize their stores and - appropriate them to the use of the troops, and deliver the - parties or other unauthorized citizens, who thus place their - individual interest above that of the United States, into the - hands of some provost-marshal, to be put to labor on the forts, - or conscripted into one of the regiments or batteries already in - service. - - “6. The same general principles will apply to all military posts - south of Chattanooga. - - “By order of Major-General W. T. SHERMAN. - “L. M. DAYTON, Aide-de-Camp.” - -The message addressed to the enemy contained the following words, which -were like oil to the fire on the defeated General’s smothered wrath: -“All citizens are required to leave Atlanta and proceed either South or -North. The Government will furnish transportation South as far as Rough -and Ready, and North as far as Chattanooga. All citizens may take their -movable property with them. Transportation will be furnished for all -movables. Negroes who wish to do so may go with their masters. Other -male negroes will be put in Government employ. Negro women and children -will be sent out of the lines.” - -The rebel General sent his indignant protest against the determination -of General Sherman to send the disloyal people of Atlanta where their -friends could support them. How well he talks of God and humanity! - - “HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, } - OFFICE CHIEF OF STAFF, _Sept. 9, 1864_. } - “Major-Gen. SHERMAN, _Commanding United States Forces in Georgia_: - - “GENERAL: Your letter borne by James W. Ball and James R. Crew, - citizens of Atlanta, is received. You say therein, ‘I deem it to - be to the interest of the United States, that the citizens now - residing in Atlanta should remove,’ &c. I do not consider that I - have any alternative in the matter. I, therefore, accept your - proposition to declare a truce of ten days, or such time as may - be necessary to accomplish the purpose mentioned, and shall - render all the assistance in my power to expedite the - transportation of citizens in this direction. I suggest that a - staff officer be appointed by you to superintend the removal - from the city to Rough and Ready, while I appoint a like officer - to control their removal further South; that a guard of one - hundred men be sent by either party, as you propose to maintain - order at that place; and that the removal begin on Monday next. - - “And now, sir, permit me to say that the unprecedented measure - you propose transcends in studied and ingenious cruelty all acts - ever before brought to my attention in the dark history of war. - - “In the name of God and humanity I protest, believing that you - will find that you are expelling from their homes and firesides - the wives and children of a brave people. - - “I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, - - J. B. HOOD, General. - “_Official_—A. MCHUMMETT, Lieutenant, &c.” - -Accompanying the above letter was one addressed to Colonel Calhoun, -Mayor: - - “HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, _Sept. 9, 1864_. - “Hon. JAMES H. CALHOUN, _Mayor_: - - “SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter - touching the removal of the citizens of Atlanta, as ordered by - General Sherman. Please find enclosed my reply to General - Sherman’s letter. I shall do all in my power to mitigate the - terrible hardship and misery that must be brought upon your - people by this extraordinary order of the Federal commander. - Transportation will be sent to Rough and Ready to carry the - people and their effects further South. - - “You have my deepest sympathy in this unlooked-for and - unprecedented affliction. I am, sir, very respectfully, your - obedient servant, - - “J. B. HOOD, General.” - -Like his polished sword, flashes with thought and patriotism the pen of -the victor in his reply: - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIV. OF THE MISS., } - IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA, GA., _Sept. 10, 1864_. } - “General J. B. HOOD, _Comm’g Army of the Tenn. Confederate Army_: - - “GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your - letter at the hands of Messrs. Ball and Crew, consenting to the - arrangements I had proposed to facilitate the removal South of - the people of Atlanta, who prefer to go in that direction. - - “I enclose you a copy of my orders, which will, I am satisfied, - accomplish my purpose perfectly. You style the measures proposed - ‘unprecedented,’ and appeal to the dark history of war for a - parallel, as an act of ‘studied and ungenerous cruelty.’ It is - not unprecedented, for General Johnston himself very wisely and - properly removed the families all the way from Dalton down, and - I see no reason why Atlanta should be excepted. Nor is it - necessary to appeal to the ‘dark history of war,’ when recent - and modern examples are so handy. You yourself burned - dwelling-houses along your parapet, and I saw to-day fifty - houses that you have rendered uninhabitable because they stood - in the way of your forts and men. You defended Atlanta on a line - so close to the town that every cannon-shot and many - musket-shots from our line of investment, that overshot their - mark, went into the habitations of women and children. General - Hardee did the same at Jonesboro’, and General Johnston did the - same last summer at Jackson, Miss.; I have not accused them of - heartless cruelty, but merely instance these cases of very - recent occurrence, and could go on and enumerate hundreds of - others, and challenge any fair man to judge which of us has the - heart of pity for the families of ‘a brave people.’ I say it is - kindness to the families of Atlanta to remove them now at once - from scenes that women and children should not be exposed to, - and the ‘brave people’ should scorn to commit their wives and - children to the rude barbarians who thus, as you say, violate - the laws of war, as illustrated in the pages of its ‘dark - history.’ - - “In the name of common sense, I ask you not to appeal to a just - God in such a sacrilegious manner. - - “You who in the midst of peace and prosperity have plunged a - nation into war, ‘dark and cruel war;’ who dared and badgered us - to battle, insulted our flag; seized our arsenals and forts that - were left in the honorable custody of a peaceful ordnance - sergeant; seized and made prisoners of war the very garrisons - sent to protect your people against negroes and Indians, long - before any overt act was committed by the (to you) hateful - Lincoln Government; tried to force Kentucky and Missouri into - rebellion in despite of themselves; falsified the vote of - Louisiana; turned loose your privateers to plunder unarmed - ships; expelled Union families by the thousands; burned their - homes, and declared, by an act of your Congress, the - confiscation of all debts due to Northern men for goods had and - received! Talk this to the marines, but not to me, who have seen - these things, and who will this day make as great sacrifice for - the peace and honor of the South as the best Southerner among - you. - - “If we must be enemies, let us be men, and fight it out as we - propose to-day, and not deal in such _hypocritical appeals to - God and humanity_. God will judge us in due time, and he will - pronounce whether it be more humane to fight with a town full of - women and the families of a ‘brave people’ at our back, or to - remove them in time to places of safety among their own friends - and people. - - “I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, - - “W. T. SHERMAN, Maj.-Gen. Commanding. - “[Official copy:] L. M. DAYTON, Aide-de-Camp.” - -The conquering chief humanely gives the rebels time to depart, declaring -a truce of ten days: - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION MISSISSIPPI, } - IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA, GA., _Sept. 10, 1864_. } - - “1. Pursuant to an agreement between General J. B. Hood, - commanding the Confederate forces in Georgia, and Major-General - W. T. Sherman, commanding this army, a truce is hereby declared - to exist from daylight of Monday, September 12, until daylight - of Thursday, September 22—ten (10) full days—at a point on the - Macon Railroad known as Rough and Ready, and the country round - about or a circle of two (2) miles radius, together with the - roads leading to and from, in the direction of Atlanta and - Lovejoy station, respectively, for the purpose of affording the - people of Atlanta a safe means of removal to points South. - - “2. The Chief Quartermaster at Atlanta, Colonel Easton, will - afford all the citizens of Atlanta who elect to go South all the - facilities he can spare to remove them comfortably and safely, - with their effects, to Rough and Ready station, using cars and - ambulances for that purpose; and commanders of regiments and - brigades may use their regimental and staff teams to carry out - the object of this order; the whole to cease after Wednesday, - 21st instant. - - “3. Major-General Thomas will cause a guard to be established on - the road out beyond the camp-ground, with orders to allow all - wagons and vehicles to pass that are used manifestly for this - purpose; and Major-General Howard will send a guard of one - hundred men, with a field officer in command, to take post at - Rough and Ready during the truce, with orders in concert with a - guard from the Confederate army of like size, to maintain the - most perfect order in that vicinity during the transfer of these - families. A white flag will be displayed during the truce, and a - guard will cause all wagons to leave at 4 P. M. of Wednesday, - the 21st instant, and the guard to withdraw at dark, the truce - to terminate the next morning. - - “By order of Major-General W. T. SHERMAN. - “L. M. DAYTON, Aide-de-Camp.” - -The letter of the authorities of Atlanta, referred to by Hood, and his -reply, are as follows: - - “ATLANTA, GA., _September 11_. - “_Major-General W. T. Sherman_: - - “SIR: The undersigned mayor, and two members of council for the - city of Atlanta, for the time being the only legal organ of the - people of the said city, to express their wants and wishes, ask - leave most earnestly, but respectfully, to petition you to - reconsider the order requiring them to leave Atlanta. At first - view it struck us that the measure would involve extraordinary - hardship and loss, but since we have seen the practical - execution of it, so far as it has progressed, and the individual - condition of many of the people, and heard their statements as - to the inconveniences, loss, and suffering attending it, we are - satisfied that the amount of it will involve in the aggregate - consequences appalling and heartrending. Many poor women are in - an advanced state of pregnancy; others now having young - children, and whose husbands are either in the army, prisoners, - or dead. Some say: ‘I have such a one sick at home; who will - wait on them when I am gone?’ Others say: ‘What are we to do? We - have no houses to go to, and no means to buy, build, or to rent - any—no parents, friends, or relatives to go to.’ Another says: - ‘I will try and take this or that article of property, but such - and such things I must leave behind, though I need them much.’ - We reply to them: ‘General Sherman will carry your property to - Rough and Ready, and General Hood will take it there on.’ And - they will reply to this: ‘But I want to leave the railroad at - such a point, and cannot get conveyance from there on.’ We only - refer to a few facts to try to illustrate in part how the - measure will operate in practice. As you advanced, the people - north of us fell back, and before your arrival here a large - portion of the people had retired south, so that the country - south of this is already crowded, and without houses to - accommodate the people, and we are informed that many are now - staying in churches and other out-buildings. This being so, how - is it possible for the people still here (mostly women and - children) to find any shelter? and how can they live through the - winter in the woods—no shelter or subsistence—in the midst of - strangers who know them not, and without the power to assist - them, if they were willing to do so? This is but a feeble - picture of the consequences of this measure. You know the woe, - the horror, and the suffering cannot be described by words. - Imagination can only conceive of it, and we ask you to take - these things into consideration. We know your mind and time are - constantly occupied with the duties of your command, which - almost deter us from asking your attention to this matter; but - thought it might be that you had not considered the subject in - all its awful consequences, and that on more reflection, you, we - hope, would not make this people an exception to all mankind, - for we know of no such instance ever having occurred—surely - none such in the United States; and what has this helpless - people done, that they should be driven from their homes, to - wander as strangers, outcasts, and exiles, and to subsist on - charity? We do not know, as yet, the number of people still - here. Of those who are here we are satisfied a respectably - number, if allowed to remain at home, could subsist for several - months without assistance, and a respectable number for a much - longer time, and who might not need assistance at any time. In - conclusion, we most earnestly and solemnly petition you to - reconsider this order, or modify it, and suffer this unfortunate - people to remain at home and enjoy what little means they have. - Respectfully submitted, - - “JAMES M. CALHOUN, Mayor. - “E. E. RAWSON, } - “L. C. WELLS.” } Councilmen. - -Here is General Sherman’s answer to the letter of Mayor Calhoun and the -Councilmen of Atlanta: - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, } - IN THE FIELD, ATLANTA, _September 12, 1864_. } - “JAMES M. CALHOUN, _Mayor_, E. E. RAWSON _and_ S. C. WELLS, - _representing City Council of Atlanta_: - - “GENTLEMEN: I have your letter of the 11th, in the nature of a - petition to revoke my order removing all the inhabitants from - Atlanta. I have read it carefully, and give full credit to your - statements of the distress that will be occasioned by it, and - yet shall not revoke my order, simply because my orders are not - designed to meet the humanities of the case, but to prepare for - the future struggle in which millions, yea, hundreds of millions - of good people outside of Atlanta have a deep interest. We must - have peace, not only in Atlanta, but in all America. To secure - this, we must stop the war that now desolates our once happy and - favored country. To stop the war, we must defeat the rebel - armies that are arrayed against the laws and Constitution which - all men must respect and obey. To defeat these armies, we must - prepare the way to reach them in their recesses, provided with - the arms and instruments which enable us to accomplish our - purpose. - - “Now I know the vindictive nature of our enemy, and that we may - have many years of military operations from this quarter, and - therefore deem it wise and prudent to prepare in time. The use - of Atlanta for warlike purposes is inconsistent with its - character as a home for families. There will be no manufactures, - commerce, or agriculture here for the maintenance of families, - and, sooner or later, want will compel the inhabitants to go. - Why not go now, when all the arrangements are completed for the - transfer, instead of waiting until the plunging shot of - contending armies will renew the scenes of the past month? Of - course I do not apprehend any such thing at this moment, but you - do not suppose this army will be here till the war is over? I - cannot discuss this subject with you fairly, because I cannot - impart to you what I propose to do; but I assert that my - military plans make it necessary for the inhabitants to go away, - and I can only renew my offer of services to make their exodus - in any direction as easy and comfortable as possible. You cannot - qualify war in harsher terms than I will. - - “War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought - war on our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a - people can pour out. I know I had no hand in making this war, - and I know that I will make more sacrifices than any of you - to-day to secure peace. But you cannot have peace and a division - of our country. If the United States submits to a division now, - it will not stop, but will go on till we reap the fate of - Mexico, which is eternal war. The United States does and must - assert its authority wherever it has power; if it relaxes one - bit of pressure it is gone, and I know that such is not the - national feeling. This feeling assumes various shapes, but - always comes back to that of _Union_. Once admit the Union, once - more acknowledge the authority of the National Government, and - instead of devoting your houses and streets and roads to the - dread uses of war, I and this army become at once your - protectors and supporters, shielding you from danger, let it - come from what quarter it may. I know that a few individuals - cannot resist a torrent of error and passion such as has swept - the South into rebellion; but you can point out, so that we may - know those who desire a Government, and those who insist on war - and its desolation. - - “You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm as against - the terrible hardships of war. They are inevitable, and the only - way the people of Atlanta can hope once more to live in peace - and quiet at home, is to stop this war, which can alone be done - by admitting that it began in error, and is perpetuated in - pride. We don’t want your negroes, or your horses, or your - houses, or your land, or anything you have; but we do want and - will have a just obedience to the laws of the United States. - That we will have; and if it involves the destruction of your - improvements, we cannot help it. You have heretofore read public - sentiment in your newspapers, that live by falsehood and - excitement, and the quicker you seek for truth in other quarters - the better for you. - - “I repeat, then, that by the original compact of government, the - United States had certain rights in Georgia which have never - been relinquished, and never will be; that the South began the - war by seizing forts, arsenals, mints, custom houses, &c., long - before Mr. Lincoln was installed, and before the South had one - jot or tittle of provocation. I myself have seen in Missouri, - Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi, hundreds and thousands of - women and children fleeing from your armies and desperadoes, - hungry, and with bleeding feet. In Memphis, Vicksburg, and - Mississippi, we fed thousands upon thousands of the families of - rebel soldiers left on our hands, and whom we could not see - starve. Now that war comes home to you, you feel very - different—you deprecate its horrors, but did not feel them when - you sent carloads of soldiers and ammunition, and moulded shells - and shot to carry war into Kentucky and Tennessee, and desolate - the homes of hundreds and thousands of good people, who only - asked to live in peace at their old homes, and under the - Government of their inheritance. But these comparisons are idle. - I want peace, and believe it only can be reached through Union - and war, and I will ever conduct war purely with a view to - perfect and early success. - - “But, my dear sirs, when that peace does come, you may call on - me for anything. Then will I share with you the last cracker, - and watch with you to shield your homes and families against - danger from every quarter. Now you must go, and take with you - the old and feeble; feed and nurse them, and build for them in - more quiet places proper habitations to shield them against the - weather, until the mad passions of men cool down, and allow the - Union and peace once more to settle on your old homes at - Atlanta. - - “Yours, in haste, - “W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.” - -The next effort of his facile pen corrects a falsehood which had been -copied from a rebel paper: - - “ATLANTA, _Sept. 24, 1864_. - “_To the Louisville Agent of the New York Associated Press_: - - “Your press despatches of the 21st embrace one from Macon, of - the 14th, announcing the arrival of the first train of refugees - from Atlanta, with this addition, ‘that they were robbed of - everything before being sent into the rebel lines.’ Of course, - that is false; and it is idle to correct it so far as the rebels - are concerned, for they purposed it as a falsehood, to create a - mischievous public opinion. The truth is, that during the truce, - 446 families were moved South, making 705 adults, 860 children, - and 479 servants, with 1,651 pounds of furniture and household - goods on the average for each family, of which we have a perfect - recollection by name and articles. At the end of the truce, - Colonel Warner, of my staff, who had general supervision of the - business, received from Major Clan, of General Hood’s staff, the - following letter: - - “‘ROUGH AND READY, _Sept. 21, 1864_. - - “‘COLONEL: Our official communications being about to - close, you will permit me to bear testimony to the - uniform courtesy you have shown on all occasions to me - and my people, and the promptness with which you have - corrected all irregularities arising in our intercourse. - Hoping at some future time to be able to reciprocate - your courteousness, and in many instances your positive - kindness, I am, with respect, your obedient servant, - - “‘U. T. CLAN, Major and A.-G.-G. Gen. Hood’s Staff.’ - - “I would not notice this, but I know the people of the North, - liable to be misled by a falsehood calculated for special - purposes, and by a desperate enemy, will be relieved by this - assurance, that not only care, but real kindness has been - extended to families who lost their home by the act of their - male protectors. - - “(Signed) W. T. SHERMAN, - “Major-Gen. Commanding.” - -The congratulations of the heroic, devoutly Christian General Howard, -who is equally at home in the Sabbath school and in the smoke of battle, -will add to the interest of the records of this eventful time: - - “It is with pride, gratification, and a sense of Divine favor, - that I congratulate this noble army upon the successful - termination of the campaign. - - “Your officers claim for you a wonderful record—for example, a - march of four hundred miles, thirteen distinct engagements, four - thousand prisoners, and twenty stands of colors captured, and - three thousand of the enemy’s dead buried in your front. - - “Your movements upon the enemy’s flank have been bold and - successful; first upon Resaca, second upon Dallas, third upon - Kenesaw, fourth upon Nickajack, fifth, via Roswell, upon the - Augusta Railroad, sixth upon ‘Ezra Church,’ to the southwest of - Atlanta, and seventh upon Jonesboro’ and the Macon Railroad. - Atlanta was evacuated while you were fighting at Jonesboro’. - - “The country may never know with what patience, labor, and - exposure you have tugged away at every natural and artificial - obstacle that an enterprising and confident enemy could - interpose. The terrific battles you have fought may never be - realized or credited; still a glad acclaim is already greeting - you from the Government and people, in view of the results you - have helped to gain; and I believe a sense of the magnitude of - the achievements of the last hundred days will not abate, but - increase with time and history. - - “Our rejoicing is tempered, as it always must be, by the - soldier’s sorrow at the loss of his companions in arms. On every - hillside, in every valley throughout your long and circuitous - route, from Dalton to Jonesboro’, you have buried them. - - “Your trusted and beloved commander fell in your midst; his - name, the name of MCPHERSON, carries with it a peculiar feeling - of sorrow. I trust the impress of his character is upon you all, - to incite you to generous actions and noble deeds. - - “To mourning friends, and to all the disabled in battle, you - extend a soldier’s sympathy. - - “My first intimate acquaintance with you dates from the 28th of - July. I never beheld fiercer assaults than the enemy then made, - and I never saw troops more steady and self-possessed in action - than your divisions which were then engaged. - - “I have learned that for cheerfulness, obedience, rapidity of - movement and confidence in battle, the army of the Tennessee is - not to be surpassed, and it shall be my study that your fair - record shall continue, and my purpose to assist you to move - steadily forward and plant the old flag in every proud city of - the rebellion. - - “(Signed) O. O. HOWARD, Major-Gen. - “_Official_: SAMUEL L. TAGGART, A.-A.-G.” - -The most decided and pleasing evidence of the manly and magnanimous -heart of the conqueror, is given by the enemy himself. In his -despatches, General Sherman sends the following note: - - “ATLANTA, _Sept. 26_. - - “The following, which belongs to the testimonials from the - authorities at Atlanta, has just been received in communication; - and in conclusion of the subject, I send you a copy of the - mayor’s letter. - - “W. T. SHERMAN. - - “‘ATLANTA, _Sept. 20_. - - “‘On leaving Atlanta, I should return my thanks to - General Sherman, General Slocum, General Ward, Colonel - Colburn, Major Beck, Captain Mott, and other officers, - with whom I have had business transactions in carrying - out the orders of General Sherman for the removal of the - citizens, and in transacting my private business, for - their kindness to, and their patience in answering the - many inquiries I had to make on the duration of the - delicate and arduous duties devolving on me as mayor of - this city. - - “‘Respectfully, JAMES M. CALHOUN.’” - -Similar testimony appeared in the columns of rebel newspapers. The next -quotation is from the Macon _Telegraph_: “Refugees report generally kind -personal treatment from General Sherman and his officers. Whatever -exceptions may have occurred have been in violation of orders—instances -of individual pilfering, which cannot always be prevented in an army, -and in many cases have been detected and punished. - -“A friend, whose wife was left an invalid in Atlanta, and came within -our lines a day or two since, says, that at her request General Sherman -came to see her, and finding her unable to attend to the arrangement of -her movables for transportation, had them all bound up nicely and -transported to our lines, even to her washtub. - -“The Federal general had three hours’ conversation with her, and -justified at length his order for the removal, insisting that in his -exposed position, liable to be cut off and besieged, it was the part of -humanity to require that non-combatants should not be exposed to the -privations and perils to which his army must probably be subjected; and -worse, because he could not provide food for a large population. Goods -left behind were stored and duplicate receipts given, with the promise -that they should be safely returned. - -“Refugees report that Sherman’s army is going North by thousands, and -his force is now very small. Whether this movement is confined to men -going out of service, or embraces reënforcements to Grant, they were -unable to say.” - -I must give you a pleasant picture of the chief while marshalling his -troops at Atlanta: “While I was watching to-day the endless line of -troops shifting by, an officer with a modest escort rode up to the fence -near which I was standing, and dismounted. He was rather tall and -slender, and his quick movements denoted good muscle added to absolute -leanness—not thinness. His uniform was neither new nor old, but -bordering on a hazy mellowness of gloss, while the elbows and knees were -a little accented from the continuous agitation of those joints. - -“The face was one I should never rest upon in a crowd, simply because, -to my eye, there was nothing remarkable in it save the nose, which organ -was high, thin, and planted with a curve as vehement as the curl of a -Malay cutlass. The face and neck were rough and covered with reddish -hair, the eye light in color and animated; but, though restless and -bounding like a ball from one object to another, neither piercing nor -brilliant; the mouth well closed but common, the ears large, the hands -and feet long and thin, the gait a little rolling, but firm and active. -In dress and manner there was not the slightest trace of pretension. He -spoke rapidly, and generally with an inquisitive smile. To this -_ensemble_ I must add a hat which was the reverse of dignified or -distinguished—a simple felt affair, with a round crown and drooping -brim—and you have as fair a description of General Sherman’s externals -as I can pen. - -“Seating himself on a stick of cordwood hard by the fence, he drew a bit -of pencil from his pocket, and spreading a piece of note paper on his -knee, he wrote with great rapidity. Long columns of troops lined the -road a few yards in his front, and beyond the road, massed in a series -of spreading green fields, a whole division of infantry was waiting to -take up the line of march, the blue ranks clear cut against the verdant -background. Those who were near their general looked at him curiously; -for in so vast an army the soldier sees his commander-in-chief but -seldom. Page after page was filled by the general’s nimble pencil, and -despatched. - -“For a half hour I watched him, and, though I looked for and expected to -find them, no symptoms could I detect that the mind of the great leader -was taxed by the infinite cares of a terribly hazardous military _coup -de main_. Apparently it did not lay upon his mind the weight of a -feather. A mail arrived. He tore open the papers and glanced over them -hastily, then chatted with some general officers near him, then rode off -with characteristic suddenness, but with fresh and smiling countenance, -filing down the road beside many thousand men, whose lives were in his -keeping.” - -The truly great mind is magnanimous in the hour of victory; a selfish, -narrow one is arrogant and oppressive. We ought to be devoutly grateful -to God for leaders in this second life-struggle of freedom, who in -general character emulate our unrivalled Washington, and do not tarnish -the cause he loved by revengeful or unworthy deeds. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - - The Events which followed the Truce—General Hood’s Army in Motion - —Battle at Allatoona Pass—He is left to the care of the - gallant Thomas—The New and Magnificent Campaign of General - Sherman—The Field of his Operations—Burning of Rome—The - Advance—Atlanta partially Burned—The Rebel Fears and Hopes— - The March. - -DURING the truce which closed September 22d, General Hood had moved -his army toward Macon, to protect that important town. But the startling -rumor reached his ear that his bold antagonist would turn his front -toward Mobile, away on the shores of the Gulf. This drew the rebel chief -from his position, and brought him by a westward movement across the -track toward the seaboard. - -On Sunday, September 25th, at Macon, Jeff Davis addressed the soldiers, -assuring them their feet would soon press the soil of Tennessee, -spreading before them golden visions of conquest and abundance of -supplies. To compel General Sherman to abandon his southern march, and -follow him into Tennessee, the desperate leader of treason’s battalions -wheeled about and recrossed the Chattahoochie River. Thus was abandoned -the great State of Georgia, and the “hotbed of secession,” South -Carolina, to the Union army. Generals Hood and Forrest began to cut -railroad lines and burn bridges. - -At Allatoona Pass the enemy made a furious assault on our garrison to -regain this Thermopylæ of the campaign, but dashed in vain upon the -valor of our unyielding ranks. The commander-in-chief of our forces, who -had signalled General Corse from the top of Kenesaw Mountain to meet the -enemy there, sent the “boys” his warm congratulations: - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, } - IN THE FIELD, KENESAW MOUNTAIN, _Oct. 7, 1864_. } - - “The General commanding avails himself of the opportunity, in - the handsome defence made of ‘Alatoona,’ to illustrate the most - important principle in war, that fortified posts should be - defended to the last, regardless of the relative numbers of the - party attacking and attacked. - - “Allatoona was garrisoned by three regiments, commanded by - Colonel Tourtelotte, and reënforced by a detachment from a - division at Rome, under command of Brigadier-General J. M. - Corse, on the morning of the 5th, and a few hours after was - attacked by French’s division of Stewart’s corps, two other - divisions being near at hand, and in support. General French - demanded a surrender, in a letter, to ‘avoid a useless effusion - of blood,’ and gave but five minutes for answer. General Corse’s - answer was emphatic and strong, that he and his command were - ready for the ‘useless effusion of blood’ as soon as it was - agreeable to General French. - - “This was followed by an attack which was prolonged for five - hours, resulting in the complete repulse of the enemy, who left - his dead on the ground, amounting to more than two hundred, and - four hundred prisoners, well and wounded. The ‘effusion of - blood’ was not ‘useless,’ as the position at Allatoona was and - is very important to our present and future operations. - - “The thanks of this army are due, and are hereby accorded, to - General Corse, Colonel Tourtelotte, officers and men, for their - determined and gallant defence of Allatoona, and it is made an - example to illustrate the importance of preparing in time, and - meeting the danger, when present, boldly, manfully, and well. - - “The army, though unseen to the garrison, was cöoperating by - moving toward the road by which the enemy could alone escape, - but unfortunately were delayed by the rain and mud; but this - fact hastened the retreat of the enemy. - - “Commanders and garrisons of the posts along our railroads are - hereby instructed that they must hold their posts to the last - minute, sure that the time gained is valuable and necessary to - their comrades at the front.” - -While General Hood was thus retracing his steps, capturing Dalton and -threatening Chattanooga, General Sherman was on his track, pursuing him -to the Tennessee. The lion-hearted Thomas was at Nashville, and, quite -sure that he could “take care of Hood,” as the order ran, the great -commander turned his face again southward. - -He had telegraphed to the Secretary of War that his army needed rest at -Atlanta. It was true, but General Sherman did not intend to have it -then. The rebels and the country were bewildered by his mysterious -movements. Early in November he was between the Tennessee and -Chattahoochie, his headquarters at Kingston, with Rome on the line to -Atlanta. The deeply-laid game was played by the master hand in the dark -to others. Preparations were at once made for a grander campaign than -that which had just closed. - -On the 10th, when the evening darkened around the beautiful Rome of -Georgia, the heavens glowed with its conflagration. A fearful storm had -ceased, the advance was at hand, and it was necessary, in the stern -demands of war, to make a torch and desolation of that place, in the -wake of the march. The fire was kindled by General Corse, according to -the orders of the commander. A spectator wrote of the scenes of that -terrific conflagration: - -[Illustration: MARCHING TO SAVANNAH.] - -“All the barracks were laid in ashes, and a black veil of dense smoke -hung over the war-desolated city nearly all day, arising from the -smouldering ruins. - -“Owing to the great lack of railroad transportation, General Corse was -obliged to destroy nearly a million of dollars’ worth of property, among -which was a few thousand dollars’ worth of condemned and unserviceable -government stores. Nine rebel guns, captured at Rome by our troops, were -burst, it being deemed unsafe to use them. One thousand bales of fine -cotton, two flour mills, two rolling mills, two tanneries, one salt -mill, an extensive foundry, several machine shops, together with the -railroad depots and storehouses, four pontoon bridges, built by General -Corse’s pioneer corps for use on the Coosa and Etowah rivers, and a -substantial trestle bridge, nearly completed for use, were destroyed. -This trestle, constructed by the Engineer corps, I am told, would have -cost fifty thousand dollars North. Recollecting the outrages perpetrated -upon Colonel Streight by the ‘Romans,’ our troops, as soon as they -learned that the town was to be abandoned and a portion of it burned, -resolved to lay Rome in ashes in revenge. The roaring of the flames, as -they leaped from window to window, their savage tongues of fire darting -high up into the heavens, and then licking the sides of the buildings, -presented an awful but grand spectacle, while the mounted patrol and the -infantrymen glided along through the brilliant light like the ghostly -spectres of horrid war.” - -Concentrating at Atlanta, the last use made of the stronghold and -cherished hope of the Confederacy was the finishing work of getting a -vast army in motion—a grand start into hostile country, away from the -base of supplies. - -After the men had bivouacked for the night, the following orders, issued -by General Sherman, were read to the troops, and were greeted with many -manifestations of approbation by the veterans, who, in so many bloody -battles, have followed the lead of Sherman: - - “HEADQUARTERS, MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, } - IN THE FIELD, KINGSTON, GA., _Nov. 8, 1864_. } - - “The General commanding deems it proper at this time to inform - the officers and men of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth, - and Twentieth Corps, that he has organized them into an army for - a special purpose well known to the War Department and to - General Grant. It is sufficient for you to know that it involves - a departure from our present base, and a long and difficult - march to a new one. All the chances of war have been considered - and provided for as far as human sagacity can. All he asks of - you is to maintain that discipline, patience and courage which - have characterized you in the past, and he hopes, through you, - to strike a blow at our enemy that will have a material effect - in producing what we all so much desire, his complete overthrow. - Of all things the most important is, that the men, during - marches and in camp, keep their places, and not scatter about as - stragglers or foragers, to be picked up by hostile people in - detail. - - “It is also of the utmost importance that our wagons should not - be loaded with anything but provisions and ammunition. All - surplus servants, non-combatants, and refugees should now go to - the rear, and none should be encouraged to encumber us on the - march. At some future time we will be enabled to provide for the - poor whites and blacks who seek to escape the bondage under - which they are now suffering. - - “With these few simple cautions in your minds, he hopes to lead - you to achievements equal in importance to those of the past. - - “By order of - “Major-General W. T. SHERMAN.” - -The grand army, of more than fifty thousand men, was divided into two -wings, although in some of its movements arranged in three or more -separate columns. General Slocum commanded the left wing, composed of -the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, and General Howard the right wing, -made up of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps. The dashing, brilliant -Kilpatrick was chief of a cavalry force. The marching orders were -issued, and flew along the extended battle front, meeting with a glad -welcome from the troops. The clear directions of the chieftain will -present the line and method of march: - - “IN THE FIELD, KINGSTON, GA., _November 9, 1864_. - - “I. For the purpose of military operations, this army is divided - into two wings, viz.: The right wing, Major-General O. O. - Howard, commanding the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps; the left - wing, Major-General H. W. Slocum, commanding the Fourteenth and - Twentieth Corps. - - “II. The habitual order of march will be, whenever practicable, - by four roads, as nearly parallel as possible, and converging at - points hereafter to be indicated in orders. The cavalry, - Brigadier-General Kilpatrick commanding, will receive special - orders from the Commander-in-Chief. - - “III. There will be no general trains of supplies, but each - corps will have its ammunition and provision train, distributed - habitually as follows: Behind each regiment should follow one - wagon and one ambulance; behind each brigade should follow a due - proportion of ammunition wagons, provision wagons, and - ambulances. In case of danger, each army corps should change - this order of march by having his advance and rear brigade - unencumbered by wheels. The separate columns will start - habitually at seven A. M., and make about fifteen miles per day, - unless otherwise fixed in orders. - - “IV. The army will _forage liberally on the country_ during the - march. To this end each brigade commander will organize a good - and sufficient foraging party, under the command of one or more - discreet officers, who will gather, near the route travelled, - corn or forage of any kind, meat of any kind, vegetables, - corn-meal, or whatever is needed by the command; aiming at all - times to keep in the wagon trains _at least ten days’ provisions - for the command and three days’ forage. Soldiers must not enter - the dwellings_ of the inhabitants or commit any trespass; during - the halt or a camp they may be permitted to gather turnips, - potatoes, and other vegetables, and drive in stock in front of - their camps. To regular foraging parties must be intrusted the - gathering of provisions and forage at any distance from the road - travelled. - - “V. To army corps commanders is intrusted the power _to destroy - mills, houses, cotton-gins, etc._, and for them this general - principle is laid down: In districts and neighborhoods _where - the army is unmolested, no destruction_ of such property should - be permitted; but should guerillas or bushwhackers molest our - march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct roads, - or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army corps - commanders should order and _enforce a devastation more or less - relentless, according to the measure of such hostility_. - - “VI. As for horses, mules, wagons, etc., belonging to the - inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may appropriate freely - and without limit; discriminating, however, between the rich, - who are usually hostile, and the poor or industrious, usually - neutral or friendly. Foraging parties may also take mules or - horses to replace the jaded animals of their trains, or to serve - as pack mules for the regiments or brigades. In all foraging, of - whatever kind, the parties engaged will refrain from abusive or - threatening language, and may, when the officer in command - thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, but no - receipts; and they will endeavor to leave with each family a - reasonable portion for their maintenance. - - “VII. _Negroes who are able-bodied and can be of service to the - several columns, may be taken along_; but each army commander - will bear in mind that the question of supplies is a very - important one, and that his first duty is to see to those who - bear arms. - - “VIII. The organization at once of a good pioneer battalion for - each corps, composed, if possible, of negroes, should be - attended to. This battalion should follow the advance guard, - should repair roads and double them if possible, so that the - columns will not be delayed after reaching bad places. Also, - army commanders should study the habit of giving the artillery - and wagons the road, and marching their troops on one side; and - also instruct their troops to assist wagons at steep hills or - bad crossings or streams. - - “IX. Captain O. M. Poe, chief engineer, will assign to each wing - of the army a pontoon train, fully equipped and organized, and - the commanders thereof will see to its being properly protected - at all times. - - “By order of Major-General W. T. SHERMAN.” - -The feeling of the troops is expressed in the words of another who was -with them: “They do not stop to ask questions. Sherman says ‘Come,’ and -that is the entire vocabulary with them. A most cheerful feature of the -situation is the fact that the men are healthful and jolly as men can -be, hoping for the best, daring to do the worst. - -“Behind us we leave a track of smoke and flame. Half of Marietta was -burned up, not by orders, however, for the command is that proper -details shall be made to destroy all property which can ever be of use -to the rebel armies. Stragglers will get into these places, and -dwelling-houses are levelled to the ground. In nearly all cases these -are the deserted habitations formerly owned by rebels, who are now -refugees. - -“Yesterday, as some of the men were marching toward the Chattahoochie -River, they saw in the distance pillars of smoke rising along its banks; -the bridges were in flames. Says one, hitching his musket a bit on the -shoulder in a free and easy way, ‘I say, Charley, I believe Sherman has -set the river on fire.’ ‘Reckon not,’ replied the other, with the same -indifference. ‘If he has, it’s all right.’ And so they pass along, -obeying orders, not knowing what is before them, but believing in their -leader.” - -The foraging parties were to bring in from the country along the -war-path, supplies for the long cavalcade, sweeping over a belt of land -twenty to seventy miles wide, right across the proud State of Georgia. - -The regulations respecting retaliation for outrages were wise and -humane, because they prevented the very ruin which the rebels, -unrestrained by fear, would have drawn upon themselves. It was not an -idle threat, but proved to be a most timely, useful one. - -November 12th, you might have seen the magnificent spectacle a great war -alone affords. Mounted on his steed, his cork hand on the rein, General -Howard led the right wing in bristling ranks, to the sound of martial -airs, from Atlanta. And here I must tell you about that cork hand. You -may recollect that the heroic chief lost his arm at Fair Oaks, fighting -under General McClellan. He returned soon after to his home in Lewiston, -Maine. It happened that I was there upon a beautiful summer day, when -the Sabbath-school children had a meeting in Rev. Mr. Adams’s church, at -Auburn, across the river. General Howard was present, the first time he -had attended a public gathering since the wound was received. And many -hearts were touched to hear him talk earnestly of truth and duty, while -the yet unhealed stump would try to gesticulate, as the arm did of old. -He is a complete man, and appreciated by his general-in-chief. - -The imposing pageant of the advancing host was repeated on the 14th, -when General Slocum marched at the head of the left wing from the doomed -city. Then General Sherman, with his staff and body-guard, gave a last -look, and took his road to Macon. “Let Hood go North; our business is -down South,” was his brief comment upon the rebel general’s movements. - -The torch was applied to the public buildings and railroad depots, -flinging at night a lurid light over the dismantled ruined -fortifications, and upon the surrounding hills. The scene was grand and -awful, memorable to all who witnessed this burning of the “Gate City.” -No private residences were designedly given to the flames. “The evidence -of the rebels themselves has since appeared to show, that though Atlanta -had been besieged, captured, and depopulated, there was no heartless or -unavoidable destruction of private property, such as the enemy have -delighted to charge upon General Sherman. Thus abandoned, it was left in -the rear of our army, whose face was now seaward, and the hand of time, -with a higher degree of civilization, can only efface the marks -inflicted by a warlike occupation. Before the war Atlanta was one of the -most thriving inland cities of the South, and contained 12,000 -inhabitants. - -“The rebels at Richmond received their first news of Sherman’s departure -from Atlanta, from the North, but refused to place confidence in it. ‘It -is a big Yankee lie,’ said the Richmond _Examiner_, ‘and if Sherman -really has burnt Atlanta, it is to cover a retreat northward, to look -after Hood.’ ‘But if Sherman is really attempting this prodigious -design,’ it continued, ‘his march will only lead him to the “Paradise of -Fools.”’ The more Southern papers, those of Augusta, Savannah, etc., -were alike incredulous with those of Richmond, upon the receipt of the -first news of Sherman’s movement. ‘It is rumored that Atlanta is -evacuated,’ said the Augusta _Chronicle_, of November 15, ‘and we trust -the rumor will prove correct.’ The same paper of November 18, implores -the citizens of Augusta to ‘look at the situation without nervousness or -fear—pray to God, but keep your powder dry—meet the storm like -men—it’s always darkest just before day.’ - -“It is only necessary to follow Sherman’s course, to note the precision -with which he moved, the width of country which he covered, and the -directness of his march upon his objective point, to realize the -impotency of all the shrieks, invocations, and proclamations that only -spoiled so much valuable paper in the Confederacy.” - -While the heavens hung like curtains of glowing crimson above and around -the circular theatre of ruin, whose cinders shot through the hot -atmosphere continually, the fine band of the Thirty-third Massachusetts -were playing, “John Brown’s soul goes marching on!” The effect was -awfully grand; the strange stirring anthem rising over the advance of -that mighty host whose way was flashing with the torchlights of burning -buildings. - -Let us suppose we were upon an eminence near Atlanta, with power of -vision to look away over the “heart of Georgia,” the goal of General -Sherman’s moving columns. Running through it are two railroads, the only -lines traversing the State of Georgia, and forming the chief link of -railway connection between Virginia and the States of Alabama and -Mississippi, now the southwestern limit of the so-called Confederacy. -One of these railroads is the Georgia Central, running from Savannah to -Macon, 190 miles, thence to Atlanta, by the Macon and Western Railroad, -101 miles, making the total distance from Savannah to Atlanta by -railroad, 291 miles. The other is the Georgia Railroad, running from -Augusta to Atlanta, at from 40 to 60 miles north of the Georgia Central -Railroad, and making the distance to Atlanta, from Augusta, 171 miles. -At Millen, on the Georgia Central road, 79 miles north of Savannah, is -the junction of a branch road, called the Waynesboro’ Railroad, which -connects with Augusta, 53 miles distant, and makes the distance by rail -from Savannah to Augusta 132 miles. Along these lines of travel the -country is thickly settled, and richly productive. Cotton, wheat, and -corn fields, with forests and streams, mansions and slave huts, make a -southern landscape inviting to a great army, whose thousands of men must -have food to eat, and plenty of it. To cover the railroads and destroy -them as the troops advanced, making Milledgeville, the capital, a point -of rendezvous, was the first object of the commander. General -Kilpatrick’s splendid cavalry protected flank and front—“the eyes of -the army.” On, on, the extended wings move; while a cavalry force sweeps -off toward Macon, where General Cobb commands the rebel militia, to make -him believe an attack upon him is designed. The “fire-eater” is awake to -his perilous position, and ready to defend “Southern rights;” when, lo! -the horsemen suddenly disappear. Their enterprise seems a serious joke, -provoking a laugh; for it was to keep at Macon the only force that could -dispute the way, excepting some cavalry brigades at Macon, till left -fairly in the rear. This being done, General Sherman cared little where -the Confederate hero went. The enemy was amazed and bewildered—the bold -invader’s plans baffled his attempts to decipher them. An extract from a -Richmond paper will be both a curious and interesting illustration. - -The _Sentinel_ with assurance declared: “It is not Sherman’s object to -make his way to the Atlantic to assist Meade, leaving Thomas heir to his -far higher honors and responsibilities in the West. If he shall succeed -in penetrating the circle that now surrounds him, and escaping to Port -Royal, his first anxiety, like Kilpatrick’s, will be for ships to take -him away. Steam to Annapolis, and steam to Nashville, if Nashville be -not already fallen, will be all too slow to quiet his impatience and to -mollify his chagrin. While his own course through Georgia will have been -that of an arrow through the air, or a ship over the sea, leaving no -track behind; while his exploits and his honors will have been those of -the baffled fox hounded from the barn-yard, or the disappointed wolf, -chased and pelted by the shepherds; he will return to Tennessee to find -Hood, we trust, in possession of the State. He will return to find that -his campaign into Georgia, so boastfully entered upon, has but lost the -territories won by his predecessors.” - -While the editors and other leading minds at the Confederate capital -were thus speculating and wondering, General Sherman was having a most -auspicious start on the long march over rebel soil. “The right wing -moved directly south from Atlanta, which is in Fulton County, to Rough -and Ready and Jonesboro’ stations on the Macon and Western Railroad, in -Fayette County. On November 16th one column of the right wing passed -through Jonesboro’, twenty-six miles south of Atlanta, Wheeler’s cavalry -and Cobb’s militia retiring upon Griffin. Another column of the right -wing occupied McDonough, November 17th, the county seat of Henry County, -some distance east of Jonesboro’, and about thirty-five miles southeast -of Atlanta. Henry County is one of the largest and richest of Georgia, -and here our forces found large supplies of provisions and forage. On -the 16th Wheeler engaged our cavalry at Bear Creek station, ten miles -north of Griffin, and telegraphed General Hardee that he had ‘checked -the Yankee advance.’ The very same evening, at six o’clock, his ragged -troopers fell back through Griffin, in the direction of Barnesville, -where Cobb’s militia had already preceded him. Our cavalry occupied -Griffin, which is the county seat of Spalding County, on the 17th, and -on the 18th drove Wheeler out of Barnesville, in Pike County, and -through Forsyth, the county seat of Monroe County, seventy-six miles -south of Atlanta and twenty-five miles northwest of Macon.” - -Turning to the map you will see the Ocumulgee River, on whose banks -Macon is situated, northeast of which, on the Oconee, is Milledgeville, -the State capital. November 20th General Sherman crossed the former -stream with his face toward the seat of government; this was the first -intelligence the rebels had of his purpose to pass by Macon. Meanwhile -General Howard’s columns moved rapidly through Monticello, the shire -town of Jasper County, burning the courthouse, thence to Hillsboro’, the -county seat of Jones County, to reach the Georgia Central Railroad at -Gordon, where the branch track to Milledgeville has its junction. Thus -General Sherman left General Cobb behind, and sending to Griswoldville a -rear-guard of infantry, pushed on the 21st to Milledgeville, with -General Howard’s troops ready to join him. - -The march, so far, had averaged thirteen and a half miles each day, -making ninety-five miles from Atlanta. There was no need of great haste, -and the strength of the men was spared for the vast enterprise before -them. “General Sherman camped on the plantation of Howell Cobb. We found -his granaries well filled with corn and wheat, part of which was -distributed and eaten by our animals and men. A large supply of syrup -made from sorghum, which we have found at nearly every plantation on our -march, was stored in an out-house. This was also disposed of to the -soldiers and the poor decrepit negroes, which this humane, -liberty-loving major-general, abandoned to die in this place a few days -ago. - -“General Sherman distributed to the negroes with his own hands the -provisions left here, and assured them that we were their friends, and -they need not be afraid that we were foes. One old man answered him: ‘I -spose dat you’se true; but, massa, you’se’ll go way tomorrow, and -anudder white man will come.’ He had never known any thing but -oppression, and had been kept in such ignorance that he did not dare put -faith in any white man. The negroes were told that as soon as we got -them into our power, they were put into the front of the battle, and we -killed them if they did not fight; that we threw the women and children -into the Chattahoochie, and when the buildings were burned in Atlanta, -we filled them with negroes, to be devoured by the flames. - -“General Sherman invited all able-bodied negroes (others could not make -the march) to join the column, and he takes especial pleasure when they -join the procession, on some occasions telling them they are free: that -Massa Lincoln has given them their liberty, and that they can go where -they please; that if they earn their freedom they should have it, but -that Massa Lincoln had given it to them anyhow. Thousands of negro women -join the column, some carrying household truck; others, and many of them -there are, who bear the heavy burdens of children in their arms, while -older boys and girls plod by their sides. All these women and children -are ordered back, heartrending though it may be to refuse them liberty. - -“But the majority accept the advent of the Yankees as the fulfilment of -the millennial prophecies. The ‘day of jubilee,’ the hope and prayer of -a lifetime, has come. They cannot be made to understand that they must -remain behind, and they are satisfied only when General Sherman tells -them, as he does every day, that we shall come back for them some time, -and that they must be patient until the proper hour of deliverance -comes.” - -The enemy finding our army had deceived them and was gone, General Cobb -sent a force from Macon to attack the rear-guard at Griswoldsville, a -part of which had been employed to threaten Macon, where a sharp -skirmish resulted in a loss to them of several hundred killed and -wounded; the severest battle of all the march. General Slocum’s left -wing had pressed on through De Kalb County to Covington, burning -railroad buildings on the way. Near this town, while foraging in the -fine fertile country, a force from one of the brigades of the Twentieth -Corps was assailed by a party of “bushwhackers,” and one of our soldiers -killed. Then followed the execution of General Sherman’s threat of -devastation, involving in it the burning of the Methodist College at -Oxford. The large libraries, the cabinets and apparatus, all were swept -away by the fires of war, the charred ruins of an institution which cost -nearly a million of dollars, only remaining in the wake of relentless -Mars. General Slocum pushed forward his troops, living on the “fat of -the land,” destroying railways, and flinging on his path the flames of -burning warehouses, markets, and bridges. The same day that General -Howard reached Gordon, General Slocum was at Eatonton, the northern -terminus of the branch railroad. The troops came together at -Milledgeville, General Howard entering it first with his troops; because -the far-seeing commander-in-chief found that the best point for crossing -the Oconee was there. - -The legislature, which was in session on the 18th, hearing of the -advance of General Sherman’s resistless columns, prepared to flee before -them. Governor Brown departed in his private carriage for Macon, taking -with him the public papers, funds, and whatever of personal effects he -could convey. Never was such a stampede of the law-making chivalry of -Georgia dreamed of by them. Members of this terrified body hurried away -to Augusta, and others followed the Governor to Macon; some in -carriages, some on horses, and others on foot, not having Confederate -currency enough to pay for other means of escape. Two of the honorable -fugitives paid one thousand dollars to be carried eight miles. Scarcely -had Governor Brown reached Macon when he hastened to the City Hall and -issued a flaming proclamation—chanticleer crowing after he is driven -from the field by his rival in the fight. - -Catching the contagious alarm, in the wake of the fugitive legislature, -the citizens able to get away, carrying with them to the depot their -household treasures, then also fled, until the infirm and the negroes -only represented the just now proud and defiant population. The latter -were wild with joy, embracing the soldiers, and exclaiming, “Bless de -Lord! tanks be to Almighty God, the Yanks is come; the day of jubilee -hab arrived!” Such was their simple recognition of God in the war, and -of the friends of liberty. General Sherman’s headquarters were at the -Executive Mansion, its former occupant having, with extremely bad grace, -in fleeing from his distinguished visitor, taken with him the entire -furniture of the building. As General Sherman travels with a roll of -blankets, and haversack full of hard tack, which is as complete an -outfit for a life out in the open air as in a palace, this discourtesy -of Governor Brown was not a serious inconvenience. - -The campaign toward the sea was now fairly opened, and successful in all -its details: “At first, moving his army in three columns, with a column -of cavalry on his extreme right, upon eccentric lines, he diverted the -attention of the enemy, so that he concentrated his forces at extreme -points, Macon and Augusta, leaving unimpeded the progress of the main -body. In this campaign it was not the purpose of the General to spend -his time before fortified cities, nor yet to encumber his wagons with -wounded men. His instructions to Kilpatrick were to demonstrate against -Macon, getting within five miles of the city. - -“With that ignorance of danger common to new troops, the rebels rushed -upon our veterans with the greatest fury. They were received with -grape-shot and musketry at point blank range, our soldiers firing coolly -while shouting derisively to the quivering columns to come on, as if -they thought the whole thing a nice joke. The rebels resumed the attack, -but with the same fatal results, and were soon in full flight, leaving -more than three hundred dead on the field. Our loss was some forty -killed and wounded, while their killed, wounded, and prisoners, are -estimated to exceed two thousand five hundred. A pretty severe lesson -they received. It is said, ‘_Ce n’est que le premier pas qui coûte._’ -This first step has been a most expensive one, and judging from the fact -that we have not heard from them since, they seem to have interpreted -the proverb otherwise than in the recognized sense.” - -Gov. Brown reluctantly left in Milledgeville three thousand muskets and -several thousand pounds of powder, to be destroyed by our troops. Then -came a comic episode in the march. A number of officers and men took -possession of the State House, elected a speaker, a clerk, and a -chaplain, and went to work upon bills and resolutions in earnest. Calls -to order, deciding between members claiming the floor, and humorous -hits, filled up the time. When in the midst of the amusing excitement, a -courier rushed in, saying, the “Yankees are coming!” then there was a -sudden suspension of business, a panic, and a run for the doors. This -was succeeded by an uproar of laughter. - -Somehow the entreaty of the politicians and editors of the Confederacy -to burn and otherwise destroy property likely to fall into our hands, -did not move the hearts of traitors. Each waited to see his neighbor -commence the havoc, and excepting what the army appropriated, and the -rebels carried off, but little damage was done. The enemy was completely -in the mist of mystery, and General Sherman’s skilful, blinding -movements, successfully deluded his antagonists. Their blows were always -hesitating, and, when given by them, were equally ineffectual. It was -evident, however, that the Oconee River must be passed at some point by -our troops. Accordingly, the enemy posted himself where the railroad -crosses the river, five miles east of Gordon, and here burned the -bridge. Wednesday, the 23d, brought our troops well up to the river. - -The people along the line of march seldom expressed their sentiments to -the army. A few illustrations from those who saw and heard for -themselves, will give the general feeling: “When they do speak it is not -in vain eulogy of the rebel army and the cause in which they are -engaged. They are broken in spirits, and the haughty secession ladies, -who by force of ‘arms’ and tongue drove their brothers, sons, and -lovers, into the army, are now as meek as singed kittens, and only too -glad to smile upon a good-looking Yankee. They all frankly admit that -their cause is hopeless—that subjugation awaits them in the future, and -all they now wish is for the storm to burst and pass; that peace with -them, crushed beneath the Yankee heel, is preferable to the present -state of things. - -“‘Great God!’ exclaimed one very intelligent Milledgeville lady, whose -all had been taken, ‘little did I think, when I bade my dear boys, who -now sleep in their graves, good-bye, and packed them off, that this day -would come, when old, impoverished, and childless, I must ask the men -whom they fought against for a meal of victuals to satisfy my hunger. -But it serves me right; I was deceived, drove them to battle, death, and -infamy, and here I stand, their murderer.’ - -“Riding up to a house one day, I met an old woman and three grown-up -daughters at the door uttering frantic appeals for help. I inquired what -was wrong, when the old woman pointed to a burning cotton gin, and -exclaimed, ‘Put it out! You uns are burnin’ me child!’ I asked where the -child was, and succeeded in learning that it was in the burning gin -house. Away I went, with some men, to rescue the innocent, and at the -door met a ten year old boy, who, badly singed, issued forth from the -fiery furnace. Returning to the house, I inquired how the boy came -there? Putting the pipe between her lips, to compose her nerves, the old -lady at last ventured an explanation: ‘Well,’ said she, ‘we uns heard -that you uns killed all the little boys, to keep them out from growing -up to fight ye, and we hid ’em.’ Strange as this may seem, among the -poor, ignorant dupes of Davis, it is a common belief that the Yankees -slay all the male children. We found many infant Moseses and Jeffs hid -away in cellars and corn-cribs, but none in bulrushes. An officer called -upon a lady in Effingham County, whose plantation had been stripped of -every thing, and found her in tears and her children crying for bread. -He endeavored to soothe her, when she lifted up her beautiful eyes -beseechingly, and implored, ‘Give me something for my starving -children.’ Away the officer went to his mess and fed the children from -his private larder. On the following morning he was quite chagrined to -witness two oak boxes, one barrel of flour, four trunks, and other -articles exhumed from the garden by the soldiers.” - -The eight days’ march to Millen, seventy-five miles from Milledgeville, -was full of varied and remarkable interest. General Kilpatrick, with his -“ubiquitous cavalry,” galloped away to the Central Railroad bridge, over -the Oconee, twenty-five miles southeast of Milledgeville, where General -Howard was trying to build a pontoon bridge, which the rebel General -Wayne, with a brigade of released inmates of the penitentiary, and of -militia, was determined to prevent; a battle followed, and the enemy was -driven back. Then again the unrivalled trooper acted as “a curtain” upon -the extreme left, having covered in the same way the right wing in the -earlier part of the campaign; while all the time he had the nobler aim, -if possible, to reach Millen in time to rescue our incarcerated and -dying prisoners of war. “The stockade or coop in which our prisoners -were confined, after their removal from Andersonville, was located in a -dense pine forest, six miles from Millen station, on the Savannah and -Augusta Railroad. It was a square of fifteen acres, enclosed by pine -logs set upright in the ground, very close together. At intervals of -twenty feet along the palisades were the sentry boxes, fifteen feet from -the ground; access to them could only be had by means of ladders on the -outside. The palisade logs were uniformly ten inches thick, and so -straight and close were they that all view of the pine woods beyond them -was shut out from the unfortunates within. Entering at the broad gate -they crossed the ‘dead line’ (single rail fence) fearlessly, and -approached the burrows or adobe huts where the ‘Yankees’ had slept in -confinement. These were not filthy, because no considerable amount of -filth could accumulate during the three weeks our men were kept there; -but they were cheerless and comfortless. There was no attempt at -regularity in laying out this village of Kennel. In one of them the dead -body of a Union soldier, name unknown, was found unburied. Decidedly the -most comfortable looking appendage to the stockade was the brick -cook-house near the centre, with accommodation for a dozen or fifteen -men to work at a time. At the southeast angle of the stockade, on the -outside, stood a square earthwork, built to command with its guns both -the burrows inside and the approaches to the logs on the outside. In the -hospital huts, a quarter of a mile from the pen, were good -accommodations for three hundred men, and there were evidences that they -were not sufficient. A fine large spring, where excellent water bubbled -out, completed the lists of objects familiar to the brave boys who had -lived in that silent clearing in the pine woods. The dead prisoners were -buried in rows, a short distance from the hospital, graves being -numbered as high as six hundred and fifty. The prisoners were kept at -Millen only three weeks.” - -November 29th the “boys” kept Thanksgiving upon the luxuries of Georgia -plantations. The Ogeehee was crossed on November 30th. It is a stream -sixty yards wide, where the troops passed over on a bridge which was put -in repair, and with pontoons. - -In a sketch from a reliable source, we have an explanation of the false -charge made by a distinguished orator against General Sherman, that he -removed a bridge, and left unprotected negroes to the enemy. He knew -nothing of the sad affair when it occurred: - -“From the time we left Atlanta, with fifty or one hundred contrabands, -the ‘colored brigades’ continued to swell in numbers until we arrived at -the Ogeechee River, when fully ten thousand were attached to the various -columns. They represented all shades and conditions, from the almost -white housemaid servant, worth $15,000 in rebel currency, to the tar -black, pock-marked cotton picker, who never crosses massa’s door sill. A -very large majority of them were women and children, who, mounted on -mules, sometimes five on an animal, in ox wagons, buggies, and vehicles -of every description, blocked the roads and materially delayed the -movement of the columns. It was no unusual sight to behold a slave -mother carrying two young children and leading a third, who, in a half -nude state, trudged along the thorny path to freedom. Columns could be -written descriptive of the harrowing scenes presented by this -unfortunate class of fugitives. So much difficulty did General Davis -find in moving his column, that at the Ogeechee River, as a military -necessity, he placed a guard at the bridge, who halted the caravan of -contrabands until the rear of the column passed, and then removed the -pontoon. The negroes, however, not to be frustrated, constructed a -foot-bridge and crossed. Next day the column had its full complement of -negroes. - -“Arriving at Ebenezer Creek, the same method was taken to clear the -column, with better success. The creek runs through a half mile of -swamp, which is covered by water, and can only be crossed by a narrow -bridge. This bridge was taken up, and the moment our forces disappeared -the brutal Wheeler was in our rear. Next day only a few darkies came up. -Another day passed and still fully two-thirds were missing. Inquiries -elicited the information that Wheeler, on finding the defenceless -negroes blocked, drove them pellmell into the water, where those who -escaped say they struggled to reach the opposite bank, amidst -heartrending shrieks; but most of the mothers went down in the water -with their children clasped to their bosoms, while Wheeler and his -inhuman band looked on with demoniac smiles. How far true this may be I -know not, but all the negroes who escaped, with whom I have talked, seem -to agree in their account of the hellish slaughter.” - -The bridges over the Oconee and Fisher’s Creek were burned behind the -army. The rebels were compelled to speak well, on the whole, of General -Sherman’s command. I shall add their testimony, given at the time: - -“In their route they destroyed, as far as possible, all mills, cribs, -and gin-houses, cotton screws and gins, cotton implements, etc., and -carried off all stock, provisions, and negroes. When their horses gave -out they shot them. At Eatonton they killed over one hundred. At -Milledgeville they only destroyed the arsenal, depot, and penitentiary. -They did not burn the factory near that place. The right wing of the -Federal army, under General Howard, crossed the Ocmulgee River between -Adams’s Ferry and Macon. It is said that the town of Forsyth was -completely demolished. The Federals expressed great astonishment at the -rich country they were passing, and the abundance of provisions in it. -General Slocum gave orders to the citizens along his route to shoot down -his stragglers without mercy. One punishment inflicted by some of the -Federal generals for plundering, was severe whipping. A portion of Major -Graham’s command reached this city last night. They report that they -visited Atlanta several days since, and found it completely evacuated -and burned. They state that the Federals took all the cattle and forage -in their route, but did not molest those who stayed at home.” - -“The most pathetic scenes occur upon our line of march daily and hourly. -Thousands of negro women join the column, some carrying household truck; -others, and many of them there are, who bear the burden of children in -their arms, while older boys and girls plod by their sides. All these -women and children are ordered back, heartrending though it may be to -refuse them liberty. They won’t go. One begs that she may go to see her -husband and children at Savannah. Long years ago she was forced from -them and sold. Another has heard that her boy was in Macon, and she is -‘done gone with grief goin’ on four years.’ - -“The other day a woman with a child in her arms was working her way -along amongst the teams and crowds of cattle and horsemen. An officer -called to her kindly: ‘Where are you going, aunty?’ - -“She looked up into his face with a hopeful, beseeching look, and -replied: - -“‘I’se gwine whar you’se gwine, massa.’ - -“At a house a few miles from Milledgeville we halted for an hour. In an -old hut I found a negro and his wife, both of them over sixty years old. -In the talk which ensued nothing was said which led me to suppose that -either of them was anxious to leave their mistress, who, by the way, was -a sullen, cruel-looking woman, when all at once the old negress -straightened herself up, and her face, which a moment before was almost -stupid in its expression, assumed a fierce, almost devilish, aspect. - -“Pointing her shining black finger at the old man, crouched in the -corner of the fire-place, she hissed out: ‘What for you sit dar? you -spose I wait sixty years for nutten? Don’t yer see de door open? I’se -follow my child; I not stay. Yes, nodder day I goes ’long wid dese -people; yes sar, I walks till I drops in my tracks.’ A more terrible -sight I never beheld. I can think of nothing to compare with it, except -Charlotte Cushman’s Meg Merrilies. Rembrandt only could have painted the -scene, with its dramatic surroundings. - -“It was near this place that several factories were burned. It was odd -to see the delight of the negroes at the destruction of places known -only to them as task-houses, where they had groaned under the lash. - -“Pointing to the Atlanta and Augusta Railroad, which had been destroyed, -the question was asked, ‘It took a longer time to build this railroad -than it does to destroy it?’ - -“‘I would think it did, massa; in dat ar woods over dar is buried ever -so many black men who were killed, sar, yes, killed, a working on dat -road—whipped to deth. I seed em, sar.’ - -“‘Does the man live here who beat them?’ - -“‘Oh no, sar; he’s dun gone long time.’ - -“I have seen blind and lame mules festooned with infants in bags, and -led by fond parents so aged and weak they could hardly totter along. -‘Mars’r Sherman was a great man, but dis am de work ob de Lord,’ they -said.” - -The swampy borders were belted with “corduroy,” and their heavy fogs -hung over the halting columns. At evening the spectacle was weird-like -in its wild romance. “A novel and vivid sight was it to see the fires of -pitch pine flaring up into the mist and darkness, the figures of men and -horses looming out of the dense shadows in gigantic proportions. -Torchlights are blinking and flashing away off in the forests, while the -still air echoed and reëchoed with the cries of teamsters and the wild -shouts of the soldiers. A long line of the troops marched across the -foot-bridge, each soldier bearing a torch, their light reflected in -quivering lines in the swift running stream. Soon the fog, which settles -like a blanket over the swamps and forests of the river bottoms, shut -down upon the scene, and so dense and dark was it that torches were of -but little use, and men were directed here and there by the voice.” - -Not far from this spot the troops encountered a singular character. He -had been depot-master before the railroad was destroyed—a shrewd, -intelligent old man, so far as the war is concerned. He said to the -soldiers: “They say you are retreating, but it is the strangest sort of -retreat I ever saw. Why, the newspapers have been lying in this way all -along. They allers are whipping the Federal armies, and they allers fall -back after the battle is over. It was that ar’ idee that first opened my -eyes. Our army was allers whipping the Feds, and we allers fell back. I -allers told ’em it was a humbug, and now by —— I know it, for here you -are right on old John Wells’s place; hogs, potatoes, corn, and fences -all gone. I don’t find any fault. I expected it all. - -“‘Jeff. Davis and the rest,’ he continued, ‘talk about splitting the -Union. Why if South Carolina had gone out by herself, she would have -been split in four pieces by this time. Splitting the Union! Why, the -State of Georgia is being split right through from end to end. It is -these rich fellows who are making the war, and keeping their precious -bodies out of harm’s way. There’s John Franklin went through here the -other day running away from your army. I could have played dominoes on -his coat tails. There’s my poor brother, sick with small-pox at Macon, -working for eleven dollars a month, and hasn’t got a cent of the stuff -for a year. Eleven dollars a month and eleven thousand bullets a minute. -I don’t believe in it, sir. - -“‘My wife came from Canada, and I kind o’ thought I would some time go -there to live, but was allers afraid of the ice and cold; but I can tell -you this country is getting too hot for me. Look at my fence-rails -burning there. I think I can stand the cold better. - -“‘I heard as how they cut down the trees across your road up country and -burn the bridges; why, one of your Yankees can take up a tree and carry -it off, tops and all; and there’s that bridge you put across the river -in less than two hours—they might as well try to stop the Ogeechee as -you Yankees. - -“‘The rascals who burnt this yere bridge thought they did a big thing; a -natural born fool would have more sense than any of them. - -“‘To bring back the good old time,’ he said, ‘it’ll take the help of -Divine Providence, a heap of rain, and a deal of hard work, to fix -things up again.’” - -It is interesting to look over the sea and get a glimpse of the -impressions of our English _friends_ regarding the “wandering host.” The -organ of the army and navy said: “It is clear that, so long as he roams -about with his army inside the Confederate States, he is more deadly -than twenty Grants, and that _he must be destroyed if Richmond or any -thing is to be saved_. Lee will probably be forced by this condition of -affairs to assume the offensive, because he cannot afford to let Grant -hold his hands whilst Sherman is committing burglary in the Southern -mansion. If Sherman has really left his army in the air, and started off -without a base to march from Georgia into South Carolina, he has done -either one of the most brilliant or one of the most foolish things ever -performed by a military leader.” - -The great leader and his intelligent troops must have enjoyed the -mystery in which both friends and foes were living; knowing well that in -public and private circles, in the periodical press and the national -councils, the speculations and theories about him, the fears and hopes, -were manifold and often ludicrous, while his battalions were having a -triumphal march over the proudest portion of the Confederacy. “The great -army, over the lands and into the dwellings of the poor and rich alike, -through towns and cities, like a roaring wave, swept, and paused, -revelled and surged on. In the day-time, the splendor, the toil, the -desolation of the march; in the night-time, the brilliance, the gloom, -the music, the joy and the slumber of the camp. Memorable the music -‘that mocked the moon’ of November of the soil of Georgia; sometimes a -triumphant march, sometimes a glorious waltz, again an old air stirring -the heart alike to recollection and to hope. Floating out from throats -of brass to the ears of soldiers in their blankets and generals within -their tents, these tunes hallowed the eves to all who listened. - -“Sitting before his tent in the glow of a camp fire one evening, General -Sherman let his cigar go out to listen to an air that a distant band was -playing. The musicians ceased at last. The general turned to one of his -officers; ‘Send an orderly to ask that band to play that tune again.’ - -“A little while, and the band received the word. The tune was ‘The Blue -Juniata,’ with exquisite variations. The band played it again, even more -beautifully than before. Again it ceased, and then, off to the right, -nearly a quarter of a mile away, the voices of some soldiers took it up -with words. The band, and still another band, played a low -accompaniment; camp after camp began singing; the music of ‘The Blue -Juniata’ became, for a few minutes, the oratorio of half an army. - -“Back along the whole wide pathway of this grand march from border to -coast, the eye catches glimpses of scenes whose savage and poetic images -an American, five years ago, would have thought never could have been -revived from the romantic past.” - -History records no war scenes so full of poetic interest, with so little -bloodshed, as those along the path of this advancing host. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - - The March beyond the River—The Exciting Discovery by the Enemy— - General Sherman’s Strategy—On to Savannah—The Rebel—Surprise - —The Army approach the City—A bold Movement—The Scouts—The - Signals—Fort McAllister stormed—Savannah invested. - -GENERAL HOWARD’S column moved down the east side of the Oconee River, -reaching Sandersville November 26, burning the depot and tearing up the -railroad near that place. General Slocum’s battalions of the right wing -marched northward toward Sparta, the cavalry scouring the country, -getting all the forage they needed, horses and mules, and making havoc -with the railroads, mills, and _gin-houses_. These horsemen galloped -about as if quite at home; more like troops at a “general muster” than -warriors at work, excepting the signals of ruin they left behind. - -At this very time, November 25, the secessionists lurking among us at -the North, matured a plot for burning the city of New York, by firing -the principal hotels. Combustibles were placed in rooms which had been -mysteriously engaged, the match applied, and then the doors locked. But -while a dozen hotels or more were thus set on fire, a watchful -Providence led to timely discovery. Indeed, he confused the -conspirators, so that the plot was poorly executed; the very effort to -conceal and give time for the flames to spread, by leaving the -apartments closed, excluding the currents of air, defeated the fiendish -design. - -December 1st, the Fourteenth Corps threatened Augusta: “The rebels -became greatly frightened. Up to that time many of them were consoled -with the idea that, after all, Sherman was only on a great raid into the -heart of the State, or would yet turn and move westward upon Columbus, -Montgomery, and Mobile. But such hopes were dispelled when his cavalry -were discovered in Washington and Hancock counties. At Augusta -preparations for defence went on vigorously. Bragg was summoned from -Wilmington, and came, the Augusta papers said, with ten thousand men. -Troops came from Charleston, Hampton’s cavalry came from Virginia, and -the entire population of the city was put under arms, and all the slaves -in the surrounding country were impressed to work upon the -fortifications. Then began, also, a vigorous system of rebel _brag_. -Wheeler was put to his trumps, and required to whip Kilpatrick three -times a day, and to invariably close the report of his victory with the -announcement, ‘after this glorious success we fell back!’ All this -Wheeler most valiantly did; but on one occasion, in a fight near Gibson, -the county seat of Glascock County, being required to bring in -Kilpatrick’s head as a trophy, he humbly apologized with his hat, -observing, that in his haste to fall back, he had left Kilpatrick’s head -on its shoulders. - -“Until it was fully ascertained that Sherman had reached Millen, the -rebels believed that he was passing down between the Ogeechee and Oconee -Rivers, aiming to reach the coast at Darien or Brunswick. Very adroit -strategy was necessary at this juncture to conceal the real direction of -the march, for had the rebels known in time that Augusta was certainly -to be avoided, the entire force there could have been sent down to -Millen, and thus thrown in Sherman’s front, and resisted or delayed his -march upon Savannah, and in the end would have proved a formidable -addition to the garrison of that place. Kilpatrick, therefore, pressed -Wheeler more vigorously than ever, and the latter fell back toward -Augusta, which put him out of Sherman’s way most effectually, again -leaving him in the rear of the very army whose advance he was -endeavoring to resist. It was during these cavalry operations that the -fight took place at Waynesboro’, December 3d, where Wheeler attacked -Kilpatrick, and reported that he had ‘doubled him up on the main body.’ -But Kilpatrick wouldn’t stay ‘doubled up.’ On the next day Wheeler was -compelled to make his usual report that he had ‘signally repulsed -Kilpatrick’ but was ‘obliged to _fall back_,’ the result of which was -that he was driven back through Waynesboro’ and beyond Brier Creek, the -railway bridge over which was destroyed, within twenty miles of Augusta, -which was the nearest approach of our forces to that city. Kilpatrick -then took up a position to guard Sherman’s rear, and while doing so, his -force loaded their wagons with the forage and provisions of Burke -County, for use in the less fertile counties in the region of the -coast.” - -If you have consulted the map, you have noticed four principal rivers on -the line of march; the Ocmulgee, the most westerly, on whose banks is -Macon; the Oconee, on which is situated Milledgeville; the Ogeechee, -that passes Millen, and the Savannah. Augusta is on the latter. Besides -these there were several small streams, and great swamps across the -war-path of General Sherman. He called the country between Sparta and -Warrenton “one universal bog.” - -The 4th of December found the great army “swinging slowly round from its -eastern course,” taking Millen as the pivot, and striking in six -columns, along roads running in the same direction, between the Ogeechee -and Savannah Rivers, for the city of Savannah. General Sherman at his -leisure had secured forage in the rich counties of Washington, Burke, -Glascock, Warren, and Hancock, to prepare for a formidable resistance at -Savannah, which might delay the communication with Port Royal for -supplies. The rebels said he stopped to “grind corn;” but, while this -was unnecessary, because the horses could manage the ears, and the -troops had better fare, he was _grinding_ their hopes of disaster to him -and of escape, to powder. They had sent forces from Charleston and -Wilmington to Augusta and vicinity, sure of meeting him there, when lo! -he was hurrying, like an avalanche, upon the more important city by the -sea. Their feelings, when the bitter truth came fairly home to their -comprehension, were announced in an Augusta paper: “Sherman has not for -a moment hesitated, in our humble judgment, as to the point to be -attacked or the road to it. When his forage and provision trains are -full he will mass his entire force; throwing his cavalry to the rear, -with his wagon-train between the two wings of his army, he will move in -compact columns, steadily but cautiously, upon the city of Savannah, -with no fear of an attack on either flank. The Ogeechee and a few -crossings and terrible swamps on his right, and the Savannah River and -its equally swampy banks on his left, both flanks will be most securely -covered—a grand desideratum in army movements. And thus situated, he -has a march of something over eighty miles to the city of Savannah.” -When the Augusta people heard that their city was no longer threatened, -they drew a long breath and congratulated themselves. “The frowns and -sadness with which the countenances of our citizens have been bedecked,” -said the _Sentinel_, “have given way to smiles and mirth.” That is, -“smiles and mirth” because their neighbors in Savannah were to be the -recipients of Sherman’s favors, and not they. - -Generals Davis and Kilpatrick had hitherto concealed and guarded the -army movements. The Fifteenth Corps, on the right bank of the river, -instead of the left wing, now menaced the enemy’s rear. These flank -manœuvres of the dashing Kilpatrick, joined to General Howard as he had -been to General Davis, were indispensable; for our battalions could not -clear the State of rebel troops, and must, therefore, avoid the delays -which would attend the opposition of a much smaller force at the -river-crossings, or any other spot where the difficulties of advance -favored the enemy. - -The army found the once magnificent cotton fields some of them having a -thousand acres covered with corn, according to the order of Jeff Davis, -while the fleecy crops of former harvests had been sent to a safer -distance from the suspected course of General Sherman’s columns. At -Ogeechee Church, on the river bearing that name, and the narrowest part -of the peninsula between the streams, the army concentrated on the 5th -and 6th of December. Meanwhile General Kilpatrick, when dashing toward -Alexandria to burn the bridge over Brier Creek, encountered General -Wheeler at Waynesboro’. The sabres gleam in the sunlight, and the -bullets fly on their fatal mission, resulting at each conflict in the -flight of the rebel general. The seventy-nine miles from Millen to -Savannah steadily diminished, the splendid and triumphant army getting -by the 8th within less than a score of miles from the goal of their -martial and patriotic ambition. - -The heroic General Howard, at this crisis of affairs, executed a bold -and brilliant movement. The rebels, to hold the Gulf Railroad, which -they were using in earnest, had pushed across the Ogeechee. General -Corse, of “Allatoona memory,” who, before they were aware of it, was -between the Little and Great Ogeechee, thirteen miles in advance of the -main army, reached and bridged the canal connecting the river with -Savannah, then crossing it, intrenched himself securely, almost in sight -of the city. And now the approach was hotly disputed, and brave men fell -in the ranks of General Blair’s columns. But some were killed by the -most cowardly and shameful conduct of the enemy. Shells and torpedoes -had been buried in the way of the march, and the tread of the heroes -exploding them, a number were prostrated in a sudden and horrible death. -The precaution then taken was a just though severe one. Prisoners of war -were ordered forward to remove the murderous and unseen means of -destruction. The prisoners were sent in advance as ordered. Crawling, -begging, praying, as their trembling fingers descended to dig away the -earth about the death-traps which they had, perhaps, helped to set, they -were a piteous spectacle. Soon the path was cleared for the onward steps -of the Union boys. General Howard’s next daring deed was to communicate -immediately with our fleet below Fort McAllister, held by a strong -garrison of the enemy. Here, on the gunboat _Dandelion_, Admiral -Dahlgren was anxiously waiting for tidings from the great army somewhere -between Atlanta and the sea. - -On the evening of December 9th General Howard sent three of his -trustiest scouts, Captain Duncan, and Sergeants Myron J. Emmick and -George W. Quinly, in a small boat down the river. What a moment of -thrilling interest to both the General and the brave daring fellows -floating over the waters in that frail bark, right toward bristling -McAllister! All was silent—the speck glided under the cover of darkness -safely by, and hastened toward the _Dandelion_. Up went a white signal -flag, and another from the little boat answered it. The scouts were soon -on board the gunboat. Captain Duncan brought the following despatch from -General Howard: - - “HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, } - NEAR SAVANNAH CANAL, _Dec. 9, 1864_. } - - “_To the Commander of the United States Naval Forces in the - vicinity of Savannah_: - - “SIR: We have met with perfect success thus far. The troops are - in fine spirits and near by. - - “Respectfully, O. O. HOWARD, Major-General, - Commanding Right Wing of the Army.” - -This was the first intelligence direct from the army, and “completely -dispelled all doubts and fears, as well as dissipated an immense amount -of rebel bombast and boasting of the impediments and difficulties with -which Sherman had met, to say nothing of the repeated total annihilation -of Kilpatrick’s cavalry, which seems not to have been worthy of mention -by General Howard or General Sherman. Wheeler, who at last accounts was -‘hacking away at Sherman’s rear,’ must have had a very dull sabre.” - -The gallant Hazen was preparing, with his western boys, to storm Fort -McAllister, according to General Sherman’s orders. On the Ogeechee, -opposite the fort, stood the rice mill of Dr. Cheroe, from whose roof -the view of the fortress was distinct. There you might have seen -Generals Sherman and Howard, with staff and signal officers about them. -He was waiting for General Hazen’s signals, and gazing away toward the -sea for some sign of the fleet’s presence there. Suddenly a smile lights -up the bronzed face of the eagle-eyed leader of the Union legions, and -he exclaims: - -“‘Look! Howard; there is the gunboat!’ - -“Time passed on, and the vessel now became visible, yet no signal from -the fleet or Hazen. Half an hour passed, and the guns of the fort opened -simultaneously with puffs of smoke that rose a few hundred yards from -the fort, showing that Hazen’s skirmishers had opened. A moment after -Hazen signalled: - -“‘I have invested the fort, and will assault immediately.’ At this -moment Bickley announces ‘A signal from the gunboat.’ All eyes are -turned from the fort to the gunboat that is coming to our assistance -with news from home. A few messages pass, which inform us that Foster -and Dahlgren are within speaking distance. The gunboat now halts and -asks— - -“‘Can we run up? Is Fort McAllister ours?’ - -“‘No,’ is the reply, ‘Hazen is just ready to storm it. Can you assist?’ - -“‘Yes,’ is the reply. ‘What will you have us do?’ - -“But before Sherman can reply to Dahlgren the thunders of the fort are -heard, and the low sound of small arms borne across three miles of marsh -and river. Field glasses are opened, and sitting flat upon the roof the -hero of Atlanta gazes away off to the fort. ‘There they go grandly; not -a waver,’ he remarks. - -“Twenty seconds pass, and again he exclaims: - -“‘See that flag in the advance, Howard; how steadily it moves; not a man -falters. * * There they go still; see the roll of musketry. Grand! -grand!’ - -“Still he strained his eyes, and a moment after speaks without raising -his eyes: - -“‘That flag still goes forward; there is no flinching there.’ - -“A pause for a minute. - -“‘Look!’ he exclaims, ‘it has halted. They waver; no! it’s the parapet! -There they go again; now they scale it; some are over. Look! there’s a -flag on the works! Another, another. It’s ours! The fort’s ours!’ - -“The glass dropped by his side; and in an instant the joy of the great -leader at the possession of the river and the opening of the road to his -new base burst forth in words: - -“‘As the old darkie remarked, dis chile don’t sleep dis night!’ And -turning to one of his aids, Captain Auderied, he remarked, ‘Have a boat -for me at once; I must go there,’ pointing to the fort, from which half -a dozen battle flags floated grandly in the sunset. - -“And well might William Tecumseh Sherman rejoice; for here, as the -setting sun went down upon Fort McAllister reduced, and kissed a fond -good night to the Starry Banner, Sherman witnessed the culmination of -all his plans and marches, that had involved such desperate resistance -and risk, the opening up of a new and shorter route to his base. Here at -sunset, on the memorable 13th of December, the dark waters of the great -Ogeechee bore witness to the fulfilment of the covenant Sherman made -with his iron heroes at Atlanta twenty-nine days before, to lead them -victorious to a new base. - -“Sherman’s account of his movement on Fort McAllister was -characteristic. Said he, ‘I went down with Howard and took a look at it, -and I said to my boys, “Boys, I don’t think there are over four hundred -in that fort; but there it is, and I think we might as well have it.”’ -The word was scarcely spoken before the work was done. Fifteen minutes -were all that was required.” - -The object of this fortress was the protection of the coast from our war -vessels. It was surrounded by obstructions made of rows of piles, -through which was a small opening for a ship’s entrance. - -General Sherman sent word to the fleet “that he would be down that -night, and to look out for his boat. The tug immediately steamed down to -Ossabaw Sound, to find General Foster or Admiral Dahlgren; but they not -being there, despatches were sent to them at Warsaw announcing General -Sherman’s intended visit, and the tug returned to its old position. -While approaching the fort again a small boat was seen coming down. It -was hailed with— - -“‘What boat is that?’ and the welcome response came back ‘Sherman.’ It -soon came alongside, and out of the little dugout, paddled by two men, -stepped General Sherman and General Howard, and stood on the deck of the -_Dandelion_. The great leader was received with cheer after cheer, and -with every manifestation of delight and satisfaction by all. He was in -splendid spirits, and expressed his gratification at reaching his base. -He remained on board till about two o’clock in the morning. While on the -boat he wrote his despatches to General Grant, General Halleck, General -Foster, and Admiral Dahlgren. - -“On the following day he came on board the _Nemaha_, and was received by -General Foster. The _Nemaha_ then proceeded to Warsaw Sound, when -Admiral Dahlgren, accompanied by his staff, came on board and spent some -time in conversation with the General. Colonel A. H. Markland, -superintendent of mails for the armies, came on board with despatches -for General Sherman, and delivered a verbal message from the President. -Taking the General by the hand, the Colonel said: - -“‘General Sherman, before leaving Washington I was directed by the -President to take you by the hand, wherever I met you, and say for him, -‘God bless you and the army under your command;’ and he furthermore -added, ‘Since cutting loose from Atlanta, my prayers, and those of the -nation, have been for your success.’ - -“General Sherman seemed to be deeply affected, and after a moment’s -silence could only say, ‘I thank the President. Say my army is all -right.’” - -Meanwhile Admiral Dahlgren sent a despatch to the Government, in which -he said of the army’s success and the brave scouts: - -“Captain Duncan states that our forces were in contact with the rebels a -few miles outside of Savannah, and that Sherman’s army are not in want -of any thing. Perhaps no event could give greater satisfaction to the -country than that which I announced, and I beg leave to congratulate the -United States Government on its occurrence. It may, perhaps, be -exceeding my province, but I cannot refrain from expressing the hope -that the department will commend Captain Duncan and his companions to -the Hon. Secretary of War for some marks of approbation, for the success -in establishing communications between General Sherman and the fleet. It -was an enterprise that required both skill and courage.” - -This was followed by a message from General Sherman: - - “ON BOARD ‘DANDELION,’ } - OSSABAW SOUND, 11.50 P. M., _Dec. 13_. } - - “To-day, at 5 P. M., General Hazen’s division of the Fifteenth - Corps carried Fort McAllister by assault, capturing its entire - garrison and stores. This opened to us the Ossabaw Sound, and I - pulled down to this gunboat to communicate with the fleet. - Before opening communication, we had completely destroyed all - the railroads leading into Savannah, and invested the city. The - left is on the Savannah River, three miles above the city, and - the right is on the Ogeechee River, at King’s Bridge. The army - is in splendid order and equal to any thing. The weather has - been fine and supplies abundant. Our march was most agreeable, - and we were not at all molested by guerillas. We reached - Savannah three days ago, but owing to Fort McAllister we could - not communicate; now we have McAllister, we go ahead. - - “We have already captured two boats on the Savannah River, and - have prevented their gunboats from coming down. I estimate the - population of Savannah at twenty-five thousand and the garrison - at fifteen thousand. General Hardee commands. We have not lost a - wagon on the trip, but have gathered in a large supply of mules, - negroes, horses, etc., and our teams are in far better condition - than when we started. My first duty will be to clear the army of - surplus negroes, mules, and horses. We have utterly destroyed - over two hundred miles of railroad, and consumed stores and - provisions that were essential to Lee’s and Hood’s armies. - - “The quick work made with Fort McAllister, and the opening of - communication with our fleet and consequent independence for - supplies, dissipate all their boasted threats to head me off and - starve the army. I regard Savannah as already gained. Yours - truly, - - “W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.” - -The fall of the fortress opened, as we have seen, the Ogeechee River to -Ossabaw Sound at its mouth, into which our vessels sailed; it also gave -General Sherman the opportunity of establishing a “water-base” anywhere -on that stream between his army and the sea, just back of Savannah. It -did more; the Savannah and the Albany and Gulf Railroads communicating -with the southern part of the State, were taken from the enemy, cutting -off large supplies. The next move was to stretch the army across the -peninsula between the rivers, the left resting on the Savannah, three -miles above the city, and the extreme right on the Ogeechee at King’s -Bridge. All the railways were in our possession, the rebel gunboats -which had gone up the Ogeechee to prevent General Sherman from crossing -into South Carolina were shut in, and the commander-in-chief prepared to -seize the beautiful town. Savannah, the largest city of Georgia, was -founded by General Oglethorpe in 1731−’32. - -The ocean side of the town was well guarded with fortifications—those -grim and silent watchmen when unmolested, whose voice is thunder, and -their words massive globes of iron, frowned along the river-banks. Forts -Jackson and Pulaski were formidable defences; so much so that even the -engineer, Beauregard, did not dream of an approach in the rear of the -invested city. General Hardee commanded the forces keeping it. - -The forces of General Sherman were so posted, that Hardee had to divide -and weaken his force to be ready for any attack, while the rice-fields -were flooded from the canals, and every advantage taken by the enemy to -ward off the impending blow. This is the general view of the situation, -December 13th, 1864. Such was the derided _retreat_ of General Sherman, -after General Hood swept backward from burning Atlanta into Tennessee! I -need not record here what the noble Thomas, with tried veterans, did -with the rebel general at Nashville, sending his battalions “whirling” -toward his invaded Secessia, just as the comprehensive genius of the -pursuer had planned, and confidently expected he would. For, the glory -of this marvellous campaign, under God, belongs to that sagacious, -resolute, and modest chieftain. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - - The Surrender of the City demanded—The Refusal—Preparation to - Attack—The Enemy Flee—The Entrance of the Union Army—Scenes - that followed—General Sherman and the Negroes. - -DECEMBER 20th, Fort Lee and other defences of Savannah had been taken, -but there was left a single narrow path of escape for the beleaguered -enemy—the Union Causeway, just below Hutchinson’s Island, which it was -difficult for our troops to reach. But General Sherman had his eye on -this outlet, intending to secure it within a day or two, shutting in -General Hardee and his army. The next morning a flag of truce was sent -toward the city gates, under whose protection was conveyed the demand -for its surrender. The brief message of General Sherman closed with the -words which General Hood used in his call for the surrender of Dalton, a -few months before, with its negro troops: - -“If the demand is not complied with, I shall take no prisoners.” - -General Hardee replied defiantly, declaring that he had men and supplies -for a successful defence. This was done to deceive the army closing like -the coil of an anaconda about him. General Sherman suspected it, but the -officers generally expected a battle. The preparations for assault went -forward rapidly. - -The rebel chief improved his opportunity, and suddenly decamped under -cover of night, defiling along the causeway while our weary troops were -resting on their arms. He had stationed his iron-clads near Hutchinson’s -Island, which, with the battalions on its lower end, protected the -highway of the flying thousands whose arms reflected the glare of the -burning Navy Yard, fired during the evacuation. The thunder of exploding -iron-clads, destroyed by the rear-guard, was the last signal of his -retreat from the boastful Hardee: “The night was exceedingly propitious -for such an operation. It was dark and a heavy wind was blowing from the -west, conveying the sound of trampling feet over the pontoons away from -our lines. But during some of the lulls that occurred General Geary, -commanding the Second division, Twentieth Corps, the extreme left of our -lines resting on the Savannah River, heard the movement across the -bridge, but could not decide in which direction the troops were passing. -He ordered his division to be ready at a moment’s notice to move, and -then watched the progress of affairs. At midnight General Geary became -convinced in his own mind that the enemy were evacuating the town, and -notified the commanding general of this fact. The enemy’s skirmish line -continued a fusilade on our pickets, and did not cease until two or -three o’clock, when they were drawn in, and not many moments after our -picket line was advanced, and meeting no opposition, rushed still -further on, crawled through the abatis, floundered through the ditches, -and scrambled over the parapets and found the first line deserted. -General Geary immediately advanced his division, occupied the line and -pushed on toward the city. The second line was found abandoned as well, -and General Geary, at the head of a small body of men, hurried on.” - -On the following morning, December 21st, the _Savannah Republican_, -which two days before emulated the departed commander in the language of -defiance—hurling the anathemas of southern chivalry upon the -“Yankees”—came out with an earnest appeal to the citizens, counselling -quiet and decorum, and the use of all proper means to secure the -“_respect of a magnanimous foe_.” What a strange revolution in -tactics—a marvellous light streamed into the city and the editor’s -“sanctum” along the causeway from the wake of the fugitive “Greybacks.” -Before General Geary “had entered the city, Mayor Arnold, of the city, -with four or five of the commonalty, rode up and surrendered the city to -him unconditionally, and expressed a trust in the magnanimity of an -honorable foe for the safety of the lives and property of the -inhabitants. General Geary accepted the surrender unconditionally, and -assured them that their lives and property should be protected. He then -entered the city, despatching Captain Veale of his staff, with four -hundred men, to take possession of Fort Jackson; and also another member -of his staff to General Slocum, to inform him of his occupation of the -town. The officer who bore this message had some difficulty in -convincing our soldiers that Geary’s division was in town. They said to -him, ‘You can’t come that, Johnnie Reb. The game is an old one and will -not work.’ Finally he assured them sufficiently to gain a passage, and -delivered his despatch to General Slocum, commanding the left wing of -the army. At eight o’clock all the enemy’s works were in our possession. -Captain Veale, with his party, took possession of Fort Jackson and Fort -Barlow, taking about sixty heavy guns in both works and lines connecting -with them. The enemy had fired the barracks, but the fire was soon -subdued.” - -In the haste of his departure Hardee strangely neglected to destroy the -ammunition of the forts, and the cotton in the city. Only a portion of -the guns left behind were spiked. Munitions of war, more than 30,000 -bales of cotton, and railroad rolling stock, fell into our hands. - -“General Sherman’s entry into the town was marked by no extraordinary -commotion. The city received him quietly and respectfully, though not -with open arms. - -“The population of Savannah, during the past thirty days, has been -immensely increased by emigration from the interior. Thousands of -people, including many wealthy families, fled from the country -threatened by General Sherman’s march, to find, as they presumed, an -undisturbed refuge in the city. The houses overflow with them; numbers -dwell in sheds, and live upon the streets. Negroes form a large part of -this transient population. Many rebel officers and soldiers are found -concealed in houses, and probably considerable valuable property, not -yet estimated in the fruits of this almost bloodless siege, will yet be -brought to light likewise. - -“A number of prisoners, which may be counted in addition to those found -in the city, were previously captured during our advance against the -enemy’s works. Colonel Clinch, of General Hardee’s staff, with thirty -men, was taken on board a transport in the Savannah River a few days -before the surrender. A quantity of whiskey was aboard the transport, -and when our officers reached it, every man on board, except Colonel -Clinch, was found in a state of beastly intoxication. General Harrison, -a militia general, and a man of considerable wealth, residing near the -city, was also taken prisoner during the siege.” - -While the sun of December 21st was moving toward the zenith, General -Sherman rode at the head of his enthusiastic columns, with music and -banners enlivening the magnificent scene, into the broad, quiet streets -of Savannah, followed by his wing-commanders, the gallant Howard and -Slocum. Hour after hour the tramp of Union soldiers echoes on the -pavements, until at length, in mansions, public buildings, and tents, -the exultant host settled down into comparative repose. The next day the -wires of the telegraph transmitted to the President this laconic -message: - - “SAVANNAH, GA., _December 22, 1864_. - “_His Excellency President Lincoln_; - - “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, - with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, - and also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton. - - “W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.” - -In all the world’s history of the Christmas times, was there ever a gift -so memorable, or one more worthy to receive it? You will always -recollect it with the delight expressed by a playful pen: “The sugar -plum which Sherman dropped into the national stocking that Abraham -Lincoln hung up, came in the semblance of Savannah. We have all enjoyed -it. We have admired its roundness and its sweetness. We rejoice over the -one hundred and fifty heavy guns, and the thirty-three thousand bales of -cotton. The capture of Savannah is an event which we have long -anticipated, and are therefore only quietly enjoying it. Reaching us, as -the intelligence did, on a day that was meteorologically gloomy, it shed -an interior sunlight brighter than a more substantial one.” - -The quartermaster, in General Sherman’s behalf, a little later -announced, that “all persons wishing to leave the city under existing -orders, and go within the Confederate lines, are informed that the -steamer _F. R. Spalding_ will be in readiness at the wharf at the foot -of Drayton Street, at six o’clock A. M. on Wednesday, the 11th instant, -to transport them to Charleston, S. C. Wagons and ambulances will be -sent to the residences of families, to take them and their baggage to -the boat. As there are no conveniences on the boat to provide food, each -family had better provide itself with what it will require for -twenty-four hours. - -“Applications for wagons and ambulances must be made to Captain J. E. -Remington, assistant quartermaster, last house on the west end of Jones -Street, south side.” - -About two hundred citizens availed themselves of the opportunity thus -offered them to rejoin their relatives or friends within the enemy’s -lines. The new paper, the _Loyal Georgian_, thus hoisted its flag, with -the notices following: “The mind that conceived, and the arm that, under -Omnipotence, could execute these grand army movements, has not yet -finished its work. That same powerful body which with its gigantic wings -swept over the State of Georgia as a whirlwind, must yet move on its -irresistible course until the whole land shall acknowledge the power and -authority of the Government of the United States. When that day comes, -the commander will lay aside his laurels, the soldier his sword, and -this broad and fair abounding land of ours shall once more teem with the -busy hum of peaceful life. May a merciful God grant the happy day soon -to be ushered in upon us, and peace, sweet peace! be our portion; but -until the ‘last armed foe expires,’ the army of the Union will and must -stand as a bulwark against all destroyers, come from where they may. - -“General Sherman has his headquarters at the house of Mr. Charles Green. -General Howard’s headquarters are at the house of Mr. Molyneux, late -British consul at Savannah, who is now in Europe. General Slocum’s -headquarters are at the late residence of Hon. John E. Ward. General -Geary, commandant of the post, has his office in the Bank building, next -door to the Custom House. - -“Divine service will be held in the Independent Presbyterian, the -Lutheran, Baptist, St. John’s Church, and Methodist Churches, to-morrow -morning at half-past ten o’clock, by their respective pastors. - - “I. S. K. AXSON, D. M. GILBERT, - S. LANDRUM, A. M. WYNN, - C. F. MCRAE.” - -The condition of the city under the new rule was very clearly given by -rebel papers. January 10th, the Richmond _Whig_, whose hatred of the -North has been unsurpassed, was compelled to confess that General -Sherman was wise and humane in his administration, as an extract will -show: - -“The Augusta _Chronicle_ and _Sentinel_ of the 4th instant publishes a -number of news items, derived from a gentleman who left Savannah on the -1st instant. - -“The most perfect order is maintained in the city. No soldier is allowed -to interfere with the citizens in any particular. A citizen was arrested -by a drunken soldier a few days since. The citizen knocked the soldier -down. The officer of the guard, as soon as he arrived, said nothing to -the citizen, but had the soldier taken to the barracks, gagged and -soundly whipped for his misbehavior. - -“A drunken soldier, who undertook to create a disturbance recently, and -who refused to allow himself to be arrested, was shot down at once by -the guard. - -“One or two of the Insurance Companies of Savannah are considering the -project of establishing a National Bank for the issue of ‘greenbacks.’ - -“The Custom House and Post Office are being cleaned and repaired, -preparatory to the commencement of business again. - -“The soldiers are not allowed under any circumstances whatever to enter -private residences. - -“The negroes in most cases are orderly and quiet, remaining with their -owners and performing their customary duties. - -“One store with goods from the North has already been opened. - -“Nothing but ‘greenbacks’ are in circulation. - -“The churches on Sundays are well filled with ladies. On week days, -however, but few of them are seen on the streets. - -“A majority of the male population have remained in the city. The -families of most of the men who have left still remain. - -“A majority of the citizens have provisions for some time to come, but -there is a scarcity of wood, but General Sherman has announced that he -will soon remedy this last difficulty by getting wood via the Gulf -Railway, and hauling it to the citizens. - -“No pass is allowed to any male person to go toward the city. - -“All females who are caught going toward the city are thoroughly -searched. - -“Eleven hundred loaves of good baker’s bread, which had been collected -for the soldiers of Sherman’s army, but for which authorized agents did -not call, were on Thursday turned over to the Poor Association of -Savannah by the Committee acting in behalf of the Soldier’s Dinner, and -were yesterday distributed to the poor of the city. It was truly a kind -and providential gift, for the city is entirely out of breadstuffs of -every kind, and for days past have been unable to issue a pound of meal -or flour to the hundreds who were sorely in need of it.” - -General Sherman had a very summary way of answering inquiries of the -citizens on whose lips was the gall of secession. To a proud lady who -said to him: “General, you may conquer, but you can’t subjugate us,” he -instantly replied, “I don’t want to subjugate you, I mean to kill you, -the whole of you, if you don’t stop this rebellion.” In conversation a -short time since with several citizens of Savannah on the subject of the -war, General Sherman, in his characteristic manner, remarked: “We wish -to cultivate friendly feeling with your people; if they love monarchy we -will not quarrel with them; but we love a strong republic and mean to -maintain it.” He also said he had been through Mississippi twice and -through Georgia once. “The sun goes North on the 21st, and by that time -I shall be ready to go North, too.” In a private letter to a -distinguished military man in New York, his noble and magnanimous spirit -appears: - -“Colonel Ewing arrived to-day, and bore me many kind tokens from the -North, but none gave me more satisfaction than to know that you watched -with interest my efforts in the national cause. I do not think a human -being could feel more kindly toward an enemy than I do to the people of -the South, and I only pray that I may live to see the day when they and -their children will thank me, as one who labored to secure and maintain -a Government worthy the land we have inherited, and strong enough to -secure our children the peace and security denied us. - -“Judging from the press, the world magnifies my deeds above their true -value, and I fear the future may not realize its judgment. But whatever -fate may befall me, I know that you will be a generous and charitable -critic, and will encourage one who only hopes in this struggle to do a -man’s share.” - -Two days later a gentleman addressed a note to General Sherman, asking -questions designed to draw from him his views upon the prospects of -Georgia, and her relations to the General Government. His reply is -marked with his original thought, and reveals his high ability as a -statesman: - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI, } - IN THE FIELD, SAVANNAH, GA., _Jan. 8, 1865_. } - “_N. W——, Esq., —— County, Ga._: - - “DEAR SIR: Yours of the 3d instant is received, and in answer to - your inquiries, I beg to state I am merely a military commander, - and act only in that capacity; nor can I give any assurances or - pledges affecting civil matters in the future. They will be - adjusted by Congress when Georgia is again represented there as - of old. - - “Georgia is not out of the Union, and therefore the talk of - ‘reconstruction’ appears to me inappropriate. Some of the people - have been and still are in a state of revolt; and as long as - they remain armed and organized, the United States must pursue - them, with armies, and deal with them according to military law. - But as soon as they break up their armed organizations and - return to their homes, I take it they will be dealt with by the - civil courts. Some of the rebels in Georgia, in my judgment, - deserve death, because they have committed murder, and other - crimes, which are punished with death by all civilized - governments on earth. I think this was the course indicated by - General Washington, in reference to the Whiskey Insurrection, - and a like principle seemed to be recognized at the time of the - Burr conspiracy. - - “As to the Union of the States under our Government, we have the - high authority of General Washington, who bade us be jealous and - careful of it, and the still more emphatic words of General - Jackson, ‘The Federal Union, it must and shall be preserved.’ - Certainly Georgians cannot question the authority of such men, - and should not suspect our motives, who are simply fulfilling - their commands. Wherever necessary, force has been used to carry - out that end; and you may rest assured that the Union will be - preserved, cost what it may. And if you are sensible men you - will conform to this order of things or else migrate to some - other country. There is no other alternative open to the people - of Georgia. - - “My opinion is, that no negotiations are necessary, nor - commissioners, nor conventions, nor any thing of the kind. - Whenever the people of Georgia quit rebelling against their - Government and elect members of Congress and Senators, and these - go and take their seats, then the State of Georgia will have - resumed her functions in the Union. - - “These are merely my opinions, but in confirmation of them, as I - think, the people of Georgia may well consider the following - words referring to the people of the rebellious States, which I - quote from the recent annual message of President Lincoln to - Congress at its present session; - - “‘They can at any moment have peace simply by laying down their - arms and submitting to the national authority under the - Constitution. After so much, the Government would not, if it - could, maintain war against them. The loyal people would not - sustain or allow it. If questions should remain we would adjust - them by the peaceful means of legislation, conference, courts, - and votes. Operating only in constitutional and lawful channels, - some certain and other possible questions are and would be - beyond the Executive power to adjust, as, for instance, the - admission of members into Congress and whatever might require - the appropriation of money.’ - - “The President then alludes to the general pardon and amnesty - offered for more than a year past, upon specified and more - liberal terms, to all except certain designated classes, even - these being ‘still within contemplation of special clemency,’ - and adds: - - “‘It is still so open to all, but the time may come when public - duty shall demand that it be closed, and that in lieu more - vigorous measures than heretofore shall be adopted.’ - - “It seems to me that it is time for the people of Georgia to act - for themselves, and return, in time, to their duty to the - Government of their fathers. - - “Respectfully, your obedient servant, - - “W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.” - -Bearing the same date of this able letter, are his words of -congratulation to his rejoicing army: - - “IN THE FIELD, SAVANNAH, GA., _Jan. 8_. - - “The General Commanding announces to the troops composing the - military division of the Mississippi, that he has received from - the President of the United States and from Lieutenant-General - Grant, letters conveying the high sense and appreciation of the - campaign just closed, resulting in the capture of Savannah and - the defeat of Hood’s army in Tennessee. - - “In order that all may understand the importance of events, it - is proper to revert to the situation of affairs in September - last. We held Atlanta, a city of little value to us, but so - important to the enemy that Mr. Davis, the head of the - rebellious faction in the South, visited his army near Palmetto, - and commanded it to regain it, as well as to ruin and destroy us - by a series of measures which he thought would be effectual. - - “That army, by a rapid march, first gained our railroad near Big - Shanty, and afterward about Dalton. We pursued, but it marched - so rapidly that we could not overtake it, and General Hood led - his army successfully far toward Mississippi, in hopes to decoy - us out of Georgia. But we were not then to be led away by him, - and purposed to control and lead events ourselves. Generals - Thomas and Schofield, commanding the department to our rear, - returned to their posts, and prepared to decoy General Hood into - their meshes, while we came on to complete our original journey. - - “We quietly and deliberately destroyed Atlanta and all the - railroads which the enemy had used to carry on war against us; - occupied his State capital, and then captured his commercial - capital, which had been so strongly fortified from the sea as to - defy approach from that quarter. - - “Almost at the moment of our victorious entry into Savannah came - the welcome and expected news that our comrades in Tennessee had - also fulfilled, nobly and well, their part; had decoyed General - Hood to Nashville, and then turned on him, defeating his army - thoroughly, capturing all his artillery, great numbers of - prisoners, and were still pursuing the fragments down into - Alabama. So complete a success in military operations, extending - over half a continent, is an achievement that entitles it to a - place in the military history of the world. - - “The armies serving in Georgia and Tennessee, as well as the - local garrisons of Decatur, Bridgeport, Chattanooga, and - Murfreesborough, are alike entitled to the common honor, and - each regiment may inscribe on its colors at pleasure the words - ‘Savannah,’ or ‘Nashville.’ - - “The General Commanding embraces in the same general success the - operations of the cavalry column under Generals Stoneman, - Burbridge, and Gillem, that penetrated into Southwestern - Virginia, and paralyzed the efforts of the enemy to disturb the - peace and safety of the people of East Tennessee. Instead of - being put on the defensive, we have, at all points, assumed the - bold offensive, and completely thwarted the designs of the - enemies of our country. By order of - - “Major-General W. T. SHERMAN.” - -This was followed on the 14th by a message regulating the trade and -social life of the people: - - “IN THE FIELD, SAVANNAH, GA., _Jan. 14_. - - “It being represented that the Confederate army and armed bands - of robbers, acting professedly under the authority of the - Confederate government, are harassing the people of Georgia and - endeavoring to intimidate them in the efforts they are making to - secure to themselves provisions, clothing, security to life and - property, and the restoration of law and good government in the - State, it is hereby ordered and made public: - - “I. That the farmers of Georgia may bring into Savannah, - Fernandina, or Jacksonville, Fla., marketing, such as beef, - pork, mutton, vegetables of any kinds, fish, &c., as well as - cotton in small quantities, and sell the same in open market, - except the cotton, which must be sold by or through the Treasury - agents, and may invest the proceeds in family stores, such as - bacon and flour, in any reasonable quantities, groceries, shoes, - and clothing, and articles not contraband of war, and carry the - same back to them families. No trade-store will be attempted in - the interior, or stocks of goods sold for them, but families may - club together for mutual assistance and protection in coming and - going. - - “II. The people are encouraged to meet together in peaceful - assemblages to discuss measures looking to their safety and good - government, and the restoration of State and national authority, - and will be protected by the national army when so doing; and - all peaceable inhabitants who satisfy the commanding officers - that they are earnestly laboring to that end, must not only be - left undisturbed in property and person, but must be protected - as far as possible consistent with the military operations. If - any farmer or peaceful inhabitant is molested by the enemy, - viz., the Confederate army of guerillas, because of his - friendship to the National Government, the perpetrator, if - caught, will be summarily punished, or his family made to suffer - for the outrage; but if the crime cannot be traced to the actual - party, then retaliation will be made on the adherents to the - cause of the rebellion. Should a Union man be murdered, then a - rebel selected by lot will be shot; or if a Union family be - persecuted on account of the cause, a rebel family will be - banished to a foreign land. In aggravated cases, retaliation - will extend as high as five for one. All commanding officers - will act promptly in such cases, and report their action after - the retaliation is done. By order of - - “Major-General W. T. SHERMAN.” - -We have now a very remarkable interview between a delegation of the -negro population, including twenty men, nearly all of whom were -preachers, and Secretary Stanton and General Sherman. There were members -of the parishes whose pastors were present, worth from $3,000 to -$30,000. Rev. Garrison Frazier, sixty-seven years of age, was the -speaker. The answers to various questions touching slavery, the war, and -the ability of the negroes to take care of themselves, were promptly and -intelligently answered. After General Sherman had left the room, an -inquiry touching their opinion of General Sherman was made, with the -following reply: - -“We looked upon General Sherman prior to his arrival as a man in the -Providence of God specially set apart to accomplish this work, and we -unanimously feel inexpressible gratitude to him, looking upon him as a -man that should be honored for the faithful performance of his duty. -Some of us called on him immediately upon his arrival, and it is -probable he would not meet the Secretary with more courtesy than he met -us. His conduct and deportment toward us characterized him as a friend -and a gentleman. We have confidence in General Sherman, and think -whatever concerns us could not be under better management.” - -The conference was followed by the following order: - - “HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIV. OF THE MISS., } - IN THE FIELD, SAVANNAH, GA., _Jan. 16, 1865_. } - - “I. The islands from Charleston, south, the abandoned - rice-fields along the river for thirty miles back from the sea, - and the country bordering the St. John River, Florida, are - reserved and set apart for the settlement of the negroes now - made free by the acts of war and the President of the United - States. - - “II. At Beaufort, Hilton Head, Savannah, Fernandina, St. - Augustine, and Jacksonville, the blacks may remain in their - chosen or accustomed avocations; but on the islands, and in the - settlements hereafter to be established, no white person - whatever, unless military officers and soldiers detailed for - duty, will be permitted to reside; and the sole and exclusive - management of affairs will be left to the freed people - themselves, subject only to the United States military authority - and the acts of Congress. By the laws of war, and orders of the - President of the United States, the negro is free, and must be - dealt with as such. He cannot be subjected to conscription or - forced military service, save by the written orders of the - highest military authority of the department, under such - regulations as the President or Congress may prescribe. Domestic - servants, blacksmiths, carpenters, and other mechanics, will be - free to select their own work and residence; but the young and - able-bodied negroes must be encouraged to enlist as soldiers in - the service of the United States, to contribute their share - toward maintaining their own freedom, and securing their rights - as citizens of the United States. Negroes so enlisted will be - organized into companies, battalions, and regiments, under the - orders of the United States military authorities, and will be - paid, fed, and clothed according to law. The bounties paid on - enlistment may, with the consent of the recruit, go to assist - his family and settlement in procuring agricultural implements, - seed, tools, boats, clothing, and other articles necessary for - their livelihood. - - “III. Whenever three respectable negroes, heads of families, - shall desire to settle on land, and shall have selected for that - purpose an island or a locality clearly defined within the - limits above designated, the Inspector of Settlements and - Plantations will himself, or by such subordinate officer as he - may appoint, give them a license to settle such island or - district, and afford them such assistance as he can to enable - them to establish a peaceable agricultural settlement. The three - parties named will subdivide the land, under the supervision of - the inspector, among themselves and such others as may choose to - settle near them, so that each family shall have a plot of not - more than forty acres of tillable ground, and, when it borders - on some water channel, with not more than eight hundred feet - front, in the possession of which land the military authorities - will afford them protection until such time as they can protect - themselves, or until Congress shall regulate their title. The - quartermaster may, on the requisition of the Inspector of - Settlements and Plantations, place at the disposal of the - inspector one or more of the captured steamers to ply between - the settlements and one or more of the commercial points - heretofore named in orders, to afford the settlers the - opportunity to supply their necessary wants, and to sell the - products of their land and labor. - - “IV. When a negro has enlisted in the military service of the - United States, he may locate his family in any of the - settlements at pleasure, and acquire a homestead and all other - rights and privileges of a settler as though present in person. - In like manner negroes may settle their families, and engage on - board the gunboats, or in fishing, or in the navigation of the - inland waters, without losing any claim to land or other - advantages derived from this system. But no one, except an - actual settler as above defined, or unless absent on government - services, will be entitled to claim any right to land or - property in any settlement by virtue of these orders. - - “V. In order to carry out this system of settlement, a general - officer will be detailed as Inspector of Settlements and - Plantations, whose duty it shall be to visit the settlements, to - regulate their police and general management, and who will - furnish personally to each head of a family, subject to the - approval of the President of the United States, a possessory - title in writing, giving as near as possible the description of - boundaries, and who may adjust all claims or conflicts that may - arise under the same, subject to the like approval, treating - such titles as altogether possessory. The same general officer - will also be charged with the enlistment and organization of the - negro recruits, and protecting their interests while so absent - from their settlements, and will be governed by the rules and - regulations prescribed by the War Department for such purpose. - - “VI. Brigadier-General R. Saxton is hereby appointed Inspector - of Settlements and Plantations, and will at once enter on the - performance of his duties. No change is intended or desired in - the settlement now on Beaufort Island, nor will any rights to - property heretofore acquired be affected thereby. - - “By order of Major-Gen. W. T. SHERMAN.” - -This was a kind and honorable provision—giving the unfortunate race -just the opportunity which was desired of self-culture and progress. -They do not desire to come north and mix with the white population, but -own themselves, and have a fair opportunity for improvement. - -An “Educational Association” followed, to establish schools for the -freedmen, which should be taught by those of their own people already -possessed of some learning. All were invited to join it by paying three -dollars. The first evening the number of members swelled the fund to -more than seven hundred dollars. Then five hundred children were -gathered together to be formed into schools. Rev. J. W. Alvord was a -leading philanthropist in the work. They were divided into ten schools, -of fifty scholars, and, with a teacher at the head of each, marched in a -procession two by two through the city—a strange spectacle indeed to -all beholders! “The procession marched on till they came to the old -Slave-market—a large building, three stories high. General Geary, who -now commands the city, said they might have this for a school-house. So -they took possession of it, placing the children along the very -platforms where the old slave-traders used to set men and women to be -examined for sale. The fathers and mothers of the children looked on in -wonder to think what a change had taken place; while many wept joyful -tears, and shouted praises to God who had done such great things for -them.” - -But oh, the sad want and suffering of the masses in the conquered city! -All that could be done by General Sherman to alleviate the famine, was -promptly offered. - -The mayor and a few of the citizens had not only a formal meeting to -express loyalty to the Stars and Stripes, so long dishonored there, but -asked for an exchange of rice for other articles of food. For this -purpose a vessel was sent by permission of the commander-in-chief to New -York. That city, Boston, and Philadelphia, immediately took measures to -forward supplies. The accompanying message of the mayor of Boston was a -fraternal and excellent tender of former friendship and a renewal of old -associations. When, on January 19th, the steamship _Rebecca Clyde_ lay -at the wharf with her large cargo of provisions, the mayor thanked the -people of the North for their generosity, and complimented very warmly -the “wise and impartial administration” of General Geary. He said: “He -has restored order out of chaos, and made the people of Savannah feel -that the Northern army has not come among them to ruin or pillage them. -Life and property have been as safe during the Federal occupation as it -ever had been under civil rule.” - -Captain Veale, of General Geary’s staff, replied, assuring the mayor -that the “Federal officers and soldiers had always treated the people of -the South with kindness and forbearance, and hoped that they would soon -again join in one bond of brotherhood for the preservation and welfare -of our common country. He also thanked the mayor for his high eulogium -on General Geary, and assured him that the general’s object was to -promote the welfare of Savannah and make her citizens feel that the -Northern army was not inimical to the South.” - -Savannah in the old Revolutionary days extended her hand in time of -trouble to Massachusetts, whose sons repay the debt of gratitude with -unfeigned delight. - -Such were the events and scenes attending the return of the old flag to -its place in Savannah, never again to be trailed in the dust by -traitorous hands. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - - Major-General Sherman appreciated at Home—A Conflagration—A New - and Bolder Campaign—An amusing Letter from a Rebel—General - Sherman begins his March—Perils and Progress—Branchville and - Columbia—Charleston. - -WITH the advent of the New Year, the friends of General Sherman in his -native State inaugurated a movement to secure a fitting testimonial of -their appreciation of his brilliant achievements. A public meeting was -called at Columbus, Ohio, at which Governor Brough presided, and made -the subjoined remarks: “General Sherman has been identified with our -army from the commencement of the contest. Able and discreet—daring, -yet prudent—ever active and energetic—he has led his forces with -almost universal success. He has been in earnest from the beginning; and -if his life is spared, will so continue to the end. Sharing the -privations and dangers of his army, and, ever consulting and promoting -the comfort and safety of his men, he has acquired their unlimited -respect and confidence. His State should hold him in honor, and the -nation owes him a debt of gratitude. - -“While Ohio should not boast, she should not allow her modesty to make -her entirely oblivious to the merits and greatness of her sons. While -other States are providing solid testimonials for men who have perilled -their lives and fortunes, and distinguished themselves in the cause of -the country, we should not hesitate in similar acts of appreciation and -gratitude toward one of our own citizens who has stood in the foremost -rank in all this contest. On the contrary, we should come to it in the -spirit of zeal and enthusiasm. This movement has been inaugurated by the -people of the city where General Sherman was born—its originators are -gentlemen of high character and integrity—and our people should -cordially meet it with the determination that it shall be promptly and -fully successful, and the testimonial be at once worthy of all the -State, and its noble, patriotic, and distinguished citizen.” - -Lieutenant-General Grant sent the following expressive note to the -committee having the tribute of grateful affection in charge: - - “DEAR SIRS: I have just this moment received your printed letter - in relation to your proposed movement in acknowledgment of one - of Ohio’s greatest sons. I wrote only yesterday to my father, - who resides in Covington, Ky., on the same subject, and asked - him to inaugurate a subscription to present Mrs. Sherman with a - house in the city of Cincinnati. General Sherman is eminently - entitled to this mark of consideration, and I directed my father - to head the subscription with five hundred dollars for me, and - half that amount from General Ingalls, chief quartermaster of - this army, who is equally alive with myself to the eminent - services of General Sherman. - - “Whatever direction this enterprise in favor of General Sherman - may take, you may set me down for the amount named. I cannot say - a word too highly in praise of General Sherman’s services from - the beginning of the rebellion to the present day, and will - therefore abstain from flattery of him. Suffice it to say, the - world’s history gives no record of his superiors, and but few - equals. - - “I am truly glad for the movement you have set on foot, and of - the opportunity of adding my mite in testimony of so good and - great a man. Yours truly, - - “U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.” - -How noble and beautiful such evidence of true greatness, the master -minds of the war-field delighting to honor each other! A frightful -conflagration in Savannah was among the painful incidents of these -winter months, crowded so full of stirring events. The unresting brain -and form of General Sherman had scarcely completed the new order of -things in Savannah, before a still grander campaign in some of its -aspects, one more perilous and decisive in its results on the rebellion, -was planned, and his glad host waiting his word of command to march. -Sherman’s rule of military action is, not to rest while possible motion -promises substantial results. Looking away from Savannah toward South -Carolina, and beyond to Richmond, his masterly genius formed -deliberately the plan of advance, which was kept in his own breast. He -threatened several points at once, so that the enemy could not tell -whether he would strike first with an avalanche of living men, -Branchville, Augusta, Columbia, or Charleston. The “dazzling rapidity” -of his movements always completely paralyzed the foe. To concentrate -after he was fairly in motion, and his immediate object discerned, in -time to successfully stop him, was next to impossible. We have had no -military leader in this intelligent and irresistible celerity of -movement that approaches him. The Secretary of War announced in the -following message to Mr. Lincoln, the fact, that the laurelled chieftain -was again in the war-path over a hostile country, with continuous swamps -and morasses at the very entrance into its perils: - - “FORTRESS MONROE, TUESDAY, _January 17_—10 P. M. - “_To the President_: - - “General Sherman renewed the movement of his forces from - Savannah, last week. The Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps went in - transports to Beaufort on Saturday, the 14th. The Seventeenth - Corps, under Major-General Blair, crossed Port Royal Ferry, and, - with a portion of General Foster’s command, moved on Pocotaligo. - General Howard, commanding that wing of the army, reported on - Sunday, 15th, that the enemy abandoned his strong works in our - front during Saturday night. General Blair’s corps now occupies - a strong position across the railroad, covering all approaches - eastward to Pocotaligo. All the sick of General Sherman’s army - are in good hospitals at Beaufort and Hilton Head, where the - genial climate affords advantages for recovery superior to any - other place. The peace and order prevailing at Savannah since - its occupation by General Sherman, could not be surpassed. Few - male inhabitants are to be seen on the streets. - - “EDWIN M. STANTON.” - -Refer to a large map, and you will perceive at a glance the field of -operations before General Sherman. About half way from Savannah to -Charleston, is Pocotaligo, on the direct railroad—an important place, -which was the object of an expedition soon after Beaufort came into our -hands. Its capture secured General Sherman’s flank from attack in his -progress toward Branchville, a great railway centre, in importance -resembling Atlanta. His advance lay as it did when he approached -Savannah, between two rivers, whose borders were guarded with swamps. -Having carried Pocotaligo Bridge, on the 13th of January, whose strong -garrison had always successfully repulsed us hitherto, the onward march -from Beaufort commenced. General Hatch’s division was already occupying -a “position not far from the bridge, with their guns turned on the -railroad. The Seventeenth Corps crossed Port Royal Ferry on a pontoon -bridge laid by the Engineer Corps, and marched swiftly, but cautiously, -to the railroad. The enemy’s pickets were soon aroused, and attempted -some skirmishing, but were pushed off without trouble. On the 15th, with -the Seventeenth Corps on the left, and Hatch’s troops on the right, -after slight resistance, the railroad was gained, a little south of the -bridge. Our skirmishers dashed lightly ahead, encountered the enemy’s, -who were supported with light artillery, swept them off, gained the -bridge, and a brigade of the Seventeenth charged and carried it, -together with the earthworks at the further end. Several heavy guns, -which the enemy had spiked, fell into our hands; one of the earthworks -carrying seven, and the other five. The great bridge, with the -trestle-work in the swamp on either side, is fully a mile in length. The -enemy, finding he must give up the work he had so long defended, tried -to burn it. But our men were too quick for him and saved it. Our loss -was only about fifty killed and wounded. Lieutenant Chandler, of General -Blair’s staff, was killed while leading a gallant and victorious charge. - -“The enemy’s force consisted of General McLaws’s detachment of Hardee’s -forces; and were pushed out of Pocotaligo, the Seventeenth Corps -occupying the railroad from the Coosawatchie to the Salkehatchie. So -soon as this lodgment was effected, Sherman sent the First and Third -divisions of Geary’s Twentieth Corps, of Slocum’s column, across the -Savannah, so as to hold the railroad continuously from Savannah to the -lines of the Seventeenth Corps. On the 16th, also, the Fifteenth Corps -embarked at Thunderbolt for Beaufort.” - -On the legions swept toward Branchville, more than half way to Columbia, -the capital of South Carolina, and northwest of Charleston. The -threatening front of our army against Charleston at the same moment, -kept occupied and apart Generals Beauregard and Hardee. General -Kilpatrick hung like a thunder-cloud around Augusta, keeping General D. -H. Hill with his troops there, while General Howard’s right wing reached -and cut the railroad below Branchville; General Blair’s Seventeenth -Corps crossed the Salkehatchie, wading waist deep through the current, -defeating the enemy in the very water, and seizing River’s Bridge; and -General Slocum had gone above Branchville, cutting the railroad there. -This was during the first week in February. Sunday night, the 11th, the -enemy finding Branchville hopelessly encircled, cutting the paths of -communication, fled from the town, and the next day our victorious -troops, with flying banners, entered it. - -Over streams, into which they plunged with a shout; through morasses, -building corduroy roads in swamps, destroying railroads for nearly a -hundred miles of a single line, the brave boys had got within reach of -the “tempting prize,” as the Columbia _Guardian_ called it, now seventy -miles distant, and a hundred and forty-three from Augusta, Georgia. - -That paper began to use quite different speech from that addressed a few -weeks before to the “gentle warrior.” He thus discoursed to the people: -“South Carolinians are not to be intimidated by the fulminations of a -brutal foe, and we are mistaken if South Carolinians have forgotten how -to treat the insolence of the hireling.” The same paper said that -Columbia would not even be approached, because Sherman was bent on -Charleston. “To believe it is contrary to common sense, contrary to a -knowledge of Sherman’s character and confessed determination, and -contrary to all military strategy. Possibly a _raid_ may be made here -for the purpose of creating a diversion. It will not find us unprepared. -Long before Columbia falls, we look for a battle and a victory.” -Sherman, however, having left Branchville, was marching over the fine, -high, fertile region northward, where supplies were abundant, and the -country roads excellent. Already he was aiming at Kingsville, where he -would, if successful in his object, at one fell swoop destroy the -Columbia and Charleston Railroad, and the Wilmington and Manchester -Railroad. “That he will succeed in doing this, we have doubts—very -grave doubts; for we know something of the dangerous operations of an -army in the hands of Beauregard.” In order to dissipate the doubts of -some skeptical as to which side the operations of Beauregard would be -dangerous, the same journal announced with pleasure the arrival of that -chieftain and his staff at Nickerson’s Hotel in Columbia. - -General Sherman, in a brief time, cleared away the painful doubts from -the mind of this editor. Taking Kingsville, he commenced a skirmishing -march on Columbia. While the quiet of a pleasant evening was settling -down upon Columbia, a sudden shriek in the air startled the inhabitants. -The signal shells of approach were fired from “Yankee” guns. - -The army then under cover of darkness moved up the river, and in the -morning forded the Saluda and Broad Rivers. While the waters were -surging around the cheerful host, the enemy decided that “prudence was -the better part of valor,” and hastened out of the capital. The female -employés of the treasury department were hurried off to Charlotte, a -panic-smitten company of maidens, young and old; lithographic presses -for the currency were left behind; and a large amount of medical stores -was seized by our troops. General Sherman pressed forward toward -Charlotte after Beauregard, who was completely in the fog respecting the -goal of his antagonist—whether it was Charlotte, North Carolina, a -hundred miles from Columbia, or Florence, South Carolina, ninety miles -away, likewise a railroad centre. The map again will shed light on the -field of this great game of war. The only road remaining for escape from -Charleston was the threatened track to Florence. Meanwhile General -Gilmore’s time to move near the doomed city had come. - -February 10th, General Schemmelfinnig threw his command of about 3,000 -strong across a bridge laid over the creek separating Folly and Cole -Islands from James Island, and fastened with firm foothold upon the -latter, only three miles from Charleston. The Fifty-fourth New York, -acting as skirmishers, encountered the enemy a mile farther, at -Grimball’s, on Stono River, up which the iron-clads _Augusta_ and -_Savannah_, and the mortar schooner _Commodore McDonough_, made their -way to protect our forces on the flank, shelling the rebels. Toward -night General Hartwell advanced with his brigade, the columns double in -front dashing upon the rifle-pits with a shout that assured him of -victory. The bloody struggle was brief. The foe returned to his main -works, leaving less than a hundred of our troops killed and wounded, and -their own, with twenty prisoners, in our hands. This was the first time -these works had been taken by our troops. - -General Potter moved toward Bull’s Bay to cut the railroad north of the -city. General Hatch moved across the Ashepoo, toward the South Edisto. - -General Hardee, with General Sherman, master of Columbia, shutting him -on that side, had been watching with eagle eye the manœuvres of General -Potter, endangering his last highway from the city, and resolved upon -flight. Friday, February 17th, his preparations for it began. In the -night the garrisons of Sullivan’s Island and Point Pleasant withdrew, -just in time to escape General Potter’s advance on the road by Christ’s -Church. For the movements of Hardee had been discovered by General -Schemmelfinnig’s watchful scouts and signal officers, and he barely -slipped from the grasp of his antagonist. The troops in the city marched -out by the Northeastern Railroad on Saturday. Wrote Mr. O. G. Sawyer -from the gates of the city: - -“Shortly after daylight it was discovered that there were no troops in -and about Sumter, or Moultrie, or in the works on James Island. -Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett, of the Twenty-first United States colored -troops, commanding Morris Island, immediately despatched Major Hennessy, -of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers, to Fort Sumter, in a small -boat, to ascertain whether the fort was evacuated. Major Hennessy -proceeded to Sumter, and soon waved the old Stars and Stripes over the -battered battlements of the work, from which they had been torn down in -April, 1861. The sight of the old flag on Sumter was an assurance that -the enemy had evacuated all their works, and it was hailed by every -demonstration of joy by all, on ship and on shore. Another boat in -charge of Lieutenant Hackett of the Third Rhode Island artillery, was -immediately sent to Fort Moultrie to take possession of that work, and -raise again the national colors upon its parapet. The navy, anxious to -share in the honors of the day, also launched a boat, and strove to gain -the beach of Sullivan’s Island before the army, and an exciting race -ensued between the boats of the different branches of the service. Each -boat’s crew were urged on to the utmost by their respective commanders, -and every nerve and muscle was strained to pull the boats to their -utmost speed. It was a friendly but earnest trial of endurance and -skill. Every man felt that the credit and honor of the service rested on -himself, and redoubled his exertions to attain success. The race was a -close one, the boats being evenly matched; and when one forged a little -ahead it was recognized by the cheers of its friends, who watched with -intense interest the progress of the contest. - -“Finally, after a hard pull and as fast a race as Charleston harbor ever -witnessed, the army boat, under Lieutenant Hackett, reached the shore in -advance. As she touched the officer and crew sprang out on the beach, -through the surf, and rushed for the goal. The parapet was soon gained -and the flag given to the breeze, amid the cheers of the soldiers and -sailors, who had come up a moment or two behind him. The fort was found -completely evacuated, as were all the works on the island. The guns were -all spiked and some of the carriages somewhat damaged. A large quantity -of munitions was found in the magazines, which the enemy had not found -time to destroy. - -“When the flag floated over Moultrie, Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett, Major -Hennessy, and Lieutenant Burr, of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania, started -out for the city, leaving orders to have troops follow. They pulled up -the bay, while the rebel iron-clads and vessels were in flames, and the -city itself was burning at various points. Reaching Fort Ripley, or what -is known as the Middle Ground battery, the flag was displayed over the -work, and waved for a few moments. The party then pushed on to Castle -Pinckney, when the same ceremony of taking possession was observed, and -then the boat was pulled cautiously, but directly, toward the city. No -hostile force was observed, but a large number of negroes and some -whites were congregated on the docks, watching the approach of the -‘Yankee boat.’ Colonel Bennett immediately landed, and ‘Old Glory’ was -displayed again in the city of Charleston, amid the cheers and cries of -joy of the crowd assembled about it. It was a perfect storm of applause, -and outbursts of unfeigned joy and satisfaction. The negroes, with all -their impulsiveness, were equalled by the whites in their exhibition of -satisfaction and pleasure at the great event. They seized the hands of -the officers and men, and wept with excess of exultation and delight. -Such a scene was never dreamed of by the most enthusiastic believer in -the loyalty of a certain portion of the citizens of Charleston. It took -all our men by surprise. - -“On landing it was not deemed advisable by Col. Bennett to advance into -the city, as he was informed that a rebel brigade was still at the -depot, taking the cars, and that a force of cavalry was scouring the -city and impressing men into the ranks and driving the negroes before -them. As he had but nine men with him he confined himself merely to -sending to Mayor Macbeth the following peremptory demand for the -surrender of the city: - - “‘HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES FORCES, } - CHARLESTON, S. C. _Feb. 18, 1865_. } - “‘Mayor CHARLES MACBETH, _Charleston_: - - “‘MAYOR: In the name of the United States Government, I demand - the surrender of the city of which you are the executive - officer. - - “‘Until further orders all citizens will remain within their - houses. - - “‘I have the honor to be, Mayor, - - “‘Very respectfully, your obed’t serv’t, - “‘A. G. BENNETT, - “‘Lieut.-Col. Commanding U. S. Forces, Charleston.’ - -“To this demand Colonel Bennett was subsequently handed, by a committee -from the mayor, consisting of Alderman Gilland and Williams, a letter -which he was about to despatch to Morris Island: - - “‘_To the General Commanding U. S. Army at Morris Island_: - - “‘SIR: The military authorities of the Confederate States have - evacuated this city. I have remained to enforce law and preserve - order until you take such steps as you may think best. - - “‘Very respectfully, your obedient servant, - “‘CHARLES MACBETH, Mayor.’ - -“After a brief interview, in which the aldermen informed Col. Bennett -that the city had been fired by the rebels in various places, and that -the town was threatened by a total destruction, as the firemen were all -secreted, in consequence of the operations of the rebel cavalry, who -were impressing them and driving them from the town whenever found; and -they desired protection from the rebels, in order that the firemen might -perform their duty without fear of being seized. To this application -Colonel Bennett returned to the Mayor the following communication: - - “‘HEADQUARTERS U. S. FORCES, CHARLESTON HARBOR, } - NEAR ATLANTIC WHARF, _Feb. 18, 1865_. } - - “‘MAYOR CHARLES MACBETH: I have the honor to acknowledge the - receipt of your communication of this date. “‘I have in reply - thereto to state that the troops under my command will render - every possible assistance to your well-disposed citizens in - extinguishing the fires now burning. I have the honor to be, - Mayor, very respect fully, &c. - - “‘A. G. BENNETT, - “‘Lieut.-Col. commanding U. S. Forces, Charleston.’ - -“Alderman Williams, who happened to be mounted on a fine horse, rode -back to the Mayor to deliver the communication. He had not proceeded -more than a block or two when he came upon fifty rebel cavalry, who were -watching affairs. They instantly halted the peace commissioner, and -blandly observed that they thought they should be compelled to dismount -him, as they were under the impression that they would take the horse in -the country. He reflected an instant, and then observed, in a careless -way, that perhaps the Yankees, who had just landed five hundred strong, -might object, and he would think of the matter. The announcement of the -arrival of five hundred Yankees was quite enough for the bold troopers. -Without taking his horse or further palaver, they wheeled, and rode -wildly up Meeting Street, announcing the approach of the Yankees to all -stragglers, and there was instantly a great commotion and a hurrying off -trains. Meanwhile the fires were spreading with great rapidity, and -threatened to sweep over the city, until fifty men from Morris Island -reënforced Colonel Bennett’s little handful of men, when he instantly -moved up into town with twenty-five men, sending small detachments to -take charge of the public buildings and depots. His march up Meeting -Street was one continued ovation. Crowds thronged the streets and -cheered, hurrahed, waved handkerchiefs, and in other ways manifested -their delight at the arrival of our troops, and at the sight of the old -flag, borne ahead of the little company of colored troops. The officers -were mounted on horses, borrowed for the occasion, and could hardly keep -their saddles, so many enthusiastic individuals, of both sexes, were at -the same time shaking them by the hand, catching hold of their garments, -hugging their horses, and welcoming them in other violent styles. -Charleston never witnessed such a scene before, or echoed so loudly to -the cheers for ‘President Lincoln,’ the ‘Stars and Stripes,’ the ‘Yankee -army,’ and other patriotic subjects, as it did on that memorable day. -One would suppose that the people had gone mad with joy. It was a -universal outburst of joy, and the little band of Yankees moved on with -all the _éclat_ of most honored friends, instead of successful enemies -and conquerors. Was this, indeed, the hotbed of treason; the very home -of disloyalty and rebellion? None would have dreamed of it had they -witnessed the reception of our flag and troops that day. It was the most -wonderful display of loyalty and patriotism.” - -And thus, after all the terrific cannonading of four years, with the -sufferings and death of the long siege, the “accursed city” fell without -a battle for its possession. When the Confederate and Palmetto flags -were raised on the walls of Fort Sumter in place of the dishonored -banner of freedom, in the spring of 1861, the boastful Mayor of -Charleston made a flaming speech, declaring that they should wave there -forever!—that Southern independence was secure, and her career of glory -begun. He assured the enthusiastic people, that if their ensigns were -struck down they would be trailed in “a sea of blood!” We may leave him -to his meditations while we join in the shouts of victory. - -Standing on the walls of Sumter, look away in the direction of General -Sherman’s march. From Atlanta to the shattered fortress, in this -campaign “our great victories were almost bloodless, and therefore the -more joyous and the more memorable. Branchville fell by manœuvre, not by -the costly price of heroic troops. The turning of Branchville was the -signal for the evacuation of Charleston, and its capture was the capture -of Charleston. It was as if Sherman, sixty two miles distant from -Hardee, had sent him a telegraphic message to vacate the premises, and -the notice was obeyed without question. - -“Ordinarily, one would have supposed that the streams which crossed -Sherman’s path at every step would have been successfully contested. But -he appears to have passed them without a day’s delay at any one. Of such -vital importance was time to both parties—to the one, that he might -make his combinations and concentrations; to the other, that he might -break them—that no sacrifice would have seemed too great on the enemy’s -part to ensure delay. But, at the very first show of resistance at a -river crossing, our advance, not waiting for support, would dash into -it, waist deep, with loud cheers, while the rest of the column hurried -to flank the position above and below, and invariably in a few hours the -enemy was in hot retreat. - -“Indeed, the enthusiasm of our troops, with Sherman as a leader, has -known no bounds. They felt themselves invincible, and have laughed at -obstacles. Sixty or seventy thousand troops is a large force for such -operations, but larger ones have miserably failed. It is large enough, -however, when directed by genius and inspired by enthusiasm. On the -other hand, the enemy has fled from Sherman’s path as from that of a -pestilence. His troops feel that there is little use in opposing our -columns, and go as quickly as possible to the rear. The unprejudiced -topographer, speculating upon the probable location of that mysterious -region, ‘the last ditch,’ would hitherto have assigned it to South -Carolina. But the ‘great flanker’ has, in fact, flanked that famous -ditch, and it has been evacuated through fear of enfilading. Day after -day, the theatrical bills of the Confederacy announce ‘one more and -positively the very last ditch;’ and still the comedy is played. -Branchville, Columbia, and Charleston fell, but we see no Derry, no -Saragossa, no Puebla, in their defence. Lame and impotent conclusion -indeed from such bravado of prologue! The chance of becoming the -sepulchre of the Confederacy will be taken from South Carolina.” - -But let us walk over Charleston after its occupation by our troops. The -flames shoot up on every hand, and the firemen rush to the centres of -conflagration. Thousands of bales of cotton and many buildings are -consumed, amid the frantic distress of the people, who are principally -the poorer classes, left in the wake of retreat. The depot of the -Northeastern Railroad became the arena of new horrors. - -“In this building a quantity of cartridges and kegs of powder had been -stored by the rebels, and as they had not time to remove it they left it -unprotected. A number of men, women, and children had collected to watch -the burning of a quantity of cotton in the railroad yard, which the -rebels had fired, and during the conflagration a number of boys, while -running about the depot, had discovered the powder. For the fun of the -thing, and without realizing the danger they incurred, they began to -take up handfuls of loose powder and cartridges and bear them from the -depot to the mass of burning cotton on which they flung them, and -enjoyed a deal of amusement in watching the flashes of the powder and -the strange effects on the cotton as it was blown hither and thither by -the explosion of the cartridges. Quite a number of boys soon became -engaged in this dangerous pastime, and speedily the powder running from -their hands formed a train upon the ground leading from the fire to the -main supplies of powder in the depot. The result is easily conjectured. -A spark ignited the powder in the train, there was a leaping, running -line of fire along the ground, and then an explosion that shook the city -to its very foundations from one end to the other. The building was in a -second a whirling mass of ruins, in a tremendous volume of flame and -smoke. A report rivalling Heaven’s artillery followed, and then a -silence ensued that, made every one tremble and hold his breath. The -cause of the tremendous explosion soon became known, and a rush was made -for the scene of the catastrophe. Such a sight is rarely witnessed. The -building was in ruins, and from the burning mass arose the agonizing -cries of the wounded, to whom little or no assistance could be rendered -by the paralyzed spectators. Many, wounded by the flying fragments of -the building were removed from the additional danger of the fire, but -those in the depot or immediately about it were irretrievably lost. One -by one was reached by the furious flames, the supplicating voices and -the fearful, agonizing groans, that appalled the stoutest heart, died -away and ceased, and charred remains only were left by the devouring -element as it moved on to new victims, who soon passed amid that horrid -scene from life to death. Language cannot adequately describe the -terrible nature of the scene. The cries for aid and rescue from the -wounded within fell upon willing ears, but nothing could be done to -assist them or even to alleviate the final pangs. The flames, like a -fabled monster, strode on, licking up every thing inflammable, and -enveloping its victims in its fiery and deadly embrace. Fortunately the -sufferings of the unfortunate creatures were not prolonged. The work was -done quickly, and soon every voice was silenced, every moan hushed, and -every spirit gathered to its Maker. The horrors of the scene will never -fade from the minds of those who were so unfortunate as to witness it. -Over one hundred and fifty are said to have been charred in that fiery -furnace, and a hundred men were wounded more or less seriously by the -explosion or were burned by the fire.” - -Then came the destruction of the rebel fleet. Very fittingly the -_Palmetto State_ first flew into fragments with a loud report, which -signalled well the fate of the home of secession, and over it soon swept -the free waves. The _Chicora_ and _Charleston_ followed in the work of -ruin. Cotton, rice, tobacco, locomotives, etc., fell into our hands. - -“The reports of the Charleston editors that the city experienced but -little damage from our shells, like nearly all others emanating from the -same source, were essentially false. It requires no very extended -examination in the lower streets of the city—those near the bay—to -satisfy the most sceptical of the fact that our shells were working most -serious injury to the town, and that the continuance of the bombardment -would make it a mass of ruins, as it had already rendered it untenable -to the most courageous resident. But two persons resided in -‘Shell-town,’ as some wag named that portion of the city east of the -two-mile post, visited by our shells, and they clung to their firesides -with a tenacity of purpose that the most demonstrative and aggressive -Parrott shell failed to relax. Though their beds were torn to pieces -while they were engaged in their domestic affairs—both being -females—by impertinent shells, and their culinary affairs seriously -damaged by projectiles, their roofs perforated, and ventilators put in -front of their dwellings, they would not move, but endured the -bombardment with a coolness and equanimity rarely found. Even the rebel -officers, who ordered them away from the dangerous ground, failed to -call a third time to ascertain whether or not the order had been obeyed. -They lived through the entire bombardment, became accustomed to the howl -of the rushing shell and its sharp explosion, and paid no rent, although -the buildings they occupied suggested heavy rents. Now that quiet and -safety are insured they propose to repair and live comfortably once -more. - -“On landing you observe that the wharves are in a very dilapidated -condition, that tell very plainly that they have not been much in use -the past four years. The palmetto logs that form the cribs are covered -with grass, and the planking is much decayed, full of man-traps, and -about worthless so far as cartage is concerned. Advancing up the rickety -docks, you come to a parapet of sand, over which peer the muzzles of -heavy guns, bearing down the channel, for home defence; then around or -over the batteries into the silent streets, covered with the _débris_ -from shattered stores and dwellings, and bearing at points a tolerably -good crop of grass—the same kind of grass that was to have sprung up in -the streets of New York when King Cotton exercised his potent sway. Not -a building for blocks here that is exempt from the marks of shot and -shell. All have suffered more or less. Here is a fine brown-stone bank -building, vacant and deserted, with great gaping holes in the sides and -roof, through which the sun shines and the rain pours, windows and -sashes blown out by exploding shell within, plastering knocked down; -counters torn up, floors crushed in, and fragments of mosaic pavement, -broken and crushed, lying around on the floor, mingled with bits of -statuary, stained glass and broken parts of chandeliers. Ruin within and -without, and its neighbor in no better plight. Here a great shell has -struck the chimney and crushed a large portion of the roof in; then -exploding, distributed its fragments through the ceilings, and burst out -great patches of brick and mortar, which now lie on the pavement below, -untouched since they fell. Every imaginable portion of buildings have -been damaged by our fire, and not a single house in this portion of the -town has escaped. Not a building is occupied, save by the brave women to -whom I have already referred, and the front doors or windows gape open, -through which you may gaze upon battered offices, demolished stores and -counting-rooms in ruin, where commerce once dwelt and active business -men pursued their respective vocations unmolested and undisturbed. The -churches, St. Michael’s and St. Philip’s, have not escaped the storm of -our projectiles. Their roofs are perforated, their walls scarred, their -pillars demolished, and within, the pews filled with plastering or -fragments of mural tablets, which were to perpetuate the memory of some -good man long asleep in the grave-yard near by. You may count up a round -number of shell-holes in their steeples, and many upturned monuments in -their grave-yards. War is cruel, and the howling projectile that takes -its start four miles and a half away is indifferent whether it ploughs -up the marble that affection has placed over the remains of long buried -worth, or crashes into the political halls where treason is plotted or -crime against humanity is conceived. The cold iron has been no respecter -of property in Charleston. The good and bad, rich and poor, criminal and -saint—if there be any of the latter here—have received visits from the -Parrott projectiles, and keenly felt the justice of the visitation.” - -February 19th, Charleston was placed under martial law. Some of the -regulations had a peculiar interest in the reference made to _colored_ -officers; a condition of things in that most _southern_ of the cities of -the South, in its love of the “peculiar institution,” the wildest -reformer did not dream of four years ago. - -General Sherman disdained the display of success on entry into South -Carolina, and remained on the hostile territory surrounded with mystery, -caring only, in his own language, to do “a man’s share” in suppressing -the frightful revolt. On February 19th, he was at Winsboro, thirty miles -north of Columbia, on the railroad leading to Charlotte. The first -telegram from him was dated at Laurel Hill, North Carolina, March 8th, -saying: “We are all well, and have done finely.” - - - - -[Illustration: MAP OF CAROLINAS] - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - - Wilmington—Peace Commissioners—General Sherman’s Statesmanship— - His Characteristics—Interesting Recollections of General - Sherman—His pure Character. - -THE able General Schofield has been successful in the Department of -North Carolina. Wilmington was compelled to strike the Confederate flag, -and “Cavalry Sheridan” sent Early’s troops “whirling” from his path -whenever they measured swords on the battle-field. - -With light spreading toward the zenith from every part of the horizon of -our land, the first spring month is passing away. The rebellion grows -weak and furious, hastening to the overthrow for which all true freemen -have prayed, and which despots great and small have only feared. - -While General Sherman was on his way to Richmond, piercing the Carolinas -with his lines of march and driving the rebel armies from his path, two -important events transpired outside of martial movements. One was the -sending of “peace commissioners” from Richmond, early in February, who -were met near General Grant’s headquarters by the President and -Secretary Seward, and whose conference left the question of peace where -it was before, in the hands of Generals Grant and Sherman. The other -memorable event was the passage of the Constitutional Amendment by -Congress, forbidding, after its approval by three-fourths of the States, -involuntary servitude, excepting for crime, throughout the land. It was -an occasion of intense interest in the national Capitol, followed by -similar scenes in the loyal North, giving to the celebration of -Washington’s Birth Day an importance in connection with the recent -victories which was never known before, nor is it likely to have again. - -General Sherman has from the beginning of the war shown those great -qualities of generalship rarely combined, even in successful commanders. -His genius reminds us of Napoleon Buonaparte in the comprehensive -appreciation of the entire field of action and the exact issue, in high -military culture, in the daring campaigns which have given him a -preëminence among the few who stand alone in their unquestioned mastery -of the art of war and ability to meet its largest responsibilities, and -in a statesmanship equal to his military attainments. - -Whatever question in the complicated interests of the stirring times he -touches, it finds a clear and decisive answer. He has studied history, -and the principles which lie at the foundation of the Republic. He is -not cruel, but believing war to be simply an engine of destruction to -secure an ultimate good which can be reached by no peaceful means, his -policy is the legitimate working of that engine. He would wield it with -no tears of false philanthropy that would protract the appeal to its -sanguinary settlement of difficulties, nor with the vacillation that -would spare the enemy present suffering and secure a greater amount of -sorrow in the future. Loyal, patriotic, and modest, he has kept his eye -on the national ensign through untold labors and perils, amid detraction -and the rivalries of a mean ambition, holding the rein upon his -war-horse with a warm but unrelaxing grasp. - -With a highly nervous temperament and manner, he is always calm and -self-possessed in action. Genial and sincere his troops admire and love -him, and are ready to follow him to the bosom of a boundless wilderness -thronged with foes, or into the swamps waist deep to storm a fortress -beyond. - -Since this biography was written some pleasant reminiscences of General -Sherman have appeared in the Leavenworth _Conservative_, of Kansas, -which, on account of their interesting character, are here added to his -life: - -“Citizens of Leavenworth will remember that there stood on Main Street, -between Delaware and Shawnee, in 1857, 1858, and 1859, on the ground now -occupied by handsome brick buildings, a shabby-looking, tumbling, -cotton-wood shell. It was occupied, on the ground floor, by Hampton P. -Denman, ex-mayor, as a land agency office. The rooms above were reached -by a crazy-looking stairway on the outside, up which none ever went -without dread of their falling. Dingy signs informed the curious that -within was a ‘law shop,’ kept by Hugh Ewing, Thomas Ewing, Jr., W. T. -Sherman, and Daniel McCook. Those constituted the firm known here in the -early part of 1859 as Ewing, Sherman, & McCook. All were comparatively -young men. All were ambitious; the one who has gained the greatest fame, -perhaps, the least so of the associated lawyers. The Ewings had the -advantage of high culture, considerable natural abilities, cold, -impassive temperaments, and a powerful family influence to aid their -aspirations. Hugh Ewing was but little known hereabouts, though -acknowledged to be a brilliant and versatile genius by his intimates. -‘Young Tom,’ as the other scion is familiarly called, has always been a -prominent and influential man. - -“The third member of the firm fills to-day one of the proudest pages in -the history of our land. His name and fame take rank with the greatest -of earth. All conspire to do him honor. Aliens bow to his genius, and -enemies show the extent of their fears of its power by the virulence of -their hate and its manifestations. W. T. Sherman never mingled in our -public affairs. He lived among us for several months, having some landed -interests here. An outlying part of our city plat is marked on the maps -as ‘Sherman’s Addition.’ Prior to entering upon the practice of law in -this city, he lived for some time in the vicinity of Topeka, upon a farm -of one hundred and sixty acres, which we believe he still owns. His -neighbors tell of his abrupt manner, reserved, yet forcible, speech and -character. Previous to residing in Kansas, Sherman lived in California, -where, as a miner, banker, and lawyer, he made and lost a large fortune. -A graduate of West Point, he had previously held a captain’s commission -in the Topographical Engineer Corps, and, in pursuance of duty, had made -several important surveys and explorations, the reports of which had -been duly published by Government. They relate principally to routes for -the Pacific Railroad. - -“A good story is told of Sherman’s experience as counsel, and of his -dissolution of partnership to take the position held by him when the war -broke out—that of President of the Military College of Louisiana. - -“While in the practice of the law here, Sherman was consulting partner, -having an almost insurmountable objection to pleading in court. He is -accorded the possession, as a lawyer, of thorough knowledge of legal -principles; a clear, logical perception of the points and equity -involved in any case. He could present his views in the most direct -manner, stripped of all verbiage, yet perfectly accurate in form. He was -perfectly _au fait_ in the authorities. - -“But to return to our story. Shortly after the reception of the offer -from the Governor of Louisiana in relation to the college, Sherman was -compelled to appear before the Probate Judge—Gardner, we believe. The -other partners were busy, and Sherman, with his authorities and his case -all mapped out, proceeded to court. He returned in a rage two hours -after. Something had gone wrong. He had been pettifogged out of the case -by a sharp, petty attorney opposed to him, in a way which was disgusting -to his intellect and his convictions. His _amour propre_ was hurt, and -he declared that he would have nothing more to do with the law in this -State. That afternoon the business was closed, partnership dissolved, -and in a very short time Sherman was on his way to a more congenial -clime and occupation. The war found him in Louisiana, and despite of his -strong pro-slavery opinions, found him an intense and devoted patriot. - -“We met him here, and though but slightly acquainted, have remembered -ever since the impression he left on our mind. He sphered himself to our -perception as the most remarkable intellectual embodiment of force it -had been our fortune to encounter. Once since, we met him in our lines -before Corinth, where he had command of the right wing of Halleck’s -magnificent army. The same impression was given then, combined with the -idea of nervous vitality, angularity of character, and intense devotion -to what he had in hand. Sherman is truly an idealist, even unto -fanaticism, though, in all probability, if told so, he would abruptly -retort back an unbelieving sarcasm. He outlines himself to our memory as -a man of middle stature, nervous, muscular frame, with a long, keen -head, sharply defined from the forehead and back of the ears. His eyes -have a bluish-gray cast, and an introverted look, but full of -smouldering fire. His mouth is sharp and well cut; the lower part of the -face powerful, but not heavy. His complexion fair, and hair and beard of -a sandy-red, straight, short, and strong. His temperament is nervous -sanguine, and he is full of crotchets and prejudices, which, however, -never stand in the way of practical results. The idea, or rather object, -which rules him for the time, overrides every thing else. Round the -mouth we remember a gleam of saturnine humor, and in the eyes a look of -kindness which would attract to him the caresses of children. - -“Such are the impressions left on our mind by the only military educated -member of this legal quartette—all of whom have held commissions as -Generals in our army.” - -I shall give you, reader, from the pen of a friend, the Rev. Mr. Alvord, -a pioneer in the religious army-work, who has been much with General -Sherman, the best pen-picture of him which has appeared, and which has -never before been published: “Tall, lithe, almost delicately formed. If -at ease stoops slightly; when excited, erect and commanding. Face stern, -savage almost; yet smiling as a boy’s when pleased. Every movement, both -of mind and body, quick and nervous. A brilliant talker, announcing his -plans, but concealing his real intention. A graceful easy rider, when -leading a column looking as if born only to command. Approachable at -times, almost to a fault, again not to be approached at all. - -“I saw him in a grand review at Savannah. His position was in front of -the Exchange on Bay Street. The Twelfth Corps was to pass before him; he -rode rapidly to the spot, almost alone, leaped from his horse, stepped -to the bit and examined it a moment, patted the animal on the cheek, -then adjusted his glove, looked around with an uneasy air as if in want -of something to do; catching in his eye the group of officers on the -balcony he bowed, and commenced a familiar conversation, quite -unconscious of observation by the surrounding and excited crowds. -Presently music sounded at the head of the approaching corps. Quick as -thought he vaulted to the saddle and was in position. There was peculiar -grace in the gesture of arm and head which did not weary, as for an hour -he returned the salutes of every grade of officers. Reverence was added -as the regimental flags were lowered before him. The more blackened and -torn and riddled with shot they were, the higher the General’s hat was -raised and the lower his head was bent in recognition of the honored -colors. Every soldier, as he marched past, showed that he loved his -commander. He evidently loved his soldiers. - -“I saw him in his princely headquarters at Charles Green’s, on New -Year’s Day. Many were congratulating him. He was easy, affable, -magnificent. Presently an officer with hurried step entered the circle -and handed him a sealed packet. He tore it open instantly, but did not -cease talking. Read it, still talking as he read. Commodore Porter had -despatched a steamer, announcing the defeat at Fort Fisher. - -“‘Butler’s defeated!’ he exclaimed, his eye gleaming as it lifted from -the paper. ‘_Fizzle—great fizzle!_’ nervously, ‘knew ’twould be so. I -shall have to go up there and do that job—eat ’em up as I go and take -’em back side.’ Thus the fiery heart exploded, true to loyalty and -country. - -“I entered the rear parlor and sat down at the glowing grate. He came, -and leaning his elbow upon the marble mantel, said: ‘My army, sir, is -not demoralized—has improved on the march—Christian army I’ve -got—soldiers are Christians, if anybody is—noble fellows—God will -take care of them—war improves character. My army, sir, is growing -better all the while.’ - -“I expressed satisfaction at having such testimony, and the group of -officers who stood around could not suppress a smile at the General’s -earnest Christian eulogium. - -“Such is W. T. Sherman. A genius, with greatness grim and terrible, yet -simple and unaffected as a child. The thunderbolt or sunbeam, as -circumstances call him out. - -“On the march from Atlanta his order was ‘No plunder by the individual -soldier;’ but his daily inquiry as he rode among them would be, ‘Well, -boys, how do you get along? like to see soldiers enterprising; ought to -live well, boys; you know I don’t carry any thing in my haversack, so -don’t fail to have a chicken leg for me when I come along; must live -well boys on such a march as this.’ The boys always took the hint. The -chicken leg was ready for the General, and there were very few -courts-martial between Atlanta and Savannah to punish men for living as -best they could. - -“When McAllister fell, he stood with his staff and Howard by his side, -awaiting the assaulting column. ‘They are repulsed,’ he exclaimed, as -the smoke of bursting torpedoes enveloped the troops; ‘must try -something else.’ It was a moment of agony. The strong heart did not -quail! A distant shout was heard. Again raising his glass the colors of -each of the three brigades were seen planting themselves simultaneously -on the parapet. ‘The fort is ours,’ said he, calmly. He could not -restrain his tears. ‘It’s my old division,’ he added. ‘I knew they’d do -it.’ - -“‘How long, General,’ said a Southron, ‘do you think this war will last; -we hear the Northern people are nearly exhausted?’ ‘Well, well,’ said -he, ‘about six or seven years of this kind of war, then twenty or -twenty-five of guerrilla, until you are all killed off, then we will -begin anew.’ - -“A wealthy planter appealing to his pity, ‘Yes, yes,’ said he, ‘war is a -bad thing, _very_ bad, cruel institution—very cruel; but you brought it -on yourselves, and you are only getting a taste of it.’ - -“The English ex-consul asked him for protection and a pass on the ground -of his neutrality and that of his country. ‘Don’t talk to me,’ said -Sherman, ‘of your neutrality, my soldiers have seen on a hundred battle -fields the shot and shell of England with your queen’s mark upon them -all, and they _never_ can forget it. Don’t tell me you couldn’t leave -before I came; you could send out your cotton to pay Confederate bonds -and bring cannon in return—don’t tell me you couldn’t get away -_yourself_.’ - -“The consul stood abashed, and awkwardly bowed himself from his -presence. - -“Such is his treatment of rebels. He receives no apology nor has any -circumlocution. He strikes with his battalions; he strikes with every -word he utters, whether from pen or lips. The secessionists of Georgia -and South Carolina believe he’ll do what he threatens. - -“Said the rebel colonel who had placed the torpedoes in the Savannah -River, when ordered to take them up, ‘No! I’ll be d——d if I do any -such drudgery.’ - -“‘_Then you’ll hang to-morrow morning_; leave me,’ said the stern -commander. The torpedoes were removed. - -“In this way, by his words, his manner, his personal presence, his -threats with their literal execution, and the swift and utter -destruction in the track of his army on their late march, he has struck -terror to all hearts. Though thoroughly secretive, he is strangely -frank. - -“‘Give me your pass, General?’ said I; ‘I’ll meet you again on your -march.’ - -“‘You don’t know where I am going,’ said he, with emphasis. - -“‘I think I do, General, if I can catch you.’ - -“‘_Where?_’ - -“‘At Charleston.’ - -“‘I’m not going to Charleston.’ - -“‘Then, at Wilmington.’ - -“‘I’m not going to Wilmington.’ - -“‘I’ll see you, I think, in Richmond.’ - -“‘I’m not going to Richmond. You don’t know where I’m going. Howard -don’t know.’ - -“But he gave me the pass; I, at least, know where he was not going. - -“The country may well honor and admire General Sherman. His personal -presence is an army of itself. His army is duplicated by the spirit with -which he inspires it. Such a man wields destiny. God will guide his way. -May He sanctify him. We shall hear more of him hereafter.” - -General Sherman’s character from childhood has been above reproach, and -his honor unsullied. His amiable wife is a member of the Roman Catholic -Church, while he, as has been intimated, usually attends the Episcopal -service. Besides the death of his son recorded in these pages, within a -year he has lost a child he had never seen—born while he was in the -smoke of battle; the young spirit went to heaven before the father’s eye -could rest on its earthly greeting to him through the smile of infancy. - -But a nation sympathizes with him in his sublime self-denial and his -griefs, and in the language of our beloved President, “follows him with -its prayers.” - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber note: - -Misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected. - -Where multiple spellings occur, majority use has been employed. - -Punctuation has been maintained except where obvious printer errors -occur. - -Some illustrations were moved to facilitate page layout. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE AND MILITARY CAREER OF -MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN*** - - -******* This file should be named 51999-0.txt or 51999-0.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/1/9/9/51999 - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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C. (Phineas Camp) Headley</h1> -<p>This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States -and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no -restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at <a -href="http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you are not -located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> -<p>Title: Life and Military Career of Major-General William Tecumseh Sherman</p> -<p>Author: P. C. (Phineas Camp) Headley</p> -<p>Release Date: May 5, 2016 [eBook #51999]</p> -<p>Language: English</p> -<p>Character set encoding: UTF-8</p> -<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE AND MILITARY CAREER OF MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN***</p> -<p> </p> -<h4>E-text prepared by Larry Harrison, Cindy Beyer,<br /> - and the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team<br /> - (<a href="http://www.pgdpcanada.net">http://www.pgdpcanada.net</a>)<br /> - from page images generously made available by<br /> - Internet Archive<br /> - (<a href="https://archive.org">https://archive.org</a>)</h4> -<p> </p> -<table border="0" style="background-color: #ccccff;margin: 0 auto;" cellpadding="10"> - <tr> - <td valign="top"> - Note: - </td> - <td> - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - <a href="https://archive.org/details/lifemilitarycare00head"> - https://archive.org/details/lifemilitarycare00head</a> - </td> - </tr> -</table> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/cover.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0000' style='width:335px;height:auto;'/> -</div> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/frontis-illo.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0001' style='width:290px;height:auto;'/> -<p class='caption'><span style='font-size:smaller'>IN THE EVERGLADES OF FLORIDA.</span></p> -</div> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/title-illo.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0002' style='width:311px;height:auto;'/> -<p class='caption'><span style='font-size:smaller'><span class='sc'>Young Americans</span><br/> MODERN HISTORY <span class='sc'>of</span> HEROES</span></p> -</div> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='lgc' style=''> <!-- rend=';' --> -<p class='line' style='font-size:1.3em;'>LIFE AND MILITARY CAREER</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.6em;'>OF</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:1.2em;'>MAJOR-GENERAL</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='margin-bottom:1.5em;font-size:1.5em;'>WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.6em;'>BY</p> -<p class='line' style='margin-top:.5em;margin-bottom:.5em;font-size:1.2em;'>REV. P. C. HEADLEY,</p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.6em;'>AUTHOR OF “NAPOLEON,” “JOSEPHINE,” “WOMEN OF THE BIBLE,”</p> -<p class='line' style='margin-top:.5em;font-size:.6em;'>“HERO BOY,” ETC., ETC.</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='margin-top:6em;font-size:.8em;'>NEW YORK:</p> -<p class='line' style='margin-top:.5em;margin-bottom:.5em;font-size:.8em;'>WILLIAM H. APPLETON, 92 & 94 GRAND STREET.</p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.8em;'>1865.</p> -</div> <!-- end rend --> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='lgc' style='margin-top:10em;'> <!-- rend=';fs:.8em;' --> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.8em;'><span class='sc'>Entered,</span> according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by</p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.8em;'>WM. H. APPLETON,</p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.8em;'>In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the</p> -<p class='line' style='margin-bottom:10em;font-size:.8em;'>Southern District of New York.</p> -</div> <!-- end rend --> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='lgc' style='margin-top:8em;'> <!-- rend=';fs:.7em;' --> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.7em;'><span class='gesp'>TO</span></p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:1em;'><span class='gesp'>HENRY STANLEY ALLEN</span>,<span class='gesp'> <span class='sc'>Esq</span></span>.,</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.7em;'><span class='gesp'>OF NEW YORK</span>,</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.7em;'>THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED,</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.7em;'><span class='gesp'>WITH SINCERE RESPECT AND REGARD</span>,</p> -<p class='line'> </p> -<p class='line' style='margin-bottom:10em;font-size:.7em;'>BY THE AUTHOR.</p> -</div> <!-- end rend --> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div><h1><span class='gesp'>PREFACE</span>.</h1></div> - -<p class='pindent'><span class='sc'>Although</span> General Sherman’s military career -has only reached its most interesting and brilliant -period, grateful and admiring thousands will welcome -an authentic outline of his history to the present -time. The facts of his early life were obtained -from those who knew him best.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>To Colonel Bowman, an appreciative friend of -General Sherman, whose sketches of him in the -<span class='it'>U. S. Service Magazine</span> were graphic and reliable, -to the <span class='it'>Army and Navy Journal</span> and able correspondents, -we are indebted for valuable material.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The pen-portrait of the great commander, by Mr. -Alvord, which has never before been published, will -be read with special interest.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The volume is not offered to the public as a complete -biography, with all that might have been omitted -carefully sifted from the essential statements, -but the annals of a remarkable man, with incidents -connected with his movements; affording the youth -and all others, a general view of the nation’s hero, -from infancy to the unrivalled distinction he now -holds.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>May the unpretending volume stimulate the -youthful mind to virtuous and noble deeds, while -it contributes to the more complete and voluminous -memoirs which will be written in the peaceful future -before us, for whose blessings of a perpetuated Union -and civil liberty we shall owe a lasting debt of -gratitude to General Sherman.</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div><h1><span class='gesp'>CONTENTS</span>.</h1></div> - -<table id='tab1' summary='' class='center'> -<colgroup> -<col span='1' style='width: 32em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 0em;'/> -</colgroup> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER I.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><span style='font-size:smaller'>PAGE</span></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Boyhood of Heroes—The ancestry of William Tecumseh Sherman—The death of his Father—Why the name of the Indian Chief was given him—The Birth-place of William Tecumseh,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_13'>13</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER II.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Eventful Call—“Cump” in the Sandbank—The Unexpected Summons—He obeys—His new Home—School days—A Studious and Reliable Boy—Is appointed Cadet—Leaves Home for West Point—His Life in the Academy—Graduates and goes to Florida,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_23'>23</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER III.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Lieutenant in the Florida War—Its Origin—The “Exiles”—Seminole Indians—Osceola—His wife made prisoner—The second Seminole War—Wild Cat’s Daughter—Peace—Lessons of the events before and after,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_28'>28</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER IV.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>Lieutenant Sherman in Fort Moultrie—The Fortress—The Mexican War—He goes to California—His Service there—Appointed Captain—His Marriage—Exciting Scenes in California—In the Commissary Department—Resigns his Commission—Turns Banker,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_39'>39</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER V.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>Takes charge of a Military Academy in Alexandria, Louisiana—He sees the rising storm of Civil War—Resigns—A noble Letter—He repairs to St Louis, and superintends a Street Railroad,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_45'>45</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER VI.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>Sumter falls—Sherman repairs to Washington—His Interview with the Secretary of War and the President—His Prophetic Insight of the Threatening Times—The state of the Country—Rebel Expectations,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_50'>50</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER VII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Conflict Deepens—The Captain is made Colonel of the Thirteenth New York Volunteers—The Battle of Bull Run—The unterrified Commander of the Thirteenth and his Troops—The Brave Stand,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_54'>54</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER VIII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>General Sherman goes to Kentucky—Muldraugh’s Hill—His army weakened—General Buckner’s superior force—Succeeds General Anderson—Writes General McClellan—Interview with Secretary Cameron—Paducah,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_60'>60</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER IX.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>Pittsburg Landing—The Surprise—The Battle—The Victory—Sherman’s glorious part in the Struggle—The Testimony of Officers—His Letter on the Contest,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_67'>67</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER X.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Morning after the Battle—General Sherman’s column in Motion—What it did—Corinth the next Goal—The Siege—The Evacuation—General Sherman’s troops the first to enter the Works—The Hero is made Major-General—Advance on Holly Springs—Memphis—General Sherman’s successful Command in that City—The Guerrillas,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_82'>82</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XI.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>General Sherman’s next Post—The Steele’s Bayou Expedition—A Trial of Courage—The Leader’s Heroism,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_89'>89</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Position of the Western Forces—The Expedition against Vicksburg under General Sherman—The Just and Stringent Orders of the Chief—He shows the Speculators no Mercy—The Advance of the Grand Army Checked—The Embarkation of Troops—The Magnificent Pageant—The Progress and Arrival of the Fleet,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_95'>95</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XIII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The March—The City—Preparations for an Assault—The Attack—The Abatis and Rifle-pits—The Charge upon the Hill—Sherman succeeded by McClernand—General Sherman’s Farewell Order—Result of the Expedition,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_105'>105</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XIV.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Plot—General Sherman’s Part—His Successful Feint at Haines’ Bluff—Joins the Main Army—The Advance toward Jackson, the State Capital—The Victorious Entry of the City—On to Vicksburg again—Assaults—Siege—Victory—General Sherman goes after “Joe” Johnston,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_118'>118</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XV.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>General Sherman watching Joe Johnston—Foraging—An Attack—The Enemy steals away in the Night—The Conquering Battalions have a brief rest—Encampment on the Big Black River—Scenes there—Reënforces General Rosecrans—Death of General Sherman’s Son—Beautiful Letter—The Monument,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_127'>127</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XVI.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Grand Advance from Memphis—The Enemy prepare to Meet it—General Sherman’s Genius equal to any Emergency—Rapid Marches—The Foe driven from the Path—New Command—The Swollen River—Into Chattanooga—The Tireless Chief and his Gallant Troops push forward to Missionary Ridge,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_136'>136</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XVII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Place of Battle—The Battle-ground—General Sherman’s Part in the Struggle—Desperate Valor—Victory—Pursuit—No Rest—General Burnside in Peril—General Sherman hastens to his Relief—The Bridge breaks down—It is Rebuilt, and the Heroic Battalions save Knoxville—General Sherman again at Chattanooga,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_143'>143</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XVIII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>A New Expedition—Its Wise Design—Cause of its Failure in the Main Purpose—The Hero of Vicksburg is created Lieutenant-General—The New Order of Things—Two Grand Lines of March and of Conquest—From Chattanooga to Kenesaw Mountain,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_162'>162</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XIX.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Battle of Kenesaw Mountain—On to Marietta—Across the Chattahoochie—General Johnston succeeded by General Hood—Marching and Fighting—Death of McPherson—Fight at Jonesboro—The last struggle for Atlanta—Victory,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_186'>186</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XX.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Tidings of Victory at Washington—The President’s Messages to the People and to the Army—General Sherman congratulates his Battalions—The Rebel General is indignant—The Correspondence between him and General Sherman—The authorities of Atlanta also unreconciled to the new order of things—The noble Letters and Conduct of the Conquerer,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_217'>217</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XXI.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Events which followed the Truce—General Hood’s Army in Motion—Battle at Allatoona Pass—He is left to the care of the gallant Thomas—The New and Magnificent Campaign of General Sherman—The Field of his Operations—Burning of Rome—The Advance—Atlanta partially Burned—The Rebel Fears and Hopes—The March,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_249'>249</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XXII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The March beyond the River—The Exciting Discovery by the Enemy—General Sherman’s Strategy—On to Savannah—The Rebel—Surprise—The Army approach the City—A bold Movement—The Scouts—The Signals—Fort McAllister stormed—Savannah invested,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_287'>287</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XXIII.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>The Surrender of the City demanded—The Refusal—Preparation to Attack—The Enemy Flee—The Entrance of the Union Army—Scenes that followed—General Sherman and the Negroes,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_304'>304</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XXIV.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>Major-General Sherman appreciated at Home—A Conflagration—A New and Bolder Campaign—General Sherman begins his March—Perils and Progress—Branchville and Columbia—Charleston,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_330'>330</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'></td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tab1c1-col2 tdStyle0' colspan='2'>CHAPTER XXV.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab1c1 tdStyle1'>Wilmington—Peace Commissioners—General Sherman’s Statesmanship—His Characteristics—Interesting Recollections of General Sherman—His Pure Character,</td><td class='tab1c2 tdStyle2'><a href='#Page_357'>357</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='13' id='Page_13'></span><h1>CHAPTER I.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Boyhood of Heroes—The ancestry of William Teeumseh Sherman—The -death of his Father—Why the name of the Indian Chief was given him—The -Birth-place of William Tecumseh. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/m.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='M'/>Y youthful reader, you have heard the adage, -“the boy is father of the man;” which means -clearly, that the principles and habits of early -years form the character and destiny of after -life. And you will find in the history of nearly -all great and good men, in this country certainly, that -they began, in humble circumstances, their career. Not -that poverty is necessary to success, but the struggle to -carve one’s own way in the world, the almost unaided -effort to secure an education for a profession or business, -develops and strengthens character.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Another thing is true of deservedly eminent men; -they were obedient and dutiful while under the parental -roof. A selfish, rebellious boy, never made an honored -member of society and of the State. You will find illustrations -of these truths in the lives of Washington, Adams, -Lincoln, Grant, Mitchel, Sherman, and many others, -whose fame is lasting as our institutions.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In the year 1634 the Hon. Samuel Sherman, his -brother, Rev. John Sherman, and their cousin, Captain -John Sherman, who were residents of Dedham, England, -came to this country. This was only thirteen years after -the <span class='it'>May Flower</span>, with its pilgrim company, rocked in -Massachusetts Bay. There were no ocean steamers -then proudly ploughing the broad Atlantic. In a ship -like the plain bark which bore the first colony, whose -free principles, civil and religious, lie at the foundation -of this Republic, they embarked for the wilderness of the -New World.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>You can see, in imagination, the white-winged vessel -glide from its haven into the “wide, wide sea,” and float -like a speck over the waste of waters. The winds blow, -the crested billows toss the <span class='it'>Shermans</span>, with the rest of -the ship’s company, about for weeks; they little dreaming -of quite a different storm, in which a descendant -would figure so conspicuously, just two hundred and -thirty years later. At length the ship reached Boston -harbor.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Rev. John Sherman; a graduate of Immanuel -College, “and a Puritan,” went at once to his work. The -Sabbath dawned, and under an ancient tree in the present -town of Watertown, three miles from Boston, you might -have seen a quiet and attentive congregation listening to -his first sermon in America. Here he settled, after receiving -a call to Milford, Conn. Some of his descendants -were excellent and popular divines. The captain also -settled there; and from his branch of the family came -Roger Sherman, the signer of the Declaration of Independence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Hon. Samuel Sherman pushed on to Wethersfield, -Conn. Soon after he removed to Stamford, and finally -settled down in Stratford. The “coat of arms,” that is -to say, the family escutcheon or badge, bears a lion rampant, -and a sea lion on the crest. The motto is: “Conquer -death by virtue.” From him descended the “hero -of our story,” whose grandfather, Taylor Sherman, for -many years judge, died May 4th, 1815, in the ripeness -of his manhood, at the age of fifty-eight.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The widow, like the families of Generals Grant and -Mitchel, and of our most worthy President, turned her -face toward the far West; for it was then a long and -weary way to the rich valleys of the Mississippi and its -tributaries. The beautiful State of Ohio—the empire -State of the western world—became her home. The -prospects, for her sons especially, on the cheap, rich soil, -and in the rising towns of that vast and new territory, -were much better than in New England.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The pleasant settlement of Lancaster was their first -residence. Subsequently she removed to Mansfield, in the -same State, where she died in 1848. Her children were -Charles Robert, who was born September 26th, 1788, -Daniel and Betsey. Charles married Mary Hoyt, May -8th, 1810, and settled in Lancaster. His profession was -law, in which he excelled particularly as an advocate; -he was very eloquent and successful in pleading the cause -of his clients before the judge and jury.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In the year 1823 he was elected judge of the Superior -Court of Ohio. He continued in this high position till -June 20th, 1829. Could you have stood in the court -room on that early summer day, you would have seen the -fine intelligent face of the judge suddenly grow pale, followed -by an expression of suffering. The eyes of the -“gentlemen of the bar,” and of citizens present, are -turned with anxious interest toward him. Soon after, he -is compelled to leave the bench and remove to his private -apartment, where he rapidly sinks into the embrace of -death. His disease was supposed to be that fatal scourge -of eastern lands and our own—the cholera. Probably -my young reader was not born when it spread terror -through nearly all the cities of our Union. In 1840 his -remains were removed to Lancaster, Ohio. Should you -become a western lawyer, you may have occasion to -consult his decisions, contained in the first three volumes -of the Ohio Reports.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>This gifted, highly educated and popular judge left a -widow with eleven children. She was a devoted wife and -mother, and a communicant in the Presbyterian Church. -Charles T., the eldest, is now a successful lawyer in -Washington, D. C.; the next in order was Mary Elizabeth; -the third, James; the fourth, Amelia; the fifth, -Julia; and the sixth, William Tecumseh, our hero. -After him were L. Parker, John, the able and loyal -senator from Ohio, who was born May 10th, 1823; and -after him were Susan D. Hoyt and Frances B.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>William Tecumseh was born February 8th, 1820. It -was quite difficult to decide upon a name for the boy. -“What shall we call him?” was the topic of much domestic -chat. Two or three favorite names were suggested -and discussed, but still the child was nameless.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>One day the father, who had seen the Indian chieftain -Tecumseh, and admired that really great man, came in -and said, “I have the name of a better man than either we -have mentioned.” The eye and ear of those around the -cradle were turned to know whom he could be. The bright -boy only seemed to have no interest in the matter. “<span class='it'>Tecumseh</span>, -we will name him,” was the almost startling announcement. -It was softened down to the tone of civilized -life by the addition of William. The further reason for the -selection of a warrior’s name who fought for the English, -I will tell you, as I did the story of “Ulysses S. Grant,” -now his lieutenant-general, in the language of another -who wrote me on the subject: “Tecumseh, the celebrated -chief and warrior of the Shawanoese tribe, who was killed -at the battle of the Thames, October 5th, 1813, was for -a long time kept in rather fond remembrance in this immediate -vicinity, by those who were engaged in that conflict, -of whom Captain Sanderson is still a resident here; -because they knew that several times he prevented the -shedding of innocent blood. This fact, with the desire -of Mr. Sherman to have one son educated for military -life, led him to choose Tecumseh for the boy, he being -born not long after the death of that chieftain.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Tecumthé, or as it is written Tecumseh, a Shawanoese -Indian, was born in Piqua, since called West Boston, on -Mad River, in Clarke County, Ohio. Tecumseh’s grandmother -was the daughter of a Southern English colonial -governor, who fancied the handsome young Creek, and -married him. Their only son took for his wife a Shawanese -woman, who gave birth to Tecumseh while on -a journey from the southern to the western hunting -grounds. A few years later three more sons were born -at the same time, one of whom, Tenskwautawaw, became -the famous prophet who was the artful and unprincipled -instrument of his brother, Tecumseh, in his great lifework, -which was to arouse and unite the western tribes -in the last determined effort to drive and keep their white -neighbors from the valley of the Mississippi. While a -boy, his splendid genius gave him the leadership among -his playmates, and he “was in the habit of arranging -them in parties for the purpose of fighting sham battles.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>When about fifteen years old, he was so shocked at -the scene then common among the Indians—burning -prisoners at the stake—that he determined to give his -voice against the horrid custom. The young reformer -first displayed his commanding eloquence in his bold condemnation -of the practice, which through his powerful -influence gradually disappeared. He advocated total -abstinence from ardent spirits, the principal source of -savage degradation and destruction, and urged his people -to drop all superfluous ornaments, and abstain from the -use of articles sold by the traders. Like his illustrious -namesake, our hero, he was mighty in speech as well as -in the battle-field. I will give in illustration a brief address -made August 12th, 1810, to Governor Harrison, -whom he met in council at Vincennes, on the Wabash -River. The fine words and grand views of the warrior, -will make you think of our own Tecumseh marching -over the very country from which the ancestors of the -Shawanoese came:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have made myself what I am; and I would that -I could make the red people as great as the conceptions -of my mind, when I think of the Great Spirit that rules -over all. I would not then come to Governor Harrison -to ask him to tear the treaty; but I would say to him, -Brother, you have liberty to return to your own country. -Once there was no white man in all this country; then it -belonged to red men, children of the same parents, placed -on it by the Great Spirit to keep it, to travel over it, to -eat its fruits, and fill it with the same race—once a happy -race, but now made miserable by the white people, who -are never contented, but always encroaching. They have -driven us from the great salt water, forced us over the -mountains, and would shortly push us into the lakes; but -we are determined to go no further. The only way to -stop this evil is for all the red men to unite in claiming -a common and equal right in the land, as it was at first -and should be now—for it never was divided, and belongs -to all. No tribe has a right to sell, even to each other, -much less to strangers, who demand all, and will take no -less. The white people have no right to take the land -from the Indians, who had it first—it is theirs. They -may sell, but all must join. Any sale not made by all is -not good. The late sale is bad; it was made by a part -only. Part do not know how to sell. It requires all to -make a bargain for all.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>This upright, humane, and unequalled warrior, after -struggling in vain to save his declining race, fell gloriously -during the last war with England, in the battle of the -Thames, not many miles from Detroit, on the Canada side.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>His American namesake, by a singular course of -providential events, as you know and will read in the -record of his life more fully, became the greatest military -commander of the age, in the very region from which, -with his people, he emigrated to the West.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I will now take you to the place of William Tecumseh’s -birth. Lancaster is in Fairfield County, Ohio, on -the Hockhocking River, twenty-eight miles east of Columbus, -the capital of the State. The valley is very beautiful. -It was the home of the Wyandots less than a -century ago, and was called Tarh or Crowtown, from the -name of the principal chief. His wigwam was on the -bank-border of a prairie, near a clear and living spring, -from whose gushing waters he slaked his thirst for many -years.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In 1800 a Mr. Fane laid out Lancaster on Mount -Pleasant, called by the Indians, who at that time still -lingered there, “Standing-Stone,” because the summit -was formed of masses of sandstone. It was a place of -popular resort on account of the extensive and magnificent -views of the surrounding country. Duke Saxe Weimar, -who travelled in this country about forty years since, -carved his name on its rock.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>For several years after Lancaster was settled, the -people had a curious regulation, of which I must tell -you, and something like which would not be a bad arrangement -at the present day. Stumps of the forest trees -so lately there, were scattered along the streets; and when -a man was caught intoxicated, the penalty was, the <span class='it'>removal -of a stump</span>. The drunkards and the stumps both -were thinned out; for whenever a citizen went staggering -among the remnants of the primeval woods, he was -watched till sober enough to go to work, then set to digging -at the roots. Tipplers were careful to walk abroad -in straight lines; and if one failed to keep within the -limits of <span class='it'>temperate</span> drinking, he must take good exercise -at the stump, which was both a public exposure and a -blessing to the village.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Lancaster is now a handsome city, full of western activity, -and keeping step to the music—</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:.9em;'>“Westward the star of empire takes its way.”</p> - -<p class='noindent'>Such was and is the birthplace of William Tecumseh -Sherman.</p> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/sandbank-illo.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0003' style='width:500px;height:auto;'/> -<p class='caption'><span style='font-size:smaller'>WILLIAM TECUMSEH IN THE SAND BANK.</span></p> -</div> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='23' id='Page_23'></span><h1>CHAPTER II.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Eventful Call—“Cump” in the Sandbank—The Unexpected Summons—He -obeys—His new Home—School days—A Studious and Reliable Boy—Is -appointed Cadet—Leaves Home for West Point—His Life in the Academy—Graduates -and goes to Florida. -</div> - -<div style="position:absolute;margin-left:-.5em; font-size:150%;">“</div><p class='noindent'><img src='images/m.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='M'/>OTHER, may I go and play in the sand?” -said a bright boy one day, cap in hand, -ready to bound into the open air. Almost -before the expected “yes” had ceased to -echo in the room, “Cump,” as he was -familiarly called, hastened to a bank in which excavations -had been made, and the sand taken away. He was soon -“busy as a bee,” throwing up miniature fortifications -and heaps in various forms, after the models of his own -juvenile invention.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Meanwhile the distinguished Hon. Thomas Ewing, -now the venerable representative of the statesmen of the -past, a resident of Lancaster, entered the widowed -mother’s dwelling. He knew that the benevolent and -departed father had not left her large family a fortune. -It would therefore be no easy task to educate and start -them in the world. And his errand there was to ask her -to commit one of the boys to his home and care. He -said, with a playful earnestness, “I must have the smartest -of the lot; I will take no other, and you must select -him for me.” After a short consultation between the -mother and eldest daughter, the choice fell upon “Cump.” -So it was decided that Mr. Ewing should take him to his -house and educate him with his own children.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Leaving the mother and sister saddened with the -prospect of parting with the boy, he went to the sandbank, -where we just now left William at play. “Come, -my boy,” said the unexpected visitor, “you are going to -live with me. I have seen your mother; she has given -her consent.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The astonished little worker listened, and looked a moment -at his benefactor, then straightened up, brushed off -the sand, and started after him. That night he went to -his bed in his new and beautiful home with strange -thoughts, and a shadow upon his young spirit. He had -left mother and the home of his childhood for life; only -as an occasional visitor. It was a crisis in his history, -and one which decided in the result his brilliant martial -career. The public schools, which are now the pride of -our land, were not then known in Ohio. But Lancaster -could boast a good academy, and into its English department -Tecumseh was entered as a pupil. He had reached -his ninth year, and soon convinced his teacher and companions -that he could take a high rank among the boy-students -of his age.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Mr. Ewing assured me that there was nothing remarkable -or eccentric in his experience during the years that -followed, excepting his executive ability in little matters of -business committed to him. He “never knew so young -a boy who would do an errand so correctly and promptly -as he did. He was transparently honest, faithful, and -reliable. Studious and correct in his habits, his progress -in education was steady and substantial.” At the age -of sixteen, Mr. Ewing, in his official position, had at -his disposal the appointment of a cadet to the Military -Academy at West Point, and determined to offer it to his -“<span class='it'>protégé</span>.” Tecumseh had a taste for military life, and -of course gladly accepted the honor.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Before we follow him to that institution we will take -another glimpse of the home of his adoption. Mrs. -Ewing was a highly intelligent lady, a member of the -Roman Catholic Church, and had the privilege of educating -her children in her own faith. Her daughter -Ellen was at this time an attractive girl of nearly the -same age of Tecumseh. For half a dozen of life’s most -careless, happy years, they had been to school, talked and -played together. And it is not strange that among the -friends he left behind him, when he turned the second -time from home, and now for a distant abode among -strangers, that to part with her should be no common -trial for his young and manly heart. But he had entered -for himself</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:.9em;'>“Upon life’s broad field of battle,”</p> - -<p class='noindent'>and hastened to the ordeal of examination for admission -to the academy. The bright day of trial has come. Look -in upon the spacious hall where the Examining Board and -distinguished visitors have gathered, to see and hear what -the young candidates for freshman honors may know. -Now listen; young Sherman’s name is called. He is -modest, yet perfectly self-possessed. After answering a -test question with remarkable propriety and dignity, a -professor remarked: “He is a <span class='it'>blooded</span> fellow!” that is, -he was of good blood—had the <span class='it'>ingrained</span> qualities of -manliness, and the promise of honorable distinction. -This was in the summer of 1836. He advanced from -class to class, mastering the studies in the course, and -maintaining a high reputation in all his relations to the -officers and students of the academy. He was quite at -home in artillery, which you know is the handling of -heavy guns; and in the saddle at the riding school of the -institution. He graduated fifth in his class June 30th, -1840. The rebel General Beauregard was a classmate.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>You have learned that, as a man, he <span class='it'>loses no time</span> in -his military movements. Created second lieutenant in -the Third Artillery, he repaired to Florida in the service -of the regular army. When the autumnal leaves rustled -in the war-path, he was fairly in the ranks and under the -old flag, which he was destined to honor so well, and with -whose stars his name would shine while it floats over the -land of his birth.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='28' id='Page_28'></span><h1>CHAPTER III.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Lieutenant in the Florida War—Its Origin—The “Exiles”—Seminole Indians—Osceola—His -wife made prisoner—The second Seminole War—Wild -Cat’s Daughter—Peace—Lessons of the events before and after. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/w.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='W'/>HEN Lieutenant Sherman reached the Southern -peninsula, our war with the “exiles” and -Seminoles had been in progress about five -years. “Who were the ‘exiles?’ ” you ask. -In answering that question I shall give you -some account of the Florida wars, in which many of our -West Point graduates have been actors; among them -Generals Grant, Mitchel, and Sherman. And I shall let -a distinguished statesmen, who has recently died,<a id='r1'/><a href='#f1' style='text-decoration:none'><sup><span style='font-size:0.9em'>[1]</span></sup></a> and -who wrote a book about the “exiles,” tell you some interesting -things concerning these people.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Florida was originally settled by Spaniards in 1558. -They were the first people to engage in the African slave -trade, and sought to supply other nations with servants -from the coast of Guinea. The colonists held many -slaves, expecting to accumulate wealth by the unrequited -toil of their fellow-men.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Carolina, by her first and second charters, claimed a -vast extent of country, embracing St. Augustine and most -of Florida. Here was the first occasion for hostilities, the -conflicting claims to jurisdiction, of the Spaniards and the -colonies. The Carolinians also held many slaves. Profiting -by the labor of their servants, the people sought to -increase their wealth by enslaving the Indians who resided -in their vicinity. Hence in the early slave codes -of that colony we find reference to ‘negro and <span class='it'>other</span> -slaves.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When the boundaries of Florida and South Carolina -became established, the colonists found themselves separated -by the territory now constituting the State of -Georgia, at that time mostly occupied by the Creek -Indians. The efforts of the Carolinians to enslave the -Indians brought with them the natural and appropriate -penalties. The Indians soon began to make their escape -from service to the Indian country. This example was -soon followed by the African slaves, who also fled to the -Indian country, and, in order to secure themselves from -pursuit, continued their journey into Florida.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We are unable to fix the precise time when the persons -thus exiled constituted a separate community. Their -numbers had become so great in 1736 that they were -formed into companies, and relied on by the Floridians as -allies to aid in the defence of that territory. They were -also permitted to occupy lands upon the same terms that -were granted to the citizens of Spain; indeed, they in all -respects became free subjects of the Spanish crown. -Probably to this early and steady policy of the Spanish -Government, we may attribute the establishment and -continuance of this community of ‘exiles’ in that territory. -A messenger was sent by the Colonial Government of -South Carolina to demand the return of those fugitive -slaves who had found an asylum in Florida. The demand -was made upon the Governor of St. Augustine, -but was promptly rejected. This was the commencement -of a controversy which has continued for more than -a century, involving our nation in a vast expenditure of -blood and treasure, and it yet remains undetermined. -The constant escape of slaves, and the difficulties resulting -therefrom, constituted the principal object for establishing -a free colony between South Carolina and Florida, -which was called Georgia. It was thought that this -colony, being free, could afford the planters of Carolina -protection against the further escape of their slaves from -service. These ‘exiles’ were by the Creek Indians called -‘Seminoles,’ which in their dialect signifies ‘runaways,’ -and the term being frequently used while conversing -with the Indians, came into almost constant -practice among the whites; and although it has now -come to be applied to a certain tribe of Indians, yet it was -originally used in reference to these ‘exiles’ long before -the Seminole Indians had separated from the Creeks.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>These “exiles,” once slaves, had settled in rich valleys, -and had their flocks, and herds, and children around -them. The great State of Georgia did not like to see -this paradise of escaped bondmen prosper. Indeed, she -looked with covetous eye upon every foot of Indian territory -within her limits, and seems to have early decided, -with or without the national sanction and help, to take -possession of the “exiles,” and of the lands belonging to -the Aborigines. The first thing was to get Florida from -Spain, then seize the “exiles.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Such influences were brought to bear upon Congress, -that in <span class='it'>secret</span> session a law was passed in 1811 to wrest -the territory from the authority of Spain. And now -commenced the invasion of that country by the most -desperate men. It was like the outrage upon “bleeding -Kansas” since.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Seminoles had refused to surrender the “exiles,” -and the Georgians determined to exterminate them. -This injustice and cruelty opened the <span class='it'>first</span> war with the -Seminoles. Hostilities continued for many years, attended -with deeds of savage heroism, scenes of horror -and of death, till many an American soldier found a -grave in the gloomy everglade and dark river channel. -At length there was a pause in the terrible border warfare. -Outrages by the white people continued, “exiles” -were captured, treaties broken, and the effort renewed to -remove the Seminoles to the western territory. Upon -a certain day when a consultation was held over a speech -addressed by the Secretary of State, General Cass, -urging emigration, a youthful warrior, named “Osceola,” -since very famous, drew his burnished knife from his -belt, and said, while striking it into the table before him, -“<span class='it'>This is the only treaty I will ever make with the whites.</span>” -It was a threat of war again, soon realized. He was the -son of an Indian trader, a white man named Powell. -His mother was the daughter of a Seminole chief. He -had recently married a woman said to have been very -“beautiful.” She was the daughter of a chief who had -married one of the “exiles,” but as all colored people, by -slaveholding laws, are said to follow the condition of the -mother, she was called an African slave. Osceola was -proud of his ancestry. He hated slavery, and those who -practised the holding of slaves, with a bitterness that is -but little understood by those who have never witnessed -its revolting crimes. He visited Fort King in company -with his wife and a few friends, for the purpose of trading. -Mr. Thompson, the agent, was present, and while engaged -in business, the wife of Osceola was seized as a -slave. Evidently having negro blood in her veins, the -law pronounced her a slave; and, as no other person -could show title to her, the pirate who had got possession -of her body, was supposed, of course, to be her owner. -Osceola became frantic with rage, but was instantly -seized and placed in irons, while his wife was hurried -away to slaveholding pollution. He remained six days -in irons, when, General Thompson says, he became penitent, -and was released. From the moment when this -outrage was committed, the Florida War may be regarded -as commenced. Osceola swore vengeance upon -Thompson, and those who assisted in the perpetration of -this indignity upon himself, as well as upon his wife, and -upon our common humanity. The “exiles” endeavored to -stimulate the Indians to deeds of valor. In general -council they decreed that the first Seminole who should -make any movement preparatory to emigration, should -suffer death. Charley E. Mathlu, a respected chief, soon -after fell a victim to this decree. Osceola commanded -the party who slew him. He had sold a portion of his -cattle to the whites, for which he had received pay in -gold. This money was found upon his person when he -fell. Osceola forbade any one touching the gold, saying -it was the price of the red man’s blood, and with his own -hands he scattered it in different directions as far as he -was able to throw it. But his chief object appeared to -have been the death of General Thompson. Other -Indians and “exiles” were preparing for other important -operations, but Osceola seemed intent—his whole soul was -absorbed in devising some plan by which he could safely -reach Mr. Thompson, who was the object of his vengeance. -He, or some of his friends, kept constant watch -on the movements of Thompson, who was unconscious of -the danger to which he was exposed. Osceola, steady to -his purpose, refused to be diverted from this favorite object. -Thompson was at Fort King, and there were but -few troops to protect that fortress. But Indians seldom -attempt an escalade, and Osceola sought an opportunity -to take it by surprise. With some twenty followers he -lay secreted near the fort for days and weeks, determined -to find some opportunity to enter by the open gate, when -the troops should be off their guard. Near the close of -December, 1835, a runner brought him information that -Major Dade, with his command, was to leave Fort -Brooke on the twenty-fifth of that month, and that those -who intended to share in the attack upon that regiment, -must be at the great “Wahoo Swamp” by the evening of -the twenty-seventh. This had no effect whatever upon -Osceola. No circumstance could withdraw him from the -bloody purpose which filled his soul.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the twenty-eighth, in the afternoon, as he and his -followers lay near the road leading from the fort to the -house of the sutler, which was nearly a mile distant, they -saw Mr. Thompson and a friend approaching. That -gentleman and his companions had dined, and, on taking -their cigars, he and Lieutenant Smith, of the second artillery, -had sallied forth for a walk and to enjoy conversation -by themselves. At a signal given by Osceola, the -Indians fired. Thompson fell pierced by fourteen balls; -Smith received about as many. The shrill war-whoop followed -the sound of the rifles, and alarmed the people at -the fort. The Indians immediately scalped their victims, -and then hastened to the house where Mr. Rogers, the -sutler, and two clerks, were at dinner. These three persons -were instantly massacred and scalped. The Indians -took as many valuable goods as they could carry, and set -fire to the building. The smoke gave notice to those in -the fort of the fate that had befallen the sutler and his -clerks. But the condition in which the commandant -found his troops forbade his sending out any considerable -force to ascertain the fate of Thompson and his companion. -Near nightfall a few daring spirits proceeded -up the road to the hommock, and brought the bodies to -the fort, but Osceola and his followers had hastened their -flight, not from fear of the troops, but with the hope of -joining their companions at Wahoo in time to engage in -scenes of more general interest.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The election campaign for President occurred the -very fall Lieutenant Sherman went to Florida. Martin -Van Buren was defeated, and there was no greater cause -of it than the continuance of the Florida war, wasting -precious life and treasure. You will be interested in the -story of Wild Cat’s daughter. He was the son of King -Philip, a Seminole chief, and became himself one of the -mighty leaders in the Indian struggle for existence. Not -far from the time young Sherman went to the field of -conflict, the daughter of Wild Cat, “an interesting girl -of twelve years of age, fell into the hands of our troops -in a skirmish near Fort Mellon. This was regarded as a -most fortunate circumstance, as it would be likely to procure -an interview with the father. Miceo, a sub-chief -and friend of Wild Cat, was despatched with a white flag, -on which were drawn clasped hands in token of friendship, -with a pipe and tobacco. He found Wild Cat, and -delivered the message of the commanding-general, requesting -an interview. Wild Cat agreed to come in, and -gave Miceo a bundle of sticks, denoting the days which -would elapse before he appeared in camp. Miceo returned -and made his report.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the fifth of March Wild Cat was announced as -approaching the American camp with seven of his trusty -companions. He came boldly within the line of sentinels, -dressed in the most fantastic manner. He and his party -had shortly before killed a company of strolling theatrical -performers, near St. Augustine, and having possessed -themselves of the wardrobe of their victims, put it on. -He approached the tent of General Worth, calm and self-possessed, -and shook hands with the officers. He then -addressed the general without hesitation and with dignity, -saying he had received the talk and white flag sent him. -He had come according to invitation to visit the American -camp with peaceful intentions, relying upon his good -faith.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At this moment his little daughter escaped from the -tent where she was to remain till General Worth should -think the proper time to present her to her father had -come. With the feelings and habits of her race, she gave -him musket balls and powder which she had managed to -obtain and secret until his arrival. On seeing his child -he could no longer command that dignity of bearing so -much the pride of every Indian chief. His self-possession -gave way to parental emotions; the feelings of the father -gushed forth; he averted his face and wept.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Having recovered his self-possession he addressed -General Worth, saying: ‘The whites dealt unjustly by -me. I came to them, when they deceived me. I loved -the land I was upon; my body is made of its sands. The -Great Spirit gave me legs to walk over it; eyes to see it; -hands to aid myself; a head with which I think. The -sun, which shines warm and bright, brings forth our -crops; and the moon brings back the spirits of our warriors, -our fathers, our wives and children. The white -man comes; he grows pale and sickly; why can we not -live in peace? They steal our horses and cattle, cheat -us, and take our lands. They may shoot us—may chain -our hands and feet, <span class='it'>but the red man’s heart will be free</span>. -I have come to you in peace, and have taken you all by -the hand. I will sleep in your camp, though your soldiers -stand around me thick as pine trees. I am done: when -we know each other better, I will say more.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“During the interview, Wild Cat spoke with great -sincerity; frankly stated the condition and feelings of his -people; stated the friendly attachment between the ‘exiles’ -and Indians; said that they would not consent to be separated; -that nothing could be done until their annual -assemblage in June, to feast on the green corn; that, hard -as the fate was, he would consent to emigrate, and would -use his influence to induce his friends to do so. After remaining -four days in camp, he and his companions left, -accompanied by his little daughter, whom he presented to -her mother on reaching his own encampment.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Young Sherman was created first lieutenant November, -1841, and soon after the war closed, followed by the -removal of the “exiles” to the country beyond the State -of Arkansas, joining the Creeks there.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There are two very interesting facts you will think of -in this glimpse of the early experience of our cadet-soldier. -The first is, the real beginning of the great -rebellion, in the unjust and oppressive claims of the -Southern States upon other races, and upon our national -legislation. The other curious fact is the awful desolation -of that leading State in this wrong, Georgia, by the -lieutenant, more than a score of years afterwards, in the -defence of our own imperilled liberties.</p> - -<hr class='footnotemark'/> - -<div class='footnote'> -<table summary='footnote_1'> -<colgroup> -<col span='1' style='width: 3em;'/> -<col span='1'/> -</colgroup> -<tr><td style='vertical-align:top;'> -<div id='f1'><a href='#r1'>[1]</a></div> -</td><td> - -<p class='pindent'>Hon. Joshua R. Giddings.</p> - -</td></tr> -</table> -</div> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='39' id='Page_39'></span><h1>CHAPTER IV.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -Lieutenant Sherman in Fort Moultrie—The Fortress—The Mexican War—He -goes to California—His Service there—Appointed Captain—His Marriage—Exciting -Scenes in California—In the Commissary Department—Resigns -his Commission—Turns Banker. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/l.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='L'/>IEUTENANT SHERMAN was next ordered to -Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan’s Island, in Charleston -harbor. Do you know the origin of that fortress -and of its name? Six days before the Declaration -of Independence was signed, there was a -memorable battle and victory here, over the British -squadron commanded by Sir Peter Parker. A post had -been commenced, which, upon the appearance of the fleet -was hastily completed, under the command of General -Moultrie, a very brave officer.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Charles Lee, the commander-in-chief at this -post, urged Moultrie to abandon the works, because the -men-of-war would soon blow them to pieces. “Then we -will fight behind the ruins,” said the gallant leader of a -band, who answered his bold words with a “<span class='it'>hurrah!</span>” -The battle opened, and soon the American flag, which -was then a white crescent on a ground of blue, went -down. The spectators at a distance thought the post -had surrendered. But no—the flag-staff was shot off, -and Sergeant William Jasper leaped through the embrasure -of the wall, and seizing it, restored it to its place -on the battlements. He was a young hero, and his name -is among those of the daring defenders of the <span class='it'>first</span> banner -of the Revolution.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In this fortress Lieutenant Sherman had an unexciting -round of duty. But more active service was near. If -you will turn to the map of the United States you will -see that the boundary between Texas and Mexico on the -south, runs northwesterly toward the Pacific Ocean, -where lies California, bounded on the southern side by -Mexico. When war followed the dispute between the -United States and the Mexican Government about the -dividing line, in 1846, it was necessary to have troops in -California. With the forces sent to that new and thinly-settled -region, Lieutenant Sherman went under the banner -he loved with all the enthusiasm of his ardent nature. -The fighting was principally done, you know, at Palo -Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey, Molino del Rey, -and a few other points far from the post of Sherman. -But he did his duty in the ranks of the frontier-guard, -and was off on recruiting service when those fierce battles -were fought.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>California had been for many years under the Government -of Mexico. The people rebelled against Santa -Anna, asserted their independence, but again submitted -to the old authority. In 1842 its rich plains attracted -emigration from all lands, which increased rapidly till -war with Mexico was declared. General Fremont was -there. A quarrel began between the Mexican people and -the settlers. This was increased by the conflict of the -two nations, which resulted in our establishing a territorial -government. The whole was ceded to the United -States at the close of the war for $15,000,000, and became -a State in 1850. With the flood of population from -many countries, before and after Lieutenant Sherman went -there, lawlessness of all kinds prevailed. Gambling was a -common business, incendiarism equally so, and justice was -almost unknown, even in the Government. Men were -shot in open day for giving offence; the people became -alarmed, and appointed a vigilance committee, who took -law into their own hands. Our still youthful officer opposed -such assumption of power, believing in redress for -wrongs through the constitutional remedies. And often -since the civil war commenced has he beguiled the weary -hours of camp-life by recounting the exciting scenes of -those wild days of California life. He saw a calmer period -of history there. The vigilance committee at length surrendered -its power to the State Government, and California -has taken her place among the noblest of our commonwealths, -loyal to the flag in the darkest hour of -strife.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>California gold! You have heard of the mania for -the mines it created all over our land when the boy now -sixteen was in his cradle. But you may not know what -a chance to make a fortune Lieutenant Sherman had in -that territory—that he saw the small <span class='it'>beginning</span> of the -excitement. He was dining, February 8th, 1848, with -Captain Sutter, of Sacramento, who was building a saw-mill. -The workmen opened a sluice to wash out the -“tail-race,” when lo! there was gold in the sand. A -specimen was brought into the room where the officers sat, -and pronounced to be the precious particles, which have -since attracted the fortune-hunters of every land under -the sun. But the lieutenant quietly returned to his post, -and left to others the great discovery.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The rough experiences in southern and western forests—watching -the stealthy Indians, and riding through perilous -and difficult paths—were fitting him for work which -would attract the admiring interest of the world. So -well did he improve his opportunities to serve his country -and perfect himself in military science, that his farther -promotion to a captaincy was ordered while on the Pacific -coast. The war closed in the winter of 1848, and the -treaty of peace was signed in February of that year. -The life of a “regular” in the army became monotonous. -Garrisons and surveys occupied the troops. But there -came, two years later, an interesting change in the social -relations of Captain Sherman.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The friend he left with so much regret when he bade -adieu to Lancaster, Ohio, for a home at West Point, Miss -Ellen B. Ewing, attracted the gallant young soldier’s -steps from the round of martial duty. In the spring of -1850 he led her to the altar of marriage, in Washington, -D. C., where the bride’s father, the Hon. Thomas Ewing, -has spent much of his long life in Congress, and in the -Cabinet. Two of the greatest statesmen in this or any -other nation, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay, were -guests on the occasion, also General Zachary Taylor. -Not many weddings in the Republic can boast of so many -distinguished persons among the spectators of the ceremonies, -offering their congratulations to the happy pair.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Captain Sherman was for a period connected with the -Commissary Department of the Army. Its duties are -the furnishing of the various supplies for the troops. -Tired of the quiet and tameness of the service, in 1853 -he resigned his commission, and retired to private life. -That well-known and wealthy citizen of St. Louis, Mr. -Lucas, proposed to establish a banking-house in San -Francisco, under the name of “Lucas, Turner & Co.,” -at the head of which was placed Captain Sherman.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We have come to a singular turn in his history. -The cadet has been from the Florida swamps to the -mountains of the northern border, rising in position, -and steadily, honorably pursuing the object immediately -before him, till tired of an almost useless existence, as it -seems, in the army, he is at length a gentlemanly banker -in the principal city of the “golden coast.” Days, weeks, -months, and years, find him in the comparatively quiet -round of business affairs. He is at home in the material -condition and politics of the country; for he is familiar -always with the current events of the times. The faithful -boy at errands, is the trusty soldier and banker also. No -stain rests on the record of his success in life.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='45' id='Page_45'></span><h1>CHAPTER V.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -Takes charge of a Military Academy in Alexandria, Louisiana—He sees the -rising storm of Civil War—Resigns—A noble Letter—He repairs to St. Louis, -and superintends a Street Railroad. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/c.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='C'/>APTAIN SHERMAN, of the house of Lucas, -Turner & Co., was not unsuccessful in the -banking-office; but it was not suited to his culture -and taste, and he was without large capital. -It is not strange, therefore, that when, in 1860, -he was offered the presidency of the Louisiana State Military -Academy at Alexandria, on a salary of five thousand -dollars per annum, he should accept the honorable position.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>You know that, besides the national institution for -discipline in the art of war, there are smaller schools of a -similar character in several of the States, besides private -enterprises of great merit. The Academy at Alexandria -was organized in 1860, and, intended to accommodate two -hundred cadets. Whether the State had reference to the -possibility of a collision with the Government in this -preparatory work we do not know, but are sure that -the chief officer had no thought of serving the cause of -revolt in taking its management. The town is situated on -the Red River, nearly in the centre of the State, three hundred -and fifty miles from New Orleans, which lies southeast -of it, and down the Mississippi.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Louisiana is a great cotton-growing State, and Alexandria -is in one of the richest portions of the wide plains -skirting the stream which poured its flood into the magnificent -tide of the “Father of Waters.” It is beautifully -situated in the midst of cotton plantations, which, like -snow-fields in summer, spread away in every direction -from the village. Here the professor was directing his -genius and attainments to carry out the wishes of the -founders of the school, when the first ominous sounds of -rebellion followed the election of Abraham Lincoln.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He knew the Southern feeling well. The intercourse -with the people of the cotton States, from the association -at West Point with their sons to that hour, convinced -him of what we at the North were slow to believe, that -they were determined to have their own way or <span class='it'>fight</span>. -His clear judgment and forecast caught the signal of revolution -in the stormy councils and secession resolutions -which succeeded the political revolution. The evil spirit -of rebellion was in the very atmosphere about him. -There was hot blood, even in the recitation-rooms of the -Academy. The year 1860 closed over a purpose which -had slowly but steadily matured, to leave the institution -in which he had just begun to feel at home, and was fully -qualified to manage. It had cost him anxious thought. -But far in advance, as he has been ever since, in his views -of the true issue—the men and the measures we must -meet—he was sure a sanguinary struggle was at hand. -It saddened his heart, but nerved his strong hand to grasp -the starry banner and enter the arena of carnage and -victory.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Thus decided in his convictions and loyalty, he did -not wait for the thunder of cannon around Fort Sumter. -He wrote the following manly, strong, and patriotic letter, -which tells its own glorious story:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>January 18, 1861.</span></p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“<span class='sc'>Gov. Thomas O. Moore, Baton Rouge, La.</span></p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Sir</span>:—As I occupy a <span class='it'>quasi</span>-military position under -this State, I deem it proper to acquaint you that I accepted -such position when Louisiana was a State in the Union, -and when the motto of the seminary was inserted in marble -over the main door, ‘<span class='it'>By the liberality of the General -Government of the United States</span>: The Union—<span class='it'>Esto Perpètua</span>.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Recent events foreshadow a great change, and it becomes -all men to choose. If Louisiana withdraws from -the Federal Union, <span class='it'>I</span> prefer to maintain my allegiance to -the old Constitution as long as a fragment of it survives, -and my longer stay here would be wrong in every sense -of the word. In that event, I beg you will send or appoint -some authorized agent to take charge of the arms -and munitions of war here belonging to the State, or direct -me what disposition should be made of them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And furthermore, as President of the Board of Supervisors, -I beg you to take immediate steps to relieve -me as superintendent the moment the State determines to -secede; for on no earthly account will I do any act, or -think any thought, hostile to or in defiance of the old -Government of the United States.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:6em;'>“With great respect, &c.,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“(Signed) <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>What a scorching rebuke is that in the first paragraph! -How sublimely loyal the sentiments of the last!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The resignation was accepted. The professor turned -his back upon his cadets and upon Louisiana, till he shall -return under the torn and blackened flag of conquest. Repairing -to St. Louis, he had no employment for his brain -or hands. But he was ready for any honest work. Mr. -Lucas, one of the millionaires of the city, offered him the -office of superintendent of a street railroad, on a salary -of two thousand dollars a year. He at once entered upon -its duties, without a regret that he had abandoned the -halls of military science and a larger reward for his -labor.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>My young reader, it is a lesson for all ages and all -times. Embrace the providential openings for reputable -and useful labor, without regard to the present applause -or the favor of the busy multitude about you. Think of -the brave Captain—the educated instructor—managing -the affairs of a city horse-railway! Then think of the -host of young men, who would rather starve, or <span class='it'>gamble</span>, to -keep up the appearance of wealth and position, rather -than <span class='it'>go down</span> in the world’s estimate of what is respectable -and fashionable, and you will admire the truly heroic -character of the gifted Sherman.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='50' id='Page_50'></span><h1>CHAPTER VI.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -Sumter falls—Sherman repairs to Washington—His Interview with the Secretary -of War and the President—His Prophetic Insight of the Threatening -Times—The state of the Country—Rebel Expectations. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/t.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='T'/>HE traitorous Secretary of War, John B. Floyd, -had not lost sight of the probable uprising of -the South at no distant period, for a moment, -during all of his official career. Every fort on -her soil was made an easy prey to her rebellious -hand by reducing their garrisons.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The magnificent Fortress Monroe, on which the -United States had expended nearly two and a half millions, -could muster only eight companies of artillery. -The forts, Moultrie, Pinckney, and Sumter, of Charleston -harbor, had only eighty men, who were in Fort Moultrie.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And yet, had you been in the Halls of Congress when -Mr. Clarke, of New Hampshire, offered a resolution of -inquiry into the condition of those defences, you would -have heard a storm of apparently virtuous indignation -from Jefferson Davis and his fellow-conspirators, as if -the intimation of treachery were an insult to Southern -chivalry.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A week later General Anderson and his band, loyal -to the national banner, having become assured that their -capture with Fort Moultrie was designed, after destroying -its equipment as far as possible, stole at dead of night -from its walls and floated over the waters to silent Sumter, -whose massive battlements promised a safer refuge -from the passions of infatuated men. The rebels immediately -seized Forts Moultrie and Pinckney; and ten days -later the Star of the West, an unarmed steamer conveying -a reënforcement of two hundred and fifty soldiers and -supplies for the destitute garrison, was fired upon from -newly-erected earthworks.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The spring came with flowers and birds, but the -angry storm of rebellion beat around Sumter with increasing -fury. Iron-clad batteries had risen on every -hand to cut off the approach of our ships, and grim ordnance -now pointed toward the old fortress.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>April 12th a messenger approached it with a very -brief message to Major Anderson; it was, “Surrender!” -The reply was nearly as short: “His sense of honor and -his obligations to the Government would prevent compliance.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A few hours after, and “boom! boom!” was the -sound, followed with shot and shell, against Sumter’s -walls, which opened a bloody civil war. In the iron hail -the fort was scarred, and its ground covered with exploding -shells. At length the band, one-third the number of -the famous warriors at Thermopylæ, against ten thousand, -saw the hopelessness of resistance, and made honorable -terms to themselves, of surrender. Every telegraphic -wire in the land, North and South, trembled to -the tidings of the battle hour.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The Hon. Thomas Ewing wrote Charles Taylor Sherman, -of Washington, the brother of William Tecumseh, -to use his influence to get the latter again into the army. -He felt that he was, and <span class='it'>would be</span> needed. The intelligent, -patriotic mind of the captain did not require <span class='it'>light</span> -for action, but only <span class='it'>opportunity</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Our railroad superintendent at St. Louis thought that -all observant people must see that a terrible conflict had -begun, and like Grant in Galena, left his office to offer -his services to the Government, and his life, if that should -be the sacrifice, included in their acceptance. He hastened -to the nation’s capital. Soon after reaching Washington -he called on Secretary Cameron.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Mr. Secretary, civil war is imminent, and we are -unprepared for it. I have come to offer my services to -the country in the struggle before us.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I think,” replies Mr. Cameron, “the ebullition of -feeling will soon subside, we shall not need many troops.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Indeed the Secretary was quite surprised, if not annoyed, -at the earnestness of Captain Sherman. He next -sought an interview with the President, and made a similar -statement and offer to him. The good President was -inclined to take the whole thing as a joke. After listening -to the serious enthusiasm expressed in the strong appeal, -he replied, pleasantly: “We shall not need many -more like you; the whole affair will soon blow over.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He left the Chief Magistrate of a republic whose very -existence he knew was assailed, with a shadow of disappointment -on his brave, loyal spirit—not for himself, but -for the cause near his heart. Friends then advised him -to go to Ohio and superintend the organization of three -months’ men there. He declared “it would be as wise -to undertake to extinguish the flames of a burning building -with a squirt gun, as to put down the rebellion with -three months’ troops.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>To talk of any thing less than a gigantic war was to -him absurd. But he was then nearly alone in his just -estimate of the struggle.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='54' id='Page_54'></span><h1>CHAPTER VII.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Conflict Deepens—The Captain is made Colonel of the Thirteenth New York -Volunteers—The Battle of Bull Run—The unterrified Commander of the -Thirteenth and his Troops—The Brave Stand. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/i.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='I'/>NSTEAD of “blowing over,” the storm of rebellion -grew darker, and extended toward every point -of the horizon. The appointment of Captain Sherman -to an important command was discussed and -urged by those who knew him. And what do you -think he said? You recollect our Lieutenant-General, -when he asked the privilege of serving his country, declined -a generalship because too modest to aspire to its -honors. The lamented Major-General Mitchel desired -any place, however humble, where he might defend the -Stars and Stripes. And said the gallant Sherman: “I -do not wish a prominent place; this is to be a long and -bloody war.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Real <span class='it'>ability</span> to achieve, and moral worth, are never -boastful and impatient to astonish the people. Even the -great rebel General Lee, in a letter recently published, -urges the same unassuming, calm performance of present -duty upon his son: quoting as an illustration the “old -Puritan,” who in the early period of our legislation, when -the day suddenly became outwardly dark, as if the sun -had disappeared from the heavens, causing a pause of -alarm, some fearing the judgment-day was at hand, called -for a light, saying he wished to proceed to business, and -be found at his post of duty when the final catastrophe -came. This is good counsel for us all, though from a -<span class='it'>rebel’s</span> pen.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General McDowell, who was then one of our most -popular commanders, seems to have had a just appreciation -of Sherman. He wanted his services; and on -the 13th of June, 1861, offered him the colonelcy of the -Thirteenth Infantry in the regular army, the command -dating May 14th of that year.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A month of preparation for the field passed, and the -first great meeting of the opposing armies summoned him -to the war-path. July 16th, General McDowell, with -thirty-two thousand five hundred men, moved in four -divisions upon Manassas, through which lay the route to -Richmond, the capital of Virginia and of the Confederacy. -From Arlington Heights, Long Bridge, and Alexandria, -the troops marched proudly forward, anticipating -an early victory.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Never before, my young reader, did a large army go -to the plain of carnage with hearts so light and gay—“as -if on a pic-nic excursion.” It was a splendid, and to -most of the troops a novel spectacle, that march upon the -“sacred soil” of the “Old Dominion,” to the animating -notes of “The Star Spangled Banner” and other national -airs. July 21st, the Sabbath day, the signals of battle -were seen in our lines, regardless of the hallowed time, -and confident of an almost bloodless conquest.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Colonel Bowman, one of General Sherman’s officers -since, and a faithful friend, has given a clear and unvarnished -story of his part in the affray:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The enemy had planted a battery on Warrenton -turnpike, to command the passage of Bull Run, and -seized the stone bridge which crossed it, erecting a heavy -abatis to prevent our advance in that direction. The -object of the battle was to force this position, with a view -to subsequent operations beyond. The army engaged was -commanded by Brigadier-General McDowell. The fourth -division was left in the rear. The first, second, third, and -fifth were commanded respectively by Brigadier-General -Tyler, and Colonels Hunter, Heintzelman, and Miles. In -the plan of battle, Miles was to be in reserve on the Centreville -Ridge; Tyler was to advance directly in front of -Stone Bridge, on the Warrenton road, and cannonade the -enemy’s batteries; Hunter and Heintzelman were to move -to the right and cross the run above, and get to the enemy’s -rear. Colonel Sherman commanded the third brigade -in Tyler’s (first) division, consisting of troops since -renowned for gallantry—Captain Ayres’ Regular Battery, -the Thirteenth, Sixty-ninth, and Seventy-ninth New York, -and Second Wisconsin infantry.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The advance was commenced on the morning of the -21st, and a part of Hunter’s and Heintzelman’s divisions, -according to McDowell’s official report, ‘forced the enemy -back far enough to allow Sherman’s and Keyes’s brigades -of Tyler’s division to cross from their position on the -Warrenton road. These drove the right of the enemy, -understood to have been commanded by Beauregard, -from the front of the field, and out of the detached woods, -and down the road, and across it, up the slopes, on the -other side.’ Pressing on, these two brigades, with the -two divisions on the right, came upon an elevated ridge -or table of land. Here was the severest fighting of the -famous battle. Sherman led his brigade directly up the -Warrenton road, and held his ground till the general -order came to retreat. It will be the verdict of history -that the fighting at Bull Run was no more disgraceful to -us than the unsuccessful fighting of the French at Waterloo. -It was the disorganized <span class='it'>rout</span> after the day was done -that showed that our army was as yet but an undisciplined -rabble. The day was lost partly by the delay in attack, -but chiefly by the arrival of reënforcements under Johnston, -when victory was already in our hands. General -Patterson was the Grouchy of our Waterloo.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“One fact in the battle has hitherto escaped comment. -The orders of Tyler’s division were to cross Bull Run, -when possible, and join Hunter on the right. This was -done, Sherman leading off, with the Sixty-ninth New -York in advance, and encountering a party of the enemy -retreating along a cluster of pines. Lieutenant-Colonel -Haggerty, of the Sixty-ninth, without orders, rode over -to intercept their retreat, and was shot dead by the -enemy. Furious at his loss, the Sixty-ninth sprang forward -and opened fire, which was returned. ‘But,’ says -Sherman, ‘determined to effect our junction with Hunter’s -division, I ordered the fire to cease, and we proceeded -with caution toward the field, where we then plainly -saw our forces engaged.’ Turning to Colonel Burnside’s -official report, we shall find that he was at this time overwhelmingly -pressed by the enemy. It was a critical -juncture. At length Major Sykes’s battalion of regulars -came up, and staggered the enemy, and at the same moment -Sherman came marching over the hill. ‘It was -Sherman’s brigade,’ says Burnside, ‘that arrived at about -twelve and a half o’clock, and by a most deadly fire assisted -in breaking the enemy’s lines.’ So much for soldierly -promptness and strict obedience to orders. From -the vigor with which Sherman fought his brigade, the -loss in his four regiments was one hundred and five -killed, two hundred and two wounded, two hundred and -ninety-three wounded or missing, with six killed and -three wounded in the battery, making a total of six hundred -and nine, the whole division losing eight hundred -and fifty-nine. The loss of the army, excluding prisoners -and stragglers, was computed thus: killed, four hundred -and seventy-nine; wounded, eleven hundred and eleven; -total killed and wounded, fifteen hundred and ninety. -When the conduct of Sherman had become known, the -Ohio delegation in Congress unanimously urged his immediate -promotion. This was easily effected, and on the -3d of August, 1861, he was confirmed a brigadier-general -of volunteers.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Colonel Sherman’s brigade was the only one which -retired from the field in order, making a stand at the -bridge on the track to Washington, to dispute bravely -“the right of way,” should the enemy pursue our panic-stricken -forces toward the capital.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='60' id='Page_60'></span><h1>CHAPTER VIII.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -General Sherman goes to Kentucky—Muldraugh’s Hill—His army weakened—General -Buckner’s superior force—Succeeds General Anderson—Writes -General McClellan—Interview with Secretary Cameron—Paducah. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/a.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='A'/>WAY on the borders of Kentucky the tramp of -war was heard. The hero of Sumter, General -Anderson, was in command of the department. -With the advent of autumn, the Union Home -Guards of Kentucky, with other troops, had -gathered to the banks of the Rolling Fork of Salt River—a -branch two hundred feet wide and only three feet -deep. Two miles from the road crossing lie the Muldraugh’s -Hills, rising in romantic outline. Half way -upon the ascent runs the railroad, whose bridge is -trestle-work ninety feet high; it then enters Tunnel Hill, -emerging into an open plain.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Buckner, the rebel commander, was at Bowling -Green, looking toward Louisville, where he boasted -he would spend the winter. General Sherman was sent -to join General Anderson, the second in command, and -moved his force to Muldraugh’s Hills. Buckner had -burned the bridge; the Home Guards were withdrawn; -and the enemy’s troops numbered twenty-five thousand. -To retire to Elizabethtown with the five thousand Union -soldiers was the best that General Sherman could do.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At this crisis General Anderson resigned his command -on account of ill health, and the mantle of authority fell -on General Sherman; no very desirable honor at that -time, for “most of the fighting young men of Kentucky -had gone to join the rebels. The non-combatants were divided -in sentiment, and most of them far from friendly. -He lacked men, and most of those he had were poorly -armed. He lacked, also, means of transportation and -munitions of war; and if the rebel generals had known -his actual condition, they could have captured or driven -his forces across the Ohio in less than ten days. He applied -earnestly and persistently for reënforcements, and, -at the same time, took every possible precaution to -conceal his weakness from the enemy, as well as from -the loyal public. At that time newspaper reporters -were not always discreet, and often obtained and published -the very facts that should have been concealed. -He issued a stringent order excluding all reporters and -correspondents from his lines. This brought down upon -him the indignation of the press. More unfortunately -still, he failed to impress the Secretary of War with the -necessities of his position and the importance of holding -it. On the 3d of November he telegraphed to General -McClellan the condition of affairs, with the number of his -several forces, showing them to be everywhere, except at -one single point, outnumbered, and concluded his despatch -with the emphatic remark, ‘Our forces are too small to -do good, and too large to be sacrificed.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In reply, General McClellan asks, ‘How long could -McCook keep Buckner out of Louisville, holding the railroad, -with power to destroy it inch by inch?’—giving no -hint of a purpose to send reënforcements, but looking to -the probable abandonment of Kentucky. Previous to this, -General Sherman had had an interview with Secretary -Cameron, in presence of Adjutant-General Thomas, at -Lexington, Kentucky, and fully explained to him the situation -of his command, and also of the armies opposed -to him; and, on being asked what force was necessary for -a successful forward movement in his department, answered, -‘Two hundred thousand men.’ By the 1st of -November, Adjutant-General Thomas’s official report of -this conversation, in all its details, was published in most -of the newspapers of the country, giving the enemy full -knowledge of many important facts relating to General -Sherman’s department. He was too weak to defend his -lines; and the enemy knew it. He had no hope of reënforcements, -and, withal, was evidently in discredit with -the War Department, as being too apprehensive of the -power, strength, and resources of the enemy. He, therefore, -felt he could not successfully conduct the campaign, -and asked to be relieved. He was succeeded by General -Buell, who was at once reënforced, and enabled to hold -his defensive positions until Grant, the following spring, -should advance down the Mississippi and up the Cumberland.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman was now set down as ‘crazy,’ and -quietly retired to the command of Benton Barracks, near -St. Louis. The evidence of his insanity was his answer -to the Secretary of War—<span class='it'>that to make a successful advance -against the enemy, then strongly posted at all strategic points -from the Mississippi to Cumberland Gap, would require an -army two hundred thousand strong</span>! The answer was the -inspiration or the judgment of a military genius; but to -the mind of Mr. Secretary Cameron it was the prophecy -of a false wizard.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It has been said of the Spaniards, ‘that they generally -managed to have an army when they had no -general, and a general when they had no army;’ and -during the first years of the war we surpassed in folly -their example. It was vainly expected the rebellion -could effectually be put down without either a general -or an army, by a mere flourish of trumpets—as if the -foundations of the Confederacy, like the walls of Jericho, -would yield and fall at the blowing of a ram’s horn. Subsequent -events have sufficiently vindicated General Sherman’s -opinion expressed in his reply to the Secretary of -War.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Meantime General Halleck succeeded to the command -of the Department of the West, and General Sherman -was not long allowed to remain in charge of a recruiting-rendezvous -at St. Louis. When General Grant -moved on Fort Donelson, Sherman was intrusted with -the forwarding to him of reënforcements and supplies -from Paducah. General Grant subsequently acknowleged -himself ‘greatly indebted for his promptness’ -in discharging that duty. After the capture of that -stronghold, General Sherman was put in command of -the fifth division of Grant’s army at Pittsburg Landing. -At the same time Beauregard was industriously -collecting the rebel forces at Corinth, a strong strategic -point, well fortified, thirty miles distant. Grant had -moved up from Fort Donelson, and Buell was on his -way.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>How grandly General Grant and Commodore Foote -did their work at Forts Henry and Donelson! What -deeds of valor were performed by our Western boys, -whose couch at night was the snowy earth, reddened with -the blood of carnage!</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But while that storm of conflict was raging, an officer -who had no superior, and longed to enter its perils -and glory for his native land and his own loyal West, -was patiently, and “without observation,” sending, with -an intelligent appreciation of what was needed, and remarkable -promptness, supplies for the heroes of the great -border battles. General Grant <span class='it'>knew</span> the value of that -service, and warmly expressed in his despatches his -“indebtedness to General Sherman” for his activity, his -timely and indispensable aid, apart from the bloody field.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>My reader will recollect that the fall of Fort Donelson, -about the middle of February, 1862, startled the -whole of “rebeldom.” The strongest fortress in the -West was taken. The next position in importance was -Corinth, because at the junction of the Memphis and -Charleston and the Mobile and Ohio Railroads. Memphis, -the enemy knew, must soon be the prize for which -our victorious troops would strike.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Corinth must be defended!” was the cry from the -South. General Beauregard, the hero of Sumter and -Bull Run, hastened to the field of conflict, to lend the -power of his name and generalship to the cause of -treason.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Grant had moved the gunboats after the surrender -of Fort Donelson down the Cumberland and up -the Tennessee River to Pittsburg Landing, making Savannah, -ten miles distant, his own headquarters.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Buell, with the Army of the Ohio, was marching -toward this point to join him, from the pursuit of -General Johnston through Nashville. The rebel officers -decided to concentrate their forces, by the railroads in -their possession, unexpectedly upon the Union army before -Buell could get there, and after annihilating it, turn upon -him and scatter his battalions. The enemy kept his -counsels well, while preparing to hurl his legions upon -our columns.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='67' id='Page_67'></span><h1>CHAPTER IX.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -Pittsburg Landing—The Surprise—The Battle—The Victory—Sherman’s glorious -part in the Struggle—The Testimony of Officers—His Letter on -the Contest. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/p.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='P'/>ITTSBURG is the nearest point to Corinth on -the river, three miles from which, in the sparsely -settled country, is the old log building called -Shiloh Church—a dilapidated sanctuary of primitive, -or rather <span class='it'>backwoods</span> style. Around this -desolate place of former worship lay General Sherman’s -division, bordering both sides of the lower road to -Corinth.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Sunday morning, April 6th, the fifty thousand men -or more, under such leaders as Beauregard, Johnston, -Breckinridge, and Polk, fell upon the army of the Republic, -emerging from their forest paths like spectres in -the early light. “Carleton,” who was there, and carefully -went over the field of conflict to know all that was -done, thus notices our hero:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sherman’s pickets were being driven back by the -rapid advance of the rebel lines. It was a little past sun-rise -when they came in, breathless, with startling accounts -that the entire rebel army was at their heels. The officers -were not out of bed. The soldiers were just stirring, -rubbing their eyes, putting on their boots, washing at the -brook, or tending their camp kettles. Their guns were -in their tents; they had a small supply of ammunition. -It was a complete surprise. Officers jumped from their -beds, tore open the tent-flies, and stood in undress to see -what it was all about. The rebel pickets rushed up within -close musket range and fired.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Fall in! Form a line! here, quick!’ were the -orders from the officers.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There was running in every direction. Soldiers for -their guns, officers for their sabres, artillerists to their -pieces, teamsters to their horses. There was hot haste, -and a great hurly-burly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Hardee made a mistake at the outset. Instead -of rushing up with a bayonet charge upon Sherman’s -camp, and routing his unformed brigades in an instant, -as he might have done, he unlimbered his batteries and -opened fire.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When the alarm was given General Sherman was -instantly on his horse. He sent a request to McClernand -to support Hilderbrand. He also sent word to Prentiss -that the enemy were in front, but Prentiss had already -made the discovery, and was contending with all his -might against the avalanche rolling upon him from the -ridge south of his position. He sent word to Hurlbut -that a force was needed in the gap between the church -and Prentiss. He was everywhere present, dashing along -his lines, paying no attention to the constant fire aimed -at him and his staff by the rebel skirmishers, within short -musket range. They saw him, knew that he was an -officer of high rank, saw that he was bringing order out -of confusion, and tried to pick him off. While galloping -down to Hilderbrand, his orderly, Halliday, was killed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sherman tried to hold his position by the church. -He considered it to be of the utmost importance. He did -not want to lose his camp. He exhibited great bravery. -His horse was shot, and he mounted another. That also -was killed, and he took a third, and, before night, lost his -fourth. He encouraged his men, not only by his words -but by his reckless daring. Captain Behr had been posted -on the Purdy road with his battery, and had had but little -part in the fight. He was falling back, closely followed -by Pond.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Come into position out there on the right,’ said -Sherman, pointing to the place where he wanted him to -unlimber. Then came a volley from the woods. A shot -struck the captain from his horse. The drivers and gunners -became frightened and rode off with the caissons, -leaving five unspiked guns to fall into the hands of the -rebels! Sherman and Taylor, and other officers, by -their coolness, bravery, and daring, saved Buckland’s and -McDowell’s brigades from a panic; and thus, after four -hours of hard fighting, Sherman was obliged to leave his -camp and fall back behind McClernand, who now was -having, a fierce fight with the brigades which had pushed -in between Prentiss and Sherman.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>You shall hear from the general’s fellow-officers about -his appearance and gallantry on this terrible field of strife. -A brave cavalry officer said of him: “Having occasion -to report personally to General Sherman, about noon of -the first day of Shiloh, I found him dismounted, his arm -in a sling, his hand bleeding, his horse dead, himself -covered with dust, his face besmeared with powder and -blood. He was giving directions at the moment to Major -Taylor, his chief of artillery, who had just brought a -battery into position. Mounted orderlies were coming -and going in haste; staff officers were making anxious -inquiries; everybody but himself seemed excited. The -battle was raging terrifically in every direction. Just -then there seemed to be universal commotion on our -right, where it was observed our men were giving back. -‘I was looking for that,’ said Sherman, ‘but I am ready -for them.’ His quick, sharp eye flashed, and his war-begrimed -face beamed with satisfaction. The enemy’s -packed columns now made their appearance, and as -quickly the guns which Sherman had so carefully placed -in position began to speak. The deadly effect on the -enemy was apparent. While Sherman was still managing -the artillery, Major Sanger, a staff officer, called -his attention to the fact that the enemy’s cavalry were -charging toward the battery. ‘Order up those two companies -of infantry,’ was the quick reply, and the general -coolly went on with his guns. The cavalry made a gallant -charge, but their horses carried back empty saddles. -The enemy was evidently foiled. Our men, gaining fresh -courage, rallied again, and for the first time that day the -enemy was held stubbornly in check. A moment more -and he fell back over the piles of his dead and wounded.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Rousseau, a division officer of Buell’s Army -of the Cumberland, speaks of him in the following handsome -manner:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“He gave us our first lessons in the field in the face -of an enemy; and of all the men I ever saw he is the -most untiring, vigilant, and patient. No man that ever -lived could surpass him. His enemies say that he was -surprised at Shiloh. I tell you no. He was not surprised -nor whipped, for he fights by the week. Devoid -of ambition, incapable of envy, he is brave, gallant, and -just. At Shiloh his old legion met him just as the battle -was ended; and at the sight of him, placing their hats -upon their bayonets, gave him three cheers. It was a -touching and fitting compliment to the gallant chieftain. -I am thankful for this occasion to do justice to a brave, -honest, and knightly gentleman.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Nor did he escape the attention of his commanding -officer. General Grant, in a letter to the War Department, -under date of July 25, 1863, said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At the battle of Shiloh, on the last day, he held, -with raw troops, the key point of the landing. It is no -disparagement to any other officer to say that I do not -believe there was another division commander on the -field who had the skill and experience to have done it. -To his individual efforts I am indebted for the success of -that battle.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Writes Colonel Bowman: “He formed his first line -of battle on the brow of a hill, or rather ridge, on the -west of Lick and Owl Creeks, which served as a natural -fortification. The men, by lying down or retiring a few -steps, were well covered, and, by rising and advancing a -few paces, could deliver their fire with terrible effect. -But his troops were mostly green, and wholly untrained -in the art of war. The rebel onset was well directed, -rapid, and most persistent. Some of Sherman’s regiments -broke and fled, while others fought like veterans. -The fight soon became general; Beauregard hurled his -massed columns with great impetuosity against our attenuated -lines, which, though yielding to the pressure, -did not break. The rebels gained ground inch by inch, -but could do no more than compress the semicircle of our -line of battle. Beauregard had promised his troops to -drive us into the Tennessee that day before three o’clock, -but nightfall found him contemplating the chances of -successful retreat; for Buell had arrived. Sherman’s -conduct on that day showed him to be a man of the first -order of military talent. He was not disconcerted by -the panic among his green troops, and, indeed, had expected -it. All he asked was, that a reasonable number -should remain and obey orders; and in an American -army there can always be found a goodly proportion of -officers and men incapable of being cowards under any -circumstances. With such he did battle on the 6th of -April, 1862—a day long to be remembered, as the -day of the battle of Shiloh. There was not a commanding -general on the field who did not rely on Sherman, -and look to him as our chief hope; and there is no question -that but for Sherman our army would have been destroyed. -He rode from place to place, directing his -men; he selected from time to time the positions for his -artillery; he dismounted and managed the guns; he sent -suggestions to commanders of divisions; he inspired everybody -with confidence; and yet it never occurred to him -that he had accomplished any thing worthy of remark.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Nelson, a few days before his death, in conversation -with Larz Anderson and two or three other -gentlemen, said: “During eight hours, the fate of the -army on the field of Shiloh depended on the life of one -man: if General Sherman had fallen, the army would -have been captured or destroyed.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Halleck, in his despatch to the Secretary of -War, recommending General Sherman for promotion, -said of him: “It is the unanimous opinion here that -Brigadier-General W. T. Sherman saved the fortunes of -the day on the 6th of April, and contributed largely to -the glorious victory of the 7th. He was in the thickest -of the fight on both days, having three horses killed under -him, and being wounded twice. I respectfully request -that he be made a major-general of volunteers, to -date from the 6th instant.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Acting upon this recommendation, General Sherman -was promoted to the rank designated, to date from May -1st, 1862.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I shall give you now a letter of considerable length, -written by General Sherman himself about the battle. -Some of my readers may not care to read it all; but it -should have a place in the annals of his life, because it is -one of many illustrations of his power with the pen, and -is also his honest and truthful record of the great contest -at Pittsburg Landing:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Division Mississippi.</span></p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“<span class='it'>Professor Henry Coppee, Philadelphia</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Dear Sir</span>: In the June number of the <span class='it'>United -States Service Magazine</span> I find a brief sketch of Lieutenant-General -U. S. Grant, in which I see you are likely to -perpetuate an error, which General Grant may not deem -of sufficient importance to correct. To General Buell’s -noble, able, and gallant conduct you attribute the fact -that the disaster of April 6th, at Pittsburg Landing, was -retrieved, and made the victory of the following day. -As General Taylor is said in his later days to have -doubted whether he was at the battle of Buena Vista at -all, on account of the many things having transpired -there, according to the historians, which he did not see, -so I begin to doubt whether I was at the battle of Pittsburg -Landing of modern description. But I was at the -battles of April 6th and 7th, 1862. General Grant visited -my division in person about ten <span class='sc'>a. m.</span>, when the battle -raged fiercest. I was then on the right.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“After some general conversation, he remarked that -I was doing right in stubbornly opposing the progress of -the enemy; and, in answer to my inquiry as to cartridges, -told me he had anticipated their want, and given -orders accordingly; he then said his presence was more -needed over at the left. About two <span class='sc'>p. m.</span> on the 6th, -the enemy materially slackened his attack on me, and -about four <span class='sc'>p. m.</span> I deliberately made a new line behind -McArthur’s drill field, placing batteries on chosen ground, -repelled easily a cavalry attack, and watched the cautious -approach of the enemy’s infantry, that never dislodged -me there. I selected that line in advance of a bridge -across Snake Creek, by which we had all day been expecting -the approach of Lew. Wallace’s division from -Crump’s Landing. About five <span class='sc'>p. m.</span>, before the sun set, -General Grant came again to me, and, after hearing my -report of matters, explained to me the situation of affairs -on the left, which were not as favorable. Still the enemy -had failed to reach the landing of the boat.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We agreed that the enemy had expended the <span class='it'>furore</span> -of his attack, and we estimated our loss, and approximated -our then strength, including Lew. Wallace’s fresh -division, expected each minute. He then ordered me to -get all things ready, and at daylight the next day to assume -the offensive. That was before General Buell had -arrived, but he was known to be near at hand. General -Buell’s troops took no essential part in the first day’s -fight, and Grant’s army, though collected together hastily, -green as militia, some regiments arriving without cartridges -even, and nearly all hearing the dread sound of -battle for the first time, had successfully withstood and -repelled the first day’s terrific onset of a superior enemy, -well commanded and well handled. I know I had orders -from General Grant to assume the offensive before I knew -General Buell was on the west side of the Tennessee. I -think General Buell, Colonel Fry, and others of General -Buell’s staff, rode up to where I was about sunset, about -the time General Grant was leaving me. General Buell -asked me many questions, and got of me a small map, -which I had made for my own use, and told me that by -daylight he could have eighteen thousand fresh men, -which I knew would settle the matter.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I understood Grant’s forces were to advance on the -right of the Corinth road and Buell’s on the left, and accordingly -at daylight I advanced my division by the flank, -the resistance being trivial, up to the very spot where the -day before the battle had been most severe, and then -waited till near noon for Buell’s troops to get up abreast, -when the entire line advanced and recovered all the -ground we had ever held. I know that with the exception -of one or two struggles, the fighting of April 7th was -easy as compared with that of April 6th.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I never was disposed, nor am I now, to question -any thing done by General Buell and his army, and know -that, approaching our field of battle from the rear, he encountered -that sickening crowd of laggards and fugitives -that excited his contempt and that of his army, who never -gave full credit to those in the front line, who did fight -hard, who had, at two <span class='sc'>p. m.</span>, checked the enemy, and were -preparing the next day to assume the offensive. I remember -the fact the better from General Grant’s anecdote -of the Donelson battle, which he told me then for -the first time—that, at a certain period of the battle, he -saw that either side was ready to give way if the other -showed a bold front, and he determined to do that very -thing, to advance on the enemy, when, as he prognosticated, -the enemy surrendered.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At four <span class='sc'>p. m.</span> of April 6th, he thought the appearances -the same, and he judged, with Lew. Wallace’s fresh -division, and such of our startled troops as had recovered -their equilibrium, he would be justified in dropping the -defensive and assuming the offensive in the morning. -And, I repeat, I received such orders before I knew -General Buell’s troops were at the river. I admit that I -was glad Buell was there, because I knew his troops were -older than ours, and better systematized and drilled, and -his arrival made that certain which before was uncertain. -I have heard this question much discussed, and must say -that the officers of Buell’s army dwelt too much on the -stampede of some of our raw troops, and gave us too -little credit for the fact that for one whole day, weakened -as we were by the absence of Buell’s army, long expected, -of Lew. Wallace’s division, only four miles off, and of -the fugitives from our ranks, we had beaten off our assailants -for the time. At the same time our Army of the -Tennessee have indulged in severe criticism at the slow -approach of that army which knew the danger that threatened -us from the concentrated armies of Johnston, Beauregard, -and Bragg, that lay at Corinth.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In a war like this, where opportunities for personal -prowess are as plenty as blackberries, to those who seek -them at the front, all such criminations should be frowned -down; and were it not for the military character of your -journal, I would not venture to offer a correction to a -very popular error.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I will also avail myself of this occasion to correct -another very common mistake in attributing to General -Grant the selection of that battle-field. It was chosen by -that veteran soldier, Major-General Charles F. Smith, -who ordered my division to disembark there, and strike -for the Charleston Railroad. This order was subsequently -modified by his ordering Hurlbut’s division to -disembark there, and mine higher up the Tennessee to -the mouth of Yellow Creek, to strike the railroad at -Burnsville. But floods prevented our reaching the railroad, -when General Smith ordered me in person also to -disembark at Pittsburg Landing, and take post well out, -so as to make plenty of room, with Snake and Lake -Creeks the flanks of a camp for the grand army of invasion.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It was General Smith who selected that field of -battle, and it was well chosen. On any other we surely -would have been overwhelmed, as both Lick and Snake -Creeks forced the enemy to confine his movements to a -direct front attack, which new troops are better qualified -to resist than where flanks are exposed to a real or chimerical -danger. Even the divisions of that army were -arranged in that camp by General Smith’s orders, my -division forming, as it were, the outlying pickets, whilst -McClernand’s and Prentiss’s were the real line-of-battle, -with W. H. L. Wallace in support of the right wing, and -Hurlbut on the left; Lew. Wallace’s division being detached. -All these subordinate dispositions were made by -the order of General Smith, before General Grant succeeded -him in the command of all the forces up the -Tennessee—headquarters, Savannah.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If there were any error in putting that army on the -west side of the Tennessee, exposed to the superior force -of the enemy also assembling at Corinth, the mistake was -not General Grant’s; but there was no mistake. It was -necessary that a combat, fierce and bitter, to test the -manhood of the two armies, should come off, and that -was as good as any. It was not then a question of military -skill and strategy, but of courage and pluck, and I -am convinced that every life lost that day to us was -necessary; for otherwise at Corinth, at Memphis, at -Vicksburg, we would have found harder resistance, had -we not shown our enemies that, rude and untutored as -we then were, we could fight as well as they.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Excuse so long a letter, which is very unusual for -me; but of course my life is liable to cease at any moment, -and I happen to be a witness to certain truths -which are now beginning to pass out of memory, and -form what is called history.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I also take great pleasure in adding that nearly all -the new troops that at Shiloh drew from me official censure -have more than redeemed their good name; among -them that very regiment which first broke, the Fifty-third -Ohio, Colonel Appen. Under another leader, Colonel -Jones, it has shared every campaign and expedition of -mine since, is with me now, and can march, and bivouac, -and fight as well as the best regiment in this or any -army. Its reputation now is equal to that of any from -the State of Ohio.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:6em;'>“I am, with respect, yours truly,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>, Major-General.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Rarely for young and old is there a finer example of -Professor Longfellow’s words in the Psalm of Life—</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:1em;margin-bottom:1em;font-size:.9em;'>“Learn to labor and to wait,”</p> - -<p class='noindent'>than this part of General Sherman’s career affords. He -did his work well, and two years afterwards the military -genius, unrecognized then by the country, filled the land -with his praise.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='82' id='Page_82'></span><h1>CHAPTER X.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Morning after the Battle—General Sherman’s column in Motion—What it -did—Corinth the next Goal—The Siege—The Evacuation—General Sherman’s -troops the first to enter the Works—The Hero is made Major-General—Advance -on Holly Springs—Memphis—General Sherman’s successful -Command in that City—The Guerrillas. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/t.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='T'/>HE eighth of April dawned upon the silent, sanguinary -field of recent conflict. Soon large -companies of men were moving from the Union -camps with spades and other implements of -burial, to lay in trenches the heaps of the -slain. The weather was warm in that southern latitude, -and General Grant hastened the work of interment alike -of slaughtered friends and foes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Beauregard wrote to our commander, requesting -leave to take rebel bodies from our lines under flag -of truce; but other hands were completing the sad labor -for the disfigured, blood-stained, and pulseless warriors.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Look away from that scene, after the battle, along the -Corinth road, and you see the serried files of living men, -led by the unresisting Sherman, dashing along in hot -pursuit of the enemy. The chief of the fifth division, -with a force of cavalry and two brigades of infantry, is -in the war-path again. Suddenly appear the white tents of -the abandoned camps of the enemy, and hospital flags are -flying over them in the early breeze. What does it mean? -They are <span class='it'>false</span> signals, hung out to deceive the pursuing -commander, and protect the deserted canvas cities. Onward -the sagacious, daring leader hurries after the foe.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And now a shout rings from the lips of our “boys.” -The rebel cavalry are in sight. A few moments later -swords cross, pistols crack, and horses rush together in -the strife. Then the “graybacks” turn and fly, leaving -the field, camps, and all, to our victorious ranks. The -work of destruction followed. Tents, arms, ammunition, -were mingled in a common ruin. The road for miles -was lined with wagons the foe were compelled to leave -in their haste to get out of our way; ambulances stood -unused, although thousands of the mangled were in need -of them; limber-boxes, which belong to the guns, were -also abandoned; indeed, every thing showed a hurried -retreat, which but for the cavalry in the rear to cover the -flight of the infantry, would have been a complete rout of -the enemy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The victor returned from his gallant exploit only to -repeat it. The general advance toward Corinth immediately -followed. The fifth division swept over the country, -which was arrayed in vernal verdure and bloom. -The birds sang as sweetly as in any former spring-time, -startled beside the highway only by the tramp of the -marching host.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>May 17th the first shock came. The division of -General Grant’s army under Sherman, met the rebels in -a severe conflict on the road to Corinth. They had to -fall back before the human tide, crested with fire and -steel. This brief contest only opened the way to the -fortress of rebel strength. And the question was, how -shall Corinth be taken? It must either be by direct and -bloody assault, or by siege, surrounding it, and compelling -the imprisoned army to surrender.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Beauregard watched with sleepless vigilance his foe. -He ordered troops to intrench on a ridge near Philip’s -Creek and oppose the Union forces. General Jeff. C. -Davis approached the works; then, feigning a retreat, -drew the garrison out, when a severe struggle defeated -the enemy completely. This occurred May 21st; and, -on the 27th, General Sherman also had a fight with the -rebels.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The decisive hour at length has come; all is activity -and excitement. We cannot furnish you a more vivid -description of the stirring and awfully sublime scenes of -such a crisis in army operations, than one given in a letter -from this field of conquest:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Regiments and artillery are placed in position, and, -generally, the cavalry is in advance; but when the opposing -forces are in close proximity, the infantry does the -work. The whole front is covered by a cloud of skirmishers, -then reserves formed, and then, in connection with -the main line, they advance. For a moment all is still -as the grave to those in the background; as the line -moves on, the eye is strained in vain to follow the skirmishers -as they creep silently forward; then, from some -point of the line, a single rifle rings through the forest, -sharp and clear, and, as if in echo, another answers it. -In a moment more the whole line resounds with the din -of arms. Here the fire is slow and steady, there it rattles -with fearful rapidity; and the whole is mingled with the -roar of the reserves as the skirmishers are at any part -driven in; and if, by reason of superior force, these -reserves fall back to the main force, then every nook and -corner seems full of sound. The batteries open their terrible -voices, and their shells sing horribly while winging -their flight, and their dull explosion speaks plainly of -death; their canister and grape go crashing through the -trees, rifles ring, the muskets roar, and the din is terrific. -Then the slackening of the fire denotes the withdrawing -of the one party, and the more distant picket firing that -the work was accomplished. The silence becomes almost -painful after such a scene as this, and no one can -conceive the effect who has not experienced it. The line -of works was selected, and, at the word of command, -three thousand men, with axes, spades, and picks, stepped -out into the open field from their cover in the woods. In -almost as short a time as it takes to tell it, the fence -rails which surrounded and divided three hundred farm -lots, were on the shoulders of the men, and on the way -to the intended line of works. Then, as, for a time, the -ditches deepen, the dirt is packed on the outer side, -the bushes and all points of concealment are cleared -from the front, and the centre divisions of our army has -taken a long stride toward the rebel works. The siege -guns are brought and placed in commanding positions. -A log-house furnishes the hewn and seasoned timber -for the platforms, and the plantation of a southern lord -has been thus speedily transformed into one of Uncle -Sam’s strongholds, where the Stars and Stripes float -proudly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Soon after daylight, on Friday morning, the army -was startled by rapid and long-continued explosions, similar -to musketry, but much louder. The conviction flashed -across my mind that the rebels were blowing up their -loose ammunition, and leaving. The dense smoke arising -in the direction of Corinth strengthened this belief, and -soon the whole army was advancing on a grand reconnaissance. -The distance through the woods was short, -and in a few minutes shouts arose from the rebel lines, -which told that our army was in their trenches. Regiment -after regiment pressed on, and passing through extensive -camps just vacated, soon reached Corinth, and -found half of it in flames.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The troops under General Sherman were first in the -works. Their columns, as we have seen, were conspicuous -in the entire and triumphant progress from Shiloh, -sustaining the heaviest blows, and bearing aloft proudly -the banner of the republic. General Sherman was in -subordinate command, but in his field of action he was -the uniformly wise, shrewd, daring, and successful leader. -Wrote General Grant: “His services as division commander -in the advance on Corinth, I will venture to say, -were appreciated by the new general-in-chief beyond any -other division commander.” He was appointed major-general -of volunteers, dating from May 1st, 1862.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Holly Springs, of which you will read more hereafter, -is situated on the railroad from Jackson, Tennessee, to -New Orleans. June 20th, General Sherman coolly relieved -the rebels of its care, and took possession himself, -burning long stretches of trestle-work on the Mississippi -Central Railroad, to prevent an unpleasant surprise by the -rebels. They had removed their machinery for making -and repairing arms to Atlanta, Georgia, not dreaming of -a visit to that city two years later by the division-general -at Holly Springs.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A few weeks after these events, July 11th, General -Halleck was ordered to Washington in the high position -of generalissimo of the Union armies, and a reorganization -of them followed. General Grant was placed in -command of the “Department of West Tennessee,” -covering a large territory bordering the Tennessee and -Mississippi Rivers. Memphis, which had surrendered -June 6th, was a very important base of operations and -supplies. But guerrillas and contraband traders infested -the country around, making the city a dangerous haunt of -traitors from the border-land. General Grant displayed -his wisdom in sending General Sherman to the post, declaring -that he could the most effectually restore order and -security to that disturbed district. Soon quiet reigned, -guerrillas disappeared, and villanous traders went to more -comfortable quarters. General Sherman did all and -more than General Grant expected of him. He was -just, humane, and yet severe in his administration, -according to his views freely and often expressed; that -when people appeal to war for the settlement of claims, -they must abide entirely by the rules and consequences -of so terrible a means of real or imaginary redress. His -ideas were comprehensive, and, had they prevailed at an -earlier period, our Government and commanders would -have ended the civil strife long ago, we cannot doubt.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='89' id='Page_89'></span><h1>CHAPTER XI.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -General Sherman’s next Post—The Steele’s Bayou Expedition—A Trial of -Courage—The Leader’s Heroism. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/t.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='T'/>O secure the forces necessary for a new movement -against Vicksburg, General Grant requested -the War Department to reunite the thirteenth -and fifteenth corps with his own. Accordingly, -after the completion of the work of destruction -of rebel defences and munitions at Arkansas Post, the -troops reported to him at Memphis.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The country was then excited over a quiet, and yet -startling act of the Chief Magistrate—one which would -be felt over the world, and through all ages—the Proclamation -of Emancipation! General Grant immediately -addressed himself to the enforcement of its provisions -within the limits of his command. Thousands wept for -joy; thousands more trembled or cursed with alarm -over the immortal document. Issuing his order in harmony -with it, he soon after removed a portion of his magnificent -army to Young’s Point, in Louisiana, and another -at Milliken’s Bend down the Mississippi River, taking -up his headquarters at the former place, where General -Sherman was also stationed with his troops.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There was now a new device to get <span class='it'>around</span> Vicksburg, -and so open communication with forces below the -city. Canals were tried, but heavy rains, and the troops -being required to <span class='it'>fight</span> the floods rushing into camp -and excavations, compelled the commander-in-chief to -abandon the enterprise. Providence Lake and its connections, -and Yazoo Pass, were successively explored, and the -effort made to find a ship-path through the wild region.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Admiral Porter had been looking along the shores of -the “Father of Waters,” to see if he could discover a -highway or <span class='it'>byway</span> for his gunboats. About the middle -of March, 1862, he told General Grant that he was -quite sure he could get through by Steele’s Bayou, Black -Bayou, to Duck Creek, thence to Deer Creek, into Rolling -Fork, and down Sunflower River into the Yazoo, -which empties into the Mississippi.</p> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/bayous-illo.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0004' style='width:500px;height:auto;'/> -<p class='caption'><span style='font-size:smaller'>IN THE BAYOUS.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='pindent'>General Grant and Admiral Porter proceeded on the -experimental excursion over these dark bayous. “And -what are they?” you may ask.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A bayou is a channel or outlet running from a river -to other waters—sometimes it is an old bed of the stream—forming -thus connections by which vessels can pass -from one stream to another.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Grant returned to Young’s Point to send a -pioneer corps to cut away moss-covered trees overhanging -the waters, and obstructing the way. You can -scarcely imagine the awful gloom and solitude of those -tangled woods, whose drooping boughs and long plumes -of moss sweep the surface of the dismal bayous.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Admiral Porter soon found that the enemy were on -his track, and might shut him into the wilderness. He -therefore sent to General Grant for troops. The ignorance -of the country, and the difficult winding way, gave -the rebels time to cut off the advance, and stop the bold -travellers just when near their journey’s end.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman now appears in the adventure, ordered -forward by his chief, to help the admiral out of -the perilous spot.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The despatch from the Admiral having reached him -March 21st, that the channel was obstructed, and the -enemy six hundred strong, with field batteries disputing -his advance, General Sherman, with the promptness -and decision characteristic of his unsleeping martial -spirit, issued his orders to the troops. They made a -forced march, skirmishing part of the way, and reached -the gunboats before night of the 22d, a distance of -twenty-one miles, over a terrible road. But the brave -fellows had learned that General Sherman always had -a reason for his movements, and cheerfully advanced to the -rescue through exhausting trial and peril. “During the -day the enemy had been largely reënforced from the -Yazoo, and now unmasked some five thousand men—infantry, -cavalry, and artillery. The boats were surrounded -with rebels, who had cut down trees before and -behind them, were moving up artillery, and making every -exertion to cut off retreat and capture our boats. A -patrol was at once established for a distance of seven -miles along Deer Creek, behind the boats, with a chain -of sentinels outside of them, to prevent the felling of -trees. For a mile and a half to Rolling Fork, the creek -was full of obstructions. Heavy batteries were on its -bank, supported by a large force. To advance was impossible; -to retreat seemed almost hopeless. The gunboats -had their ports all closed, and preparations made -to resist boarders. The mortar boats were all ready for -fire and explosion. The army lines were so close to each -other that rebel officers wandered into our lines in the -dark, and were captured. It was the second night without -sleep aboard ship, and the infantry had marched -twenty-one miles without rest. But the faithful force, -with their energetic leader, kept successful watch and -ward over the boats and their valuable artillery. At 7 -o’clock that morning, the 22d, General Sherman received -a despatch from the admiral, by the hands of a -faithful contraband who came along through the rebel -lines in the night, stating his perilous condition.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He was now fairly shut up in the bayou by the rebels.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The first firing of the gunboats was heard by -General Sherman near the Shelby plantation. He urged -his troops forward, and after an hour’s hard marching, -the advance, deployed as skirmishers, came upon a body -of the enemy who had passed by the force which had -been engaged. Immediately engaging them, the enemy -stood a while disconcerted by the unexpected attack, -fought a short time, and gave way.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The next effort of the rebels was to pass around -our lines in the afternoon and night, and throw their -whole force still further below us; General Stuart, with -four regiments, marched on Hill’s plantation the same -morning, having run his transports in the night, and immediately -advanced one regiment up Deer Creek, and -another still further to the right. The rebels, who were -making a circuit about General Sherman, thus found the -whole line occupied, and abandoned the attempt to cut -off the gunboats for that day. During the afternoon the -troops and gunboats all arrived at Hill’s plantation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“There were destroyed by our troops and by the -rebels at least two thousand bales of cotton, fifty thousand -bushels of corn, and the gins and houses of the plantations -whose owners had obstructed our progress, and joined in -the warfare. The resources of the country we found -ample to subsist the army at Vicksburg for some length -of time, and by the destruction of them we crippled the -enemy so far.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The rescue of the admiral’s force was next thing to a -miracle: it was God’s kind and timely interposition. A -half hour’s delay in the movements of Generals Sherman -and Stuart, or of the second forced march of the former, -and all would have been lost. In the hands of a less -gifted and energetic leader, one of our bravest admirals, -with his fleet, would have been taken by the rebels, who -were confident of the prey and booty.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='95' id='Page_95'></span><h1>CHAPTER XII.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Position of the Western Forces—The Expedition against Vicksburg under -General Sherman—The Just and Stringent Orders of the Chief—He shows the -Speculators no Mercy—The Advance of the Grand Army Checked—The Embarkation -of Troops—The Magnificent Pageant—The Progress and Arrival of -the Fleet. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/b.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='B'/>EFORE following our brave commander further -in his war-path, let us survey the field of action -in the West. The goal of patriotic ambition was -now the “Gibraltar of the Father of Waters”—Vicksburg. -The great work of preparation to -move went forward during the autumn and early winter -under the eye of the patient, persistent Grant.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>December 22d, 1862, he issued an order dividing the -troops into four army corps, stating that “the fifth division, -Brigadier-General Morgan L. Smith commanding, the -division from Helena, Arkansas, commanded by Brigadier-General -Steele, and the forces in the district of Memphis, -will constitute the fifteenth army corps, and be commanded -by Major-General W. T. Sherman.” Meanwhile, General -Sherman had been quietly put in command of his -forces, and ordered to sail for Friar’s Point, eighteen -miles below Helena, and be ready to coöperate with the -main body of troops under General Grant, in a combined -movement on the stronghold. The former had been in -the vicinity of the Tallahatchie River, making reconnaissances, -and was acquainted with that country by this personal -observation. He had issued an order of march -which showed no mercy to speculators, and, as you will -see, is marked with the clear thought and forcible words -of its gifted author:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“1. The expedition now fitting out is purely of a military -character, and the interests involved are of too important -a nature to be mixed up with personal and private -business. <span class='it'>No citizen, male or female, will be allowed to accompany -it</span>, unless employed as part of a crew or as servants -to the transports. Female chambermaids to the -boats and nurses to the sick alone will be allowed, unless -the wives of captains and pilots actually belonging to the -boats. No laundress, officer’s, or soldier’s wife must pass -below Helena.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“2. No person whatever, citizen, officer, or sutler, -will, on any consideration, buy or deal in cotton or other -produce of the country. Should any cotton be brought -on board of any transport going or returning, the brigade -quartermaster, of which the boat forms a part, will take -possession of it, and invoice it to Captain A. R. Eddy, -Chief Quartermaster at Memphis.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“3. Should any cotton or other produce be brought -back to Memphis by any chartered boat, Captain Eddy -will take possession of the same, and sell it for the benefit -of the United States. If accompanied by its actual producer, -the planter or factor, the quartermaster will furnish -him with a receipt for the same to be settled for, on -proof of his loyalty at the close of the war.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“4. Boats ascending the river may take cotton from -the shore for bulkheads to protect their engines or crew, -but on arrival at Memphis it will be turned over to the -quartermaster, with a statement of the time, place, and -name of its owner. The trade in cotton must await a -more peaceful state of affairs.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“5. Should any citizen accompany the expedition below -Helena, in violation of these orders, any colonel of -a regiment or captain of a battery will conscript him into -the service of the United States for the unexpired term of -his command. If he show a refractory spirit unfitting -him for a soldier, the commanding officer present will -turn him over to the captain of the boat as a deck hand, -and compel him to work in that capacity without wages -until the boat returns to Memphis.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“6. Any person whatever, whether in the service of -the United States or transports, found making reports for -publication, which might reach the enemy, giving them -information, aid, and comfort, will be arrested and treated -as spies.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The columns of the three army corps had advanced -along the railroad leading from Grand Junction to Grenada, -the advance passing onward through Holly Springs -the last of November. By the middle of December General -Grant’s headquarters were at Oxford, his face set -toward Vicksburg. On the 20th occurred a painful and -memorable affair to check the forward march. Although -Gen. Grant had taken every precaution against raiding -parties, a dash was made at Holly Springs in his rear, held -by Colonel Murphy, who at once surrendered the post.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Grant was indignant at the cowardly surrender, -and immediately dismissed the unworthy officer from -the service. In consequence of the destruction of supplies, -the commander-in-chief had to fall back to Holly -Springs and prepare to start again. While this serious -interruption in the army’s progress was transpiring, General -Sherman had located his headquarters on board of -the <span class='it'>Forest Queen</span> with his staff. This magnificent fleet -consisted of one hundred and twenty-seven steamers besides -the gunboats. The troops were hardy, western men, -unsurpassed in the ranks for the qualities of brave -warriors.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>War does not often present such a pageant as that of -this <span class='it'>armada</span> sailing down the Tennessee and then the -Mississippi Rivers. The Stars and Stripes waved over -the crowded decks, and music floated over the waters. -The grand procession of vessels moved majestically over -the broad current, which in the sunlight reflected their -forms, and in the evening unnumbered signal lanterns -from mast and prow and stern. Various were the scenes -and incidents of the voyage.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Writes a passenger: “Until we got below Helena, -wood was so scarce on the river that it was only to be -obtained by cutting it, either entirely green or from the -water-logged drifts which had caught against the banks. -Wherever a good placer was discovered, the boats lucky -enough to find it landed and all hands went out with axes, -and in a few hours enough was obtained to steam on to -the next good place.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When the fleet approached Napoleon, Arkansas, the -<span class='it'>Post Boy</span>, which is a transportation boat, was in the advance, -and as she neared the shore she was hailed by a -person bearing a flag of truce, with the information that -there was a band of guerrillas just below, waiting to fire -upon her. At this time she was the only boat visible, -but in a short time the remainder of the fleet made its -appearance, and the guerrillas, if there were any, concluded, -no doubt, that we were too many for them. At -all events, at this point there was firing. The houses in -the town appeared to be nearly all deserted, but in some -of them could be seen persons standing back in the door, -as if to escape the observation of their neighbors, and -waving their handkerchiefs. Napoleon is the place where -the first shot was fired at a Federal steamer on the Mississippi -River, but there may be some Union people there -nevertheless.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“As we reached Helena, very little of the city could -be seen for the long line of tents stretched along the bank. -The fleet stopped there for the night and took on the troops -that were to accompany the expedition, and next morning -started on for Friar’s Point, the first place of rendezvous. -It lay there all night, and about nine o’clock next morning -again started down the river, and reached Gaines’ Landing, -one hundred and fifty miles below Helena, about two -o’clock <span class='sc'>p. m.</span>, where it stopped to wood. As the fleet approached -this point the bank appeared to be lined with -negroes, who all started down the shore hurrahing and -shouting and jumping, and cutting all kinds of antics. I -learned from some of them that they thought the fleet -was going down to set all the slaves free.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When the boats landed, a negro gave information -of a large store of wood of the best quality, amounting -to more than two thousand cords, secreted in the timber -near the bank, in a place where it would not readily have -been found. This was a great prize, and was instantly -levied on for the use of Uncle Sam. Every soldier able -to do duty was sent on shore to pack wood, and by nightfall -all the boats were well supplied for nearly the whole -trip. Near the wood were some ten or twelve houses, -one of them a very fine frame. The negroes said the -owners had gone to join the Southern army, and the soldiers, -without more ado, burned them all down. Many -of the negroes, if not all, came on the boats, and are now -under the protection of the army.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At early light the next morning the fleet moved on -again, and as General Morgan’s division came opposite a -little village known as Wood Cottage Landing, some guerrillas, -secreted in a clump of undergrowth, fired a volley -at one of his transports. To teach them a lesson for the -future, General Morgan sent some troops on shore and -burnt every house in the neighborhood.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Milliken’s Bend was to be the last rendezvous of the -fleet before it started out for active operations on Vicksburg, -and we arrived there about dark on the evening of -the 24th December. The next day would be Christmas, -and many of the soldiers had the idea that the fleet would -sail right in without difficulty, and that they would take -their Christmas dinner in Vicksburg. Many invitations -were given among friends for a dinner at the Preston -House. They little dreamed of the disappointment in -store for them, or that New Year’s day would find them -on the wrong side of the hill.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the night of the 24th, General Sherman sent out -a detachment of troops, under command of General M. L. -Smith, to tear up a section of the line of the Vicksburg -and Texas Railroad, about ten miles west of Vicksburg. -The work was well and quickly done, and the stations at -Delhi and Dallas burned.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At daylight next morning all was ready, and the -fleet started for its destined port, which it reached on the -banks of the Yazoo about noon the same day. Many -years ago, about eight miles below the mouth of the -Yazoo, the Mississippi cut a new channel for itself across -a bend, coming into the main channel again just above -Vicksburg. The Yazoo followed the old channel, and -the mouth of the river is, therefore, really from twelve -to fifteen miles below where it was originally; but from -the old mouth to the new the river is known to pilots as -‘Old River.’ Where the fleet landed was about three -miles above Old River, where the right rested, and the -left extended to within three miles of Haynes’ Bluff, the -intervening space being about six miles.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On entering the Yazoo, the first object that attracted -the attention was the ruins of a large brick house and -several other buildings, which were still smoking. On -inquiry, I learned that this was the celebrated plantation -of the rebel General Albert Sidney Johnston, who was -killed at Shiloh. It was an extensive establishment, working -over three hundred negroes. It contained a large -steam sugar refinery, an extensive steam saw-mill, cotton-gins, -machine-shop, and a long line of negro quarters.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The dwelling was palatial in its proportions and -architecture, and the grounds around it were magnificently -laid out in alcoves, with arbors, trellises, groves of -evergreens, and extensive flower-beds. All was now a -mass of smouldering ruins. Our gunboats had gone up -there the day before, and a small battery planted near the -mansion announced itself by plugging away at one of the -iron-clads, and the marines went ashore after the gunboats -had silenced the battery, and burned and destroyed every -thing on the place. If any thing were wanting to complete -the desolate aspect of the place, it was to be found -in the sombre-hued pendant moss, peculiar to Southern -forests, and which gives the trees a funereal aspect, as if -they were all draped in mourning. As on almost every -Southern plantation, there were many deadened trees -standing about in the fields, from the limbs of all of which -long festoons of moss hung, swaying with a melancholy -motion in every breeze.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The weather, since the starting out of the fleet, had, -up to this time, been very fine; but as evening now approached, -a heavy rain commenced, which, from the -appearance of things, bid fair to continue for an indefinite -period. The Yazoo River was low, and the banks -steep and about thirty feet high. Along the edge of the -water, and reaching to the foot of the bank, is a dense -undergrowth of willows, briers, thorns, vines, and live -oaks, twined together in a most disagreeably promiscuous -manner. To effect a landing of the troops and trains, a -way had to be cut through this entanglement, from every -boat, and this caused such a delay that it was quite dark -before all the troops were got on shore. Tents were -pitched for the night, pickets sent out, and the army encamped, -anxiously awaiting the dawn of the next day.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That General Grant would fail to communicate with -him, General Sherman could not know. He carried out -his part of the great programme, and steadily advanced -in accordance with its provisions for united action. In -this profound ignorance of the occasion of the failure, he -prepared to move upon Vicksburg.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='105' id='Page_105'></span><h1>CHAPTER XIII.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The March—The City—Preparations for an Assault—The Attack—The Abatis -and Rifle-pits—The Charge upon the Hill—Sherman succeeded by McClernand—General -Sherman’s Farewell Order—Result of the Expedition. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/o.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='O'/>N Saturday morning, December 27th, the advance -of the “right wing of the Army of the Tennessee” -reached Vicksburg. The approach to the -city from Johnston’s Landing was very difficult, -the town “being on a hill, with a line of hills -surrounding it at a distance of several miles, and extending -from Haines’ Bluff, on the Yazoo River, to Warrenton, -ten miles below, the city, on the Mississippi River. -The low country in the vicinity is swampy, filled with -sloughs, bayous, and lagoons; to approach Vicksburg -with a large force by this route, even in times of peace, -would be a matter of great difficulty, and with an enemy -in front, it was almost an impossibility.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The line of battle was soon formed by the army, and, -from different points, the onset made upon the enemy’s -works. Oh! how gallantly those Western legions beat -against the ramparts! And when the twilight shadows -stole over the bristling walls and hill-sides, they -had driven the rebel forces a mile from their original -position. Sunday dawned upon the night’s repose of the -combatants, and on the sacred air rang out the summons -to carnage again. But the affair at Holly Springs -had broken up the grand plan of attack, while the flying -troops from General Grant’s front reënforced the garrison. -Over the battlements of rebellion poured the iron -tempest upon Sherman’s unyielding lines. Securely the -foe remained behind those defences, rising for two miles -along the bluff, presenting a barrier no army small as the -“right wing” could scale or remove. Meanwhile the -sharpshooters from the forest dropped the officers on -every hand.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The brave Sherman was all the while expecting every -moment to hear the roar of General Grant’s guns in the -rear. With Monday came a succession of brilliant charges, -which were fruitless as the dash of sunlit waves against -the cannon-pierced granite of Gibraltar. If a momentary -advantage were gained, it was lost in the return tide -of overwhelming numbers. A spectator of these terribly -sublime encounters, wrote:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Morgan, at eleven o’clock <span class='sc'>a. m.</span>, sent word -to General Steele that he was about ready for the movement -upon the hill, and wished the latter to support him -with General Thayer’s brigade. General Steele accordingly -ordered General Thayer to move his brigade forward, -and be ready for the assault. The order was -promptly complied with, and General Blair received from -General Morgan the order to assault the hill. The artillery -had been silent for some time; but Hoffman’s battery opened -when the movement commenced. This was promptly -replied to by the enemy, and taken up by Griffith’s First -Iowa battery, and a vigorous shelling was the result. By -the time General Blair’s brigade emerged from its cover -of cypress forest, the shell were dropping fast among the -men. A field-battery had been in position in front of -Hoffman’s battery; but it limbered up and moved away -beyond the heavy batteries and the rifle-pits.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In front of the timber where Blair’s brigade had -been lying was an abatis of young trees, cut off about -three feet above the ground, and with the tops fallen promiscuously -around. It took some minutes to pass this -abatis, and by the time it was accomplished the enemy’s -fire had not been without effect. Beyond this abatis was -a ditch fifteen or twenty feet deep, and with two or three -feet of water in the bottom. The bottom of the ditch was -a quicksand, in which the feet of the men commenced -sinking, the instant they touched it. By the time this -ditch was passed the line was thrown into considerable -confusion, and it took several minutes to put it in -order. All the horses of the officers were mired in -this ditch. Every one dismounted and moved up the hill on -foot. Beyond this ditch was an abatis of heavy timber -that had been felled several months before, and, from -being completely seasoned, was more difficult of passage -than that constructed of the greener and more flexible -trees encountered at first. These obstacles were overcome -under a tremendous fire from the enemy’s batteries -and the men in the rifle-pits. The line was recovered -from the disorder into which it had been thrown by the -passage of the abatis; and with General Blair at their -head, the regiments moved forward ‘upon the enemy’s -works.’ The first movement was over a sloping plateau, -raked by direct and enfilading fires from heavy artillery, -and swept by a perfect storm of bullets from the rifle-pits. -Nothing daunted by the dozens of men that had already -fallen, the brigade pressed on, and in a few moments had -driven the enemy from the first range of rifle-pits at the -base of the hill, and were in full possession.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Halting but a moment to take breath, the brigade -renewed the charge, and speedily occupied the second line -of rifle-pits, about two hundred yards distant from the -first. General Blair was the first man of his brigade to -enter. All this time the murderous fire from the enemy’s -guns continued. The batteries were still above this -line of rifle-pits. The regiments were not strong enough -to attempt their capture without a prompt and powerful -support. For them it had truly been a march</p> - -<div class='literal-container' style=''><div class='literal'> <!-- rend=';fs:.9em;' --> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.9em;'>Into the jaws of death—</p> -<p class='line' style='font-size:.9em;'>Into the mouth of hell.</p> -</div></div> <!-- end rend --> - -<p class='pindent'>“Almost simultaneously with the movement of General -Blair on the left, General Thayer received his command -to go forward. He had previously given orders to -all his regiments in column to follow each other whenever -the first moved forward. He accordingly placed -himself at the head of his advance regiment, the Fourth -Iowa, and his order—‘Forward, second brigade!’—rang -out clear above the tumult. Colonel Williamson, -commanding the Fourth Iowa, moved it off in splendid -style. General Thayer supposed that all the other regiments -of his brigade were following, in accordance with -his instructions previously issued. He wound through -the timber skirting the bayou, crossed at the same bridge -where General Blair had passed but a few minutes before, -made his way through the ditch and both lines of -abatis, deflected the right and ascended the sloping plateau -in the direction of the rifle-pits simultaneously with -General Blair, and about two hundred yards to his right.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When General Thayer reached the rifle-pits, after -hard fighting and a heavy loss, he found, to his horror, -that only the Fourth Iowa had followed him, the wooded -nature of the place having prevented his ascertaining it -before. Sadly disheartened, with little hope of success, -he still pressed forward and fought his way to the second -line, at the same time that General Blair reached it on -the left. Colonel Williamson’s regiment was fast falling -before the concentrated fire of the rebels, and with an -anxious heart General Thayer looked around for aid.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The rebels were forming three full regiments of infantry -to move down upon General Thayer, and were -massing a proportionately formidable force against Gen. -Blair. The rebel infantry and artillery were constantly -in full play, and two heavy guns were raking the rifle-pits in -several places. With no hope of succor, General -Thayer gave the order for a return down the hill and -back to his original position. The Fourth Iowa, entering -the fight five hundred strong, had lost a hundred and -twenty men in less than thirty minutes. It fell back at a -quick march, but with its ranks unbroken and without -any thing of panic.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It appears that just at the time General Thayer’s -brigade started up the hill, General Morgan sent for a -portion of it to support him on the right. General Steele -at once diverted the Second Regiment of Thayer’s brigade, -which was passing at the time. The Second Regiment -being thus diverted, the others followed, in accordance -with the orders they had previously received from their -commander. Notice of the movement was sent to General -Thayer; but, in consequence of the death of the courier, -the notification never reached him. This accounts -for his being left with nothing save the Fourth Iowa regiment. -The occurrence was a sad one. The troops thus -turned off were among the best that had yet been in action, -and had they been permitted to charge the enemy, -they would have won for themselves a brilliant record.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When General Blair entered the second line of rifle-pits, -his brigade continued to pursue the enemy up the -hill. The Thirteenth Illinois infantry was in advance, -and fought with desperation to win its way to the top of -the crest. Fifty yards or more above the second line of -rifle-pits is a small clump of willows, hardly deserving -the name of trees. They stand in a corn-field, and from -the banks of the bayou below presented the appearance -of a green hillock. To this copse many of the rebels fled -when they were driven from the rifle-pits, and they were -promptly pursued by General Blair’s men. The Thirteenth -met and engaged the rebels hand to hand, and in -the encounter bayonets were repeatedly crossed. It gained -the place, driving out the enemy; but as soon as our -men occupied it, the fire of a field-battery was turned -upon them, and the place became too hot to be held.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The road from Mrs. Lake’s plantation to the top of -the high ground, and thence to Vicksburg, runs at an angle -along the side of the hill, so as to obtain a slope easy of -ascent. The lower side of this road was provided with a -breastwork, so that a light battery could be taken anywhere -along the road and fired over the embankment. -From the nearest point of this embankment a battery -opened on the Thirteenth Illinois, and was aided by a -heavy battery on the hill. Several men were killed by -the shell and grape that swept the copse.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The other regiments of the brigade came to the support -of the Thirteenth, the Twenty-ninth Missouri, Colonel -Cavender, being in the advance. Meantime the rebels -formed a large force of infantry to bring against them, -and when the Twenty-ninth reached the copse the rebels -were already engaging the Union troops. The color-bearer -of the Twelfth had been shot down, and some one -picked up the standard and planted it in front of the copse. -The force of the rebels was too great for our men to stand -against them, and they slowly fell back, fighting step by -step toward the rifle-pits, and taking their colors with them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In this charge upon the hill the regiments lost severely. -In General Blair’s brigade there were eighteen -hundred and twenty-five men engaged in this assault, and -of this number six hundred and forty-two were killed, -wounded, and captured.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Under a flag of truce the dead were buried and the -wounded removed, after which General Sherman gave the -order for his troops to reëmbark.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The arrival of General McClernand at the scene of -action caused a change in the command, as he ranked -General Sherman by over one month in the date of his -commission; and an order was at once given by the former -to withdraw from the Yazoo River, where the vessels -were stationed, and return to the Mississippi River. General -McClernand, on assuming the command, ordered the -title of the army to be changed, and General Sherman -announced the fact in the following order:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Right Wing Army of Tennessee</span>, }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Steamer Forest Queen, Milliken’s Bend</span>, <span class='it'>January 4, 1863</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Pursuant to the terms of General Orders No. 1, -made this day by General McClernand, the title of our -army ceases to exist, and constitutes in the future the -Army of the Mississippi, composed of two ‘army corps,’ -one to be commanded by General G. W. Morgan and -the other by myself. In relinquishing the command of -the Army of the Tennessee, and restricting my authority -to my own corps, I desire to express to all commanders, -to soldiers and officers recently operating before Vicksburg, -my hearty thanks for their zeal, alacrity, and courage -manifested by them on all occasions. We failed in -accomplishing one purpose of our movement, the capture -of Vicksburg; but we were part of a whole. <span class='it'>Ours was -but part of a combined movement, in which others were to -assist. We were on time; unforeseen contingencies must -have delayed the others.</span> We have destroyed the Shreveport -road, we have attacked the defences of Vicksburg, -and pushed the attack as far as prudence would justify; -and having found it too strong for our single column, we -have drawn off in good order and good spirits, ready for -any new move. <span class='it'>A new commander is now here to lead -you.</span> He is chosen by the President of the United States, -who is charged by the Constitution to maintain and defend -it, and he has the undoubted right to select his own -agents. <span class='it'>I know that all good officers and soldiers will give -him the same hearty support and cheerful obedience they -have hitherto given me.</span> There are honors enough in reserve -for all, and work enough too. Let each do his appropriate -part, and our nation must in the end emerge -from this dire conflict purified and ennobled by the fires -which now test its strength and purity. All officers of the -general staff now attached to my person will hereafter report -in person and by letter to Major-General McClernand, -commanding the Army of the Mississippi, on board -the steamer <span class='it'>Tigress</span>, at our rendezvous at Gaines’ Landing -and at Montgomery Point.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“By order of Major-General <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“<span class='sc'>J. H. Hammond, A. A.-G.</span>”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The morning light of January the 9th, 1864, fell upon -the <span class='it'>White Cloud</span>, carrying the mail with tidings of disaster, -death, and suffering, bound for St. Louis, and the -<span class='it'>City of Memphis</span>, bearing the sick and wounded. In the -Army of the Mississippi, under General McClernand, acting -for the time independent of General Grant’s command, -the late chief acted a subordinate part.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The fleet was again in motion, steaming up the broad -current for Arkansas Post, whose fortress was the object -of the expedition. It lies nearly north of Vicksburg, as a -glance at the map will show you. On the 11th the transports -and gunboats appeared before the fort.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The commander’s brief report will tell the story of -attack, conflict, and victory, in which General Sherman -had no inferior part.</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Army of the Mississippi</span>, }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Post of Arkansas</span>, <span class='it'>January 11, 1863</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“Major-General <span class='sc'>U. S. Grant</span>, <span class='it'>Commanding Department of Tennessee</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have the honor to report that the forces under my -command attacked the Post of Arkansas to-day, at one -o’clock, having stormed the enemy’s work. We took a -large number of prisoners, variously estimated at from -seven thousand to ten thousand, together with all his -stores, animals, and munitions of war.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Rear-Admiral David D. Porter, commanding the -Mississippi Squadron, effectively and brilliantly coöperated, -accomplishing this complete success.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>John A. McClernand</span>, Maj.-Gen. Com’ding.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The noble Admiral Porter, a child of the sea, whose -father was famous in the last war with England, also -gives an account of his work with the grim warriors of -the waters:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>United States Mississippi Squadron</span>, }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Arkansas Post</span>, <span class='it'>January 11, 1863</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“Hon. <span class='sc'>Gideon Welles</span>, <span class='it'>Secretary of Navy</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Sir</span>: The gunboats <span class='it'>Louisville</span>, <span class='it'>De Kalb</span>, <span class='it'>Cincinnati</span>, -and <span class='it'>Lexington</span>, attacked the heavy fort at the Post, on -the Arkansas, last night, and silenced the batteries, -killing twenty of the enemy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The gunboats attacked again this morning, and dismounted -every gun, eleven in all.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Colonel Dunnington, late of the United States Navy, -commandant of the fort, requested to surrender to the -navy. I received his sword.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The army coöperated on the land side. The forts -were completely silenced, and the guns, eleven in number, -were all dismounted in three hours.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The action was at close quarters on the part of the -three iron-clads, and the firing splendid.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The list of killed and wounded is small. The -<span class='it'>Louisville</span> lost twelve, <span class='it'>De Kalb</span> seventeen, <span class='it'>Cincinnati</span> -none, <span class='it'>Lexington</span> none, and <span class='it'>Rattler</span> two.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The vessels, although much cut up, were ready for -action in half an hour after the battle.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The light draught <span class='it'>Rattler</span>, Lieutenant-Commander -Wilson Smith, and the other light draughts, joined in the -action when it became general, as did the <span class='it'>Black Hawk</span>, -Lieutenant-Commander R. B. Breese, with her rifle-guns. -Particulars will be given hereafter.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:6em;'>“Very respectfully, your obedient servant,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>David D. Porter</span>, <span class='it'>Acting Rear-Admiral</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Thus did the army and navy share equally in the honors -of the success; neither is complete without the other.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The results of the original expedition seem small; -and severe comments were spoken and written about -General Sherman’s haste and failure. That his gallant -spirit was loyal, and his aim to serve the country, his -whole career has amply shown. That he relied upon the -expected battalions of Grant to meet the strength of the -garrisoned enemy victoriously, is evident. The defeat -was one of the lessons of our early warfare, which no -leader has so well improved as Major-General Sherman.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='118' id='Page_118'></span><h1>CHAPTER XIV.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Plot—General Sherman’s Part—His Successful Feint at Haines’ Bluff—Joins -the Main Army—The Advance toward Jackson, the State Capital—The -Victorious Entry of the City—On to Vicksburg again—Assaults—Siege—Victory—General -Sherman goes after “Joe” Johnston. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/d.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='D'/>URING the weeks of early spring the deeply -laid plot against Vicksburg ripened into action. -Quietly the master mind of the plan to reach -and take it, had laid out the work for his commanders. -On different sides toward the enemy -feigned attacks were made to deceive the rebels. March -29th, the Thirteenth Corps, led by McClernand, made the -advance from Milliken’s Bend, the grand starting-point.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Gen. Sherman, with the Fifteenth Corps, was to bring -up the rear, and would therefore be last to leave in the -general advance.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>April 28th a message in cipher, <span class='it'>i. e.</span> secret characters, -understood only by those in correspondence, was received -by him from General Grant, apprising him of the time -chosen for an attack on Grand Gulf. It also informed -him that an assault upon Haines’ Bluff, on the Yazoo -River, should “come off” at the same time, if it could -be done in a way to be understood by our loyal people. -For, to deceive the enemy and gain advantage over him, -while the pretended attack was thought to be [the] real one, -ending in defeat, would depress the national feeling, and -do more harm than good. This was the problem for -General Sherman to solve. He was sure he could make -the affair understood by his troops, and those for whom -they were fighting would not long be in the dark. He -therefore took ten steamers, and embarking with his true-hearted -warriors, started from Milliken’s Bend for the -Yazoo. The spectacle was beautiful—itself a <span class='it'>deception</span> -when contrasted with the havoc and horrors of conflict. -When the fleet steamed into the mouth of the river, other -vessels were waiting to join in the <span class='it'>ruse</span>. The whole -number of boats then moved, April 29th, to the Chickasaw -Bayou. The morning of the following day the fleet -pushed forward to the fort. Now came preparation for -action in the gunboats of Admiral Porter, the stir of the -gunners about their massive engines of destruction. A -few moments later the thunder of bombardment opened, -and for four hours it echoed over the works and waters. -The gunboats then retired out of range, and General -Sherman landed his force, while the rebels looked on, -expecting an immediate attack by him. No sooner had -the last soldier left the transports than the naval force advanced -and renewed the fire on the fortress. General -Sherman saw that the feint had succeeded, the foe was -getting ready to resist an assault.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Says General Grant in his official report: “To prevent -heavy reënforcements going from Vicksburg to the -assistance of the Grand Gulf forces, I directed Sherman -to make a demonstration on Haines’ Bluff, and to make -all the show possible. From information since received -from prisoners captured, this ruse succeeded admirably.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Meanwhile, the magnificent naval scene in the passing -of Vicksburg by Admiral Porter’s fleet, and the unrivalled -and romantic raid of Colonel Grierson through the heart -of the enemy’s country to Baton Rouge, cutting railroads -southeasterly of the same defiant Gibraltar, gave their -promise of success to the bold plans of General Grant.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>While General Sherman was frightening the enemy, -and learning his strength and positions, General Grant -sent for the heroic commander. He at once forwarded to -Grand Gulf the two divisions of his corps left at Milliken’s -Bend; and soon as the night covered his feints on -the Yazoo, sailed down the tide to his encampment at -Young’s Point. Nor did he pause long here. With all -his troops, excepting a garrison to hold the position, he -hastened to Hard Times, four miles from Grand Gulf, -which you will see lies on the banks of the Mississippi in -Louisiana. It was a remarkable march of sixty-three -miles in about five days. The columns reached Hard -Times on the morning of the 6th, and the same evening -commenced crossing the ferry to join General Grant.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And now began in earnest the great movement of the -army toward Vicksburg; for here the supply-wagons -were furnished and in line of march, arrangements made -to send on more when needed, and the long cavalcade -put in motion. General Sherman commanded at Hard -Times upon General Grant’s advance, till the provision -for the many thousand troops was completed. Unless -you have seen this part of army-work, you have no idea -of the immense scale on which it is conducted. There -are miles of wagons, hundreds of horses and mules to -draw them, and an army of teamsters to drive the brute -muscle of the campaign. The gigantic locomotive storehouse -moved toward Hawkinson’s Ferry on the Black -River, where the commander-in-chief was waiting for it -and Sherman’s Corps. While this deliberate and determined -progress was made, the Mississippians were -getting alarmed. The Governor of Mississippi issued -a flaming proclamation, calling upon the people “to -awake and join their brothers in arms, who were -baring their bosoms to the storm of battle in defence of -all they held dear.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>On May 12th, “Generals Sherman and McClernand -had skirmishing at Fourteen-Mile Creek, and McPherson -a successful engagement at Raymond. Sherman and -McPherson then started for Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, -the former on the turnpike road, the latter on -the Clinton road. The rain fell in torrents, making the -roads at first slippery and then miry. But the troops -marched without straggling, and in the best of spirits, -about fourteen miles, and engaged the enemy about twelve -o’clock <span class='sc'>m.</span>, near Jackson. The wily rebel General -Johnston, in command there, made a vigorous feint of -resisting Sherman’s progress by posting infantry and artillery -on the south side of the city, meanwhile moving -nearly all his force against McPherson. But Sherman -at once penetrated this device, by sending a reconnoitring -party to his right, which flanked the position. The -enemy retreated, after a heavy engagement with McPherson, -who had beaten him. From Jackson McPherson -and McClernand turned to Bolton; but Sherman was -left at Jackson, and effectually destroyed the railroads, -bridges, factories, workshops, arsenals, and every thing -valuable for the support of the enemy. General Grant -meanwhile, with the other two corps, had gained the decisive -victories of Champion’s Hill on the 16th of May, -and Big Black River on the 17th. Early on the former -day he sent for Sherman ‘to move with all possible -speed until he came up with the main force near Bolton. -The despatch reached him at ten minutes past seven <span class='sc'>a. m.</span>, -and his advance division was in motion in one hour -from that time.’ The other followed on its heels, and -both reached Bolton that night, by a forced march of -twenty miles. There orders came to keep on to Bridgeport; -and by noon of the next day the march to Bridgeport -was accomplished. There Sherman assumed the -advance, starting before dawn of May 18, and rapidly -marched toward Vicksburg. By a quick detour to the -right he managed to throw himself before night on Walnut -Hills, in a brilliant manœuvre, and thereby established -communication between the army and the fleet in the -Yazoo. On these latter movements of Sherman the comment -of General Grant is as follows:—‘His demonstration -at Haines’ Bluff, in April, to hold the enemy about -Vicksburg, while the army was securing a foothold east -of the Mississippi; his rapid marches to join the army -afterwards; his management at Jackson, Mississippi, in -the first attack; his almost unequalled march from Jackson -to Bridgeport, and passage of the Black River; his -securing Walnut Hills on the 18th of May, attest his -great merit as a soldier.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Grant first determined to carry Vicksburg -by assault, and ordered a general attack for two o’clock -of the 19th of May. General Sherman was, curiously -enough, on the ground he had before gallantly but vainly -striven to take, in December, having now seized it from -the rear without a struggle. Promptly at the hour his -men rushed to the work. The interval was a broad -reach, rugged and broken with deep ravines, and strewed -with abatis or felled timber, and with groves of standing -trees. It would have been a rough and impenetrable region -even if unswept with artillery. But in truth the -enemy’s cannon, carefully disposed, raked and enfiladed -almost every step. But the order was Forward! and forward -went the gallant brigade of General A. L. Lee, of -Osterhaus’s division, and, struggling across the impediments, -gained the crest of one of the ridges and planted -the colors of the Thirteenth infantry on the enemy’s first -line of works. The charge cost this regiment six officers -and seventy-seven men killed and wounded out of two -hundred and fifty. The column was then called off and -covered from fire. General Grant’s report says: ‘The -Fifteenth Army Corps, <span class='it'>from having arrived in front of -the enemy’s works in time</span> on the 18th to get a good position, -were enabled to make a vigorous assault. The -Thirteenth and Seventeenth Corps succeeded no further -than to gain advanced positions covered from the fire of -the enemy.’ On the morning of the 22d, a second and -more terrific assault was made by all three corps, preceded -by a tremendous cannonading from guns and mortars, -mingled with the heavy booming from the entire -fleet. The orders were to advance without firing a musket. -The army dashed forward across ravines and ditches, over -ground covered with artful tangles of cane and grapevines, -to find only new difficulties. Yet so far did some -of the gallant brigades advance as to lie underneath the -guns of the fort, while hand-grenades and lighter shells -were hurled over the parapet among them. The assault -is worthy to be mentioned with the names of Mamelon, -Vert, and Malakoff. But, like the Crimean stronghold, -this Sebastopol of the Mississippi could only be carried -by assault after a protracted siege. With fearful loss, the -gallant army was retired from the unequal fight, and regular -approaches commenced. The conduct, triumphant -issue, and joyful results of the siege, are familiar. On -the 4th of July, 1863, after a campaign of extraordinary -energy, the unconditional surrender of Vicksburg closed -up a series of movements of which General Halleck declares, -‘No more brilliant exploit can be found in military -history.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“While, however, the rest of the army, on the national -holiday, moved into the city they had won, to -rejoice in their success, and to rest after exhausting -labors, for Sherman and his corps there was still work -in hand. About a fortnight before the surrender, General -Joe Johnston was threatening the rear of the besieging -army with a large improvised force. Grant at once -sent this message to Sherman: ‘You must whip Johnston -fifteen miles from here.’ But Johnston drew back upon -Jackson, and General Sherman was notified to be ready to -start against the latter place on July 6th. ‘I placed Major-General -Sherman in command of all the troops designated -to look after Johnston. Johnston, however, not -attacking, I determined to attack him the moment Vicksburg -was in our possession, and accordingly notified Sherman -that I would again make an assault on Vicksburg at -daylight of the 6th, and for him to have up supplies of -all descriptions ready to move upon receipt of orders if -the assault should prove a success. His preparations -were immediately made, and when the place surrendered -on the 4th, <span class='it'>two days earlier</span> than I had fixed for the attack, -<span class='it'>Sherman was found ready, and moved at once</span> with a force -increased by the remainder of both the Thirteenth and -Fifteenth Army Corps, and is at present (July 6th) investing -Jackson, where Johnston has made a stand.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman was now intrusted with the chief -part of General Grant’s army: he moved so quickly that -the latter was able to telegraph to Washington, July 12th, -‘General Sherman has Jackson invested from Pearl River -on the north to the river on the south. This has cut off -many hundred cars from the Confederacy. General Sherman -says he has force enough, and feels no apprehension -about the result.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Nor was there occasion to fear; for the rebel chief -was under the eye of a lion in war’s arena, that never -missed his prey when fairly within his reach.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='127' id='Page_127'></span><h1>CHAPTER XV.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -General Sherman watching Joe Johnston—Foraging—An Attack—The Enemy -steals away in the Night—The Conquering Battalions have a brief rest—Encampment -on the Big Black River—Scenes there—Reënforces General -Rosecrans—Death of General Sherman’s Son—Beautiful Letter—The -Monument. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/g.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='G'/>ENERAL SHERMAN was in no haste to strike; -he could leisurely watch the foe chafing in the -narrow limits of his beleagured ground. Expeditions -were sent out in different directions, -the gallant troopers destroying railroad tracks, -bridges, and culverts, and bringing in supplies from the -enemy’s lands and granaries.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>July 11th they accidentally found in an old building, -carefully packed away, a large library, and various mementos -of friendship. A glance revealed the owner. A -gold-headed cane bore the inscription, “To Jefferson -Davis, from Franklin Pierce.” Precious plunder! The -arch traitor has hidden in the quiet country, and in a -place which could awaken no suspicion, his valuable library, -correspondence, and articles of cherished regard. -The excited troopers soon get into the book pile, and volumes, -heaps of letters, and handsome canes, are borne as -trophies (a new kind of forage) to headquarters. Secession -is discovered in many letters, by Northern friends -of the treasonable leader, and his right to that proud distinction -freely granted. Added to their capture, hundreds -of cars were taken from the Confederacy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>On the 13th a heavy fog lay along the river-banks, -hiding from each other’s view the opposing armies. Suddenly -rebel shouts came through the gloom, and a desperate -sortie from their works is made upon General -Sherman’s defences. He is ready to meet the shock, and -after a brief struggle they stagger back to their intrenchments.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The twilight hour of July 16th brought to a projection -of the works rebel bands of music, insulting our -troops with “Bonnie Blue Flag,” “My Maryland,” -“Dixie’s Land,” and other airs perverted to the service -of treason. The next morning’s dawn gave signs of a -retreating foe. The fighting Joe Johnston had stolen -away, leaving all over Jackson the marks of ruin. The -day before—July 15th—the President issued a proclamation -for national thanksgiving, on the 6th day of August, -for the recent victories.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Johnston <span class='it'>was</span> fairly <span class='it'>whipped</span>, and without -the awful waste of life a great battle involves. And now -followed other bloodless, and yet exciting scenes of war. -You might have seen squads of cavalrymen galloping in -every direction, in the wake of the retreating foe, and, -with axe and torch, laying in ruins bridges and barns, -and whatever might serve the cause of rebellion. Of our -brave chieftain’s successes to this time, since he dashed -forward to Walnut Hills, after the first occupation of -Jackson, “the siege of Vicksburg and last capture of -Jackson, and dispersion of Johnston’s army, entitle General -Sherman to more honor than usually falls to the lot -of one man to earn.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The short period of rest enjoyed by the heroic army -was only one of preparation for a more difficult and -grander advance. The London <span class='it'>Spectator</span> said of the bold -and splendid campaign: It comprised “a series of movements -which were overlooked at the time, yet upon which -hung the safety of two Federal armies—the extraordinary -march of General Sherman from Vicksburg to Chattanooga.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The camp of the Fifteenth Army Corps, during this -interlude of marching, lay along the Big Black River, -between Jackson and Vicksburg, about twenty miles from -the latter. It was acting as guard to all that region -against any return movements or raids of the enemy. A -glance at the map will show you the exact position.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But there is a history of this and similar encampments -which will never be written. In the sultry air and poisonous -vapors of the Big Black, officers and men resorted to -every possible resource for whiling away the dull hours -and cheering the home-sick invalids.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Not unfrequently, in the light of the evening-lamps, -the commander-in-chief has amused and interested by the -hour a circle of officers gathered about him, with the -narratives of his early adventures, presenting, with the -vividness of reality, the exciting life among the Indians of -Florida and the gold-seekers of California.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But one day there was an unusual stir around the -General’s headquarters; for visitors worth more to him -than all earthly honors or gold were escorted to his tent, -his wife and his son, bearing his own name, had come -from their western home, to meet him once more before -his long and perilous marches over hostile soil. But the -hours of domestic converse and delight flew swiftly by, -the farewells were spoken, and the well-guarded visitors -went on their homeward way. There was no safeguard -against disease lurking in those Southern swamps. The -gifted and beautiful boy, unconsciously to all, had been -smitten, and a raging fever soon laid him at the gate of -death. He had been adopted by the Thirteenth Corps as -their pet—a compliment both to him and his father, who -was himself the idol of those brave battalions.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>How this bereavement affected him and his old veterans, -you will know hereafter.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>September 22d, General Grant telegraphed him from -Vicksburg to send forward immediately a division to reënforce -General Rosecrans, who had been defeated by -General Bragg at Chickamauga, and was obliged to retreat -to Chattanooga, unpursued by his successful enemy. -General Rosecrans commanded the Army of the Cumberland, -and was now holding the great central stronghold -in the vast battle-field between Vicksburg and -Charleston. At 4 o’clock of the same day the telegram -was read by General Sherman, who is always a minute -man. General Osterhaus’ division was on the road to -Vicksburg, and the following day “it was streaming toward -Memphis.” A day later, and the commander-in-chief -received orders to follow with the entire corps. The tents -disappeared like dew before the morning sun, and the -proud host were following the columns of Osterhaus toward -Memphis. Two divisions were transported by water. -But the low tide and scarcity of food made their progress -slow. The leader was impatient of delay, for he longed -to try the metal of his corps against that of General -Bragg. He is no fancy commander; but an incarnation -of nervous energy, with no display of tinsel in his attire, -helping with his own hands to bring in fence-rails to feed -the fires, then turning teamster to wagons hauling wood -from the interior to the boats.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>During the first days of October, while General -Osterhaus is in front of Corinth, his boats lie before -Memphis.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And amid the absorbing duties of a grand campaign, -look into the General’s tent, and you shall see the warrior -for a moment lost in the grieving father, and will feel -that the scene is, indeed, “a touching episode of the war.” -The letter, addressed to the Thirteenth Infantry, and by -its officers ordered to be printed for distribution among -the soldiers of the regiment, cannot but touch a tender -chord in every heart. Stricken father, noble patriot, the -hero of uncounted battles; let the nation pause in its admiration -of his gallant deeds, to weep with the mourner -over the young life that no “bugle note” will awaken.</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Gayoso House, Memphis, Tenn.</span>, <span class='it'>Oct. 4, Midnight</span>.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“Capt. <span class='sc'>C. C. Smith</span>, <span class='it'>Commanding Battalion Thirteenth Regulars</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>My Dear Friend</span>: I cannot sleep to-night till I -record an expression of the deep feelings of my heart to -you, and to the officers and soldiers of the battalion, for -their kind behavior to my poor child. I realize that you -all feel for my family the attachment of kindred; and I -assure you all of full reciprocity. Consistent with a -sense of duty to my profession and office, I could not -leave my post, and sent for my family to come to me in -that fatal climate, and in that sickly period of the year, -and behold the result! The child that bore my name, -and in whose future I reposed with more confidence than -I did in my own plans of life, now floats a mere corpse, -seeking a grave in a distant land, with a weeping mother, -brother, and sisters clustered about him. But, for myself -I can ask no sympathy. On, on, I must go to meet a -soldier’s fate, or see my country rise superior to all factions, -till its flag is adored and respected by ourselves and -all the powers of the earth.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But my poor Willy was, or thought he was, a sergeant -of the Thirteenth. I have seen his eye brighten -and his heart beat as he beheld the battalion under arms, -and asked me if they were not real soldiers. Child as he -was, he had the enthusiasm, the pure love of truth, honor, -and love of country, which should animate all soldiers. -God only knows why he should die thus young. He is -dead, but will not be forgotten till those who knew him -in life have followed him to that same mysterious end.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Please convey to the battalion my heartfelt thanks, -and assure each and all that if, in after years, they call -on me or mine, and mention that they were of the Thirteenth -Regulars, when poor Willy was a sergeant, they -will have a key to the affections of my family that will -open all it has—that we will share with them our last -blanket, our last crust.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Your friend, <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>, <span class='it'>Maj.-Gen.</span>”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The noble Thirteenth did not stop in their expressions -of sympathy with words. The chieftain went to his -war-path, while the sculptor’s chisel was busy on the -marble, until it formed a lasting memorial of manly affection -cherished by the troops for father and son. Wrote -one who saw it in Cincinnati before it was removed to -the “silent city:”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At Rule’s marble works we observed recently a -beautiful monument to the memory of Major-General -Sherman’s son, who died over a year since, in Memphis, -while returning home with his mother from the Black -River, where they had been visiting the General, and -where, unfortunately, the boy contracted a fever. The -monument was made by order of the Thirteenth Regiment -of Regular United States Infantry, of which General -Sherman was Colonel four years since, and of which his -namesake-son, the deceased child, was, by general consent, -considered a sergeant, having been elected to that -position by the members of the regiment, who were very -proud of him. The monument is about two feet square -at the base, and six feet high. Above the rough ground -base is the marble base, an eight-sided, finely-polished -and ornamented block. Upon four of the faces are inscriptions, -and upon the other four, between them, the -American shield, with its Stripes and Stars. Surmounting -the base is a full-sized tenor drum, with straps and -sticks complete, and crossed above this two flags of the -Union—all in beautiful white marble. The inscriptions -are as follows:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘In Thy Tabernacles I shall dwell forever. I shall -be protected under the cover of Thy wing. Psalms l. 1.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Our Little Sergeant Willie—from the First Battalion, -Thirteenth United States Infantry.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘William Tecumseh Sherman, son of William T. -and Ellen E. Sherman. Born in San Francisco, California, -June 8, 1854; died in Memphis, Tennessee, October -3, 1863.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘In his spirit there was no guile.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Blessed are they undefiled in the way, who walk -in the way of the Lord. Psalms cxviii.’ ”</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='136' id='Page_136'></span><h1>CHAPTER XVI.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Grand Advance from Memphis—The Enemy prepare to Meet It—General -Sherman’s Genius equal to any Emergency—Rapid Marches—The Foe driven -from the Path—New Command—The Swollen River—Into Chattanooga—The -Tireless Chief and his Gallant Troops push forward to Missionary Ridge. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/o.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='O'/>PEN the map, my reader, and spend a few moments, -tracing the long way before the Union -troops, and you will understand the greatness of -the success of the march from Memphis to Chattanooga, -which are three hundred and nine miles -apart. The Memphis and Charleston Railway connect -them. The Tennessee and Elk Rivers cross the country, -many of whose bridges were gone, and the foe lurked -along the lines of travel.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But when General Sherman received orders from -General Halleck to transport his troops to Athens, Alabama, -repairing the railroad and getting his supplies as -best he could, he was off with the haste of a prepared and -fearless leader, whose heart was in the cause, for whose -triumph he fought. But instead of using boats, “his -quick eye saw that he could move his trains faster by -road under escort.” He therefore did so, and conveyed -into the enemy’s country the entire Fourth Division over -the iron track.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Alarmed by this very dangerous move eastward, -the enemy quickly assembled at Salem and Tuscumbia, -with intent to thwart it and to foil the junction with Rosecrans. -At the former point Chalmers collected three -thousand cavalry and eight pieces of artillery, and planted -himself in our path. Hearing of this, General Sherman, -on October 11th, put his whole force in motion -toward Corinth, and himself started thither in a special -train with a battalion of the Thirteenth Infantry (his -own regiment) as escort. On approaching Colliersville, -which was defended by a few troops in a stockade, the -train was fired upon, and it was discovered that Chalmers -was investing the place. Instantly the General ordered -his regulars to charge, and under his eye they scattered -the rebels in all directions, and reached the stockade. -Before General Sherman’s arrival, the little garrison had -been sorely pressed in a severe contest. The General -soon changed the aspect of affairs, and beat off the superior -force. Corinth being reached next night, he sent -General Blair to Iuka with the First Division, and pushed -troops toward Bear Creek, five miles east of Iuka, as -fast as they came up.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Foreseeing difficulties in crossing the Tennessee, he -had written to Admiral Porter at Cairo to watch the -river and send up gunboats as soon as the water would -permit, and to General Allen at St. Louis to despatch a -ferry-boat to Eastport. The requests were promptly fulfilled. -It now only remained to work away at the railroad, -in accordance with orders, covering his working-parties -from the enemy’s attacks. At the same time he -despatched Blair with two divisions to drive the enemy -from Tuscumbia, where, under Stephen Lee, they were -five thousand strong. It was accomplished after a severe -fight at Cane Creek; and Tuscumbia was occupied on -the 27th of October.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Pause here, to get a glimpse of the general movements -in the programme of war, of which this was no inferior -part. General Grant had been put in command of -the “Departments of the Ohio, of the Cumberland, and -of the Tennessee, constituting the military division of the -Mississippi.” In the latter General Sherman was appointed -to the command, while General Thomas succeeded -General Rosecrans in the department of the Cumberland. -October 23d, General Grant, modestly wearing -his new laurels, reached Chattanooga. The enemy occupying -Lookout Mountain, with their terraces of cannon -cut off our troops to get their scanty supplies by the -most difficult mountain routes. Wrote a Union soldier -of the sad condition of things there:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I confess I do not see any very brilliant prospects -for continuing alive in it all this winter, unless something -desperate be done. While the army sits here, hungry, -chilly, watching the ‘key to Tennessee,’ the ‘good dog’ -Bragg lies over against us, licking his Chickamauga sores -without whine or growl. He will not reply to our occasional -shots from Star Fort, Fort Crittenden, or the Moccasin -Point batteries across the river; has forbidden the -exchange of newspapers and the compliments of the day -between pickets; has returned surly answers to flag-of-truce -messengers; in fact, has cut us dead.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The mortality among the horses and mules is frightful -to contemplate. Their corpses line the road, and -taint the air, all along the Bridgeport route. In these -days, hereabouts, it is within the scope of the most obtuse -to distinguish a quartermaster or a staff officer by a -casual glance at the animal he strides. ‘He has the fatness -of twenty horses upon his ribs,’ as Squeers remarked -of little Wackford; and so he has. God help the -others.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I am assured that this state of things will not last -long; that hordes of men are energetically at work improving -our communication, and that we soon shall be -benefited by the overflowing plenty of the North. The -vigor and good spirits of the army all this time are developed -in a most astonishing manner.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Relief was nearer than the writer deemed at the -time. General Sherman, at Iuka, reorganized his new -command on the very day of the battle at Cane Creek, -and sent General Ewing with a division to cross the Tennessee, -and hasten with all possible speed to Eastport. -A messenger from General Grant on the same day came -down the river over the Muscle Shoals, with an order to -suspend his work on the railroad, and press forward to -Bridgeport. No message ever found a more welcome ear. -November 1st, the chieftain led his columns across the -Tennessee and on to the branch of the Elk River. But -the river was unfordable, and with no leisure to construct -a bridge or ferry, he was compelled to take a circuitous -route along the stream by the way of Fayetteville, where -he mapped out the routes for the different divisions, and -hastening to Bridgeport, sent to General Grant, by telegram, -the position of his army. November 15th, the -unresting commander of admiring and uncomplaining -troops reined up his steed at the headquarters of General -Grant in Chattanooga, after more than three hundred -miles of varied and difficult travel between him and Memphis, -where he lay during the early days of October.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The hero of Vicksburg welcomed with delight his peer -in the field of war’s most daring exploits. Though worn -and weary with their unrivalled, if not hitherto unequalled -march, such was his confidence in his brave men, he -heard without hesitation the order to bring them across -the Tennessee, secure a position at the extremity of Missionary -Ridge, and also threatened Lookout Mountain; -saying for himself, “I saw enough of the condition of -men and animals in Chattanooga to inspire me with renewed -energy.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Away he flies to execute the commands. He does not -wait for means of conveyance; he has no false ideas of -dignity to interfere with the business in hand. Taking a -row-boat, he glides before the strokes of his own strong -arms, down the river to Bridgeport. The divisions are -soon in order of march. But oh! what roads! <span class='it'>Mud—mud—mud!</span> -is before the unflinching columns. They toil -on, their leader sharing with them the exhausting labor, -till three divisions, on the 23d, are sheltered from the observation -of the enemy behind the hills, opposite the mouth -of the Chickamauga.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Night comes on, and with silent, stealthy steps, a force -advanced along the Tennessee, taking prisoners nineteen -out of twenty men who were on picket duty. By daylight -eight thousand troops were on the banks of the river, -ready to cross over and fasten upon Missionary Ridge. -Before the sun was above the hill-tops, a pontoon bridge, -three hundred and fifty feet long, was commenced, and at -1 <span class='sc'>p. m.</span> <span class='it'>it was done</span>. Proudly the grand cavalcade -streamed over the causeway of boats, and advanced toward -the desired position. These movements were favored -by the concealment—a providential interposition—which -“a light, drizzling rain and low-hanging clouds” afforded. -Three o’clock found them safely lodged at the terminus -of Missionary Ridge. Up the hill the gallant -ranks pressed, completely surprising the enemy, who, in -his vexation at the humiliating success of the flanking -generalship, opened a fruitless fire of artillery and musketry. -The “boys” could not allow this, and, dragging -their own guns up the acclivity, soon silenced the noisy -demonstration of impotent wrath. But beyond and higher -was a spur, still more important in the coming trial of -strength between the two great armies. Fortifying the -ground gained, at midnight the orders passed along the -columns to advance at dawn.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='143' id='Page_143'></span><h1>CHAPTER XVII.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Place of Battle—The Battle-ground—General Sherman’s Part in the Struggle—Desperate -Valor—Victory—Pursuit—No Rest—General Burnside in Peril—General -Sherman hastens to his Relief—The Bridge breaks down—It is -Rebuilt, and the Heroic Battalions save Knoxville—General Sherman again -at Chattanooga. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/m.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='M'/>Y reader cannot even imagine, in his peaceful -home, the dread interest which broods over -preparation for a great and decisive battle. -Thoughts of the loved and absent throng the -minds of brave men; hasty letters are written, -and messages left, should they fall in mortal combat. -Bibles are read, prayers offered, and hope rekindled in -many heroic hearts. Ambulances and “stretchers” are -made ready for the wounded, and surgeons arrange their -instruments, lint, and bandages, while orders are passed -from the commanding general down to the lieutenant. -This work of preparation went forward at Chattanooga -during the hours of November 23d.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Writes Colonel Bowman, the friend of General Sherman, -a scholar, a gentleman, and a gallant soldier: “In -the plan of the battle, Hooker was to hold the enemy at -Lookout Mountain, and carry it, if possible. General -Sherman was to vigorously assault Missionary Ridge. As -that was their vital point, the enemy would mass to defend -it. This would weaken the centre, upon which Thomas -would rush, to penetrate it. Simple and plausible as this -plan seemed, and successful as it proved, to most men -who looked up at the frowning and precipitous heights -which towered even into the clouds, above Chattanooga, -with rebel works studded with artillery commanding -every rugged approach, the idea of carrying them seemed -little short of madness. The rebels felt so secure as to -risk sending Longstreet’s entire corps to Knoxville, where -it closely besieged the army of Burnside. ‘By half-past -three <span class='sc'>p. m.</span> of the 24th,’ says Grant, ‘the whole of the -northern extremity of Missionary Ridge, to near the tunnel, -was in Sherman’s possession. During the night he -fortified the position thus secured, making it equal, if not -superior, in strength to that held by the enemy.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Before dawn of the 25th of November General -Sherman was in the saddle, and had made the entire -tour of his position in the dim light. It was seen that a -deep valley lay between him and the precipitous sides of -the next hill in the series, which was only partially cleared, -and of which the crest was narrow and wooded. The -farther point of the hill was held by the enemy, with a -strong breastwork of logs and fresh earth, crowded with -men, and carrying two guns. On a still higher hill beyond -the tunnel he appeared in great force, and had a fair -plunging fire on the intermediate hill in dispute. The -gorge between these two latter hills, through which the -railroad-tunnel passes, could not be seen from Sherman’s -position, but formed the natural <span class='it'>place d’armes</span>, where the -enemy covered his masses ‘to resist our turning his right -flank, and thus endangering his communications with the -Chickamauga depot.’ General Corse was to have the -advance; ‘and the sun had hardly risen,’ says Sherman, -‘before his bugle sounded the “Forward.” ’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“His men moved briskly down into the valley and up -the steep sides of the hill in front, and, in spite of all -opposition, carried and held a sort of secondary crest on -the enemy’s hill, which, however, was swept with a murderous -fire from the breastworks in front. And now for -more than an hour a very bloody and desperate conflict -raged, our line now swaying up close to the breastwork, -as though it would sweep over and engulf it, and anon -dashed back, receding far away to its first conquest. -Meanwhile, Sherman’s left, on the outer spur of the ridge, -and his right abreast of the tunnel, were hotly engaged, -and partially drew the enemy’s fire from the assaulting -party on the hill-crest. Our artillery also plumped shot -and shell into the breastwork, and strove to clear the hill -in Corse’s front. About ten <span class='sc'>a. m.</span> the fight raged furiously, -and General Corse was severely wounded. Two -brigades of reënforcements were sent up; but the crest -was so crowded that they had to fall away to the west of -the hill. At once the heavy masses of the enemy in a -gorge, under cover of the thick undergrowth, moved out -on their right and rear. So suddenly overwhelmed, the -two supporting brigades fell back in some confusion to -the lower edge of the field, where they reformed in good -order; but, as they constituted no part of the real attack, -the temporary rebuff was unimportant. General Corse, -Colonel Loomis, and General M. L. Smith still stubbornly -held the attacking column proper up at the crest. General -Grant says of them, ‘The assaulting column advanced -to the very rifle-pits of the enemy, and held their -position firmly and without wavering.’ ‘When the two -reserved brigades fell back,’ says Sherman, ‘the enemy -made a show of pursuit, but was caught in flank by the -well-directed fire of one brigade on the wooded crest, and -hastily sought his cover behind the hill.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The desperate and incessant attack of General -Sherman was triumphantly successful. It was directed -against, in the words of Grant, ‘the enemy’s most northern -and vital point,’ and ‘was vigorously kept up all day.’ -Sherman’s position not only threatened the right flank of -the enemy, but also his rear and stores at Chickamauga. -The enemy, therefore, began very early to mass his line -down against the single gallant storming party. ‘At -three <span class='sc'>p. m.</span>,’ writes Sherman, ‘column after column of -the enemy was streaming toward me, gun after gun -poured its concentric shot on us from every hill and spur -that gave a view of any part of the ground.’ Long and -anxiously he waited for the centre to open its part of the -contest, and meanwhile held stubbornly to his bloody -ridge under murderous fire. Grant, keeping his eye fixed -on this key point, sent a division to Sherman’s support, -but he sent it back with the note that ‘he had all the force -necessary.’ Now at last the time had come for seizing -victory out of doubtful battle. Hooker on the right had -gallantly swept round the enemy’s left. ‘Discovering -that the enemy,’ says General Grant, ‘in his desperation -to defeat or resist the progress of Sherman, was weakening -his centre on Missionary Ridge, determined me to -order the advance at once.’ It was ordered and gallantly -executed. The huge masses with which Sherman was -contending, now, to their dismay, found Thomas on their -left flank, and the centre of their long line broken in. They -turned; but it was too late. The white line of Thomas’s -musketry swept up from ridge to ridge, and the army of -Bragg was flung back, in overwhelming defeat, into the -valleys of Georgia. Thus was the great victory of -Chattanooga won.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And now pursuit swiftly followed victory. The -same night Sherman pushed his skirmishers out, and, -finding that enemy had given way, sent a division after -him to the depot, and followed it up at four <span class='sc'>a. m.</span> with -a part of Major-General’s Howard’s Eleventh Corps. -As the column advanced, wagons, guns, caissons, forage, -stores, pontoons, and all the ruins of a defeated army -and an abandoned camp, were found on the route. At -night of the 26th, so rapid was the pursuit that the -rear-guard of the enemy was reached, and a sharp -fight ensued, till darkness closed in. The next day all -three armies pressed on, Hooker and Thomas sharing -with Sherman the marching and fighting. General -Sherman meanwhile detached Howard to move against -the railroad between Dalton and Cleveland, and destroy -it. This was done, and communication thereby cut between -Bragg and Longstreet. The same movement also -turned the flank of the enemy, who were engaging -Hooker so heavily further south at Ringgold that the latter -sent to Sherman to turn their position. It was already -done before Hooker’s messenger arrived. Continuing to -Ringgold, he found General Grant. The enemy had been -driven from Tennessee, and Sherman was ordered to -move leisurely back to Chattanooga. The next day he -effectually destroyed the railroad from half-way between -Graysville and Ringgold to the State line, and General -Grant ‘consented that, instead of returning to Chattanooga, -he might send back all my artillery, wagons, and -impediments, and make a circuit by the north as far as -the Hiawassee.’ This, too, was effected, with the destruction -of more railroad and the capture of more stores. -‘This,’ says Sherman, ‘was to have been the limit of our -journey. Officers and men had brought no baggage or -provisions; and the weather was bitter cold.’ But at -this time Grant received an urgent appeal for relief from -Burnside, stating that his supplies could only last until -the 3d of December. Nothing but incomparable energy -would save Knoxville and its gallant commander. -Granger had already been ordered thither, but ‘had not -yet got off,’ says General Grant, ‘nor would he have the -number of men I directed. Besides, he moved with reluctance -and complaint. I therefore determined, notwithstanding -the fact that two divisions of Sherman’s -forces had marched from Memphis and had gone into battle -immediately on their arrival at Chattanooga, to send -him with his command.’ Accordingly General Sherman -received command of all the troops designed for relieving -Knoxville, including Granger’s. ‘Seven days before,’ he -writes, ‘we had left our camps on the other side of the -Tennessee, with two days’ rations, without a change of -clothing, stripped for the fight, with but a single blanket -or coat per man, from myself to the private included. -Of course, we then had no provisions, save what we -gathered by the road, and were ill supplied for such a -march. But we learned that twelve thousand of our -fellow-soldiers were beleaguered in the mountain town of -Knoxville, eighty-four miles distant, that they needed -relief, and must have it in three days. This was enough; -and it had to be done.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“That night General Howard repaired and planked -the railroad-bridge, and at daylight the army passed the -Hiawassee and marched to Athens, fifteen miles. On the -2d of December the army hurried thence toward London, -twenty-six miles distant, and the cavalry pushed ahead to -save the pontoon bridge across the Tennessee, held by -Vaughn’s brigade of the enemy. They moved with such -rapidity as to capture every picket, but found Vaughn -posted strongly in earthworks containing artillery in position. -They were forced to wait till night, when Howard’s -infantry came up. During the night the enemy retreated, -destroying the pontoons, running three locomotives and -forty-eight cars into the Tennessee, and leaving for Howard -to capture at daylight a large quantity of provisions, -four guns, and other material.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The bridge was gone, and but one day of the allotted -three remained. The same night, therefore, Sherman -sent word to Colonel Long, commanding the cavalry brigade, -that Burnside must know within twenty-four hours -of his approach—ordering him to select his best material, -to start at once, ford the Little Tennessee, and push into -Knoxville, ‘at whatever cost of life and horse-flesh.’ The -distance to be travelled was forty miles, and ‘the road -villanous.’ Before dawn they were off. At daylight the -Fifteenth Corps was turned from Philadelphia to Morgantown; -but even at this place the Little Tennessee was -found too deep for fording. A bridge was skilfully extemporized -by General Wilson—‘working partly with -crib-work and partly with square trestles made of the -houses of the late town of Morgantown;’ and by dark -of December 4th the bridge was down and the troops -passing. Next morning came the welcome message from -Burnside, dated December 4th, that Long’s cavalry had -reached Knoxville on the night of the 3d, and all was -well. Just before this news, the diagonal bracings of -Wilson’s bridge had broken, from want of proper spikes, -and there was delay. But the bridge was mended, and -the forced march continued, till, at Marysville, on the -night of the 5th, a staff officer of General Burnside rode -up to announce that Longstreet had raised the siege the -night before. Sending forward Granger’s two divisions -to Knoxville, General Sherman at once ordered the rest of -his gallant army to halt and rest; for their work was done.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman rode from Marysville to Knoxville, -greeted General Burnside, and freely expressed his -admiration at the skilful fortification of the place, including -Fort ‘Saunders,’ where Longstreet’s assaulting columns -had met a bloody repulse. Knoxville being saved, -it was obviously best for Sherman’s army, excepting -Granger’s two divisions, to return to support the suspended -movement against Bragg. But before General -Sherman left he received the following letter:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Knoxville</span>, <span class='it'>December 7th, 1863</span>.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'><span class='sc'>To Major-General Sherman</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I desire to express to you and your command my most hearty -thanks and gratitude for your promptness in coming to our relief during -the siege of Knoxville, and am satisfied your approach served to -raise the siege.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>A. E. BURNSIDE, Major-General.</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman now leisurely returned to Chattanooga, -his cavalry giving chase for some distance to a -rebel wagon-train on the way. On the 14th of December -his command reached the banks of the Hiawassee. Four -days of easy marches brought them to Chattanooga, after -a three-months’ campaign unparalleled in the history of -the war. His losses had amounted to something over -two thousand men. His official report states that his -men had marched for long periods, without regular rations -or supplies of any kind, through mud and over rocks, -sometimes barefooted, without a murmur. Without a -moment’s rest, after a march of over four hundred miles, -without sleep for three successive nights, they crossed the -Tennessee River, fought their part in the battle of Chattanooga, -pursued the enemy out of Tennessee, then turned -more than a hundred miles north and compelled Longstreet -to raise the siege of Knoxville, which had been the -source of anxiety to the whole country. ‘The praises of -Confederate generals,’ says the London <span class='it'>Spectator</span>, in reviewing -some of these facts, ‘have been sung abundantly -on this side the water: the facts are, that all military skill -and military perseverance and courage are not on one -side. . . . Such a display of genuine military qualities -should not pass without some record; and we offer it to -our readers as some proof that, with all their faults, the -Federal officers and soldiers are not without great virtues, -which soldiers at least should admire.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman repaired to Vicksburg to look after -the affairs of the widening field of the Union army under -his leadership. Here, in answer to inquiries from Adjutant-General -Sawyer, at Huntsville, Alabama, he wrote a -splendid letter, both in comprehensiveness of views and -the clear vigorous style of composition. If you begin it -you will want to finish it, though long. It is full of fire, -historical knowledge, and yet so plain a child can understand -it. The matter discussed, is the treatment of rebels -in a conquered territory:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Department of the Tennessee</span>, }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Vicksburg</span>, <span class='it'>Jan. 31, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“Major <span class='sc'>R. M. Sawyer</span>, <span class='it'>Assistant Adjutant-General,</span></p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'> <span class='it'>Army of the Tennessee, Huntsville</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Dear Sawyer</span>: In my former letter I have answered -all your questions save one, and that relates to -the treatment of inhabitants known or suspected to be -hostile or ‘secesh.’ This is in truth the most difficult -business of our army as it advances and occupies the -Southern country. It is almost impossible to lay down -rules, and I invariably leave the whole subject to the -local commanders, but am willing to give them the benefit -of my acquired knowledge and experience.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In Europe, whence we derive our principles of war, -as developed by their histories, wars are between kings -or rulers, through hired armies, and not between peoples. -These remain, as it were, neutral, and sell their produce -to whatever army is in possession.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Napoleon, when at war with Prussia, Austria, and -Russia, bought forage and provisions of the inhabitants, -and consequently had an interest to protect farms and -factories which ministered to his wants. In like manner, -the allied armies in France could buy of the French -inhabitants whatever they needed, the produce of the soil -or manufactures of the country. Therefore, the rule was -and is, that wars are confined to the armies, and should -not visit the homes of families or private interests.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But in other examples a different rule obtained the -sanction of historical authority. I will only instance -that, when in the reign of William and Mary the English -army occupied Ireland, then in a state of revolt, the inhabitants -were actually driven into foreign lands, and -were dispossessed of their property, and a new population -introduced. To this day a large part of the north -of Ireland is held by the descendants of the Scotch emigrants -sent there by William’s order and an act of Parliament.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The war which now prevails in our land is essentially -a war of races. The Southern people entered -into a clear compact of government, but still maintained -a species of separate interests, history, and prejudices. -These latter became stronger and stronger, till they have -led to a war which has developed fruits of the bitterest -kind.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We of the North are, beyond all question, right in -our lawful cause, but we are not bound to ignore the fact -that the people of the South have prejudices, which form -a part of their nature, and which they cannot throw off -without an effort of reason or the slower process of -natural change. Now, the question arises, should we -treat as absolute enemies all in the South who differ -from us in opinion or prejudice, kill or banish them; or, -should we give them time to think, and gradually change -their conduct so as to conform to the new order of things, -which is slowly and gradually creeping into their country?</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When men take arms to resist our rightful authority, -we are compelled to use force, because then all reason -and argument fail. When the provisions, horses, mules, -wagons, etc., are used by the enemy, it is clearly our -duty and right to take them, because otherwise they -might be used against us.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In like manner, all houses left vacant by an inimical -people are clearly our right, or such as are needed as -storehouses, hospitals, and quarters. But a question -arises as to dwellings used by women, children, and non-combatants. -So long as the non-combatants remain in -their homes and keep to their accustomed business, their -opinions and prejudices in nowise influence the war, and -therefore should not be noticed. But if any one comes -out into the public streets and creates disorder, he or she -should be punished, restrained, or banished either to the -rear or front, as the officer in command adjudges. If the -people, or any of them, keep up a correspondence with -parties in hostility, they are spies, and can be punished -with death, or minor punishment.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“These are well-established principles of war, and -the people of the South having appealed to war, are -barred from appealing to our Constitution, which they -have practically and publicly defied. They have appealed -to war, and must abide its rules and laws. The United -States, as a belligerent party claiming right in the soil -as the ultimate sovereign, have a right to change the -population, and it may be and is both politic and just we -should do so in certain districts. When the inhabitants -persist too long in hostility, it may be both politic and -right we should banish them and appropriate their lands -to a more loyal and useful population. No man will -deny that the United States would be benefited by dispossessing -a single, prejudiced, hard-headed and disloyal -planter, and substitute in his place a dozen or more -patient, industrious, good families, even if they be of -foreign birth. I think it does good to present this view -of the case to many Southern gentlemen, who grow rich -and wealthy, not by virtue alone of their industry and -skill, but by reason of the protection and impetus to -prosperity given by our hitherto moderate and magnanimous -Government. It is all idle nonsense for these -Southern planters to say that they made the South, that -they own it, and that they can do as they please—even to -break up our Government, and to shut up the natural -avenues of trade, intercourse, and commerce.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We know, and they know, if they are intelligent beings, -that, as compared with the whole world, they are -but as five millions are to one thousand millions; that -they did not create the land; that their only title to its -use and usufruct is the deed of the United States, and -that if they appeal to war, they hold their ally by a very -insecure tenure.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“For my part, I believe that this war is the result of -false political doctrines, for which we are all as a people -responsible, viz.: That any and every people have a -right to self-government; and I would give all a chance -to reflect, and when in error to recant. I know slaveowners, -finding themselves in possession of a species of property -in opposition to the growing sentiment of the whole -civilized world, conceived their property in danger, and -foolishly appealed to war; and by skilful political handling -involved with themselves the whole South on the -doctrines of error and prejudice. I believe that some of -the rich and slaveholding are prejudiced to such an extent -that nothing but death and ruin will extinguish, but -hope that as the poorer and industrial classes of the South -will realize their relative weakness, and their dependence -upon the fruits of the earth and good will of their fellow -men, they will not only discover the error of their ways, -and repent of their hasty action, but bless those who persistently -maintained a constitutional Government, strong -enough to sustain itself, protect its citizens, and promise -peaceful homes to millions yet unborn.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In this behalf, while I assert for our Government -the highest military prerogatives, I am willing to bear in -patience that political nonsense of slave rights, State -rights, freedom of conscience, freedom of press, and -such other trash, as have deluded the Southern people -into war, anarchy, bloodshed, and the foulest crimes -that have disgraced any time or any people.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I would advise the commanding officers at Huntsville, -and such other towns as are occupied by our -troops, to assemble the inhabitants and explain to them -these plain, self-evident propositions, and tell them it -is for them now to say whether they and their children -shall inherit the beautiful land which by the accident -of nature has fallen to their share. The Government of -the United States has in North Alabama any and all -rights which they choose to enforce in war, to take their -lives, their homes, their lands, their every thing, because -they cannot deny that the war does exist there, and war -is simply power unrestrained by constitution or compact. -If they want eternal war, well and good—we will accept -the issue and dispossess them, and put our friends in possession.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I know thousands and millions of good people who, -at simple notice, would come to North Alabama and accept -the elegant houses and plantations now there. If the -people of Huntsville think different, let them persist in -war three years longer, and then they will not be consulted. -Three years ago, by a little reflection and patience -they could have had a hundred years of peace and -prosperity, but they preferred war; very well, last year -they could have saved their slaves, but now it is too late; -all the powers on earth cannot restore to them their slaves -any more than their dead grandfathers. Next year their -lands will be taken, for in war we can take them, and -rightfully, too, and in another year they may beg in vain -for their lives. A people who will persevere in war beyond -a certain limit, ought to know the consequences. -Many, many people, with less pertinacity than the South, -have been wiped out of national existence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My own belief is, that even now the non-slaveholding -classes of the South are alienating from their associations -in war. Already I hear criminations. Those who -have property left, should take warning in time.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Since I have come down here I have seen many -Southern planters who now hire their negroes, and acknowledge -that they knew not the earthquake they were -to make by appealing to Secession. They thought that -the politicians had prepared the way, and that they could -depart in peace. They now see that we are bound together -as one nation in indissoluble ties, and that any -interest or any people that set themselves up in antagonism -to the nation must perish.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“While I would not remit one jot or tittle of our -nation’s right in peace or war, I do make allowances for -past political errors and false prejudices. Our national -Congress and Supreme Courts are the proper arenas in -which to discuss conflicting opinions, and not the battle-field.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You may not hear from me again, and if you think -it will do any good call some of the better people together -and explain these my views. You may even read -to them this letter and let them use it, so as to prepare -them for my coming.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“To those who submit to the rightful law and authority, -all gentleness and forbearance, but to the petulant and -persistent secessionists, why, death is mercy, and the -quicker he or she is disposed of the better. Satan, and -the rebellious saints of heaven, were allowed a continuance -of existence in hell, merely to swell their just punishment. -To such as would rebel against a Government -so mild and just as ours was in peace, a punishment equal -would not be unjust.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We are progressing well in this quarter. Though -I have not changed my opinion that we may soon assume -the existence of our National Government, yet years will -pass before ruffianism, murder, and robbery will cease to -afflict this region of our country.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:6em;'>“Truly, your friend, <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>Major-Gen. Commanding.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>As it was at the beginning of the war, so in this -earnest declaration of views, the great commander keeps -in advance of the popular and ruling ideas of the conflict.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Like Napoleon in military genius and sublimely daring -marches, he is vastly his superior in principles of -human progress, and the foundations of true national -prosperity.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='162' id='Page_162'></span><h1>CHAPTER XVIII.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -A New Expedition—Its Wise Design—Cause of its Failure in the Main Purpose—The -Hero of Vicksburg is created Lieutenant-General—The New Order of -Things—Two Grand Lines of March and of Conquest—From Chattanooga to -Kenesaw Mountain. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/t.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='T'/>HE holidays of the season which introduced the -year 1863 had scarcely passed, and your gifts -of affection, young reader, were still in your -hands, or in a snug corner of your home, when -the untiring chief, who was and is defending -that home from the hosts of rebellion, was planning a -grand expedition into Central Mississippi.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The map will show you the town of Meridian, where -important railroads have their junction, more than a hundred -miles from Vicksburg. To this centre of the empire, -claimed by the usurper Davis, around which lay the -richest corn and cotton fields of the South, and swarmed -the toiling slaves, General Sherman determined to lead -his battalions. You must recollect, he would have to cut -loose from his “base of supplies,” and, with a long -wagon-train carrying rations for twenty days, conduct his -“movable column”—that is, the entire army in motion, -and with no communications open—over the enemy’s -country, where well-disciplined troops were not very far -from his path. It was a most daring adventure, but just -like the brave commander who conceived it. Comprehending -the gigantic revolt, and the vital points in the -Confederacy, he has had but one view of the means to -suppress the infamous rebellion. Had his plan been -adopted, the war might have been ended now. Large -armies, bold and rapid movements into the home of secession, -sparing nothing that affords it any nourishment, has -been the war-creed of General Sherman. February found -the campaign complete in preparation. On the 3d the -commander left the streets of Vicksburg, reining his -steed toward Meridian.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Two days before, General W. S. Smith was to leave -Memphis, Tenn., with eight thousand cavalry, and join -him at Meridian. The course of march was in part along -the track in which the troops advanced on Vicksburg. -The cavalcade of twenty thousand men, followed by miles -of supply-wagons, crossed the Big Black River, moved -along by Champion Hills and Clinton to Jackson. Here -General McPherson, with the Sixteenth Corps, and General -Hurlbut, with the Seventeenth Corps, who had taken -different routes, met General Sherman, and were united -to his army.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The rebels did not seem to care about fighting the -daring chieftain, but retreated before him. At Line -Creek resistance was offered, a short battle followed, -and again the host moved forward, taking the towns of -Quitman and Enterprise, on every hand spreading -alarm.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>February 13th he reached the Big Chunkey River. -Meridian was the next point to be gained, when, with all -his forces, he could push on, getting between General -Johnston and Mobile, where Commodore Farragut was -thundering with his naval ordnance, and perhaps interfere -very much with General Polk’s army. Meanwhile, military -depots would disappear before the torch, and other -havoc with supplies distract and cripple the foe. With -such successes, it would not be difficult to hasten over the -intervening ground, and hurl his legions against the city -from the land side, thus finishing the work Commodore -Farragut had so well commenced. At Meridian, February -13th, 150 miles from Vicksburg, he congratulated his -troops in these words:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The General Commanding conveys his congratulations -and thanks to the officers and men composing this -command, for their most successful accomplishment of -one of the great problems of the war. Meridian, the -great railway centre of the Southwest, is now in our possession, -and, by industry and hard work, can be rendered -useless to the enemy, and deprive him of the chief source -of supply to his armies. Secrecy in plan and rapidity of -execution accomplish the best results of war; and the -General Commanding assures all that, by following their -leaders fearlessly and with confidence, they will in time -reap the reward so dear to us all—a peace that will never -again be disturbed in our country by a discontented minority.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But as General Grant’s delay at Holly Springs, on -account of its cowardly surrender, turned the first attack -upon Vicksburg into a defeat, so by the failure of General -Smith to start from Memphis till the 13th of February, -the further success of the expedition was made impossible. -Still, the affair was a magnificent raid into the heart of -“rebeldom,” which spread terror along its way, and left -the ruins of railroads, bridges, and storehouses behind, -while securing animals and various material for the use -of the Union army.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The great commander was now compelled to turn his -column toward Vicksburg again, which he entered three -weeks after his departure, having led his troops safely -across hostile soil more than two hundred and fifty miles, -surrounded by large armies. March 2d, General Sherman -reached New Orleans in the gunboat <span class='it'>Diana</span>, and -when referring to his expedition, termed it “a big raid -only.” Before he had rested his heroic men, a law which -had been before Congress while he was marching, was -passed, creating the office of Lieutenant-General, the -President conferring the honor of it upon Major-General -Grant. The same order of March 12th gave to General -Sherman the command before held by the hero of Vicksburg, -called the Department of the Mississippi, and including -the smaller departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, -and the Tennessee, with the Arkansas. Around -him were to stand Generals McPherson, Hooker, Thomas, -Hurlbut, Logan, Schofield, and Howard, the “Havelock -of the army.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The grandest and most decisive campaigns of the -war were now planned. The Army of the Potomac, -commanded by General Meade, was again to start for -Richmond, under the eyes of the Lieutenant-General; -and the divisions of General Sherman were to take Atlanta, -the former the “head, the latter the heart of the -Confederacy.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was a sublime crisis in the struggle. The two -great heroes of the conflict had in their hands enterprises -worthy of their genius, and which would hold the interest -of the nation and of the world. For if either of -the bold movements succeeded, the other it would seem -must, because beyond the single victory were the vast -results of the cöoperating armies on the coast, from the -mouth of the James River to Savannah. Immediately -upon receiving the notice of his appointment, in the middle -of March, General Sherman began a tour of inspection, -visiting Athens, Decatur, Huntsville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, -and other places of military importance, carefully -acquainting himself with the extent and resources of the -new field of his command. From reports published, it -is believed that on the 1st day of May the effective -strength of the several armies, for offensive purposes, -was about as follows:</p> - -<table id='tab2' summary='' class='center'> -<colgroup> -<col span='1' style='width: 2em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 22em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 4em;'/> -</colgroup> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col3 tdStyle3' colspan='3'><span class='it'>Army of the Cumberland, Major-General Thomas Commanding.</span></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'> </td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Infantry</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>54,568</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Artillery</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>2,377</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Cavalry</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>3,828</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>———</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'>Total</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>60,773</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'>Guns</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>130</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'> </td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col3 tdStyle3' colspan='3'><span class='it'>Army of the Tennessee, Major-General McPherson Commanding.</span></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'> </td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Infantry</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>22,437</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Artillery</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>1,404</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Cavalry</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>624</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>———</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'>Total</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>24,465</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'>Guns</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>96</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'> </td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col3 tdStyle3' colspan='3'><span class='it'>Army of the Ohio, Major-General Schofield Commanding.</span></td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'> </td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Infantry</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>11,183</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Artillery</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>679</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col2 tdStyle4' colspan='2'>Cavalry</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>1,679</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>———</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'>Total</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>13,541</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'>Guns</td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'>28</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab2c2 tdStyle4'> </td><td class='tab2c3 tdStyle5'> </td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab2c1 tab2c1-col3 tdStyle3' colspan='3'>Grand aggregate number of troops, 98,779; guns, 254.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='noindent'>About these figures were maintained during the campaign, -the number of men joining from furlough and -hospitals about compensating for the loss in battle and -from sickness. These armies were grouped on the morning -of May 6th, as follows: That of the Cumberland at -and near Ringgold; that of the Tennessee at Gordon’s -Mill, on the Chickamauga; and that of the Ohio near -Red Clay, on the Georgia line, north of Dalton.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A reference to the map again will show you Dalton -on the railroad between Chattanooga and Atlanta, with -Ringgold northwest of it. A distinguished general of the -army describes the advance:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Marching from Chattanooga on the 5th of May, -and from Ringgold on the 7th, he first encountered Johnston -at Tunnel Hill, a strong position, but which was -used by him merely as an outpost to his still stronger one -of ‘Buzzard Roost.’ This latter is a narrow gorge or -pass in the Chatoogata Mountains, flanked on one side -by the precipitous sides of Rocky Face Ridge (not unlike -the Palisades of the Hudson River) and on the other by -the greater but less precipitous elevation called John’s -Mountain. This gorge was commanded on the Dalton -side by an amphitheatre of hills, which, as well as the -tops of Rocky Face and John’s Mountain, was crowned -by batteries, lined with infantry, and terraced by sharpshooters. -The railroad and wagon-road wind through -the gorge, which is absolutely the only passage through -the mountains at this place. Taking a leaf from the -book of his Yorktown experience, Johnston had skilfully -flooded the entrance to the gorge by damming a neighboring -mountain-stream, and covering both railroad and -wagon-road with water to the depth in some places of -eight to ten feet. It is scarcely possible to conceive a -stronger defensive position, and the rebels had been induced -to believe that it was unassailable.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The pass, which doubtless received its name from a -large bird common at the south, was made impassable -by abatis, and piles driven down filling the defile, and -the whole overflowed by the waters of Mill Creek. -Two days’ reconnoissance and sharp skirmishing proved -to General Sherman that an attack in front would cost -too great a sacrifice of life, and that the pass must be -turned. The means for this were found in a gap called -Snake Creek Gap, some fifteen miles to the southwest. -The thick dark forest, by its concealment, would protect -the march. Rising almost perpendicularly are the -flinty sides of Rocky Face, on the other side of which -stands Oak Knob. Into this wild and romantic seclusion -our army pushed its front, while the rebels lurked in the -heights around and above the Union “boys.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Morgan, whose command was there, relates, -that “a corporal of Company I, Sixtieth Illinois, broke -from the line, and under the cover of projecting ledges -got up within twenty feet of a squad of rebels on the summit. -Taking shelter from the sharpshooters, he called -out:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I say, rebs, don’t you want to hear Old Abe’s amnesty -proclamation read?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Yes! yes!’ was the unanimous cry, ‘give us the -ape’s proclamation.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Attention!’ commanded the corporal, and in a -clear and resonant voice he read the amnesty proclamation -to the rebels, beneath the cannon planted by rebel -hands to destroy the fabric of Government established by -our fathers. When he arrived at those passages of the -proclamation where the negro was referred to, he was interrupted -by cries of ‘None of your Abolitionism; look -out for rocks!’ And down over his hiding-place descended -a shower of stones and rocks. Having finished -the reading, the corporal asked:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Well, rebs, how do you like the terms? Will you -hear it again?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Not to-day, you bloody Yank. Now crawl down -in a hurry and we won’t fire,’ was the response; and the -daring corporal descended and rejoined his command, -which had distinctly heard all that passed. I regret I -could not learn the name of the corporal, for he must get -promotion at the hands of Father Abraham and Governor -Dick Yates.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Another incident of army life at this crisis of the -campaign will interest you: While on Rocky Face General -Howard stood upon a ledge of rocks from which -he could see a large force of rebels upon a projecting spur -of the ridge immediately beneath him. Tired of gazing -upon the enemy, the General, in the absence of hand -grenades, lighted the fuse of shells, and amused himself -by dropping them down into the centre of the enemy, -in whose ranks there was quite a lively commotion in -consequence. The frightened enemy little suspected that -the hand that dropped the shells into their ranks was the -companion of the one lost at Fair Oaks by the fearless -leader of the Eleventh Army Corps.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The flank movement was led by General McPherson -with the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Corps, and Garrard’s -division of cavalry, supported by General Thomas with -the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, while Generals -Howard and Schofield, with the Fourth, Twenty-third, -and Stoneman’s division of cavalry, “amused the enemy -in front.” Suddenly General Johnston waked up from -his dream of security, and hastily abandoning his stronghold -fell back upon a new position to save his communications, -which were around the town of Resaca, -almost due south from Chattanooga, and distant from it -by railroad fifty-six miles. It is situated in Gordon -County, Georgia, on the north bank of the Coosawattee -River, which flows southwest, changing its name to the -Oostalantee, and joins Etowah at Rome, the two forming -the Coosa, which, joining the Tallapoosa, forms the Alabama, -and flows into the Gulf at Mobile.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The railroad bridge at Resaca, destroyed by the rebels -on their retreat, is one of the most important, perhaps -the most important, on the Western and Atlantic Railway; -it is six hundred feet long. The distance from -Resaca to Atlanta is eighty-two miles by rail, and the -country much more favorable for our operations than -that from Chattanooga to Resaca.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The rebel general began to learn lessons of caution in -the <span class='it'>flanking</span> school of General Sherman, and so guarded -the extremities of his army that the latter was compelled -to try a direct assault in front. For three days the -sound of battle at intervals echoed among the hills, with -constantly increasing advantage to the vigilant, skilful, -and unyielding Sherman, until he had in his possession -commanding hills, with railroads and bridges in his rear. -Eight guns, two flags, large quantities of stores, and several -hundred prisoners, were the trophies of the hard-earned -victories.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The night of the 15th of May the rebel chief, finding -himself outwitted and outflanked, made a hurried retreat. -When the morning revealed the flight of the foe, General -Sherman’s army started in pursuit. General Thomas, -second only in splendid achievements and gallantry to his -commander, was “directly on his heels,” while Generals -McPherson and Schofield took different routes. Amusing -scenes occasionally lit up the darkest hours of night and -conflict.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>During the whole operations of Saturday and Sunday, -while forcing General Johnston from his intrenchments, -General Beatty’s brigade, of Wood’s division, was in -reserve. The boys did not relish their position, and, while -the battle raged with great fury, they showed unmistakable -signs of uneasiness. One fellow, more daring than -his companions, quietly sauntered out and made for the -front. Meeting a wounded soldier returning from the -front, the “Buckeye” borrowed his “fixins” and entered -Hazen’s brigade, where he fought bravely until shot in the -jaw. Retiring to the rear, he met a staff-officer, who -inquired the number of his regiment, and, learning it -was not under fire, asked how he came to be wounded. -“Well,” replied the soldier, “you see I don’t like to -be back in the rear, so I came out to take a shot at -the Johnnies, and I be dogged if they haven’t peppered -me.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At nine on Saturday night the Nineteenth Alabama -was lying in line, with a rebel battery separating it from -another regiment. The battery was withdrawn, and the -colonel of the Nineteenth went down to fill the gap with -his regiment; he was accompanied by four hundred men. -Arriving at the gap they found it filled with pickets, who -quietly “took them in out of the wet,” and brought them -in. Our boys had crawled up unobserved, and filled the -gap in the enemy’s line, captured Colonel McSpadden and -companions, and retired without receiving a shot. The -rebel colonel himself highly praised the strategy of his -captors.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Onward through forest, across streams, and over -heights, the nobly proud and confidant columns pressed -toward Atlanta. The song and joke—the sacred page -and prayer—the inexcusable oath—all marked the long -marches, the night encampment, and the morning hour -of preparation to renew the tramp of embattled legions -toward the interior of the Confederate Territory. How -sublime the music, rising over that moving host, which -a listener thus describes:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At early dawn one morning, ere the troops were fully -awakened from their slumbers, the melodious notes of -‘Old Hundred,’ given forth by one of the brigade bands, -rang out upon the air, and were echoed by the green-capped -hills beyond. Soldiers intently occupied in preparing -the morning meal stood still and listened to the -melody, and instinctively joined in it. It flew from -regiment to regiment; brigade after brigade took it -up, and, ere the notes of the band ceased to reverberate, -five thousand voices were raised in ‘Praise God -from whom all blessings flow.’ A moment later all was -still. Breakfast was taken; and so silently did the veterans -of many battle-fields break camp and fall into line -that everybody remarked it, and complimented them for -their conduct. I have heard ‘Old Hundred’ often, when -the lungs of the organ seemed inspired with life, and -a congregation joined their melodious voices, but never -until to-day did I hear it sung with the full inspiration of -the soul.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>May 25th, General Thomas’s troops, with the fearless -Hooker in the advance, were sweeping toward Dallas, -when the enemy crossed their path. The action of New -Hope Church came off, leaving the Union colors streaming -victoriously over the exulting volunteers. But there -was a different flag taken from hostile hands. General -Stoneman, the splendid cavalry officer, captured from the -Third Texas Cavalry a black flag with a skeleton figured -upon it together with a death’s head and cross-bones. -This flag is no myth or creation of the wild fancy of some -terrified trooper, but a reliable thing now in possession of -a surgeon in the General’s command, and seen and handled -by the members of General Schofield’s staff. They -are said to have carried it from the first. What they expect -to have understood by it is easily arrived at from -the remark of a member of another Texas regiment who -was taken prisoner and brought to headquarters. When -asked by a member of the staff if he belonged to the regiment -which carried the black flag, he replied that he did -not, else he should not have been brought there. It is, -perhaps, needless to state that our men are reported to -have taken no prisoners from the Third Texas Cavalry.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>While the forces were approaching Dallas, occurred -one of war’s striking contrasts, related by a participant -in the scenes:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Last night the enemy kept up a lively demonstration -along our whole line sufficient to interfere slightly with -our slumbers at headquarters. About three o’clock yesterday -afternoon Cheney’s First Illinois Battery, 20-pounder -Parrott guns, opened a brisk fire upon a strong -rebel fortification, one mile from Dallas, which frowns -upon our lines at an altitude of nearly two hundred feet, -and from which a fine view is easily obtained of our -movements. The cannonade was continued till sunset, -shells bursting in all directions, scattering their death-dealing -fragments among loyal and disloyal. The monotony -was relieved by the constant arrival of mounted -orderlies bearing their important despatches of the -enemy’s doings from the respective brigade and division -commanders, while the music of the Minié balls, as they -whistled through the trees over our heads, lent enough -exhilarating excitement to the afternoon hours to dispel -all thought of drowsiness. While the musketry rattled -quite lively along our lines, causing the vales to reverberate, -and the loud reports of the deadly rifles rang through -the mountain forests, the military bands were discoursing -sentimental and patriotic melodies within sound of the -rebel lines.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“So near have our skirmishers advanced to the -enemy’s front, that last night, while a prayer-meeting was -being held in the rebel camps, our troops could hear quite -distinctly their appeals to Heaven for peace. I regret to -state that some of the ‘Yankees’ were sacrilegious -enough to interpolate the names of Grant and Sherman, -just at the point where the traitors invoked health and -strength to Lee and Johnston. The tone of their petitions -was for peace, which Gen. Sherman is determined they -shall not enjoy until he secures that piece of Georgia -which he has marked out as the reward for his invincible -army.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At this crisis in the march, already among the rivers -flowing to the Gulf, with the iron-works on their banks -at different points, General Sherman issued an order containing -directions respecting care of the wounded, who -were to be carried from the field by the musicians and -others not in the ranks; and requiring hospitals to be kept -nearer the moving columns, protecting them by the irregularities -on the surface, and not by distance. Here is -what he says of cowards:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Skulking, shirking, and straggling behind in time -of danger, are such high detestable crimes that the General -Commanding would hardly presume them possible, -were it not for his own observation, and the report that -at this moment soldiers are found loafing in the cabins, to -the rear, as far back as Kingston. The only proper fate -of such miscreants is that they be shot, as common enemies -to their profession and country; and all officers and -patrols sent back to arrest them, will shoot them without -mercy, on the slightest impudence or resistance. By thus -wandering in the rear they desert their fellows, who expose -themselves in battle in the full faith that all on the rolls -are present, and they expose themselves to capture and -exchange as good soldiers, to which they have no title. -It is hereby made the duty of every officer who finds -such skulkers, to deliver them to any provost guard, regardless -of corps, to be employed in menial or hard -work, such as repairing roads, digging drains, sinks, &c. -Officers, if found skulking, will be subjected to the same -penalty as enlisted men, viz., instant death, or the hardest -labor and treatment. Absentees not accounted for, should -always be mustered as deserters, to deprive them of their -pay and bounties, reserved for honest soldiers.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We cannot chronicle all the battles and skirmishes of -the “running fight”—not <span class='it'>from</span> the enemy, but after him. -The charge upon Allatoona Pass by the Union cavalry, -June 2d, where General Sherman had flanked General -Johnston a week before, was a brilliant display of valor -baptized in blood.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The first week in June had passed, and General Sherman’s -troops, after marching more than a hundred miles -since leaving Chattanooga, through a country unknown -to them, daily skirmishing with the watchful foe, striking -against works capable of resisting twice their number of -troops, and all the time without broken ranks, gaining substantial -advantage, now fairly confronted General Johnston -intrenched upon Lost Mountain, Pine Hill, and Kenesaw -Mountain, three bold peaks connected together by a line -of ridges, and twenty-six miles north of Atlanta. His line -was closely circumscribed by ours. In no place were the -hostile parallels more than a musket-shot apart. The -rebel right rested on Kenesaw Mountain, on the railroad, -four miles north of Marietta, their left on Lost Mountain, -some six miles west of Kenesaw. Between these two -formidable ridges the rebels had gradually been forced -back from a triangle, with the apex toward us, until their -line was but a faint crescent, their centre still being -slightly advanced. Right, left, and centre, their position -was closely invested. Our troops shed parallel after -parallel, until the country in their rear was furrowed -with rifle-pits and abatis, and scored with a labyrinth of -roads.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The country is covered with primitive forests, and in -very few places are there cleared spaces sufficiently large -to display the movements of a brigade. There is an -abundance of scrubby undergrowth which hides every -thing a few yards distant from view; and when one inspects -the difficulties, it seems hardly credible, though -such is the case, that we fully developed the enemy’s -position with two days’ skirmish.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A brave officer from whose accurate observations -passages have already been taken, says of this halting-place -in the great race for Atlanta: “The ridge in front -of Kenesaw commences about Wallace’s House on the -Burnt Hickory and Marietta road, and extends thence -across the railroad behind Noonday Creek about two miles -in an east-by-north direction. Lost Mountain and Kenesaw -are about eleven hundred feet high, Pine Hill and -Brushy Hill about four hundred feet high, and the ridges -everywhere about one hundred and fifty to two hundred -feet, or about the same as, and, in fact, not very dissimilar -to Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga. The enemy was -everywhere strongly intrenched behind log barricades, -protected by earth thrown against them, with a ditch, -formidable abatis, and in many places a chevaux-de-frise -of sharpened fence-rails besides. Their intrenchments -were well protected by thick traverses, and at frequent -intervals arranged with emplacements and embrasures for -field-guns. The thickness of this parapet was generally -six to eight feet <span class='it'>at top</span> on the infantry line, and from -twelve to fifteen feet thick at the top, where field-guns -were posted or where fire from our artillery was anticipated. -The amount of digging and intrenching that -Johnston’s army had done is almost incredible. General -Sherman’s tactics resulted in wresting Lost Mountain, -Pine Hill, the ridge in front of Kenesaw, and Brushy -Hill from the enemy, and forcing back his two wings, -Kenesaw Mountain operating as a sort of hinge, until his -left was behind Olley’s Creek, and his right behind the -stream which flows between the houses named on the -map as McAffee and Wiley Roberts. Kenesaw Mountain -then became the projecting fortress of the defensive line, -the wings being turned backward from it. It is a rocky -eminence, rather precipitous, thickly-wooded, and crowned -with batteries.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Our respective lines were about eight or nine miles -in length, from six hundred to seven hundred yards distant -from each other, and strongly intrenched. Skirmishing -went on incessantly, and artillery duels occurred two -or three times daily. The enemy at different times made -some dozen or more assaults, sometimes getting within -fifty yards of our intrenchments, but were always repulsed, -and generally with heavy loss to them. To gain -certain positions, we opened a heavy artillery fire upon -their whole line, pressed their two flanks heavily, and -made assaults in two places upon their centre. The assaults -were unsuccessful; but the Twenty-third Corps, -upon their extreme right, gained important advantages -of position.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Wrote another: “We fancy out here that the over-expectant -loyal public are disappointed at the seemingly -slow progress of our cause in this department. It is only -necessary to state that the immense amount of supplies -required for an army of this size, to be transported a distance -of over two hundred miles through the enemy’s -country, with a single-track railroad, is a gigantic undertaking. -As for subsisting upon the country, that is out -of the question, the inhabitants themselves depending upon -the charity of the ‘ruthless invaders’ for daily sustenance. -Forage, ordnance stores, and commissary supplies, must -all flow through this single artery with lightning rapidity, -if we would replenish these stores as fast as exhausted. -Nothing but the most thorough organization and complete -system, with great energy in the various departments, -could ever have prevented our troops from suffering for -the want of food and clothing. The public can never appreciate -the innumerable natural obstacles that have embarrassed -the operations of this unflinching army. The -truly loyal do not demand any such explanations as these, -for with such leaders as Grant and Sherman apprehension -is groundless; but of late the Copperhead press, not content -with misrepresenting and belittling General Grant’s -victorious advance toward the rebel capital, sneer at General -Sherman’s generalship, and insinuate already, in the -face of brilliant successes achieved, that the ‘On to Atlanta’ -movement is a failure.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Standing upon the martial-crowned top of Pine -Mountain, amid the fluttering of those peculiar flags used -by the Signal Corps, we learned that from this eminence -were transmitted, in those mysterious signals, all the -movements of the enemy, and such operations of our -army as were necessary. In front of you stands the defiant, -frowning Kenesaw, with its thick woods concealing -the rebel batteries from view that line its steep sides, -while five or six miles west of Kenesaw, Lost Mountain -lifts its sugar-loaf crest to the sky, solitary and alone, -looming up against the gorgeously tinted clouds that deck -the heavens. Just before you, looking south, can be discerned -the suburbs of Marietta, with the Georgia Military -Institute standing out prominently in the picture. Gazing -down the steep declivity into the thickly-wooded vales -which lie at the spectator’s feet, a magnificent panorama -of natural beauty is unfurled. So close are the lines of -the contending armies, that the dense volumes of smoke -from their camp fires roll up united, but hang in portentous -clouds over friend and foe.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“While wrapt in silent admiration, mixed with a deep -sense of awe at the wild and romantic scene before me, -the bands encamped in the valley which encircles the base -of the mountain struck up the ‘John Brown’ or ‘Glory -Hallelujah Chorus,’ the echoes of which vibrated, re-echoed, -and, finally, as the sun’s departing rays began to -fade from the horizon, its pathetic notes died away, or -mingled with the rattle of musketry which flashed along -our skirmish line. I can never forget the peculiar impression -photographed upon my mind by the swelling of -this historical anthem of Freedom’s first battle, as it -grandly sailed over Pine Mountain. My reverie was soon -disturbed by the sudden roar of many batteries belching -out their savage peals with fearful rapidity from both -sides, and for several minutes quite an artillery duel was -indulged in, interspersed with short rolls of musketry. It -was curious to watch the rebel guns, as the smoke lazily -curled from the cannon’s mouth, while the solid shot -whizzed and shells shrieked over our breastworks.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Among the incidents of this part of the great campaign -was a dress parade of the rebels on the top of -Kenesaw Mountain. Our lines were so near, that the -display was distinctly visible and audible. Below the -regiment, whose bayonets gleamed in the rays of the setting -sun, were the bristling rifle-pits. A courier suddenly -dashed up to the adjutant, and handed him a despatch -from General Johnston, announcing that General -Sherman “had brought his army so far south, that his -line of supplies was longer than he could hold; that he -was too far from his base—just where their commanding -general wished to get him; that a part of their army -would hold the railroad, thirty miles north of the Etowah; -and that the great railroad bridge at Allatoona had been -completely destroyed; that in a few days Sherman would -be out of supplies, because he could bring no more trains -through by the railroad. They were urged to maintain a -bold front, and in a few days the Yankees would be -forced to retreat. Breathless silence evinces the attention -which every word of the order receives, as the adjutant -reads. Cheers are about to be given, when hark! -loud whistles from Sherman’s cars, at Big Shanty, interrupt -them. The number of whistles increase. Allatoona, -Ackworth, and Big Shanty depots resound with them. -Supplies have arrived. The effect can easily be imagined. -The illustration was so apt, the commentary so appropriate, -that it was appreciated at the instant. ‘Bully for -the base of supplies!’ ‘Bully for the long line!’ ‘Three -cheers for the big bridge!’ ‘Here’s your Yankee cars!’ -‘There’s Sherman’s rations!’ Bedlam was loose along -their line for a short time.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>There was a tree in front of General Herron’s division -of the Fifteenth Army Corps, to which was given the -name of <span class='it'>fatal tree</span>. Seven soldiers in succession, who -hid behind it to shoot, were killed. Then a board was -put on the tree, on which was chalked “dangerous.” -The rebels soon shot this sign to pieces, when a sergeant -took his position there, and in less than two minutes two -Minié balls pierced his body, making the eighth victim -of rebel bullets—a tragical <span class='it'>item</span> in war’s dread work.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='186' id='Page_186'></span><h1>CHAPTER XIX.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Battle of Kenesaw Mountain—On to Marietta—Across the Chattahoochie—General -Johnston succeeded by General Hood—Marching and Fighting—Death -of McPherson—Fight at Jonesboro—The last struggle for Atlanta—Victory. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/j.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='J'/>UNE 14th, General Hooker was on the right and -front of the rebel intrenchments, General Howard -on the left and front. A heavy cannonading was -opened, filling the air with bursting shells and -whistling balls, till the old mountains echoed with -the thunder and shouts of battle, and hung upon their -tops the streamers of its sulphurous smoke. Look away -among the rebel battalions, and mark that daring and -conspicuous officer, with the air of dignified, cultivated, -and mature manhood. With words of command on his -lips, he reels, and falls from his steed. The fatal missile -has opened the life current of the Bishop and General -Polk, the severest loss to the rebels of that sanguinary day.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The next morning brightened the summit of Pine -Mountain without the gleaming bayonets and bristling -cannon on which the sunset rays fell a few hours before; -the enemy had abandoned the summit during the night. -The heroic Thomas and Schofield immediately advanced, -and found the stubborn foe again strongly intrenched -along a range of rocky hills running from Kenesaw to -Lost Mountain. General McPherson crowded the opposing -lines on the left. The unyielding and steady advance -of the Union forces made the sides of Lost Mountain -too warm for the rebels, and on the 17th, just when -General Sherman was about to order a charge, they -withdrew, leaving in our hands not only the formidable -heights, but the “admirable breastworks connecting it -with Kenesaw Mountain.” Onward through dark forests -and across deep ravines, the resolute chief led the “boys,” -fighting every step of the way, toward the next fiery -barrier of bullets and steel. This was found at Kenesaw. -The fastness had become the last defence against the -Northern troops among the peaks which had for more -than two weeks frowned upon them. It was the enemy’s -front, the outer lines having fallen back to cover Marietta -and the railroad to the Chattahoochie.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Sadly glorious deeds were done in these wilderness -fights. When the One Hundred and Nineteenth New -York regiment was so near the hostile ranks that a halt to -throw up a temporary breastwork of logs was necessary, -by some singular and melancholy mistake a party of -twelve or fifteen men were ordered to advance beyond -these works on picket duty. Though knowing that it -was almost certain death to show their heads above the -walls of their little fort, still they obeyed without question -or hesitation. They had advanced scarcely more than -a rod beyond their comrades, when a heavy volley of -musketry prostrated to the ground every man save two! -Two were killed instantly, and the rest wounded more or -less severely. All of the wounded, however, were able to -drag themselves back and escape, except one poor fellow, -Sergeant Guider, who was so badly wounded that he -could not stir from his place. There he lay almost within -arms-length of his comrades, and yet they were powerless -to rescue him or give him aid, so galling was the -rebel fire. One bolder than the rest made the hazardous -attempt, but scarcely had he got over the breastworks -when he fell severely wounded. They endeavored to -allay his raging thirst by throwing to him canteens of -water, and even one of these was pierced by a rebel -bullet. Finally, as they could not go over the breastworks, -they dug a way under them with no other implements -than their bayonets, and through it two men crawled -and succeeded in reaching him unhurt. Just as they -reached him their comrades in the rear gave an exultant -cheer, which elicited from the rebels another volley. A -fatal ball pierced the poor fellow’s breast for a second time, -and he had only time to murmur feebly to his rescuers, -“Now I die content; I am in your hands,” and expired.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then came the terrible assault upon the stronghold to -dislodge the enemy. Oh, how bravely yet vainly did the -columns to whom the voice of their leader was enough -to take them anywhere, dash against the rocks terraced -with cannon! Again the charge sounded, and, like tides -thundering on the face of Gibraltar, the lion-hearted -Hooker hurled his forces upon the death-dealing intrenchments. -There was an Illinois regiment, whose sublime -patriotism, like that of the One Hundred and Nineteenth -New York, shed immortal radiance on the sanguinary -field, assuring all men that our conflict is no tragical -play of ambition, or murderous work of revenge.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In the bloody charge led by General Hooker, the -Twenty-seventh Illinois was pressing upon the rebel works; -and when they had approached very near them, Michael -Delaney, the color-bearer, rushed some ten paces forward -ahead of his regiment, and holding aloft the starry banner -of his country, shouted to his comrades to follow. -Just then a ball struck his left arm, inflicting a flesh -wound, from which the blood trickled in profuse currents. -Still grasping the flag, and keeping it to the breeze, he -drew his revolver, and rushing forward, leaped upon the -enemy’s works, waving his flag, and firing his pistol upon -the foe. Thus, standing upon the enemy’s works, his -pistol in hand, and his colors streaming over his head, -two rebels approached him, one on each side, and thrust -their bayonets into the sides of the hero martyr. He felt -the cold steel pierce to the very quick of his young life, -yet he did not falter. With the blood gushing from his -wounds, he clasped the flag to his breast, and bore it back -in safety to his comrades, among whom he soon after -bled to death. Though no star or eagle decorated his -shoulders, he is of the country’s heroes, his name stamped -among theirs, high on the roll of honor. Though no -sculptured marble may mark the spot of his lonely grave -among the melancholy pines of northern Georgia, his intrepid -bravery entitles him to the homage of all who -honor the flag he so bravely bore, and laid down his life -to save. The Twenty-seventh Illinois regiment suffered -heavily, but behaved nobly, in this fierce and unequal -contest.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And the unresting, yet patient, sagacious commander, -in his own report, tells us how he alarmed -his antagonist, and drew him away from the slopes -of Kenesaw to save his path of retreat: “On the 1st -of July General McPherson was ordered to throw his -whole army by the right down to and threaten Nickajack -Creek and Turner’s Ferry, across Chattahoochie. General -McPherson commenced his movement on the night -of July 2d, and the effect was instantaneous. The next -morning Kenesaw was abandoned, and with the first -dawn of day I saw our skirmishers appear on the mountain -top. General Thomas’s whole line was then moved -forward to the railroad, and turned south in pursuit toward -the Chattahoochie. In person I entered Marietta -at 8.30 o’clock in the morning, just as the enemy’s cavalry -vacated the place. General Logan’s corps of General -McPherson’s army, which had not moved far, was ordered -back into Marietta by the main road, and General -McPherson and General Schofield were instructed to cross -Nickajack, and attack the enemy in flank and rear, and, -if possible, to catch him in the confusion of crossing the -Chattahoochie; but Johnston had foreseen and provided -against all this, and had covered his movement well. He -had intrenched a strong <span class='it'>tête-du-pont</span> at the Chattahoochie, -with an advanced intrenched line across the road at -Smyrna camp-meeting ground, five miles from Marietta.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Strange scenes, indeed, are witnessed in this civil war: -“The two armies in Georgia met in the persons of some -of their superior officers—Generals Clayborne, Cheatham, -Hindman, and Maney—parties having been detailed from -each by mutual agreement, for the burial of their dead. -Grouped together in seemingly fraternal unity were officers -and men of both contending armies, who but five -minutes before were engaged in the work of slaughter -and death. Cheatham looked rugged and healthy, though -seemingly sad and despondent. He wore his ‘fatigue’ -dress, a blue flannel shirt, black necktie, gray homespun -pantaloons, and slouch black hat. Colonel Clancy, of the -Fifty-second Ohio, in talking to Generals Maney and -Hindman, remarked that it was a sad state of affairs to -witness human beings of a common origin and nationality -dig two hours every day to bury the dead of twenty -minutes’ fighting. ‘Yes, yes, indeed,’ said one, ‘but if -the settlement of this thing were left to our armies there -would be peace and good fellowship established in two -hours.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With the “forward to Atlanta!” ringing over the -proud ranks of Generals Logan, Howard, Palmer, and -Hooker, moving out through the enemy’s works, and defiling -into the valley along the railroad toward Marietta, -let us look into the deserted mountain fortress. First you -will notice twenty feet in front of the battlements, to prevent -approach, the small trees cut down and sharpened, -presenting an impenetrable thicket of pointed green-wood -under the “dread artillery.” Besides, “hay-rakes,” as -they are called by the “boys,” are added. They are trees -half of a foot in diameter, pierced with two rows of auger -holes about the same distance apart, through which are -driven sticks sharp at both ends—no trifling barrier to a -successful charge. Inside of the defences all the means -of strength suggested by military art had been employed -to make them impregnable. But before the irresistible -Sherman, General Johnston is obliged to retreat, hastening -on toward the bulwarks of Atlanta.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At Smyrna, General Sherman continues: “General -Thomas found him, his front covered by a good parapet, -and his flanks behind the Nickajack and Rottenwood -Creeks. Ordering a garrison for Marietta, and General -Logan to join his own army near the mouth of Nickajack, -I overtook General Thomas at Smyrna. On the 4th of -July we pushed a strong skirmish line down the main -road, capturing the entire line of the enemy’s pits, and -made strong demonstrations along Nickajack Creek, and -about Turner’s Ferry. This had the desired effect, and -the next morning the enemy was gone, and the army -moved to the Chattahoochie, General Thomas’s left flank -resting on it near Price’s Ferry, General McPherson’s -right at the mouth of Nickajack, and General Schofield in -reserve; the enemy lay behind a line of unusual strength, -covering the railroad and pontoon bridges and beyond the -Chattahoochie.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The commander-in-chief now began to cast about for -places to ford the Chattahoochie, whose waters crossed -his path. He had secured three safe points of passage -above his enemy, with good roads running toward the -city, ten miles distant, on which his eager eye was -fixed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Marietta, where General Johnston paused to make a -faint resistance before reaching the river, is a pleasant -town which before the war contained a thousand inhabitants, -with neat villas and elegant brick mansions. -Nearly all the families left before or with the rebel -army on their retreat, leaving their deserted houses and -gardens as trophies for the “invading horde of Lincolnites.” -But about forty houses were occupied, principally -by rabid rebel women, who, as our officers rode through -the town, betrayed evident uneasiness, rushing into their -houses in some instances, and locking their doors against -all callers who politely asked admittance. The town is -beautifully situated in the Kenesaw valley, with nearly -all the houses nestling in beautiful groves of southern -trees that gave forth fragrant odors, to mingle with the -air that is wafted to the mountain resort, where the -ladies made their lookout to witness the efforts of the -Federals to drive back Johnston and his followers. Our -troops occupied the town about ten o’clock, while the -bells of the Episcopal Church pealed out the call to public -worship. The minister and the congregation were -not interrupted in their devotions, the troops behaved -very orderly, and, after a brief rest, resumed the march -to the Chattahoochie.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>While here, the chieftain wrote the following noble -letter to a friend of former days, the wife of Rev. Charles -Bowen, in reply to a note reminding him of the cherished -past in their social relations, and of the melancholy present -with its cruel “Yankee invasion.”</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field near Marietta, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>June 30</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“<span class='it'>Mrs. Anna Gilman Bowen, Baltimore, Md.</span></p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Dear Madam</span>: Your welcome letter of June 18th, -came to me here amid the sound of battle, and, as you -say, little did I dream, when I knew you, playing as a -school-girl on Sullivan’s Island beach, that I should control -a vast army, pointing, like the swarm of Alaric, toward -the plains of the South. Why, oh why is this? If -I know my own heart it beats as warmly as ever toward -those kind and generous families that greeted us with -such warm hospitality in days long past but still present -in memory, and to-day, were Frank and Mrs. Porcher, -and Eliza Gilman, and Mary Lamb, and Margaret Blake, -the Barksdales, the Quashis, the Pryors, indeed any and -all of our cherished circle, their children, or even their -children’s children, to come to me as of old, the stern -feelings of duty and conviction would melt as snow before -the genial sun, and I believe I would strip my own children -that they might be sheltered; and yet they call me -barbarian, vandal, and monster, and all the epithets that -language can invent that are significant of malignity and -hate. All I pretend to say, on earth as in Heaven, man -must submit to some arbiter. He must not throw off -his allegiance to his Government or his God without -just reason and cause. The South has no cause; -not even a pretext. Indeed, by her unjustifiable course -she has thrown away the proud history of the past, and -laid open her fair country to the tread of devastating -war. She bantered and bullied us to the conflict. Had -we declined battle, America would have sunk back, -coward and craven, meriting the contempt of all mankind. -As a nation, we were forced to accept battle, and -that once begun, it has gone on till the war has assumed -proportions at which even we in the hurly-burly sometimes -stand aghast. I would not subjugate the South in -the term so offensively assumed, but I would make every -citizen of the land obey the common law, submit to the -same that we do—no worse, no better—our equals and -not our superiors. I know and you know that there -were young men in our day, now no longer young, but -who control their fellows, who assumed to the gentlemen -of the South a superiority of courage and manhood, and -boastingly defied us of northern birth to arms. God -knows how reluctantly we accepted the issue, but once -the issue joined, like the northern race in other ages, -though slow to anger, once aroused are more terrible -than the more inflammable of the South. Even yet my -heart bleeds when I see the carnage of battle, the desolation -of homes, the bitter anguish of families; but the very -moment the men of the South say that instead of appealing -to war they should have appealed to reason, to our -Congress, to our courts, to religion, and to the experience -of history, then will I say Peace—Peace; go back to your -point of error, and resume your places as American citizens, -with all their proud heritages. Whether I shall -live to see this period is problematical, but you may, and -may tell your mother and sisters that I never forgot one -kind look or greeting, or ever wished to efface its remembrance; -but in putting on the armor of war I did it that -our common country should not perish in infamy and dishonor. -I am married, have a wife and six children living -in Lancaster, Ohio. My course has been an eventful one, -but I hope when the clouds of anger and passion are dispersed, -and truth emerges bright and clear, you and all -who knew me in early years will not blush that we were -once dear friends. Tell Eliza for me that I hope she -may live to realize that the doctrine of ‘secession’ is as -monstrous in our civil code as disobedience was in the -Divine law. And should the fortunes of war ever bring -you or your sisters, or any of our old clique under the -shelter of my authority, I do not believe they will have -cause to regret it. Give my love to your children, and -the assurance of my respects to your honored husband.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Truly, <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Wrote a loyal pen in that grand cavalcade of freedom -from the heights on the banks of the Chattahoochie: -“The view is exceedingly interesting. Away off to the -southeast, ten miles distant, can be distinctly seen the -farm-houses that nestle in the forests around Atlanta—the -tall spires of the churches and public buildings, and -the fortifications that guard the approaches to the ‘Gate -City.’ Stretching away to the south, the eye beholds a -vast forest, dotted by innumerable plantations and villages. -Nearer, almost at the base of the mountain, the Serpentine -River can be seen through the thick growth of -trees that line its banks, while the military, State, and -private roads to the east and south, remind the beholder -of a huge spider’s web, so numerous are they, and forming -so many angles.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the 4th the curiosity of the troops to see Atlanta -was so strong, that stragglers left their regiments and -climbed the side from which they viewed the promised -land to which they are ‘pilgrimaging.’ Many of the -poor fellows, I fear, will never live to obtain a nearer -view, as a desperate defence will be made ere Johnston -evacuates it for another position, and by surrendering it -open the doors for greater Federal success beyond and on -either side.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>July 10th found General Sherman in possession of the -country north and west of the river, with only the smoking -ruins of the enemy’s bridges left to tell of his hurried -retreat toward Atlanta, for whose gates the race was renewed. -Manœuvring, marching, and skirmishing again, -marked the movements of the contending armies.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I shall let you read further the great commander’s -own story of the chase after leaving the banks of the -river, in which he pays a passing tribute to the gallant -McPherson:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the 21st of July we felt the enemy in his intrenched -position, which was found to crown the heights -overlooking the comparatively open ground of the valley -of Peach-tree Creek, his right beyond the Augusta road -to the east, and his left well toward Turner’s Ferry, on -the Chattahoochie, at a general distance from Atlanta of -about four miles.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the morning of the 22d, somewhat to my surprise, -this whole line was found abandoned, and I confess -I thought the enemy had resolved to give us Atlanta -without further contest; but General Johnston had been -relieved of his command, and General Hood substituted. -A new policy seemed resolved on, of which the bold -attack on our right was the index. Our advancing ranks -swept across the strong and well-finished parapet of the -enemy, and closed in upon Atlanta, until we occupied a -line in the form of a general circle of about two miles -radius, when we again found him occupying in force -a line of finished redoubts, which had been prepared -for more than a year, covering all the roads leading into -Atlanta; and we found him also busy in connecting these -redoubts with curtains strengthened by rifle trenches, -abatis, and chevaux-de-frise.</p> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/map-illo.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0005' style='width:500px;height:auto;'/> -<p class='caption'><span style='font-size:smaller'>MAP OF GEORGIA</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='pindent'>“General McPherson, who had advanced from Decatur, -continued to follow substantially the railroad, with -the Fifteenth Corps, General Logan; the Seventeenth, -General Blair, on its left; and the Sixteenth, General -Dodge, on its right; but as the general advance of all -the armies contracted the circle, the Sixteenth Corps, -General Dodge, was thrown out of line by the Fifteenth -connecting on the right with General Schofield near the -Howard House. General McPherson, the night before, -had gained a high hill to the south and east of the railroad, -where the Seventeenth Corps had, after a severe -fight, driven the enemy, and it gave him a most commanding -position, within easy view of the very heart of -the city. He had thrown out working-parties to it, and -was making preparations to occupy it in strength with -batteries. The Sixteenth Corps, General Dodge, was -ordered from right to left to occupy this position and -make it a strong general, left flank. General Dodge was -moving by a diagonal path, or wagon track, leading from -the Decatur road in the direction of General Blair’s left -flank. General McPherson remained with me until near -noon, when some reports reaching us that indicated a -movement of the enemy on that flank, he mounted and -rode away with his staff. I must here also state that the -day before I had detached General Garrard’s cavalry to -go to Covington, on the Augusta road, forty-two miles -east of Atlanta, and from that point to send detachments -to break the two important bridges across the Yellow and -Ulcofauhatchee Rivers, tributaries of Ocmulgee, and General -McPherson had also left his wagon-train at Decatur -under a guard of three regiments, commanded by Colonel, -now General Sprague. Soon after General McPherson -left me at the Howard House, as before described, I -heard the sounds of musketry to our left rear—at first -mere pattering shots, but soon they grew in volume, accompanied -with artillery, and about the same time the -sound of guns was heard in the direction of Decatur. -No doubt could longer be entertained of the enemy’s plan -of action, which was to throw a superior force on our -left flank, while he held us with his forts in front, the -only question being as to the amount of force he could -employ at that point. I hastily transmitted orders to all -points of our centre and right to press forward, and to -give full employment to all the enemy in his lines, and for -General Schofield to hold as large a force in reserve as -possible, awaiting developments. Not more than half an -hour after General McPherson had left me, viz., about -12½ <span class='sc'>p. m.</span> of the 22d, his adjutant-general, Lieutenant-Colonel -Clark, rode up and reported that General McPherson -was either dead or a prisoner; that he had ridden -from me to General Dodge’s column, moving as heretofore -described, and had sent off nearly all his staff and -orderlies on various errands, and himself had passed into -a narrow path or road that led to the left and rear of -General Giles A. Smith’s division, which was General -Blair’s extreme left; that a few minutes after he had entered -the woods a sharp volley was heard in that direction, -and his horse had come out riderless, having two -wounds. The suddenness of this terrible calamity would -have overwhelmed me with grief, but the living demanded -my whole thoughts. I instantly despatched a staff officer -to General John A. Logan, commanding the Fifteenth -Corps, to tell him what had happened; that he must -assume command of the Army of the Tennessee, and -hold stubbornly the ground already chosen.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But among the dead was Major-General McPherson, -whose body was recovered and brought to me in the heat -of battle, and I had it sent, in charge of his personal staff, -back to Marietta, on its way to his northern home. He -was a noble youth, of striking personal appearance, of -the highest professional capacity, and with a heart abounding -in kindness, that drew to him the affections of all men. -His sudden death devolved the command of the Army of -the Tennessee on the no less brave and gallant General -Logan, who nobly sustained his reputation and that of his -veteran army, and avenged the death of his comrade and -commander.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>What high appreciation of a gifted and gallant officer, -tender regard, and sublime self-control, are displayed in -those words from the field of carnage! Lieutenant-General -Grant was not ashamed to weep in his tent over McPherson’s -death; in the closing circle of conflict around -Atlanta, General Sherman could only feel the pang of -poignant regret, and marshal the unfallen for further and -bloodier strife.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At this crisis, Congress having passed a law authorizing -the organization of colored troops, a Massachusetts -State Agent applied to him to know where, in the rebel -States penetrated by our troops, would be the best points -for recruiting stations. His letter in reply will possess -interest, because while it furnishes the desired information, -it contains the writer’s views of the subject. The -best treasure, and the best blood of the nation, has been -his estimate of the great and glorious sacrifice demanded -in our struggle for national existence. He scorns all -evasions of duty, and resorts to doubtful expedients, for -relief from any of the burdens of such a war.</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, near Atlanta, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>July 30, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Sir</span>: Yours from Chattanooga, July 28th, is received, -notifying me of your appointment by your State -as lieutenant-colonel and provost-marshal of Georgia, Alabama, -and Mississippi, under the act of Congress approved -July 4, 1864, to recruit volunteers to be credited to the -States respectively. On applying to General Webster, at -Nashville, he will grant you a pass through our lines to -those States, and, as I have had considerable experience -in those States, would suggest recruiting depots to be established -at Macon and Columbus, Miss., Selma, Montgomery, -and Mobile, Alabama, and Columbus, Milledgeville, -and Savannah, Georgia. I do not see that the law -restricts you to black recruits, but you are at liberty to -collect white recruits also. It is [a] waste of time and -money to open rendezvous in Northwest Georgia, for I -assure you I have not seen an able-bodied man, black or -white, there, fit for a soldier who was not in this army or -the one opposed to it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You speak of the impression going abroad that I -am opposed to the organization of colored regiments. -My opinions are usually very positive, and there is no -reason why you should not know them. Though entertaining -profound reverence for our Congress, I do doubt -their wisdom in the passage of this law:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“1st. Because civilian agents about an army are a -nuisance.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“2d. The duty of citizens to fight for their country -is too sacred a one to be peddled off by buying up the -refuse of other States.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“3d. It is unjust to the brave soldiers and volunteers -who are fighting, as those who compose this army do, to -place them on a par with the class of recruits you are after.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“4th. The negro is in a transition state, and is not -the equal of the white man.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“5th. He is liberated from his bondage by the act -of war; and the armies in the field are entitled to all his -assistance and labor and fighting <span class='it'>in addition</span> to the proper -quotas of the States.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“6th. This bidding and bantering for recruits, white -and black, has delayed the reënforcement of our armies -at the times when such reënforcements would have -enabled us to make our successes permanent.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“7th. The law is an experiment which, pending war, -is unwise and unsafe, and has delayed the universal draft -which I firmly believe will become necessary to overcome -the wide-spread resistance offered us; and I also -believe the universal draft will be wise and beneficial; -for under the Providence of God it will separate the -sheep from the goats, and demonstrate what citizens will -fight for their country, and what will only talk.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No one will infer from this that I am not a friend -to the negro as well as the white race. I contend that -the treason and rebellion of the master freed the slave, -and the armies I have commanded have conducted to safe -points more negroes than those of any general officer in -the army; but I prefer negroes for pioneers, teamsters, -cooks, and servants, others gradually to experiment in -the art of the soldier, beginning with the duties of local -garrisons, such as we had at Memphis, Vicksburg, -Natchez, Nashville, and Chattanooga; but I would not -draw on the poor race for too large a proportion of its -active, athletic young men, for some must remain to seek -new homes and provide for the old and young, the feeble -and helpless. These are some of my peculiar notions, -but I assure you they are shared by a large proportion -of our fighting men.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The honesty, directness, and philanthropy of these -views, will command respect from those who opposed -them, and would raise an army of emancipated slaves. -With him it was not contempt of the negro, but the -scorn of a timid, easy policy by the North, while exactly -the opposite course was taken by the South.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman now ordered from Chattanooga four -rifled cannon, whose calibre was four and a half inches, -and whose signals of his arrival were to be dropped into -streets of Atlanta. August 10th, these messengers of -<span class='it'>peace with victory</span>, arrived and began their negotiations. -Night and day they sent their globes of fire into the city, -kindling conflagrations and spreading confusion and -terror on every hand. But the enemy had come to the -strongest position along the entire war-path between -Chattanooga and the ocean; and although the “Gate -City” was made a heap of ruins, he was resolved to -hold the forts, which would guard the way, even over the -smoking embers of destruction.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The fine cavalry officer, General Stoneman, was sent -on a raid to the Macon Railroad, in which he was taken -prisoner. This had so elated the rebels they began to -think of “turning the tables” on General Sherman. -Suddenly Major-General Wheeler appeared before Dalton, -which you recollect was the first important position -taken after leaving Chattanooga, with a force of infantry -and cavalry variously reported at from seventeen hundred -to five thousand men. It was defended by a garrison -of four hundred men under Colonel Seibold. Approaching -the town in line of battle, General Wheeler -demanded the surrender of the place in the following -terms: “To prevent the effusion of blood, I have the -honor to demand the immediate and unconditional surrender -of the forces under your command at this garrison.” -To which Colonel Seibold replied: “I have been -placed here to defend the post, but not to surrender it. -B. Seibold, commanding U. S. forces.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>On the receipt of this reply, an attack was made on -the garrison, who retired into their defences, where they -succeeded in holding their position until the arrival of -General Steedman with reënforcements from Chattanooga, -when the rebels were forced to retreat after inflicting -some slight damage to the railroad track near -Dalton.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A few days later General Sherman issued orders for -a general advance of the army by the right flank. All -the sick, with surplus wagons and encumbrances of every -kind, were sent back to the intrenched position near the -river bridge, reducing the number of wagons to three -thousand and of ambulances to one thousand; and on the -night of August 25th the canvas city gave place to the -marshalled host, moving forward in the darkness to -gather more closely the fatal cordon around Atlanta. -The following night flung its shadows upon the still -marching thousands, getting nearer and nearer the throat -of the foe. The Army of the Tennessee moved to the -West Point Railroad, when General Sherman ordered -“a day’s work to be expended in destroying the road, -and it was done with a will,” to use his own words. -Having surveyed in person the ruins, and satisfied with -the thoroughness of the devastation, he led the whole -army forward.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Howard moved on the right toward Jonesboro’, -General Thomas had the centre, whose goal was -Conch’s, on the Decatur and Fayetteville road, and General -Schofield the extreme left. To get a clear impression -of the army operations here, you will need the help -of a large map, on which the railroads and towns about -Atlanta can be seen in their relation to it. Meanwhile -General Hood was growing merry over a fancied retreat by -the manœuvring and confident Sherman. The long trains -moving to the rear, and the course of the battalions backward -toward Sandtown on the Chattahochie, <span class='it'>looked</span> like -it. But the commander knew his enemy and the way -to trap him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>August 28th, the grand army was keeping cheerful -step to the music of the march to conflict and victory; -the long columns of warriors proudly gazing after their -chief, who with equal pride cared for and led them to the -fields of conquest.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Atlanta was now the object of enthusiastic interest. -It was profound strategy which divided the rebel forces -at Jonesboro’ and Atlanta, throwing the Union army like -a wedge between them, thus making the fall of Atlanta -certain: “During the night of the 28th, the rest -of the army being well under way, the Twenty-third -Corps withdrew and followed the general movement -toward the Macon Road, General Schofield timing his -movements with the corps further on the left, which had -the longer arc of the circle to traverse. The general line -of march for the Twenty-third Corps was toward the -junction of the two railroads at East Point, the Third -division, under General Cox, holding the advance, and -with the Second Division, under General Hascall, occasionally -erecting temporary works to guard against -threatened attacks from the enemy, who were on the -alert against this demonstration. On the 31st these two -divisions effected a junction with General Stanley, of the -Fourth Corps. General Hascall’s division went into -position to guard the left toward East Point, and General -Cox pushed forward toward the Macon road, which was -reached by two or three o’clock <span class='sc'>p. m.</span>, General Stanley, -of the Fourth Corps, striking it about the same time. -The troops of these two corps at once set to work fortifying, -while details were sent out, which destroyed the -track for miles. No opposition was encountered, and by -dark strong works had been thrown up, facing east and -south, the work of destruction on the railroad being continued -through the night. On the morning of the 1st of -September, Newton’s and Kimball’s divisions were marched -along the line of the railroad the length of a brigade -front, and at a given signal the ties and rails were lifted -from their bed, piled up and burnt. Thus a mile and a -half was turned up and destroyed in half an hour. An -advance of another mile and a half was then made down -the road, and the operation repeated. Thus alternately -marching and destroying the road, the two divisions -marched a distance of ten miles, to within two miles of -Jonesboro’, where they formed a junction with the Fourteenth -Corps. Soon after the Twenty-third Corps, which -followed the Fourth, came into position on its left. Further -to the left was the Army of Tennessee.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Previous to this the enemy had discovered the direction -of General Sherman’s march, and two corps under -Hardee had been sent to confront him at Jonesboro’, -Hood meanwhile remaining for the defence of Atlanta. -Daring the night of August 30th the march of a rebel -column was heard on our left and centre, and in the -morning two corps were found massed on our right. At -daybreak, the Second brigade of Hazen’s division of the -Fifteenth Corps advanced and drove the enemy from a -hill, which gave, our artillery command at Jonesboro’, -and the railroad less than one half mile distant. This -success was immediately followed up by the reënforcement -of the brigade holding the hill, by a brigade from -Osterhaus’ division. Toward three <span class='sc'>p. m.</span> the enemy appeared -in front of Hazen’s position, Lee’s corps advancing -to the assault through a field of corn, while Hardee’s -Corps attempted a flanking movement on the right, which -was checked by Harrow’s division. Both divisions were -soon engaged in checking the desperate and determined -assault with which the enemy sought to overwhelm them. -The rebels were driven back, only to rally again and -again for the assault, until after two hours of desperate -fighting they were finally repulsed. They had fortunately -struck a position which we held too strongly to be -easily dislodged. A reënforcement of two regiments -were sent during the attack, by General Howard to General -Wood, and a brigade of the Seventeenth Corps, -Colonel Bryant’s, to General Hazen. Failing in this -assault, Cleburne’s rebel division marched to our extreme -right, and assaulted Kilpatrick, who held the bridge on -Flint River. General Kilpatrick succeeded, however, in -holding his position until relieved by General Giles B. -Smith’s division.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“During the night Hardee despatched Lee’s corps to -look after the safety of Atlanta, so that but a single rebel -corps was found opposed to our army on the morning of -September 1st. This corps lay in position in front of -Jonesboro’, with their right resting on the railroad. -Having failed in the assault with which they hoped to -drive back our army, they were prepared to resist its -further advance in the best position they could secure. -They had a large number of guns in position, which did -effective service during the day. Late in the afternoon -General Davis formed his troops for a charge upon the -enemy’s position; Brigadier-General Carlin’s division on -the left, and Brigadier-General Morgan, joining the -Fifteenth Corps on the right, General Baird being in -reserve. The line was formed in the arc of a circle on -the edge of the woods, the two flanks thrown forward -overlapping the enemy, who held a position on some commanding -ridges in front, covering Jonesboro’. In the -face of a deadly fire of musketry, shell, and canister, the -gallant Fourteenth Corps charged upon the rebel position, -driving them from their breastworks and capturing many -prisoners, including Brigadier-General Govan, several colonels -and other commissioned officers. Eight guns were -also taken, among them part of Loomis’s battery captured -at Chickamauga. The troops captured belonged to the -fighting division of Cleburne. The approach of night prevented -pursuit of the broken columns of the rebels, who -escaped under cover of the darkness.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At daybreak on the 2d, the Fourth and Twenty-third -Corps advanced in pursuit of the retreating rebels, who -came to bay near Lovejoy’s Station, six miles beyond -Jonesboro’, toward Macon, taking position on a wooded -ridge behind a swamp bordering a creek. Some skirmishing -was had with the enemy’s first line until night, which -was spent by our troops in intrenching. The enemy being -found in strong position, and his retreat being assured, no -further advance was attempted.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Meantime Atlanta was alive with excitement. Despair -had succeeded confidence as it became known that -Hardee had been driven from Jonesboro’ south, while -Hood was left in Atlanta with his communications severed, -and our army threatening both from the north and -the south. Early on Thursday, September 1st, the removal -of supplies and ammunition commenced, and was -continued through the day. Large quantities of provisions -that could not be removed were distributed to the citizens, -the storehouses at the same time being thrown open to the -troops as they passed through the city. The rolling stock -of the railroad, consisting of about one hundred cars and -six engines, was gathered together and destroyed. The -cars were laden with the surplus ammunition taken out -on the Augusta Railroad, and set on fire and blown up, -making the earth tremble with the explosion. Over one -thousand bales of cotton were also given to the torch. -The scene of confusion and excitement among the town’s -people when it became evident that the city was to be -evacuated, is beyond description. Every possible and -impossible vehicle was brought into requisition to carry -away the effects of the inhabitants, who, in sorrowful -procession, took up their line of march toward the -South. For the third time the peripatetic Memphis -<span class='it'>Appeal</span> was on the wing, its editor reporting himself at -this time ‘thoroughly demoralized.’ From the shanties -and cellars of the city swarmed out the lower classes of -the population to seize what they could from the general -wreck. The explosion of ammunition was heard by General -Slocum, of the Twentieth Corps, seven miles distant. -Suspecting the cause, he sent out a heavy column to reconnoitre -at daybreak on the morning of the 2d instant. -They met with no opposition, and pushed forward on the -roads leading into Atlanta from the north and northwest. -Arriving near the city, they were met by the mayor, Mr. -Calhoun, who formally surrendered the city. The formalities -disposed of, our troops entered Atlanta with banners -flying and music playing, the inhabitants looking on in -silence. General Slocum established his headquarters at -the Trout House, the principal hotel of the city. Eleven -heavy guns, mostly sixty-six pounders, were found in the -forts of the city, and others were subsequently discovered -buried in fictitious graves. About three thousand muskets, -in good order, and three locomotives were also secured, -besides large quantities of manufactured tobacco. -About two hundred rebel stragglers were gathered up by -the Second Massachusetts, which was detailed for provost -duty, its colonel, Cogswell, being appointed provost-marshal. -But a small proportion of the inhabitants remained -in the city, and these principally of the lower -classes, and tradesmen who proposed to make an honest -penny out of the army. Their hopes were speedily cut -short by a peremptory order from General Sherman ordering -all civilians from the city.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In looking back upon this campaign, a very remarkable -feature of it was the protection of his line of communication: -“It was not a little precarious, and more -than once aroused the anxiety of the nation. It might -well occasion solicitude. His base was, in one sense, not -at Chattanooga, but at Nashville; with the former point -as a secondary base. Accordingly, the enemy bent his -efforts not only to breaking the railroad between Atlanta -and Ringgold, striking it at Dalton and Calhoun, but also -to raiding on the road from Chattanooga back to Nashville. -From Atlanta to Chattanooga the railroad is one -hundred and thirty-five miles long; from Chattanooga to -Nashville, only a little less. With this line of two hundred -and fifty miles, stretched clear across the great Alleghany -chain from flank to flank, in a disputed country, -filled with guerrillas and hostile inhabitants, with myriads -of nooks and eyries in the mountainous region, apt for -the assemblage and protection of marauding bands, with -that attenuated line infested by many squadrons of the -best cavalry in the Confederacy, long accustomed to be -victorious everywhere—cavalry who had devastated almost -with impunity the broad States of Kentucky and Tennessee -again and again, under such bold and skilful leaders -as John Morgan, Forrest, Wheeler, Stephen Lee, Rhoddy, -and Chalmers—in spite of all, for four eventful months, -through victory and repulse, in action and repose alike, -Sherman has been able to keep his lines strong and clear.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“While all the Southern newspapers and many Southern -generals, and while even English journals of great -ability were proving by all the laws of logic and strategy -that Sherman <span class='it'>must</span> now retreat, Sherman did not retreat. -At the very moment, indeed, when the exultation of the -Confederates was the highest at the absolute certainty of -his downfall, Sherman pushed on and took Atlanta, ending -logic and campaign both at once.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It was one of the grandest, most decisive and exciting -scenes of the civil war, when the great leader of the Union -battalions in Georgia enjoyed the pause in marches and -battles afforded by the occupation of Atlanta. The sound -of booming cannon, the crack of musketry, all the Babel -discord of war, was comparatively hushed. In the distance -the foe was reluctantly, slowly retreating; and -along the track of both armies the new-made graves and -the wounded were lying, the waymarks of a gigantic -struggle for</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:1em;font-size:.9em;'>“The land of the brave, and the home of the free.”</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='217' id='Page_217'></span><h1>CHAPTER XX.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Tidings of Victory at Washington—The President’s Messages to the People -and to the Army—General Sherman congratulates his Battalions—The -Rebel General is indignant—The Correspondence between him and General -Sherman—The authorities of Atlanta also unreconciled to the new order of -things—The noble Letters and Conduct of the Conquerer. -</div> - -<div style="position:absolute;margin-left:-.5em; font-size:150%;">“</div><p class='noindent'><img src='images/a.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='A'/>TLANTA has fallen!” flew on lightning-wing -over the country, making the wildest -rejoicing of the loyal millions, and darkening -with despondency and wrath the faces of -traitors in their own camps and those among -the patriots of the north. “Atlanta is ours, and fairly -won!” was the sublimely simple message of General -Sherman. The importance and grandeur of the achievement -called forth an enthusiastic expression of rejoicing -in the Executive mansion, and of gratitude to God.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>We can almost imagine our calm and excellent President -gathering about him his Cabinet, and proposing three -cheers for Sherman; then retiring to his private apartment, -raising his tearful eye upward to the “King of kings,” in -thankful recognition of the source of strength and conquest, -before he took the pen to send over the land the -brief and stirring messages given below:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;font-size:.8em;'>“<span class='it'>To Major-General Dix, New York</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The President has issued the following recommendations -and orders in relation to the recent successes by -the United States forces at Mobile and Atlanta.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Edwin M. Stanton</span>, Secretary of War.”</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Executive Mansion, Washington City</span>,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='it'>September 3, 1864</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The signal success that Divine Providence has recently -vouchsafed to the operations of the United States -army and navy in the harbor of Mobile, and the reduction -of Forts Powell, Gaines, and Morgan, and the glorious -achievements of the army under Major-General Sherman -in the State of Georgia, resulting in the capture of the -city of Atlanta, call for devout acknowledgments to the -Supreme Being, in whose hands are the destinies of -nations.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is therefore requested that on next Sunday, in all -places of public worship in the United States, thanksgiving -be offered to Him for His mercy in preserving our -national existence against the insurgent rebels who so -long have been waging a cruel war against the Government -of the United States for its overthrow, and also that -prayer be made for the Divine protection to our brave -soldiers and their leaders in the field, who have so often -and so gallantly perilled their lives in battling with the -enemy, and for blessings and comfort from the Father of -Mercies to the sick, and wounded, and prisoners, and to -the orphans and widows of those who have fallen in the -service of their country, and that he will continue to uphold -the Government of the United States against all the -efforts of public enemies and secret foes.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Abraham Lincoln.</span>”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Executive Mansion</span>, <span class='it'>September 3</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The national thanks are tendered by the President -to Major-General William T. Sherman, and the gallant -officers and soldiers of his command before Atlanta, for -the distinguished ability, courage, and perseverance displayed -in the campaign in Georgia, which, under Divine -favor, have resulted in the capture of the city of Atlanta.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The marches, battles, sieges, and other military -operations that have signalized this campaign, must render -it famous in the annals of war, and entitle those who -have participated therein to the applause and thanks of -the nation.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Abraham Lincoln.</span>”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Executive Mansion</span>, <span class='it'>September 3</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Ordered—<span class='it'>First</span>. That on Monday, the 5th day of -September, commencing at the hour of twelve o’clock -noon, there shall be given a salute of one hundred guns -at the arsenal and navy yard at Washington, and on -Tuesday, the 6th of September, or the day after the receipt -of this order, at each arsenal and navy yard in the -United States, for the recent brilliant achievements of the -fleet and the land forces of the United States in the harbor -of Mobile, in the reduction of Fort Powell, Fort Gaines, and -Fort Morgan. The Secretary of War and Secretary of -the Navy will issue the necessary directions in their respective -Departments for the execution of this order.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='it'>Second.</span> That on Wednesday, the 7th day of September, -commencing at the hour of twelve o’clock noon, -there shall be fired a salute of one hundred guns at the -arsenal at Washington, and at New York, Boston, Philadelphia, -Baltimore, Pittsburg, Newport, Ky., and St. -Louis, and at New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola, Hilton -Head, and Newbern, the day after the receipt of this -order, for the brilliant achievements of the army under -the command of Major-General Sherman in the State of -Georgia, and the capture of Atlanta. The Secretary of -War will issue directions for the execution of this order.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Abraham Lincoln.</span>”</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The glad tidings swept over the broad belt of hostile -soil to the headquarters of the lieutenant-general, who -sent back a laconic, but noble response:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>City Point, Va.</span>, <span class='it'>September 4–9</span> <span class='sc'>p. m.</span></p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“Major-General <span class='sc'>Sherman</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have just received your despatch announcing the -capture of Atlanta. In honor of your great victory I -have just ordered a salute to be fired with shotted guns -from every battery bearing upon the enemy. The salute -will be fired within an hour, amidst great rejoicing.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>U. S. Grant</span>, Lieutenant-General.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The gallant chieftain of the conquering battalions, followed -with his official congratulations to the proud and -exultant columns which had pierced, like a wedge, the -“heart of the Confederacy.” It is a finished and eloquent -order:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Division of Mississippi,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Atlanta, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 8, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The officers and soldiers of the Armies of the Cumberland, -Ohio, and Tennessee, have, already received the -thanks of the Nation, through its President and Commander-in-Chief, -and it now remains only for him who -has been with you from the beginning, and who intends -to stay all the time, to thank the officers and men for -their intelligence, fidelity, and courage displayed in the -campaign of Atlanta.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the 1st of May our armies were lying in garrison, -seemingly quiet from Knoxville to Huntsville, and our -enemy lay behind his rocky-faced barrier at Dalton, -proud, defiant, and exulting. He had had time since -Christmas to recover from his discomfiture on the Mission -Ridge, with his ranks filled, and a new commander-in-chief, -second to none of the Confederacy in reputation -for skill, sagacity, and extreme popularity. All at once -our armies assumed life and action, and appeared before -Dalton; threatening Rocky Face we threw ourselves upon -Resaca, and the rebel army only escaped by the rapidity -of its retreat, aided by the numerous roads with which he -was familiar, and which were strange to us. Again he -took position in Allatoona, but we gave him no rest, and -by a circuit toward Dallas and subsequent movement to -Ackworth, we gained the Allatoona Pass. Then followed -the eventful battles about Kenesaw, and the escape of -the enemy across Chattahoochie River.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The crossing of the Chattahoochie and breaking of -the Augusta road was most handsomely executed by us, -and will be studied as an example in the art of war. At -this stage of our game our enemies became dissatisfied -with their old and skilful commander, and selected one -more bold and rash. New tactics were adopted. Hood -first boldly and rapidly, on the 20th of July, fell on our -right at Peach Tree Creek, and lost. Again, on the 22d, -he struck our extreme left, and was severely punished; -and finally, again on the 28th he repeated the attempt on -our right, and that time must have been satisfied; for -since that date he has remained on the defensive. We -slowly and gradually drew our lines about Atlanta, feeling -for the railroads which supplied the rebel army and -made Atlanta a place of importance. We must concede -to our enemy that he met these efforts patiently and skilfully, -but at last he made the mistake we had waited for -so long, and sent his cavalry to our rear, far beyond the -reach of recall. Instantly our cavalry was on his only -remaining road, and we followed quickly with our principal -army, and Atlanta fell into our possession as the -fruit of well-concerted measures, backed by a brave and -confident army. This completed the grand task which -had been assigned us by our Government, and your general -again repeats his personal and official thanks to all -the officers and men composing this army, for the indomitable -courage and perseverance which alone could -give success.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We have beaten our enemy on every ground he has -chosen, and have wrested from him his own Gate City, -where were located his foundries, arsenals, and workshops, -deemed secure on account of their distance from -our base, and the seemingly impregnable obstacles intervening. -Nothing is impossible to an army like this, determined -to vindicate a Government which has rights -wherever our flag has once floated, and is resolved to -maintain them at any and all costs.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In our campaign many, yea, very many of our -noble and gallant comrades have preceded us to our common -destination, the grave; but they have left the memory -of deeds on which a nation can build a proud history. -McPherson, Harker, McCook, and others dear to us all, -are now the binding links in our minds that should attach -more closely together the living, who have to complete -the task which still lies before us in the dim future. I -ask all to continue as they have so well begun, the cultivation -of the soldierly virtues that have ennobled our own -and other countries. Courage, patience, obedience to the -laws and constituted authorities of our Government; fidelity -to our trusts and good feeling among each other; each -trying to excel the other in the practice of those high -qualities, and it will then require no prophet to foretell -that our country will in time emerge from this war purified -by the fires of war and worthy its great founder—Washington.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:4em;'>“<span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Major-General Commanding.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='pindent'>“All the corps, regiments, and batteries composing -the army may, without further orders, inscribe Atlanta -on their colors. By order of</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Major-General <span class='sc'>Sherman</span>.</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>L. M. Dayton</span>, Aide-de-Camp.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>I am sure you will read with lively interest the remarkable -correspondence between General Hood, with -that of the city authorities, and General Sherman. The -favorite motto among literary men, “The pen is mightier -than the sword,” is not quite true perhaps of our hero; -for he excels in the use of <span class='it'>both</span>, as the Georgia campaign -and letters will show. The annals of war have no finer -productions of cultivated genius from the plains of death -and victory. The following orders opened the spirited -battle of the chiefs with the weapons of intellect:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters, Military Div. of the Miss.,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Atlanta, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 4</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“1. The city of Atlanta being exclusively required -for warlike purposes, will at once be vacated by all except -the armies of the United States, and such civilian -employés as may be retained by the proper departments -of Government.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“2. The chief quartermaster, Colonel Easton, will at -once take possession of buildings of all kinds, and of all -staple article, such as cotton, tobacco, &c., and will -make such dispositions of them as are required by existing -regulations, or such orders as he may receive from -time to time from the proper authorities.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“3. The chief engineer will promptly reconnoitre the -city and suburbs, and indicate the sites needed for the -permanent defence of the place, together with any houses -or other buildings that stand in his way, that they may -be set apart for destruction. Colonel Easton will then, -on consultation with the proper officers of the ordnance, -quartermaster, medical, and railroad departments, set -aside such buildings and lots of ground as will be needed -for them, and have them suitably marked and set apart; -he will then, in consultation with Generals Thomas and -Slocum, set apart such as may be necessary to the proper -administration of the military duties of the department of -the Cumberland and of the post of Atlanta, and all -buildings and materials not thus embraced will be held -subject to the use of the Government, as may hereafter -arise, according to the just rules of the quartermaster’s -department.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“4. No general, staff, or other officer, or any soldier, -will, on any pretence, occupy any house or shanty, unless -it be embraced in the limits assigned as the camp of the -troops to which such general or staff belongs. But the -chief quartermaster may allow the troops to use boards, -shingles, or other materials of building, barns, sheds, -warehouses and shanties, not needed by the proper departments -of Government, to be used in the reconstruction -of quarters and barracks as the troops and officers serving -with them require. And he will also provide, as -early as practicable, the proper allowance of tents for the -use of the officers and men in their encampments.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“5. In proper time, just arrangements will be made -for the supply to the troops of all articles they may need -over and above the clothing, provisions, &c., furnished -by the Government; and on no pretence whatever will -traders, manufacturers, or suttlers, be allowed to sell in -the limits of fortified places; and if they manage to come -in spite of this notice, the quartermaster will seize their -stores and appropriate them to the use of the troops, and -deliver the parties or other unauthorized citizens, who -thus place their individual interest above that of the -United States, into the hands of some provost-marshal, to -be put to labor on the forts, or conscripted into one of the -regiments or batteries already in service.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“6. The same general principles will apply to all -military posts south of Chattanooga.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“By order of Major-General <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>L. M. Dayton</span>, Aide-de-Camp.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The message addressed to the enemy contained the -following words, which were like oil to the fire on the -defeated General’s smothered wrath: “All citizens are -required to leave Atlanta and proceed either South or -North. The Government will furnish transportation -South as far as Rough and Ready, and North as far as -Chattanooga. All citizens may take their movable property -with them. Transportation will be furnished for -all movables. Negroes who wish to do so may go -with their masters. Other male negroes will be put in -Government employ. Negro women and children will -be sent out of the lines.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The rebel General sent his indignant protest against -the determination of General Sherman to send the disloyal -people of Atlanta where their friends could support -them. How well he talks of God and humanity!</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Army of the Tennessee,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Office Chief of Staff</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 9, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“Major-Gen. <span class='sc'>Sherman</span>, <span class='it'>Commanding United States Forces in Georgia</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>General</span>: Your letter borne by James W. Ball -and James R. Crew, citizens of Atlanta, is received. -You say therein, ‘I deem it to be to the interest of the -United States, that the citizens now residing in Atlanta -should remove,’ &c. I do not consider that I have any -alternative in the matter. I, therefore, accept your proposition -to declare a truce of ten days, or such time as -may be necessary to accomplish the purpose mentioned, -and shall render all the assistance in my power to expedite -the transportation of citizens in this direction. I -suggest that a staff officer be appointed by you to superintend -the removal from the city to Rough and Ready, -while I appoint a like officer to control their removal -further South; that a guard of one hundred men be sent -by either party, as you propose to maintain order at that -place; and that the removal begin on Monday next.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And now, sir, permit me to say that the unprecedented -measure you propose transcends in studied and ingenious -cruelty all acts ever before brought to my attention -in the dark history of war.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In the name of God and humanity I protest, believing -that you will find that you are expelling from their -homes and firesides the wives and children of a brave -people.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient -servant,</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>J. B. Hood</span>, General.</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:1em;'>“<span class='it'>Official</span>—<span class='sc'>A. McHummett</span>, Lieutenant, &c.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Accompanying the above letter was one addressed to -Colonel Calhoun, Mayor:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Army of the Tennessee</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 9, 1864</span>.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“Hon. <span class='sc'>James H. Calhoun</span>, <span class='it'>Mayor</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Sir</span>: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt -of your letter touching the removal of the citizens of -Atlanta, as ordered by General Sherman. Please find -enclosed my reply to General Sherman’s letter. I shall -do all in my power to mitigate the terrible hardship and -misery that must be brought upon your people by this -extraordinary order of the Federal commander. Transportation -will be sent to Rough and Ready to carry the -people and their effects further South.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You have my deepest sympathy in this unlooked-for -and unprecedented affliction. I am, sir, very respectfully, -your obedient servant,</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>J. B. Hood</span>, General.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Like his polished sword, flashes with thought and -patriotism the pen of the victor in his reply:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Div. of the Miss.,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Atlanta, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 10, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“General <span class='sc'>J. B. Hood</span>, <span class='it'>Comm’g Army of the Tenn. Confederate Army</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>General</span>: I have the honor to acknowledge the -receipt of your letter at the hands of Messrs. Ball and -Crew, consenting to the arrangements I had proposed -to facilitate the removal South of the people of Atlanta, -who prefer to go in that direction.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I enclose you a copy of my orders, which will, I am -satisfied, accomplish my purpose perfectly. You style -the measures proposed ‘unprecedented,’ and appeal to -the dark history of war for a parallel, as an act of -‘studied and ungenerous cruelty.’ It is not unprecedented, -for General Johnston himself very wisely and -properly removed the families all the way from Dalton -down, and I see no reason why Atlanta should be excepted. -Nor is it necessary to appeal to the ‘dark history -of war,’ when recent and modern examples are so -handy. You yourself burned dwelling-houses along your -parapet, and I saw to-day fifty houses that you have rendered -uninhabitable because they stood in the way of -your forts and men. You defended Atlanta on a line so -close to the town that every cannon-shot and many musket-shots -from our line of investment, that overshot their -mark, went into the habitations of women and children. -General Hardee did the same at Jonesboro’, and General -Johnston did the same last summer at Jackson, Miss.; -I have not accused them of heartless cruelty, but merely -instance these cases of very recent occurrence, and could -go on and enumerate hundreds of others, and challenge -any fair man to judge which of us has the heart of pity -for the families of ‘a brave people.’ I say it is kindness -to the families of Atlanta to remove them now at once -from scenes that women and children should not be exposed -to, and the ‘brave people’ should scorn to commit -their wives and children to the rude barbarians who thus, -as you say, violate the laws of war, as illustrated in the -pages of its ‘dark history.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In the name of common sense, I ask you not to appeal -to a just God in such a sacrilegious manner.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You who in the midst of peace and prosperity have -plunged a nation into war, ‘dark and cruel war;’ who -dared and badgered us to battle, insulted our flag; seized -our arsenals and forts that were left in the honorable -custody of a peaceful ordnance sergeant; seized and made -prisoners of war the very garrisons sent to protect your -people against negroes and Indians, long before any overt -act was committed by the (to you) hateful Lincoln Government; -tried to force Kentucky and Missouri into rebellion -in despite of themselves; falsified the vote of -Louisiana; turned loose your privateers to plunder unarmed -ships; expelled Union families by the thousands; -burned their homes, and declared, by an act of your Congress, -the confiscation of all debts due to Northern men -for goods had and received! Talk this to the marines, -but not to me, who have seen these things, and who will -this day make as great sacrifice for the peace and honor -of the South as the best Southerner among you.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If we must be enemies, let us be men, and fight it -out as we propose to-day, and not deal in such <span class='it'>hypocritical -appeals to God and humanity</span>. God will judge us in due -time, and he will pronounce whether it be more humane -to fight with a town full of women and the families of a -‘brave people’ at our back, or to remove them in time -to places of safety among their own friends and people.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>, Maj.-Gen. Commanding.</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:1em;'>“[Official copy:] <span class='sc'>L. M. Dayton</span>, Aide-de-Camp.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The conquering chief humanely gives the rebels time -to depart, declaring a truce of ten days:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Division Mississippi,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Atlanta, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 10, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“1. Pursuant to an agreement between General J. -B. Hood, commanding the Confederate forces in Georgia, -and Major-General W. T. Sherman, commanding this -army, a truce is hereby declared to exist from daylight -of Monday, September 12, until daylight of Thursday, -September 22—ten (10) full days—at a point on the -Macon Railroad known as Rough and Ready, and the -country round about or a circle of two (2) miles radius, -together with the roads leading to and from, in the direction -of Atlanta and Lovejoy station, respectively, for the -purpose of affording the people of Atlanta a safe means -of removal to points South.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“2. The Chief Quartermaster at Atlanta, Colonel -Easton, will afford all the citizens of Atlanta who elect -to go South all the facilities he can spare to remove them -comfortably and safely, with their effects, to Rough and -Ready station, using cars and ambulances for that purpose; -and commanders of regiments and brigades may -use their regimental and staff teams to carry out the object -of this order; the whole to cease after Wednesday, -21st instant.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“3. Major-General Thomas will cause a guard to be -established on the road out beyond the camp-ground, with -orders to allow all wagons and vehicles to pass that are -used manifestly for this purpose; and Major-General -Howard will send a guard of one hundred men, with a -field officer in command, to take post at Rough and -Ready during the truce, with orders in concert with a -guard from the Confederate army of like size, to maintain -the most perfect order in that vicinity during the -transfer of these families. A white flag will be displayed -during the truce, and a guard will cause all wagons to -leave at 4 <span class='sc'>p. m.</span> of Wednesday, the 21st instant, and the -guard to withdraw at dark, the truce to terminate the -next morning.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“By order of Major-General <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>L. M. Dayton</span>, Aide-de-Camp.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The letter of the authorities of Atlanta, referred to by -Hood, and his reply, are as follows:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Atlanta, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>September 11</span>.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“<span class='it'>Major-General W. T. Sherman</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Sir</span>: The undersigned mayor, and two members of -council for the city of Atlanta, for the time being the -only legal organ of the people of the said city, to express -their wants and wishes, ask leave most earnestly, but respectfully, -to petition you to reconsider the order requiring -them to leave Atlanta. At first view it struck us -that the measure would involve extraordinary hardship -and loss, but since we have seen the practical execution -of it, so far as it has progressed, and the individual condition -of many of the people, and heard their statements -as to the inconveniences, loss, and suffering attending -it, we are satisfied that the amount of it will involve in -the aggregate consequences appalling and heartrending. -Many poor women are in an advanced state of pregnancy; -others now having young children, and whose husbands -are either in the army, prisoners, or dead. Some say: -‘I have such a one sick at home; who will wait on them -when I am gone?’ Others say: ‘What are we to do? -We have no houses to go to, and no means to buy, build, -or to rent any—no parents, friends, or relatives to go to.’ -Another says: ‘I will try and take this or that article of -property, but such and such things I must leave behind, -though I need them much.’ We reply to them: ‘General -Sherman will carry your property to Rough and Ready, -and General Hood will take it there on.’ And they will -reply to this: ‘But I want to leave the railroad at such a -point, and cannot get conveyance from there on.’ We -only refer to a few facts to try to illustrate in part how -the measure will operate in practice. As you advanced, -the people north of us fell back, and before your arrival -here a large portion of the people had retired south, so -that the country south of this is already crowded, and -without houses to accommodate the people, and we are -informed that many are now staying in churches and -other out-buildings. This being so, how is it possible for -the people still here (mostly women and children) to find -any shelter? and how can they live through the winter in -the woods—no shelter or subsistence—in the midst of -strangers who know them not, and without the power to -assist them, if they were willing to do so? This is but a -feeble picture of the consequences of this measure. You -know the woe, the horror, and the suffering cannot be -described by words. Imagination can only conceive of it, -and we ask you to take these things into consideration. -We know your mind and time are constantly occupied -with the duties of your command, which almost deter us -from asking your attention to this matter; but thought it -might be that you had not considered the subject in all its -awful consequences, and that on more reflection, you, we -hope, would not make this people an exception to all mankind, -for we know of no such instance ever having occurred—surely -none such in the United States; and what has -this helpless people done, that they should be driven from -their homes, to wander as strangers, outcasts, and exiles, -and to subsist on charity? We do not know, as yet, the -number of people still here. Of those who are here we -are satisfied a respectably number, if allowed to remain -at home, could subsist for several months without assistance, -and a respectable number for a much longer time, -and who might not need assistance at any time. In conclusion, -we most earnestly and solemnly petition you to -reconsider this order, or modify it, and suffer this unfortunate -people to remain at home and enjoy what little -means they have. Respectfully submitted,</p> - -<table id='tab3' summary='' class='center'> -<colgroup> -<col span='1' style='width: 17em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 9em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 7em;'/> -</colgroup> -<tr><td class='tab3c1 tdStyle6'></td><td class='tab3c2 tab3c2-col3 tdStyle6' colspan='2'>“<span class='sc'>James M. Calhoun</span>, Mayor.</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab3c1 tdStyle6'></td><td class='tab3c2 tdStyle6'>“<span class='sc'>E. E. Rawson</span>,</td><td class='tab3c3 tdStyle6'>}</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab3c1 tdStyle6'></td><td class='tab3c2 tdStyle6'>“<span class='sc'>L. C. Wells</span>.”</td><td class='tab3c3 tdStyle6'>} Councilmen.</td></tr> -</table> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Here is General Sherman’s answer to the letter of -Mayor Calhoun and the Councilmen of Atlanta:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Atlanta</span>, <span class='it'>September 12, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“<span class='sc'>James M. Calhoun</span>, <span class='it'>Mayor</span>, <span class='sc'>E. E. Rawson</span> <span class='it'>and</span> <span class='sc'>S. C. Wells</span>,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'> <span class='it'>representing City Council of Atlanta</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Gentlemen</span>: I have your letter of the 11th, in the -nature of a petition to revoke my order removing all the -inhabitants from Atlanta. I have read it carefully, and -give full credit to your statements of the distress that will -be occasioned by it, and yet shall not revoke my order, -simply because my orders are not designed to meet the -humanities of the case, but to prepare for the future -struggle in which millions, yea, hundreds of millions of -good people outside of Atlanta have a deep interest. We -must have peace, not only in Atlanta, but in all America. -To secure this, we must stop the war that now desolates -our once happy and favored country. To stop the war, we -must defeat the rebel armies that are arrayed against the -laws and Constitution which all men must respect and -obey. To defeat these armies, we must prepare the way -to reach them in their recesses, provided with the arms -and instruments which enable us to accomplish our purpose.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Now I know the vindictive nature of our enemy, -and that we may have many years of military operations -from this quarter, and therefore deem it wise and prudent -to prepare in time. The use of Atlanta for warlike purposes -is inconsistent with its character as a home for -families. There will be no manufactures, commerce, or -agriculture here for the maintenance of families, and, -sooner or later, want will compel the inhabitants to -go. Why not go now, when all the arrangements are -completed for the transfer, instead of waiting until the -plunging shot of contending armies will renew the scenes -of the past month? Of course I do not apprehend any -such thing at this moment, but you do not suppose this -army will be here till the war is over? I cannot discuss -this subject with you fairly, because I cannot impart to -you what I propose to do; but I assert that my military -plans make it necessary for the inhabitants to go away, -and I can only renew my offer of services to make their -exodus in any direction as easy and comfortable as possible. -You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I -will.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those -who brought war on our country deserve all the curses -and maledictions a people can pour out. I know I had -no hand in making this war, and I know that I will make -more sacrifices than any of you to-day to secure peace. -But you cannot have peace and a division of our country. -If the United States submits to a division now, it -will not stop, but will go on till we reap the fate of Mexico, -which is eternal war. The United States does and must -assert its authority wherever it has power; if it relaxes -one bit of pressure it is gone, and I know that such is not -the national feeling. This feeling assumes various shapes, -but always comes back to that of <span class='it'>Union</span>. Once admit -the Union, once more acknowledge the authority of the -National Government, and instead of devoting your -houses and streets and roads to the dread uses of war, -I and this army become at once your protectors and supporters, -shielding you from danger, let it come from what -quarter it may. I know that a few individuals cannot -resist a torrent of error and passion such as has swept -the South into rebellion; but you can point out, so that -we may know those who desire a Government, and those -who insist on war and its desolation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm -as against the terrible hardships of war. They are inevitable, -and the only way the people of Atlanta can hope -once more to live in peace and quiet at home, is to stop -this war, which can alone be done by admitting that it -began in error, and is perpetuated in pride. We don’t -want your negroes, or your horses, or your houses, or -your land, or anything you have; but we do want and -will have a just obedience to the laws of the United -States. That we will have; and if it involves the destruction -of your improvements, we cannot help it. You have -heretofore read public sentiment in your newspapers, that -live by falsehood and excitement, and the quicker you -seek for truth in other quarters the better for you.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I repeat, then, that by the original compact of government, -the United States had certain rights in Georgia -which have never been relinquished, and never will be; -that the South began the war by seizing forts, arsenals, -mints, custom houses, &c., long before Mr. Lincoln was -installed, and before the South had one jot or tittle of -provocation. I myself have seen in Missouri, Kentucky, -Tennessee, and Mississippi, hundreds and thousands -of women and children fleeing from your armies -and desperadoes, hungry, and with bleeding feet. In -Memphis, Vicksburg, and Mississippi, we fed thousands -upon thousands of the families of rebel soldiers left on -our hands, and whom we could not see starve. Now that -war comes home to you, you feel very different—you deprecate -its horrors, but did not feel them when you sent -carloads of soldiers and ammunition, and moulded shells -and shot to carry war into Kentucky and Tennessee, and -desolate the homes of hundreds and thousands of good -people, who only asked to live in peace at their old homes, -and under the Government of their inheritance. But -these comparisons are idle. I want peace, and believe it -only can be reached through Union and war, and I will -ever conduct war purely with a view to perfect and early -success.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But, my dear sirs, when that peace does come, you -may call on me for anything. Then will I share with -you the last cracker, and watch with you to shield your -homes and families against danger from every quarter. -Now you must go, and take with you the old and feeble; -feed and nurse them, and build for them in more quiet -places proper habitations to shield them against the -weather, until the mad passions of men cool down, and -allow the Union and peace once more to settle on your -old homes at Atlanta.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:6em;'>“Yours, in haste,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>, Major-General.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The next effort of his facile pen corrects a falsehood -which had been copied from a rebel paper:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Atlanta</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 24, 1864</span>.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;font-size:.8em;'>“<span class='it'>To the Louisville Agent of the New York Associated Press</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Your press despatches of the 21st embrace one from -Macon, of the 14th, announcing the arrival of the first -train of refugees from Atlanta, with this addition, ‘that -they were robbed of everything before being sent into the -rebel lines.’ Of course, that is false; and it is idle to -correct it so far as the rebels are concerned, for they -purposed it as a falsehood, to create a mischievous public -opinion. The truth is, that during the truce, 446 -families were moved South, making 705 adults, 860 -children, and 479 servants, with 1,651 pounds of furniture -and household goods on the average for each family, -of which we have a perfect recollection by name and articles. -At the end of the truce, Colonel Warner, of my staff, -who had general supervision of the business, received from -Major Clan, of General Hood’s staff, the following letter:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Rough and Ready</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 21, 1864</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Colonel</span>: Our official communications being about -to close, you will permit me to bear testimony to the -uniform courtesy you have shown on all occasions to me -and my people, and the promptness with which you have -corrected all irregularities arising in our intercourse. -Hoping at some future time to be able to reciprocate -your courteousness, and in many instances your positive -kindness, I am, with respect, your obedient servant,</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:0em;'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>U. T. Clan</span>, Major and A.-G.-G. Gen. Hood’s Staff.’</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I would not notice this, but I know the people of -the North, liable to be misled by a falsehood calculated -for special purposes, and by a desperate enemy, will be -relieved by this assurance, that not only care, but real -kindness has been extended to families who lost their -home by the act of their male protectors.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:3em;'>“(Signed) <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Major-Gen. Commanding.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The congratulations of the heroic, devoutly Christian -General Howard, who is equally at home in the Sabbath -school and in the smoke of battle, will add to the interest -of the records of this eventful time:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is with pride, gratification, and a sense of Divine -favor, that I congratulate this noble army upon the successful -termination of the campaign.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Your officers claim for you a wonderful record—for -example, a march of four hundred miles, thirteen distinct -engagements, four thousand prisoners, and twenty stands -of colors captured, and three thousand of the enemy’s -dead buried in your front.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Your movements upon the enemy’s flank have been -bold and successful; first upon Resaca, second upon Dallas, -third upon Kenesaw, fourth upon Nickajack, fifth, -via Roswell, upon the Augusta Railroad, sixth upon -‘Ezra Church,’ to the southwest of Atlanta, and seventh -upon Jonesboro’ and the Macon Railroad. Atlanta was -evacuated while you were fighting at Jonesboro’.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The country may never know with what patience, -labor, and exposure you have tugged away at every natural -and artificial obstacle that an enterprising and confident -enemy could interpose. The terrific battles you -have fought may never be realized or credited; still a -glad acclaim is already greeting you from the Government -and people, in view of the results you have helped -to gain; and I believe a sense of the magnitude of the -achievements of the last hundred days will not abate, but -increase with time and history.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Our rejoicing is tempered, as it always must be, by -the soldier’s sorrow at the loss of his companions in arms. -On every hillside, in every valley throughout your long -and circuitous route, from Dalton to Jonesboro’, you have -buried them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Your trusted and beloved commander fell in your -midst; his name, the name of <span class='sc'>McPherson</span>, carries with -it a peculiar feeling of sorrow. I trust the impress of his -character is upon you all, to incite you to generous actions -and noble deeds.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“To mourning friends, and to all the disabled in -battle, you extend a soldier’s sympathy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My first intimate acquaintance with you dates from -the 28th of July. I never beheld fiercer assaults than -the enemy then made, and I never saw troops more -steady and self-possessed in action than your divisions -which were then engaged.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have learned that for cheerfulness, obedience, -rapidity of movement and confidence in battle, the army -of the Tennessee is not to be surpassed, and it shall be -my study that your fair record shall continue, and my -purpose to assist you to move steadily forward and plant -the old flag in every proud city of the rebellion.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“(Signed) <span class='sc'>O. O. Howard</span>, Major-Gen.</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:1em;'>“<span class='it'>Official</span>: <span class='sc'>Samuel L. Taggart</span>, A.-A.-G.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The most decided and pleasing evidence of the manly -and magnanimous heart of the conqueror, is given by the -enemy himself. In his despatches, General Sherman -sends the following note:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Atlanta</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 26</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The following, which belongs to the testimonials -from the authorities at Atlanta, has just been received in -communication; and in conclusion of the subject, I send -you a copy of the mayor’s letter.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman.</span></p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Atlanta</span>, <span class='it'>Sept. 20</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘On leaving Atlanta, I should return my thanks to -General Sherman, General Slocum, General Ward, -Colonel Colburn, Major Beck, Captain Mott, and other -officers, with whom I have had business transactions in -carrying out the orders of General Sherman for the removal -of the citizens, and in transacting my private business, -for their kindness to, and their patience in answering -the many inquiries I had to make on the duration of -the delicate and arduous duties devolving on me as mayor -of this city.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘Respectfully, <span class='sc'>James M. Calhoun</span>.’ ”</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Similar testimony appeared in the columns of rebel -newspapers. The next quotation is from the Macon -<span class='it'>Telegraph</span>: “Refugees report generally kind personal -treatment from General Sherman and his officers. -Whatever exceptions may have occurred have been in -violation of orders—instances of individual pilfering, -which cannot always be prevented in an army, and in -many cases have been detected and punished.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A friend, whose wife was left an invalid in Atlanta, -and came within our lines a day or two since, says, that -at her request General Sherman came to see her, and -finding her unable to attend to the arrangement of her -movables for transportation, had them all bound up nicely -and transported to our lines, even to her washtub.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Federal general had three hours’ conversation -with her, and justified at length his order for the removal, -insisting that in his exposed position, liable to be cut off -and besieged, it was the part of humanity to require that -non-combatants should not be exposed to the privations -and perils to which his army must probably be subjected; -and worse, because he could not provide food for a large -population. Goods left behind were stored and duplicate -receipts given, with the promise that they should be safely -returned.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Refugees report that Sherman’s army is going North -by thousands, and his force is now very small. Whether -this movement is confined to men going out of service, or -embraces reënforcements to Grant, they were unable to -say.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I must give you a pleasant picture of the chief while -marshalling his troops at Atlanta: “While I was watching -to-day the endless line of troops shifting by, an officer -with a modest escort rode up to the fence near which I -was standing, and dismounted. He was rather tall and -slender, and his quick movements denoted good muscle -added to absolute leanness—not thinness. His uniform -was neither new nor old, but bordering on a hazy mellowness -of gloss, while the elbows and knees were a little -accented from the continuous agitation of those joints.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The face was one I should never rest upon in a -crowd, simply because, to my eye, there was nothing remarkable -in it save the nose, which organ was high, thin, -and planted with a curve as vehement as the curl of a -Malay cutlass. The face and neck were rough and -covered with reddish hair, the eye light in color and animated; -but, though restless and bounding like a ball from -one object to another, neither piercing nor brilliant; the -mouth well closed but common, the ears large, the hands -and feet long and thin, the gait a little rolling, but firm -and active. In dress and manner there was not the -slightest trace of pretension. He spoke rapidly, and generally -with an inquisitive smile. To this <span class='it'>ensemble</span> I must -add a hat which was the reverse of dignified or distinguished—a -simple felt affair, with a round crown and -drooping brim—and you have as fair a description of -General Sherman’s externals as I can pen.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Seating himself on a stick of cordwood hard by the -fence, he drew a bit of pencil from his pocket, and spreading -a piece of note paper on his knee, he wrote with great -rapidity. Long columns of troops lined the road a few -yards in his front, and beyond the road, massed in a -series of spreading green fields, a whole division of infantry -was waiting to take up the line of march, the blue -ranks clear cut against the verdant background. Those -who were near their general looked at him curiously; for -in so vast an army the soldier sees his commander-in-chief -but seldom. Page after page was filled by the general’s -nimble pencil, and despatched.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“For a half hour I watched him, and, though I looked -for and expected to find them, no symptoms could I detect -that the mind of the great leader was taxed by the -infinite cares of a terribly hazardous military <span class='it'>coup de -main</span>. Apparently it did not lay upon his mind the -weight of a feather. A mail arrived. He tore open the -papers and glanced over them hastily, then chatted with -some general officers near him, then rode off with characteristic -suddenness, but with fresh and smiling countenance, -filing down the road beside many thousand men, -whose lives were in his keeping.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The truly great mind is magnanimous in the hour of -victory; a selfish, narrow one is arrogant and oppressive. -We ought to be devoutly grateful to God for leaders in -this second life-struggle of freedom, who in general character -emulate our unrivalled Washington, and do not tarnish -the cause he loved by revengeful or unworthy deeds.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='249' id='Page_249'></span><h1>CHAPTER XXI.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Events which followed the Truce—General Hood’s Army in Motion—Battle -at Allatoona Pass—He is left to the care of the gallant Thomas—The New -and Magnificent Campaign of General Sherman—The Field of his Operations—Burning -of Rome—The Advance—Atlanta partially Burned—The -Rebel Fears and Hopes—The March. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/d.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='D'/>URING the truce which closed September 22d, -General Hood had moved his army toward Macon, -to protect that important town. But the -startling rumor reached his ear that his bold -antagonist would turn his front toward Mobile, -away on the shores of the Gulf. This drew the rebel -chief from his position, and brought him by a westward -movement across the track toward the seaboard.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>On Sunday, September 25th, at Macon, Jeff Davis -addressed the soldiers, assuring them their feet would -soon press the soil of Tennessee, spreading before them -golden visions of conquest and abundance of supplies. -To compel General Sherman to abandon his southern -march, and follow him into Tennessee, the desperate -leader of treason’s battalions wheeled about and recrossed -the Chattahoochie River. Thus was abandoned -the great State of Georgia, and the “hotbed of secession,” -South Carolina, to the Union army. Generals -Hood and Forrest began to cut railroad lines and burn -bridges.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At Allatoona Pass the enemy made a furious assault -on our garrison to regain this Thermopylæ of the campaign, -but dashed in vain upon the valor of our unyielding -ranks. The commander-in-chief of our forces, who -had signalled General Corse from the top of Kenesaw -Mountain to meet the enemy there, sent the “boys” his -warm congratulations:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Kenesaw Mountain</span>, <span class='it'>Oct. 7, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The General commanding avails himself of the -opportunity, in the handsome defence made of ‘Alatoona,’ -to illustrate the most important principle in war, that fortified -posts should be defended to the last, regardless of -the relative numbers of the party attacking and attacked.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Allatoona was garrisoned by three regiments, commanded -by Colonel Tourtelotte, and reënforced by a detachment -from a division at Rome, under command of -Brigadier-General J. M. Corse, on the morning of the -5th, and a few hours after was attacked by French’s -division of Stewart’s corps, two other divisions being -near at hand, and in support. General French demanded -a surrender, in a letter, to ‘avoid a useless effusion of -blood,’ and gave but five minutes for answer. General -Corse’s answer was emphatic and strong, that he -and his command were ready for the ‘useless effusion of -blood’ as soon as it was agreeable to General French.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“This was followed by an attack which was prolonged -for five hours, resulting in the complete repulse of -the enemy, who left his dead on the ground, amounting -to more than two hundred, and four hundred prisoners, -well and wounded. The ‘effusion of blood’ was not -‘useless,’ as the position at Allatoona was and is very -important to our present and future operations.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The thanks of this army are due, and are hereby -accorded, to General Corse, Colonel Tourtelotte, officers -and men, for their determined and gallant defence of -Allatoona, and it is made an example to illustrate the -importance of preparing in time, and meeting the danger, -when present, boldly, manfully, and well.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The army, though unseen to the garrison, was cöoperating -by moving toward the road by which the enemy -could alone escape, but unfortunately were delayed -by the rain and mud; but this fact hastened the retreat -of the enemy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Commanders and garrisons of the posts along our -railroads are hereby instructed that they must hold their -posts to the last minute, sure that the time gained is -valuable and necessary to their comrades at the front.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>While General Hood was thus retracing his steps, -capturing Dalton and threatening Chattanooga, General -Sherman was on his track, pursuing him to the Tennessee. -The lion-hearted Thomas was at Nashville, and, -quite sure that he could “take care of Hood,” as the order -ran, the great commander turned his face again southward.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>He had telegraphed to the Secretary of War that his -army needed rest at Atlanta. It was true, but General -Sherman did not intend to have it then. The rebels and -the country were bewildered by his mysterious movements. -Early in November he was between the Tennessee -and Chattahoochie, his headquarters at Kingston, -with Rome on the line to Atlanta. The deeply-laid game -was played by the master hand in the dark to others. -Preparations were at once made for a grander campaign -than that which had just closed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>On the 10th, when the evening darkened around the -beautiful Rome of Georgia, the heavens glowed with its -conflagration. A fearful storm had ceased, the advance -was at hand, and it was necessary, in the stern demands -of war, to make a torch and desolation of that place, -in the wake of the march. The fire was kindled by -General Corse, according to the orders of the commander. -A spectator wrote of the scenes of that terrific conflagration:</p> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/savannah-illo.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0006' style='width:500px;height:auto;'/> -<p class='caption'><span style='font-size:smaller'>MARCHING TO SAVANNAH.</span></p> -</div> - -<p class='pindent'>“All the barracks were laid in ashes, and a black veil -of dense smoke hung over the war-desolated city nearly -all day, arising from the smouldering ruins.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Owing to the great lack of railroad transportation, -General Corse was obliged to destroy nearly a million of -dollars’ worth of property, among which was a few thousand -dollars’ worth of condemned and unserviceable government -stores. Nine rebel guns, captured at Rome by -our troops, were burst, it being deemed unsafe to use them. -One thousand bales of fine cotton, two flour mills, two rolling -mills, two tanneries, one salt mill, an extensive foundry, -several machine shops, together with the railroad depots -and storehouses, four pontoon bridges, built by General -Corse’s pioneer corps for use on the Coosa and Etowah -rivers, and a substantial trestle bridge, nearly completed -for use, were destroyed. This trestle, constructed by the -Engineer corps, I am told, would have cost fifty thousand -dollars North. Recollecting the outrages perpetrated -upon Colonel Streight by the ‘Romans,’ our troops, as -soon as they learned that the town was to be abandoned -and a portion of it burned, resolved to lay Rome in ashes -in revenge. The roaring of the flames, as they leaped -from window to window, their savage tongues of fire -darting high up into the heavens, and then licking the -sides of the buildings, presented an awful but grand -spectacle, while the mounted patrol and the infantrymen -glided along through the brilliant light like the ghostly -spectres of horrid war.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Concentrating at Atlanta, the last use made of the -stronghold and cherished hope of the Confederacy was -the finishing work of getting a vast army in motion—a -grand start into hostile country, away from the base of -supplies.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>After the men had bivouacked for the night, the following -orders, issued by General Sherman, were read to -the troops, and were greeted with many manifestations -of approbation by the veterans, who, in so many bloody -battles, have followed the lead of Sherman:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters, Military Division of the Mississippi,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Kingston, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Nov. 8, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The General commanding deems it proper at this -time to inform the officers and men of the Fourteenth, -Fifteenth, Seventeenth, and Twentieth Corps, that he has -organized them into an army for a special purpose well -known to the War Department and to General Grant. It -is sufficient for you to know that it involves a departure -from our present base, and a long and difficult march to -a new one. All the chances of war have been considered -and provided for as far as human sagacity can. All he -asks of you is to maintain that discipline, patience and -courage which have characterized you in the past, and -he hopes, through you, to strike a blow at our enemy that -will have a material effect in producing what we all so -much desire, his complete overthrow. Of all things the -most important is, that the men, during marches and in -camp, keep their places, and not scatter about as stragglers -or foragers, to be picked up by hostile people in detail.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is also of the utmost importance that our wagons -should not be loaded with anything but provisions and -ammunition. All surplus servants, non-combatants, and -refugees should now go to the rear, and none should be -encouraged to encumber us on the march. At some -future time we will be enabled to provide for the poor -whites and blacks who seek to escape the bondage under -which they are now suffering.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“With these few simple cautions in your minds, he -hopes to lead you to achievements equal in importance to -those of the past.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:6em;'>“By order of</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Major-General <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The grand army, of more than fifty thousand men, was -divided into two wings, although in some of its movements -arranged in three or more separate columns. -General Slocum commanded the left wing, composed of -the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps, and General Howard -the right wing, made up of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth -Corps. The dashing, brilliant Kilpatrick was -chief of a cavalry force. The marching orders were issued, -and flew along the extended battle front, meeting -with a glad welcome from the troops. The clear directions -of the chieftain will present the line and method of march:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>In the Field, Kingston, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>November 9, 1864</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I. For the purpose of military operations, this army -is divided into two wings, viz.: The right wing, Major-General -O. O. Howard, commanding the Fifteenth and -Seventeenth Corps; the left wing, Major-General H. W. -Slocum, commanding the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“II. The habitual order of march will be, whenever -practicable, by four roads, as nearly parallel as possible, -and converging at points hereafter to be indicated in -orders. The cavalry, Brigadier-General Kilpatrick commanding, -will receive special orders from the Commander-in-Chief.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“III. There will be no general trains of supplies, but -each corps will have its ammunition and provision train, -distributed habitually as follows: Behind each regiment -should follow one wagon and one ambulance; behind each -brigade should follow a due proportion of ammunition -wagons, provision wagons, and ambulances. In case of -danger, each army corps should change this order of -march by having his advance and rear brigade unencumbered -by wheels. The separate columns will start -habitually at seven <span class='sc'>a. m.</span>, and make about fifteen miles -per day, unless otherwise fixed in orders.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“IV. The army will <span class='it'>forage liberally on the country</span> -during the march. To this end each brigade commander -will organize a good and sufficient foraging party, under -the command of one or more discreet officers, who will -gather, near the route travelled, corn or forage of any -kind, meat of any kind, vegetables, corn-meal, or whatever -is needed by the command; aiming at all times to -keep in the wagon trains <span class='it'>at least ten days’ provisions for -the command and three days’ forage. Soldiers must not -enter the dwellings</span> of the inhabitants or commit any trespass; -during the halt or a camp they may be permitted to -gather turnips, potatoes, and other vegetables, and drive -in stock in front of their camps. To regular foraging -parties must be intrusted the gathering of provisions and -forage at any distance from the road travelled.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“V. To army corps commanders is intrusted the power -<span class='it'>to destroy mills, houses, cotton-gins, etc.</span>, and for them this -general principle is laid down: In districts and neighborhoods -<span class='it'>where the army is unmolested, no destruction</span> of such -property should be permitted; but should guerillas or -bushwhackers molest our march, or should the inhabitants -burn bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local -hostility, then army corps commanders should order and -<span class='it'>enforce a devastation more or less relentless, according to -the measure of such hostility</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“VI. As for horses, mules, wagons, etc., belonging -to the inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may appropriate -freely and without limit; discriminating, however, -between the rich, who are usually hostile, and the poor -or industrious, usually neutral or friendly. Foraging -parties may also take mules or horses to replace the jaded -animals of their trains, or to serve as pack mules for the -regiments or brigades. In all foraging, of whatever kind, -the parties engaged will refrain from abusive or threatening -language, and may, when the officer in command -thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, but -no receipts; and they will endeavor to leave with each -family a reasonable portion for their maintenance.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“VII. <span class='it'>Negroes who are able-bodied and can be of service -to the several columns, may be taken along</span>; but each -army commander will bear in mind that the question of -supplies is a very important one, and that his first duty is -to see to those who bear arms.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“VIII. The organization at once of a good pioneer -battalion for each corps, composed, if possible, of negroes, -should be attended to. This battalion should follow the -advance guard, should repair roads and double them if -possible, so that the columns will not be delayed after -reaching bad places. Also, army commanders should -study the habit of giving the artillery and wagons the -road, and marching their troops on one side; and also -instruct their troops to assist wagons at steep hills or bad -crossings or streams.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“IX. Captain O. M. Poe, chief engineer, will assign -to each wing of the army a pontoon train, fully equipped -and organized, and the commanders thereof will see to -its being properly protected at all times.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“By order of Major-General <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The feeling of the troops is expressed in the words -of another who was with them: “They do not stop to -ask questions. Sherman says ‘Come,’ and that is the -entire vocabulary with them. A most cheerful feature -of the situation is the fact that the men are healthful and -jolly as men can be, hoping for the best, daring to do the -worst.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Behind us we leave a track of smoke and flame. -Half of Marietta was burned up, not by orders, however, -for the command is that proper details shall be -made to destroy all property which can ever be of -use to the rebel armies. Stragglers will get into these -places, and dwelling-houses are levelled to the ground. -In nearly all cases these are the deserted habitations -formerly owned by rebels, who are now refugees.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Yesterday, as some of the men were marching toward -the Chattahoochie River, they saw in the distance -pillars of smoke rising along its banks; the bridges were -in flames. Says one, hitching his musket a bit on the -shoulder in a free and easy way, ‘I say, Charley, I believe -Sherman has set the river on fire.’ ‘Reckon not,’ -replied the other, with the same indifference. ‘If he -has, it’s all right.’ And so they pass along, obeying -orders, not knowing what is before them, but believing in -their leader.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The foraging parties were to bring in from the country -along the war-path, supplies for the long cavalcade, -sweeping over a belt of land twenty to seventy miles -wide, right across the proud State of Georgia.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The regulations respecting retaliation for outrages -were wise and humane, because they prevented the very -ruin which the rebels, unrestrained by fear, would have -drawn upon themselves. It was not an idle threat, but -proved to be a most timely, useful one.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>November 12th, you might have seen the magnificent -spectacle a great war alone affords. Mounted on his -steed, his cork hand on the rein, General Howard led the -right wing in bristling ranks, to the sound of martial airs, -from Atlanta. And here I must tell you about that cork -hand. You may recollect that the heroic chief lost his arm -at Fair Oaks, fighting under General McClellan. He returned -soon after to his home in Lewiston, Maine. It -happened that I was there upon a beautiful summer day, -when the Sabbath-school children had a meeting in Rev. -Mr. Adams’s church, at Auburn, across the river. General -Howard was present, the first time he had attended -a public gathering since the wound was received. And -many hearts were touched to hear him talk earnestly of -truth and duty, while the yet unhealed stump would try -to gesticulate, as the arm did of old. He is a complete -man, and appreciated by his general-in-chief.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The imposing pageant of the advancing host was repeated -on the 14th, when General Slocum marched at -the head of the left wing from the doomed city. Then General -Sherman, with his staff and body-guard, gave a last -look, and took his road to Macon. “Let Hood go North; -our business is down South,” was his brief comment upon -the rebel general’s movements.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The torch was applied to the public buildings and -railroad depots, flinging at night a lurid light over the -dismantled ruined fortifications, and upon the surrounding -hills. The scene was grand and awful, memorable -to all who witnessed this burning of the “Gate City.” -No private residences were designedly given to the -flames. “The evidence of the rebels themselves has -since appeared to show, that though Atlanta had been -besieged, captured, and depopulated, there was no heartless -or unavoidable destruction of private property, such -as the enemy have delighted to charge upon General -Sherman. Thus abandoned, it was left in the rear of -our army, whose face was now seaward, and the hand of -time, with a higher degree of civilization, can only efface -the marks inflicted by a warlike occupation. Before the -war Atlanta was one of the most thriving inland cities of -the South, and contained 12,000 inhabitants.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The rebels at Richmond received their first news of -Sherman’s departure from Atlanta, from the North, but -refused to place confidence in it. ‘It is a big Yankee -lie,’ said the Richmond <span class='it'>Examiner</span>, ‘and if Sherman really -has burnt Atlanta, it is to cover a retreat northward, -to look after Hood.’ ‘But if Sherman is really attempting -this prodigious design,’ it continued, ‘his march will -only lead him to the “Paradise of Fools.” ’ The more -Southern papers, those of Augusta, Savannah, etc., were -alike incredulous with those of Richmond, upon the receipt -of the first news of Sherman’s movement. ‘It is -rumored that Atlanta is evacuated,’ said the Augusta -<span class='it'>Chronicle</span>, of November 15, ‘and we trust the rumor -will prove correct.’ The same paper of November 18, -implores the citizens of Augusta to ‘look at the situation -without nervousness or fear—pray to God, but keep your -powder dry—meet the storm like men—it’s always darkest -just before day.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It is only necessary to follow Sherman’s course, to -note the precision with which he moved, the width of -country which he covered, and the directness of his -march upon his objective point, to realize the impotency -of all the shrieks, invocations, and proclamations that -only spoiled so much valuable paper in the Confederacy.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>While the heavens hung like curtains of glowing -crimson above and around the circular theatre of ruin, -whose cinders shot through the hot atmosphere continually, -the fine band of the Thirty-third Massachusetts -were playing, “John Brown’s soul goes marching on!” -The effect was awfully grand; the strange stirring anthem -rising over the advance of that mighty host whose -way was flashing with the torchlights of burning buildings.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Let us suppose we were upon an eminence near Atlanta, -with power of vision to look away over the “heart -of Georgia,” the goal of General Sherman’s moving -columns. Running through it are two railroads, the -only lines traversing the State of Georgia, and forming -the chief link of railway connection between Virginia and -the States of Alabama and Mississippi, now the southwestern -limit of the so-called Confederacy. One of these -railroads is the Georgia Central, running from Savannah -to Macon, 190 miles, thence to Atlanta, by the Macon -and Western Railroad, 101 miles, making the total distance -from Savannah to Atlanta by railroad, 291 miles. -The other is the Georgia Railroad, running from Augusta -to Atlanta, at from 40 to 60 miles north of the Georgia -Central Railroad, and making the distance to Atlanta, -from Augusta, 171 miles. At Millen, on the Georgia -Central road, 79 miles north of Savannah, is the junction -of a branch road, called the Waynesboro’ Railroad, which -connects with Augusta, 53 miles distant, and makes the -distance by rail from Savannah to Augusta 132 miles. -Along these lines of travel the country is thickly settled, -and richly productive. Cotton, wheat, and corn fields, -with forests and streams, mansions and slave huts, -make a southern landscape inviting to a great army, -whose thousands of men must have food to eat, and -plenty of it. To cover the railroads and destroy them -as the troops advanced, making Milledgeville, the capital, -a point of rendezvous, was the first object of the commander. -General Kilpatrick’s splendid cavalry protected -flank and front—“the eyes of the army.” On, on, the -extended wings move; while a cavalry force sweeps off -toward Macon, where General Cobb commands the rebel -militia, to make him believe an attack upon him is designed. -The “fire-eater” is awake to his perilous position, -and ready to defend “Southern rights;” when, lo! -the horsemen suddenly disappear. Their enterprise seems -a serious joke, provoking a laugh; for it was to keep at -Macon the only force that could dispute the way, excepting -some cavalry brigades at Macon, till left fairly in the rear. -This being done, General Sherman cared little where the -Confederate hero went. The enemy was amazed and bewildered—the -bold invader’s plans baffled his attempts to -decipher them. An extract from a Richmond paper will -be both a curious and interesting illustration.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The <span class='it'>Sentinel</span> with assurance declared: “It is not Sherman’s -object to make his way to the Atlantic to assist -Meade, leaving Thomas heir to his far higher honors and -responsibilities in the West. If he shall succeed in penetrating -the circle that now surrounds him, and escaping -to Port Royal, his first anxiety, like Kilpatrick’s, will be -for ships to take him away. Steam to Annapolis, and -steam to Nashville, if Nashville be not already fallen, will -be all too slow to quiet his impatience and to mollify his -chagrin. While his own course through Georgia will -have been that of an arrow through the air, or a ship -over the sea, leaving no track behind; while his exploits -and his honors will have been those of the baffled fox -hounded from the barn-yard, or the disappointed wolf, -chased and pelted by the shepherds; he will return to -Tennessee to find Hood, we trust, in possession of the -State. He will return to find that his campaign into -Georgia, so boastfully entered upon, has but lost the territories -won by his predecessors.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>While the editors and other leading minds at the -Confederate capital were thus speculating and wondering, -General Sherman was having a most auspicious start on -the long march over rebel soil. “The right wing moved -directly south from Atlanta, which is in Fulton County, -to Rough and Ready and Jonesboro’ stations on the -Macon and Western Railroad, in Fayette County. On -November 16th one column of the right wing passed -through Jonesboro’, twenty-six miles south of Atlanta, -Wheeler’s cavalry and Cobb’s militia retiring upon Griffin. -Another column of the right wing occupied McDonough, -November 17th, the county seat of Henry County, some -distance east of Jonesboro’, and about thirty-five miles -southeast of Atlanta. Henry County is one of the largest -and richest of Georgia, and here our forces found large -supplies of provisions and forage. On the 16th Wheeler -engaged our cavalry at Bear Creek station, ten miles -north of Griffin, and telegraphed General Hardee that he -had ‘checked the Yankee advance.’ The very same -evening, at six o’clock, his ragged troopers fell back -through Griffin, in the direction of Barnesville, where -Cobb’s militia had already preceded him. Our cavalry -occupied Griffin, which is the county seat of Spalding -County, on the 17th, and on the 18th drove Wheeler out -of Barnesville, in Pike County, and through Forsyth, the -county seat of Monroe County, seventy-six miles south -of Atlanta and twenty-five miles northwest of Macon.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Turning to the map you will see the Ocumulgee -River, on whose banks Macon is situated, northeast of -which, on the Oconee, is Milledgeville, the State capital. -November 20th General Sherman crossed the former -stream with his face toward the seat of government; this -was the first intelligence the rebels had of his purpose to -pass by Macon. Meanwhile General Howard’s columns -moved rapidly through Monticello, the shire town of -Jasper County, burning the courthouse, thence to Hillsboro’, -the county seat of Jones County, to reach the -Georgia Central Railroad at Gordon, where the branch -track to Milledgeville has its junction. Thus General -Sherman left General Cobb behind, and sending to Griswoldville -a rear-guard of infantry, pushed on the 21st -to Milledgeville, with General Howard’s troops ready to -join him.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The march, so far, had averaged thirteen and a half -miles each day, making ninety-five miles from Atlanta. -There was no need of great haste, and the strength of the -men was spared for the vast enterprise before them. -“General Sherman camped on the plantation of Howell -Cobb. We found his granaries well filled with corn and -wheat, part of which was distributed and eaten by our -animals and men. A large supply of syrup made from -sorghum, which we have found at nearly every plantation -on our march, was stored in an out-house. This was -also disposed of to the soldiers and the poor decrepit negroes, -which this humane, liberty-loving major-general, -abandoned to die in this place a few days ago.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman distributed to the negroes with -his own hands the provisions left here, and assured them -that we were their friends, and they need not be afraid -that we were foes. One old man answered him: ‘I -spose dat you’se true; but, massa, you’se’ll go way tomorrow, -and anudder white man will come.’ He had -never known any thing but oppression, and had been -kept in such ignorance that he did not dare put faith in -any white man. The negroes were told that as soon -as we got them into our power, they were put into the -front of the battle, and we killed them if they did not -fight; that we threw the women and children into the -Chattahoochie, and when the buildings were burned in -Atlanta, we filled them with negroes, to be devoured by -the flames.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman invited all able-bodied negroes -(others could not make the march) to join the -column, and he takes especial pleasure when they join -the procession, on some occasions telling them they are -free: that Massa Lincoln has given them their liberty, -and that they can go where they please; that if they earn -their freedom they should have it, but that Massa Lincoln -had given it to them anyhow. Thousands of negro -women join the column, some carrying household truck; -others, and many of them there are, who bear the heavy -burdens of children in their arms, while older boys and -girls plod by their sides. All these women and children -are ordered back, heartrending though it may be to refuse -them liberty.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But the majority accept the advent of the Yankees -as the fulfilment of the millennial prophecies. The ‘day -of jubilee,’ the hope and prayer of a lifetime, has come. -They cannot be made to understand that they must remain -behind, and they are satisfied only when General -Sherman tells them, as he does every day, that we -shall come back for them some time, and that they -must be patient until the proper hour of deliverance -comes.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The enemy finding our army had deceived them and -was gone, General Cobb sent a force from Macon to attack -the rear-guard at Griswoldsville, a part of which had been -employed to threaten Macon, where a sharp skirmish -resulted in a loss to them of several hundred killed and -wounded; the severest battle of all the march. General -Slocum’s left wing had pressed on through De Kalb -County to Covington, burning railroad buildings on the -way. Near this town, while foraging in the fine fertile -country, a force from one of the brigades of the Twentieth -Corps was assailed by a party of “bushwhackers,” and -one of our soldiers killed. Then followed the execution -of General Sherman’s threat of devastation, involving in -it the burning of the Methodist College at Oxford. The -large libraries, the cabinets and apparatus, all were swept -away by the fires of war, the charred ruins of an institution -which cost nearly a million of dollars, only remaining -in the wake of relentless Mars. General Slocum -pushed forward his troops, living on the “fat of the -land,” destroying railways, and flinging on his path the -flames of burning warehouses, markets, and bridges. The -same day that General Howard reached Gordon, General -Slocum was at Eatonton, the northern terminus of the -branch railroad. The troops came together at Milledgeville, -General Howard entering it first with his troops; -because the far-seeing commander-in-chief found that the -best point for crossing the Oconee was there.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The legislature, which was in session on the 18th, -hearing of the advance of General Sherman’s resistless -columns, prepared to flee before them. Governor Brown -departed in his private carriage for Macon, taking with -him the public papers, funds, and whatever of personal -effects he could convey. Never was such a stampede of -the law-making chivalry of Georgia dreamed of by them. -Members of this terrified body hurried away to Augusta, -and others followed the Governor to Macon; some in carriages, -some on horses, and others on foot, not having -Confederate currency enough to pay for other means of -escape. Two of the honorable fugitives paid one thousand -dollars to be carried eight miles. Scarcely had -Governor Brown reached Macon when he hastened to -the City Hall and issued a flaming proclamation—chanticleer -crowing after he is driven from the field by his -rival in the fight.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Catching the contagious alarm, in the wake of the fugitive -legislature, the citizens able to get away, carrying with -them to the depot their household treasures, then also fled, -until the infirm and the negroes only represented the just -now proud and defiant population. The latter were wild -with joy, embracing the soldiers, and exclaiming, “Bless -de Lord! tanks be to Almighty God, the Yanks is come; -the day of jubilee hab arrived!” Such was their simple -recognition of God in the war, and of the friends of liberty. -General Sherman’s headquarters were at the Executive -Mansion, its former occupant having, with extremely bad -grace, in fleeing from his distinguished visitor, taken with -him the entire furniture of the building. As General Sherman -travels with a roll of blankets, and haversack full of -hard tack, which is as complete an outfit for a life out in -the open air as in a palace, this discourtesy of Governor -Brown was not a serious inconvenience.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The campaign toward the sea was now fairly opened, -and successful in all its details: “At first, moving his -army in three columns, with a column of cavalry on his -extreme right, upon eccentric lines, he diverted the attention -of the enemy, so that he concentrated his forces at -extreme points, Macon and Augusta, leaving unimpeded -the progress of the main body. In this campaign it was -not the purpose of the General to spend his time before fortified -cities, nor yet to encumber his wagons with wounded -men. His instructions to Kilpatrick were to demonstrate -against Macon, getting within five miles of the city.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“With that ignorance of danger common to new -troops, the rebels rushed upon our veterans with the -greatest fury. They were received with grape-shot and -musketry at point blank range, our soldiers firing coolly -while shouting derisively to the quivering columns to -come on, as if they thought the whole thing a nice joke. -The rebels resumed the attack, but with the same fatal -results, and were soon in full flight, leaving more than -three hundred dead on the field. Our loss was some -forty killed and wounded, while their killed, wounded, -and prisoners, are estimated to exceed two thousand five -hundred. A pretty severe lesson they received. It -is said, ‘<span class='it'>Ce n’est que le premier pas qui coûte.</span>’ This first -step has been a most expensive one, and judging from the -fact that we have not heard from them since, they seem -to have interpreted the proverb otherwise than in the recognized -sense.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Gov. Brown reluctantly left in Milledgeville three thousand -muskets and several thousand pounds of powder, to -be destroyed by our troops. Then came a comic episode -in the march. A number of officers and men took possession -of the State House, elected a speaker, a clerk, and -a chaplain, and went to work upon bills and resolutions in -earnest. Calls to order, deciding between members claiming -the floor, and humorous hits, filled up the time. -When in the midst of the amusing excitement, a courier -rushed in, saying, the “Yankees are coming!” then there -was a sudden suspension of business, a panic, and a run -for the doors. This was succeeded by an uproar of -laughter.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Somehow the entreaty of the politicians and editors -of the Confederacy to burn and otherwise destroy -property likely to fall into our hands, did not move the -hearts of traitors. Each waited to see his neighbor commence -the havoc, and excepting what the army appropriated, -and the rebels carried off, but little damage was -done. The enemy was completely in the mist of mystery, -and General Sherman’s skilful, blinding movements, -successfully deluded his antagonists. Their -blows were always hesitating, and, when given by them, -were equally ineffectual. It was evident, however, that -the Oconee River must be passed at some point by our -troops. Accordingly, the enemy posted himself where -the railroad crosses the river, five miles east of Gordon, -and here burned the bridge. Wednesday, the 23d, -brought our troops well up to the river.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The people along the line of march seldom expressed -their sentiments to the army. A few illustrations from -those who saw and heard for themselves, will give the -general feeling: “When they do speak it is not in vain -eulogy of the rebel army and the cause in which they are -engaged. They are broken in spirits, and the haughty -secession ladies, who by force of ‘arms’ and tongue drove -their brothers, sons, and lovers, into the army, are now -as meek as singed kittens, and only too glad to smile upon -a good-looking Yankee. They all frankly admit that -their cause is hopeless—that subjugation awaits them in -the future, and all they now wish is for the storm to -burst and pass; that peace with them, crushed beneath -the Yankee heel, is preferable to the present state of -things.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Great God!’ exclaimed one very intelligent Milledgeville -lady, whose all had been taken, ‘little did I -think, when I bade my dear boys, who now sleep in their -graves, good-bye, and packed them off, that this day would -come, when old, impoverished, and childless, I must ask -the men whom they fought against for a meal of victuals -to satisfy my hunger. But it serves me right; I was deceived, -drove them to battle, death, and infamy, and here -I stand, their murderer.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Riding up to a house one day, I met an old woman -and three grown-up daughters at the door uttering frantic -appeals for help. I inquired what was wrong, when the -old woman pointed to a burning cotton gin, and exclaimed, -‘Put it out! You uns are burnin’ me child!’ I asked -where the child was, and succeeded in learning that it -was in the burning gin house. Away I went, with some -men, to rescue the innocent, and at the door met a ten -year old boy, who, badly singed, issued forth from the -fiery furnace. Returning to the house, I inquired how -the boy came there? Putting the pipe between her lips, -to compose her nerves, the old lady at last ventured an -explanation: ‘Well,’ said she, ‘we uns heard that you -uns killed all the little boys, to keep them out from growing -up to fight ye, and we hid ’em.’ Strange as this may -seem, among the poor, ignorant dupes of Davis, it is a -common belief that the Yankees slay all the male children. -We found many infant Moseses and Jeffs hid away -in cellars and corn-cribs, but none in bulrushes. An officer -called upon a lady in Effingham County, whose plantation -had been stripped of every thing, and found her in -tears and her children crying for bread. He endeavored -to soothe her, when she lifted up her beautiful eyes beseechingly, -and implored, ‘Give me something for my -starving children.’ Away the officer went to his mess -and fed the children from his private larder. On the following -morning he was quite chagrined to witness two -oak boxes, one barrel of flour, four trunks, and other articles -exhumed from the garden by the soldiers.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The eight days’ march to Millen, seventy-five miles -from Milledgeville, was full of varied and remarkable -interest. General Kilpatrick, with his “ubiquitous -cavalry,” galloped away to the Central Railroad bridge, -over the Oconee, twenty-five miles southeast of Milledgeville, -where General Howard was trying to build a -pontoon bridge, which the rebel General Wayne, with a -brigade of released inmates of the penitentiary, and of -militia, was determined to prevent; a battle followed, and -the enemy was driven back. Then again the unrivalled -trooper acted as “a curtain” upon the extreme left, having -covered in the same way the right wing in the earlier -part of the campaign; while all the time he had the -nobler aim, if possible, to reach Millen in time to rescue -our incarcerated and dying prisoners of war. “The -stockade or coop in which our prisoners were confined, -after their removal from Andersonville, was located in a -dense pine forest, six miles from Millen station, on the -Savannah and Augusta Railroad. It was a square of fifteen -acres, enclosed by pine logs set upright in the ground, -very close together. At intervals of twenty feet along -the palisades were the sentry boxes, fifteen feet from the -ground; access to them could only be had by means -of ladders on the outside. The palisade logs were uniformly -ten inches thick, and so straight and close were -they that all view of the pine woods beyond them was -shut out from the unfortunates within. Entering at the -broad gate they crossed the ‘dead line’ (single rail fence) -fearlessly, and approached the burrows or adobe huts -where the ‘Yankees’ had slept in confinement. These -were not filthy, because no considerable amount of filth -could accumulate during the three weeks our men were -kept there; but they were cheerless and comfortless. -There was no attempt at regularity in laying out this village -of Kennel. In one of them the dead body of a Union -soldier, name unknown, was found unburied. Decidedly -the most comfortable looking appendage to the stockade -was the brick cook-house near the centre, with accommodation -for a dozen or fifteen men to work at a time. At -the southeast angle of the stockade, on the outside, stood -a square earthwork, built to command with its guns both -the burrows inside and the approaches to the logs on the -outside. In the hospital huts, a quarter of a mile from -the pen, were good accommodations for three hundred -men, and there were evidences that they were not sufficient. -A fine large spring, where excellent water bubbled -out, completed the lists of objects familiar to the brave -boys who had lived in that silent clearing in the pine -woods. The dead prisoners were buried in rows, a short -distance from the hospital, graves being numbered as high -as six hundred and fifty. The prisoners were kept at -Millen only three weeks.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>November 29th the “boys” kept Thanksgiving upon -the luxuries of Georgia plantations. The Ogeehee was -crossed on November 30th. It is a stream sixty yards -wide, where the troops passed over on a bridge which -was put in repair, and with pontoons.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In a sketch from a reliable source, we have an explanation -of the false charge made by a distinguished orator -against General Sherman, that he removed a bridge, and -left unprotected negroes to the enemy. He knew nothing -of the sad affair when it occurred:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“From the time we left Atlanta, with fifty or one -hundred contrabands, the ‘colored brigades’ continued to -swell in numbers until we arrived at the Ogeechee River, -when fully ten thousand were attached to the various -columns. They represented all shades and conditions, -from the almost white housemaid servant, worth $15,000 -in rebel currency, to the tar black, pock-marked cotton -picker, who never crosses massa’s door sill. A very large -majority of them were women and children, who, mounted -on mules, sometimes five on an animal, in ox wagons, -buggies, and vehicles of every description, blocked the -roads and materially delayed the movement of the columns. -It was no unusual sight to behold a slave mother carrying -two young children and leading a third, who, in a half -nude state, trudged along the thorny path to freedom. -Columns could be written descriptive of the harrowing -scenes presented by this unfortunate class of fugitives. So -much difficulty did General Davis find in moving his -column, that at the Ogeechee River, as a military necessity, -he placed a guard at the bridge, who halted the -caravan of contrabands until the rear of the column -passed, and then removed the pontoon. The negroes, -however, not to be frustrated, constructed a foot-bridge -and crossed. Next day the column had its full complement -of negroes.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Arriving at Ebenezer Creek, the same method was -taken to clear the column, with better success. The -creek runs through a half mile of swamp, which is covered -by water, and can only be crossed by a narrow bridge. -This bridge was taken up, and the moment our forces disappeared -the brutal Wheeler was in our rear. Next day -only a few darkies came up. Another day passed and -still fully two-thirds were missing. Inquiries elicited the -information that Wheeler, on finding the defenceless negroes -blocked, drove them pellmell into the water, where -those who escaped say they struggled to reach the opposite -bank, amidst heartrending shrieks; but most of the -mothers went down in the water with their children -clasped to their bosoms, while Wheeler and his inhuman -band looked on with demoniac smiles. How far true this -may be I know not, but all the negroes who escaped, with -whom I have talked, seem to agree in their account of the -hellish slaughter.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The bridges over the Oconee and Fisher’s Creek -were burned behind the army. The rebels were compelled -to speak well, on the whole, of General Sherman’s -command. I shall add their testimony, given at the -time:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In their route they destroyed, as far as possible, all -mills, cribs, and gin-houses, cotton screws and gins, cotton -implements, etc., and carried off all stock, provisions, -and negroes. When their horses gave out they shot -them. At Eatonton they killed over one hundred. At -Milledgeville they only destroyed the arsenal, depot, and -penitentiary. They did not burn the factory near that -place. The right wing of the Federal army, under -General Howard, crossed the Ocmulgee River between -Adams’s Ferry and Macon. It is said that the town of -Forsyth was completely demolished. The Federals expressed -great astonishment at the rich country they were -passing, and the abundance of provisions in it. General -Slocum gave orders to the citizens along his route to -shoot down his stragglers without mercy. One punishment -inflicted by some of the Federal generals for plundering, -was severe whipping. A portion of Major Graham’s -command reached this city last night. They report -that they visited Atlanta several days since, and -found it completely evacuated and burned. They state -that the Federals took all the cattle and forage in their -route, but did not molest those who stayed at home.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The most pathetic scenes occur upon our line of -march daily and hourly. Thousands of negro women -join the column, some carrying household truck; others, -and many of them there are, who bear the burden of -children in their arms, while older boys and girls plod by -their sides. All these women and children are ordered -back, heartrending though it may be to refuse them liberty. -They won’t go. One begs that she may go to see -her husband and children at Savannah. Long years ago -she was forced from them and sold. Another has heard -that her boy was in Macon, and she is ‘done gone with -grief goin’ on four years.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The other day a woman with a child in her arms -was working her way along amongst the teams and -crowds of cattle and horsemen. An officer called to her -kindly: ‘Where are you going, aunty?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“She looked up into his face with a hopeful, beseeching -look, and replied:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I’se gwine whar you’se gwine, massa.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“At a house a few miles from Milledgeville we -halted for an hour. In an old hut I found a negro and -his wife, both of them over sixty years old. In the talk -which ensued nothing was said which led me to suppose -that either of them was anxious to leave their mistress, -who, by the way, was a sullen, cruel-looking woman, -when all at once the old negress straightened herself up, -and her face, which a moment before was almost stupid -in its expression, assumed a fierce, almost devilish, aspect.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Pointing her shining black finger at the old man, -crouched in the corner of the fire-place, she hissed out: -‘What for you sit dar? you spose I wait sixty years for -nutten? Don’t yer see de door open? I’se follow my -child; I not stay. Yes, nodder day I goes ’long wid -dese people; yes sar, I walks till I drops in my tracks.’ -A more terrible sight I never beheld. I can think of -nothing to compare with it, except Charlotte Cushman’s -Meg Merrilies. Rembrandt only could have painted the -scene, with its dramatic surroundings.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It was near this place that several factories were -burned. It was odd to see the delight of the negroes at -the destruction of places known only to them as task-houses, -where they had groaned under the lash.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Pointing to the Atlanta and Augusta Railroad, -which had been destroyed, the question was asked, ‘It -took a longer time to build this railroad than it does to -destroy it?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I would think it did, massa; in dat ar woods over -dar is buried ever so many black men who were killed, -sar, yes, killed, a working on dat road—whipped to deth. -I seed em, sar.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Does the man live here who beat them?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Oh no, sar; he’s dun gone long time.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I have seen blind and lame mules festooned with -infants in bags, and led by fond parents so aged and -weak they could hardly totter along. ‘Mars’r Sherman -was a great man, but dis am de work ob de Lord,’ they said.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The swampy borders were belted with “corduroy,” -and their heavy fogs hung over the halting columns. At -evening the spectacle was weird-like in its wild romance. -“A novel and vivid sight was it to see the fires of -pitch pine flaring up into the mist and darkness, the figures -of men and horses looming out of the dense shadows -in gigantic proportions. Torchlights are blinking and -flashing away off in the forests, while the still air echoed -and reëchoed with the cries of teamsters and the wild -shouts of the soldiers. A long line of the troops marched -across the foot-bridge, each soldier bearing a torch, their -light reflected in quivering lines in the swift running -stream. Soon the fog, which settles like a blanket over -the swamps and forests of the river bottoms, shut down -upon the scene, and so dense and dark was it that -torches were of but little use, and men were directed here -and there by the voice.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Not far from this spot the troops encountered a singular -character. He had been depot-master before the -railroad was destroyed—a shrewd, intelligent old man, -so far as the war is concerned. He said to the soldiers: -“They say you are retreating, but it is the strangest -sort of retreat I ever saw. Why, the newspapers have -been lying in this way all along. They allers are whipping -the Federal armies, and they allers fall back after -the battle is over. It was that ar’ idee that first opened -my eyes. Our army was allers whipping the Feds, and -we allers fell back. I allers told ’em it was a humbug, -and now by —— I know it, for here you are right on -old John Wells’s place; hogs, potatoes, corn, and fences -all gone. I don’t find any fault. I expected it all.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Jeff. Davis and the rest,’ he continued, ‘talk about -splitting the Union. Why if South Carolina had gone -out by herself, she would have been split in four pieces -by this time. Splitting the Union! Why, the State of -Georgia is being split right through from end to end. It -is these rich fellows who are making the war, and keeping -their precious bodies out of harm’s way. There’s -John Franklin went through here the other day running -away from your army. I could have played dominoes -on his coat tails. There’s my poor brother, sick with -small-pox at Macon, working for eleven dollars a month, -and hasn’t got a cent of the stuff for a year. Eleven -dollars a month and eleven thousand bullets a minute. I -don’t believe in it, sir.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘My wife came from Canada, and I kind o’ thought -I would some time go there to live, but was allers afraid -of the ice and cold; but I can tell you this country is -getting too hot for me. Look at my fence-rails burning -there. I think I can stand the cold better.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I heard as how they cut down the trees across your -road up country and burn the bridges; why, one of your -Yankees can take up a tree and carry it off, tops and all; -and there’s that bridge you put across the river in less -than two hours—they might as well try to stop the Ogeechee -as you Yankees.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘The rascals who burnt this yere bridge thought -they did a big thing; a natural born fool would have -more sense than any of them.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘To bring back the good old time,’ he said, ‘it’ll -take the help of Divine Providence, a heap of rain, and a -deal of hard work, to fix things up again.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>It is interesting to look over the sea and get a glimpse -of the impressions of our English <span class='it'>friends</span> regarding the -“wandering host.” The organ of the army and navy -said: “It is clear that, so long as he roams about with -his army inside the Confederate States, he is more deadly -than twenty Grants, and that <span class='it'>he must be destroyed if -Richmond or any thing is to be saved</span>. Lee will probably -be forced by this condition of affairs to assume the offensive, -because he cannot afford to let Grant hold his hands -whilst Sherman is committing burglary in the Southern -mansion. If Sherman has really left his army in the air, -and started off without a base to march from Georgia -into South Carolina, he has done either one of the most -brilliant or one of the most foolish things ever performed -by a military leader.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The great leader and his intelligent troops must have -enjoyed the mystery in which both friends and foes were -living; knowing well that in public and private circles, -in the periodical press and the national councils, the speculations -and theories about him, the fears and hopes, -were manifold and often ludicrous, while his battalions -were having a triumphal march over the proudest -portion of the Confederacy. “The great army, over the -lands and into the dwellings of the poor and rich alike, -through towns and cities, like a roaring wave, swept, and -paused, revelled and surged on. In the day-time, the -splendor, the toil, the desolation of the march; in the -night-time, the brilliance, the gloom, the music, the joy -and the slumber of the camp. Memorable the music -‘that mocked the moon’ of November of the soil of -Georgia; sometimes a triumphant march, sometimes a -glorious waltz, again an old air stirring the heart alike to -recollection and to hope. Floating out from throats of -brass to the ears of soldiers in their blankets and generals -within their tents, these tunes hallowed the eves -to all who listened.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sitting before his tent in the glow of a camp fire -one evening, General Sherman let his cigar go out to -listen to an air that a distant band was playing. The -musicians ceased at last. The general turned to one of -his officers; ‘Send an orderly to ask that band to play -that tune again.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A little while, and the band received the word. -The tune was ‘The Blue Juniata,’ with exquisite variations. -The band played it again, even more beautifully -than before. Again it ceased, and then, off to the right, -nearly a quarter of a mile away, the voices of some soldiers -took it up with words. The band, and still another -band, played a low accompaniment; camp after camp -began singing; the music of ‘The Blue Juniata’ became, -for a few minutes, the oratorio of half an army.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Back along the whole wide pathway of this grand -march from border to coast, the eye catches glimpses of -scenes whose savage and poetic images an American, -five years ago, would have thought never could have -been revived from the romantic past.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>History records no war scenes so full of poetic interest, -with so little bloodshed, as those along the path -of this advancing host.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='287' id='Page_287'></span><h1>CHAPTER XXII.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The March beyond the River—The Exciting Discovery by the Enemy—General -Sherman’s Strategy—On to Savannah—The Rebel—Surprise—The Army -approach the City—A bold Movement—The Scouts—The Signals—Fort -McAllister stormed—Savannah invested. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/g.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='G'/>ENERAL HOWARD’S column moved down the -east side of the Oconee River, reaching Sandersville -November 26, burning the depot and tearing -up the railroad near that place. General -Slocum’s battalions of the right wing marched -northward toward Sparta, the cavalry scouring the country, -getting all the forage they needed, horses and mules, -and making havoc with the railroads, mills, and <span class='it'>gin-houses</span>. -These horsemen galloped about as if quite at -home; more like troops at a “general muster” than warriors -at work, excepting the signals of ruin they left behind.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>At this very time, November 25, the secessionists -lurking among us at the North, matured a plot for burning -the city of New York, by firing the principal hotels. -Combustibles were placed in rooms which had been mysteriously -engaged, the match applied, and then the doors -locked. But while a dozen hotels or more were thus set -on fire, a watchful Providence led to timely discovery. -Indeed, he confused the conspirators, so that the plot -was poorly executed; the very effort to conceal and give -time for the flames to spread, by leaving the apartments -closed, excluding the currents of air, defeated the fiendish -design.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>December 1st, the Fourteenth Corps threatened Augusta: -“The rebels became greatly frightened. Up to -that time many of them were consoled with the idea that, -after all, Sherman was only on a great raid into the -heart of the State, or would yet turn and move westward -upon Columbus, Montgomery, and Mobile. But -such hopes were dispelled when his cavalry were discovered -in Washington and Hancock counties. At Augusta -preparations for defence went on vigorously. Bragg -was summoned from Wilmington, and came, the Augusta -papers said, with ten thousand men. Troops came -from Charleston, Hampton’s cavalry came from Virginia, -and the entire population of the city was put under -arms, and all the slaves in the surrounding country were -impressed to work upon the fortifications. Then began, -also, a vigorous system of rebel <span class='it'>brag</span>. Wheeler was put -to his trumps, and required to whip Kilpatrick three -times a day, and to invariably close the report of his -victory with the announcement, ‘after this glorious success -we fell back!’ All this Wheeler most valiantly did; -but on one occasion, in a fight near Gibson, the county -seat of Glascock County, being required to bring in Kilpatrick’s -head as a trophy, he humbly apologized with -his hat, observing, that in his haste to fall back, he had -left Kilpatrick’s head on its shoulders.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Until it was fully ascertained that Sherman had -reached Millen, the rebels believed that he was passing -down between the Ogeechee and Oconee Rivers, aiming to -reach the coast at Darien or Brunswick. Very adroit -strategy was necessary at this juncture to conceal the real -direction of the march, for had the rebels known in time -that Augusta was certainly to be avoided, the entire force -there could have been sent down to Millen, and thus -thrown in Sherman’s front, and resisted or delayed his -march upon Savannah, and in the end would have proved -a formidable addition to the garrison of that place. Kilpatrick, -therefore, pressed Wheeler more vigorously than -ever, and the latter fell back toward Augusta, which put -him out of Sherman’s way most effectually, again leaving -him in the rear of the very army whose advance he was -endeavoring to resist. It was during these cavalry operations -that the fight took place at Waynesboro’, December -3d, where Wheeler attacked Kilpatrick, and reported that -he had ‘doubled him up on the main body.’ But Kilpatrick -wouldn’t stay ‘doubled up.’ On the next day -Wheeler was compelled to make his usual report that he -had ‘signally repulsed Kilpatrick’ but was ‘obliged to -<span class='it'>fall back</span>,’ the result of which was that he was driven -back through Waynesboro’ and beyond Brier Creek, the -railway bridge over which was destroyed, within twenty -miles of Augusta, which was the nearest approach of our -forces to that city. Kilpatrick then took up a position to -guard Sherman’s rear, and while doing so, his force loaded -their wagons with the forage and provisions of Burke -County, for use in the less fertile counties in the region -of the coast.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>If you have consulted the map, you have noticed four -principal rivers on the line of march; the Ocmulgee, the -most westerly, on whose banks is Macon; the Oconee, -on which is situated Milledgeville; the Ogeechee, that -passes Millen, and the Savannah. Augusta is on the latter. -Besides these there were several small streams, and -great swamps across the war-path of General Sherman. -He called the country between Sparta and Warrenton -“one universal bog.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The 4th of December found the great army “swinging -slowly round from its eastern course,” taking Millen -as the pivot, and striking in six columns, along roads -running in the same direction, between the Ogeechee and -Savannah Rivers, for the city of Savannah. General -Sherman at his leisure had secured forage in the rich -counties of Washington, Burke, Glascock, Warren, and -Hancock, to prepare for a formidable resistance at Savannah, -which might delay the communication with Port -Royal for supplies. The rebels said he stopped to “grind -corn;” but, while this was unnecessary, because the -horses could manage the ears, and the troops had better -fare, he was <span class='it'>grinding</span> their hopes of disaster to him and of -escape, to powder. They had sent forces from Charleston -and Wilmington to Augusta and vicinity, sure of meeting -him there, when lo! he was hurrying, like an avalanche, -upon the more important city by the sea. Their feelings, -when the bitter truth came fairly home to their comprehension, -were announced in an Augusta paper: “Sherman -has not for a moment hesitated, in our humble judgment, -as to the point to be attacked or the road to it. When -his forage and provision trains are full he will mass his -entire force; throwing his cavalry to the rear, with his -wagon-train between the two wings of his army, he will -move in compact columns, steadily but cautiously, upon -the city of Savannah, with no fear of an attack on either -flank. The Ogeechee and a few crossings and terrible -swamps on his right, and the Savannah River and its -equally swampy banks on his left, both flanks will be -most securely covered—a grand desideratum in army -movements. And thus situated, he has a march of something -over eighty miles to the city of Savannah.” When -the Augusta people heard that their city was no longer -threatened, they drew a long breath and congratulated -themselves. “The frowns and sadness with which the -countenances of our citizens have been bedecked,” said the -<span class='it'>Sentinel</span>, “have given way to smiles and mirth.” That is, -“smiles and mirth” because their neighbors in Savannah -were to be the recipients of Sherman’s favors, and not they.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Generals Davis and Kilpatrick had hitherto concealed -and guarded the army movements. The Fifteenth Corps, -on the right bank of the river, instead of the left wing, -now menaced the enemy’s rear. These flank manœuvres -of the dashing Kilpatrick, joined to General Howard as he -had been to General Davis, were indispensable; for our -battalions could not clear the State of rebel troops, and -must, therefore, avoid the delays which would attend the -opposition of a much smaller force at the river-crossings, -or any other spot where the difficulties of advance favored -the enemy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The army found the once magnificent cotton fields -some of them having a thousand acres covered with corn, -according to the order of Jeff Davis, while the fleecy -crops of former harvests had been sent to a safer distance -from the suspected course of General Sherman’s columns. -At Ogeechee Church, on the river bearing that name, and -the narrowest part of the peninsula between the streams, -the army concentrated on the 5th and 6th of December. -Meanwhile General Kilpatrick, when dashing toward -Alexandria to burn the bridge over Brier Creek, encountered -General Wheeler at Waynesboro’. The sabres -gleam in the sunlight, and the bullets fly on their fatal -mission, resulting at each conflict in the flight of the rebel -general. The seventy-nine miles from Millen to Savannah -steadily diminished, the splendid and triumphant -army getting by the 8th within less than a score of miles -from the goal of their martial and patriotic ambition.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The heroic General Howard, at this crisis of affairs, -executed a bold and brilliant movement. The rebels, to -hold the Gulf Railroad, which they were using in earnest, -had pushed across the Ogeechee. General Corse, of “Allatoona -memory,” who, before they were aware of it, was -between the Little and Great Ogeechee, thirteen miles in -advance of the main army, reached and bridged the canal -connecting the river with Savannah, then crossing it, intrenched -himself securely, almost in sight of the city. -And now the approach was hotly disputed, and brave -men fell in the ranks of General Blair’s columns. But -some were killed by the most cowardly and shameful conduct -of the enemy. Shells and torpedoes had been buried -in the way of the march, and the tread of the heroes exploding -them, a number were prostrated in a sudden and -horrible death. The precaution then taken was a just -though severe one. Prisoners of war were ordered forward -to remove the murderous and unseen means of destruction. -The prisoners were sent in advance as ordered. -Crawling, begging, praying, as their trembling fingers -descended to dig away the earth about the death-traps -which they had, perhaps, helped to set, they were a piteous -spectacle. Soon the path was cleared for the onward -steps of the Union boys. General Howard’s next daring -deed was to communicate immediately with our fleet below -Fort McAllister, held by a strong garrison of the -enemy. Here, on the gunboat <span class='it'>Dandelion</span>, Admiral -Dahlgren was anxiously waiting for tidings from the -great army somewhere between Atlanta and the sea.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>On the evening of December 9th General Howard -sent three of his trustiest scouts, Captain Duncan, and -Sergeants Myron J. Emmick and George W. Quinly, in -a small boat down the river. What a moment of thrilling -interest to both the General and the brave daring fellows -floating over the waters in that frail bark, right toward -bristling McAllister! All was silent—the speck glided under -the cover of darkness safely by, and hastened toward the -<span class='it'>Dandelion</span>. Up went a white signal flag, and another -from the little boat answered it. The scouts were soon -on board the gunboat. Captain Duncan brought the following -despatch from General Howard:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Army of the Tennessee,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Near Savannah Canal</span>, <span class='it'>Dec. 9, 1864</span>. }</p> - -<p class='hang'>“<span class='it'>To the Commander of the United States Naval Forces in the vicinity of Savannah</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Sir</span>: We have met with perfect success thus far. -The troops are in fine spirits and near by.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Respectfully, <span class='sc'>O. O. Howard</span>, Major-General,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:0em;'>Commanding Right Wing of the Army.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>This was the first intelligence direct from the army, -and “completely dispelled all doubts and fears, as well as -dissipated an immense amount of rebel bombast and boasting -of the impediments and difficulties with which Sherman -had met, to say nothing of the repeated total annihilation -of Kilpatrick’s cavalry, which seems not to have -been worthy of mention by General Howard or General -Sherman. Wheeler, who at last accounts was ‘hacking -away at Sherman’s rear,’ must have had a very dull sabre.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The gallant Hazen was preparing, with his western -boys, to storm Fort McAllister, according to General -Sherman’s orders. On the Ogeechee, opposite the fort, -stood the rice mill of Dr. Cheroe, from whose roof the -view of the fortress was distinct. There you might have -seen Generals Sherman and Howard, with staff and signal -officers about them. He was waiting for General -Hazen’s signals, and gazing away toward the sea for -some sign of the fleet’s presence there. Suddenly a smile -lights up the bronzed face of the eagle-eyed leader of the -Union legions, and he exclaims:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Look! Howard; there is the gunboat!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Time passed on, and the vessel now became visible, -yet no signal from the fleet or Hazen. Half an hour passed, -and the guns of the fort opened simultaneously with puffs -of smoke that rose a few hundred yards from the fort, -showing that Hazen’s skirmishers had opened. A moment -after Hazen signalled:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I have invested the fort, and will assault immediately.’ -At this moment Bickley announces ‘A signal -from the gunboat.’ All eyes are turned from the fort to -the gunboat that is coming to our assistance with news -from home. A few messages pass, which inform us that -Foster and Dahlgren are within speaking distance. The -gunboat now halts and asks—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Can we run up? Is Fort McAllister ours?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘No,’ is the reply, ‘Hazen is just ready to storm it. -Can you assist?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Yes,’ is the reply. ‘What will you have us do?’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But before Sherman can reply to Dahlgren the -thunders of the fort are heard, and the low sound of small -arms borne across three miles of marsh and river. Field -glasses are opened, and sitting flat upon the roof the -hero of Atlanta gazes away off to the fort. ‘There they -go grandly; not a waver,’ he remarks.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Twenty seconds pass, and again he exclaims:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘See that flag in the advance, Howard; how steadily -it moves; not a man falters. * * There they go still; -see the roll of musketry. Grand! grand!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Still he strained his eyes, and a moment after speaks -without raising his eyes:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘That flag still goes forward; there is no flinching -there.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A pause for a minute.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Look!’ he exclaims, ‘it has halted. They waver; -no! it’s the parapet! There they go again; now they -scale it; some are over. Look! there’s a flag on the -works! Another, another. It’s ours! The fort’s ours!’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The glass dropped by his side; and in an instant the -joy of the great leader at the possession of the river and -the opening of the road to his new base burst forth in -words:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘As the old darkie remarked, dis chile don’t sleep -dis night!’ And turning to one of his aids, Captain -Auderied, he remarked, ‘Have a boat for me at once; I -must go there,’ pointing to the fort, from which half a -dozen battle flags floated grandly in the sunset.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“And well might William Tecumseh Sherman rejoice; -for here, as the setting sun went down upon Fort -McAllister reduced, and kissed a fond good night to the -Starry Banner, Sherman witnessed the culmination of -all his plans and marches, that had involved such desperate -resistance and risk, the opening up of a new and -shorter route to his base. Here at sunset, on the memorable -13th of December, the dark waters of the great -Ogeechee bore witness to the fulfilment of the covenant -Sherman made with his iron heroes at Atlanta twenty-nine -days before, to lead them victorious to a new base.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Sherman’s account of his movement on Fort McAllister -was characteristic. Said he, ‘I went down with -Howard and took a look at it, and I said to my boys, -“Boys, I don’t think there are over four hundred in that -fort; but there it is, and I think we might as well have -it.” ’ The word was scarcely spoken before the work -was done. Fifteen minutes were all that was required.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The object of this fortress was the protection of the -coast from our war vessels. It was surrounded by obstructions -made of rows of piles, through which was a -small opening for a ship’s entrance.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman sent word to the fleet “that he -would be down that night, and to look out for his boat. -The tug immediately steamed down to Ossabaw Sound, -to find General Foster or Admiral Dahlgren; but they -not being there, despatches were sent to them at Warsaw -announcing General Sherman’s intended visit, and the -tug returned to its old position. While approaching the -fort again a small boat was seen coming down. It was -hailed with—</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘What boat is that?’ and the welcome response -came back ‘Sherman.’ It soon came alongside, and out -of the little dugout, paddled by two men, stepped General -Sherman and General Howard, and stood on the deck of -the <span class='it'>Dandelion</span>. The great leader was received with cheer -after cheer, and with every manifestation of delight and -satisfaction by all. He was in splendid spirits, and expressed -his gratification at reaching his base. He remained -on board till about two o’clock in the morning. -While on the boat he wrote his despatches to General -Grant, General Halleck, General Foster, and Admiral -Dahlgren.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the following day he came on board the <span class='it'>Nemaha</span>, -and was received by General Foster. The <span class='it'>Nemaha</span> -then proceeded to Warsaw Sound, when Admiral Dahlgren, -accompanied by his staff, came on board and spent some -time in conversation with the General. Colonel A. H. -Markland, superintendent of mails for the armies, came -on board with despatches for General Sherman, and delivered -a verbal message from the President. Taking -the General by the hand, the Colonel said:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘General Sherman, before leaving Washington I -was directed by the President to take you by the hand, -wherever I met you, and say for him, ‘God bless you -and the army under your command;’ and he furthermore -added, ‘Since cutting loose from Atlanta, my -prayers, and those of the nation, have been for your success.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman seemed to be deeply affected, and -after a moment’s silence could only say, ‘I thank the -President. Say my army is all right.’ ”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Meanwhile Admiral Dahlgren sent a despatch to the -Government, in which he said of the army’s success and -the brave scouts:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Captain Duncan states that our forces were in contact -with the rebels a few miles outside of Savannah, and -that Sherman’s army are not in want of any thing. Perhaps -no event could give greater satisfaction to the country -than that which I announced, and I beg leave to congratulate -the United States Government on its occurrence. -It may, perhaps, be exceeding my province, but -I cannot refrain from expressing the hope that the department -will commend Captain Duncan and his companions -to the Hon. Secretary of War for some marks of approbation, -for the success in establishing communications -between General Sherman and the fleet. It was an enterprise -that required both skill and courage.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>This was followed by a message from General Sherman:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>On Board ‘Dandelion,’</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Ossabaw Sound</span>, 11.50 <span class='sc'>p. m.</span>, <span class='it'>Dec. 13</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“To-day, at 5 <span class='sc'>p. m.</span>, General Hazen’s division of the -Fifteenth Corps carried Fort McAllister by assault, capturing -its entire garrison and stores. This opened to us -the Ossabaw Sound, and I pulled down to this gunboat -to communicate with the fleet. Before opening communication, -we had completely destroyed all the railroads leading -into Savannah, and invested the city. The left is on -the Savannah River, three miles above the city, and the -right is on the Ogeechee River, at King’s Bridge. The -army is in splendid order and equal to any thing. The -weather has been fine and supplies abundant. Our march -was most agreeable, and we were not at all molested by -guerillas. We reached Savannah three days ago, but -owing to Fort McAllister we could not communicate; -now we have McAllister, we go ahead.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We have already captured two boats on the Savannah -River, and have prevented their gunboats from coming -down. I estimate the population of Savannah at twenty-five -thousand and the garrison at fifteen thousand. General -Hardee commands. We have not lost a wagon on -the trip, but have gathered in a large supply of mules, -negroes, horses, etc., and our teams are in far better condition -than when we started. My first duty will be to -clear the army of surplus negroes, mules, and horses. -We have utterly destroyed over two hundred miles of railroad, -and consumed stores and provisions that were essential -to Lee’s and Hood’s armies.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The quick work made with Fort McAllister, and the -opening of communication with our fleet and consequent -independence for supplies, dissipate all their boasted -threats to head me off and starve the army. I regard -Savannah as already gained. Yours truly,</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>, Major-General.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>The fall of the fortress opened, as we have seen, the -Ogeechee River to Ossabaw Sound at its mouth, into which -our vessels sailed; it also gave General Sherman the opportunity -of establishing a “water-base” anywhere on -that stream between his army and the sea, just back of -Savannah. It did more; the Savannah and the Albany -and Gulf Railroads communicating with the southern -part of the State, were taken from the enemy, cutting off -large supplies. The next move was to stretch the army -across the peninsula between the rivers, the left resting -on the Savannah, three miles above the city, and the extreme -right on the Ogeechee at King’s Bridge. All the -railways were in our possession, the rebel gunboats which -had gone up the Ogeechee to prevent General Sherman -from crossing into South Carolina were shut in, and the -commander-in-chief prepared to seize the beautiful town. -Savannah, the largest city of Georgia, was founded by -General Oglethorpe in 1731−’32.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The ocean side of the town was well guarded with -fortifications—those grim and silent watchmen when unmolested, -whose voice is thunder, and their words massive -globes of iron, frowned along the river-banks. Forts -Jackson and Pulaski were formidable defences; so much -so that even the engineer, Beauregard, did not dream of -an approach in the rear of the invested city. General -Hardee commanded the forces keeping it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The forces of General Sherman were so posted, that -Hardee had to divide and weaken his force to be ready -for any attack, while the rice-fields were flooded from -the canals, and every advantage taken by the enemy to -ward off the impending blow. This is the general view -of the situation, December 13th, 1864. Such was the -derided <span class='it'>retreat</span> of General Sherman, after General Hood -swept backward from burning Atlanta into Tennessee! -I need not record here what the noble Thomas, with tried -veterans, did with the rebel general at Nashville, sending -his battalions “whirling” toward his invaded Secessia, -just as the comprehensive genius of the pursuer had -planned, and confidently expected he would. For, the -glory of this marvellous campaign, under God, belongs to -that sagacious, resolute, and modest chieftain.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='304' id='Page_304'></span><h1>CHAPTER XXIII.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -The Surrender of the City demanded—The Refusal—Preparation to Attack—The -Enemy Flee—The Entrance of the Union Army—Scenes that followed—General -Sherman and the Negroes. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/d.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='D'/>ECEMBER 20th, Fort Lee and other defences -of Savannah had been taken, but there was left -a single narrow path of escape for the beleaguered -enemy—the Union Causeway, just below Hutchinson’s -Island, which it was difficult for our -troops to reach. But General Sherman had his eye on -this outlet, intending to secure it within a day or two, -shutting in General Hardee and his army. The next -morning a flag of truce was sent toward the city gates, -under whose protection was conveyed the demand for its -surrender. The brief message of General Sherman closed -with the words which General Hood used in his call for -the surrender of Dalton, a few months before, with its -negro troops:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“If the demand is not complied with, I shall take no -prisoners.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Hardee replied defiantly, declaring that he -had men and supplies for a successful defence. This was -done to deceive the army closing like the coil of an anaconda -about him. General Sherman suspected it, but the -officers generally expected a battle. The preparations -for assault went forward rapidly.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The rebel chief improved his opportunity, and suddenly -decamped under cover of night, defiling along the causeway -while our weary troops were resting on their arms. -He had stationed his iron-clads near Hutchinson’s Island, -which, with the battalions on its lower end, protected the -highway of the flying thousands whose arms reflected the -glare of the burning Navy Yard, fired during the evacuation. -The thunder of exploding iron-clads, destroyed by -the rear-guard, was the last signal of his retreat from the -boastful Hardee: “The night was exceedingly propitious -for such an operation. It was dark and a heavy wind -was blowing from the west, conveying the sound of -trampling feet over the pontoons away from our lines. -But during some of the lulls that occurred General Geary, -commanding the Second division, Twentieth Corps, the -extreme left of our lines resting on the Savannah River, -heard the movement across the bridge, but could not decide -in which direction the troops were passing. He -ordered his division to be ready at a moment’s notice to -move, and then watched the progress of affairs. At midnight -General Geary became convinced in his own mind -that the enemy were evacuating the town, and notified -the commanding general of this fact. The enemy’s skirmish -line continued a fusilade on our pickets, and did not -cease until two or three o’clock, when they were drawn -in, and not many moments after our picket line was advanced, -and meeting no opposition, rushed still further on, -crawled through the abatis, floundered through the ditches, -and scrambled over the parapets and found the first line -deserted. General Geary immediately advanced his -division, occupied the line and pushed on toward the -city. The second line was found abandoned as well, -and General Geary, at the head of a small body of men, -hurried on.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>On the following morning, December 21st, the <span class='it'>Savannah -Republican</span>, which two days before emulated the departed -commander in the language of defiance—hurling the -anathemas of southern chivalry upon the “Yankees”—came -out with an earnest appeal to the citizens, counselling -quiet and decorum, and the use of all proper means -to secure the “<span class='it'>respect of a magnanimous foe</span>.” What a -strange revolution in tactics—a marvellous light streamed -into the city and the editor’s “sanctum” along the causeway -from the wake of the fugitive “Greybacks.” Before -General Geary “had entered the city, Mayor Arnold, of -the city, with four or five of the commonalty, rode up -and surrendered the city to him unconditionally, and -expressed a trust in the magnanimity of an honorable -foe for the safety of the lives and property of the inhabitants. -General Geary accepted the surrender unconditionally, -and assured them that their lives and -property should be protected. He then entered the -city, despatching Captain Veale of his staff, with four -hundred men, to take possession of Fort Jackson; and -also another member of his staff to General Slocum, to -inform him of his occupation of the town. The officer -who bore this message had some difficulty in convincing -our soldiers that Geary’s division was in town. They said -to him, ‘You can’t come that, Johnnie Reb. The game -is an old one and will not work.’ Finally he assured -them sufficiently to gain a passage, and delivered his -despatch to General Slocum, commanding the left wing -of the army. At eight o’clock all the enemy’s works -were in our possession. Captain Veale, with his party, -took possession of Fort Jackson and Fort Barlow, taking -about sixty heavy guns in both works and lines connecting -with them. The enemy had fired the barracks, but -the fire was soon subdued.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>In the haste of his departure Hardee strangely -neglected to destroy the ammunition of the forts, and -the cotton in the city. Only a portion of the guns -left behind were spiked. Munitions of war, more than -30,000 bales of cotton, and railroad rolling stock, fell into -our hands.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman’s entry into the town was marked -by no extraordinary commotion. The city received him -quietly and respectfully, though not with open arms.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The population of Savannah, during the past thirty -days, has been immensely increased by emigration from -the interior. Thousands of people, including many -wealthy families, fled from the country threatened by -General Sherman’s march, to find, as they presumed, an -undisturbed refuge in the city. The houses overflow with -them; numbers dwell in sheds, and live upon the streets. -Negroes form a large part of this transient population. -Many rebel officers and soldiers are found concealed in -houses, and probably considerable valuable property, not -yet estimated in the fruits of this almost bloodless siege, -will yet be brought to light likewise.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A number of prisoners, which may be counted in -addition to those found in the city, were previously captured -during our advance against the enemy’s works. -Colonel Clinch, of General Hardee’s staff, with thirty -men, was taken on board a transport in the Savannah -River a few days before the surrender. A quantity of -whiskey was aboard the transport, and when our officers -reached it, every man on board, except Colonel Clinch, -was found in a state of beastly intoxication. General -Harrison, a militia general, and a man of considerable -wealth, residing near the city, was also taken prisoner -during the siege.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>While the sun of December 21st was moving toward -the zenith, General Sherman rode at the head of his enthusiastic -columns, with music and banners enlivening the -magnificent scene, into the broad, quiet streets of Savannah, -followed by his wing-commanders, the gallant Howard -and Slocum. Hour after hour the tramp of Union -soldiers echoes on the pavements, until at length, in mansions, -public buildings, and tents, the exultant host settled -down into comparative repose. The next day the wires -of the telegraph transmitted to the President this laconic -message:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Savannah, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>December 22, 1864</span>.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;font-size:.8em;'>“<span class='it'>His Excellency President Lincoln</span>;</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of -Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and -plenty of ammunition, and also about twenty-five thousand -bales of cotton.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>, Major-General.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>In all the world’s history of the Christmas times, was -there ever a gift so memorable, or one more worthy to -receive it? You will always recollect it with the delight -expressed by a playful pen: “The sugar plum which -Sherman dropped into the national stocking that Abraham -Lincoln hung up, came in the semblance of Savannah. -We have all enjoyed it. We have admired its roundness -and its sweetness. We rejoice over the one hundred and -fifty heavy guns, and the thirty-three thousand bales of -cotton. The capture of Savannah is an event which we -have long anticipated, and are therefore only quietly enjoying -it. Reaching us, as the intelligence did, on a day -that was meteorologically gloomy, it shed an interior sunlight -brighter than a more substantial one.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The quartermaster, in General Sherman’s behalf, a -little later announced, that “all persons wishing to leave -the city under existing orders, and go within the Confederate -lines, are informed that the steamer <span class='it'>F. R. Spalding</span> -will be in readiness at the wharf at the foot of Drayton -Street, at six o’clock <span class='sc'>a. m.</span> on Wednesday, the 11th instant, -to transport them to Charleston, S. C. Wagons -and ambulances will be sent to the residences of families, -to take them and their baggage to the boat. As there are -no conveniences on the boat to provide food, each family -had better provide itself with what it will require for -twenty-four hours.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Applications for wagons and ambulances must be -made to Captain J. E. Remington, assistant quartermaster, -last house on the west end of Jones Street, south side.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>About two hundred citizens availed themselves of the -opportunity thus offered them to rejoin their relatives or -friends within the enemy’s lines. The new paper, the -<span class='it'>Loyal Georgian</span>, thus hoisted its flag, with the notices following: -“The mind that conceived, and the arm that, -under Omnipotence, could execute these grand army -movements, has not yet finished its work. That same -powerful body which with its gigantic wings swept over the -State of Georgia as a whirlwind, must yet move on its -irresistible course until the whole land shall acknowledge -the power and authority of the Government of the United -States. When that day comes, the commander will lay -aside his laurels, the soldier his sword, and this broad -and fair abounding land of ours shall once more teem -with the busy hum of peaceful life. May a merciful God -grant the happy day soon to be ushered in upon us, and -peace, sweet peace! be our portion; but until the ‘last -armed foe expires,’ the army of the Union will and must -stand as a bulwark against all destroyers, come from -where they may.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman has his headquarters at the house -of Mr. Charles Green. General Howard’s headquarters -are at the house of Mr. Molyneux, late British consul at -Savannah, who is now in Europe. General Slocum’s -headquarters are at the late residence of Hon. John E. -Ward. General Geary, commandant of the post, has his -office in the Bank building, next door to the Custom -House.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Divine service will be held in the Independent Presbyterian, -the Lutheran, Baptist, St. John’s Church, and -Methodist Churches, to-morrow morning at half-past ten -o’clock, by their respective pastors.</p> - -<table id='tab4' summary='' class='center'> -<colgroup> -<col span='1' style='width: 15em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 10em;'/> -<col span='1' style='width: 10em;'/> -</colgroup> -<tr><td class='tab4c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab4c2 tdStyle4'>“<span class='sc'>I. S. K. Axson</span>,</td><td class='tab4c3 tdStyle4'><span class='sc'>D. M. Gilbert</span>,</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab4c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab4c2 tdStyle4'> <span class='sc'>S. Landrum</span>,</td><td class='tab4c3 tdStyle4'><span class='sc'>A. M. Wynn</span>,</td></tr> -<tr><td class='tab4c1 tdStyle4'></td><td class='tab4c2 tab4c2-col3 tdStyle3' colspan='2'><span class='sc'>C. F. McRae</span>.”</td></tr> -</table> - -<p class='pindent'>The condition of the city under the new rule was very -clearly given by rebel papers. January 10th, the Richmond -<span class='it'>Whig</span>, whose hatred of the North has been unsurpassed, -was compelled to confess that General Sherman -was wise and humane in his administration, as an extract -will show:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Augusta <span class='it'>Chronicle</span> and <span class='it'>Sentinel</span> of the 4th instant -publishes a number of news items, derived from a -gentleman who left Savannah on the 1st instant.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The most perfect order is maintained in the city. -No soldier is allowed to interfere with the citizens in any -particular. A citizen was arrested by a drunken soldier -a few days since. The citizen knocked the soldier down. -The officer of the guard, as soon as he arrived, said -nothing to the citizen, but had the soldier taken to the barracks, -gagged and soundly whipped for his misbehavior.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A drunken soldier, who undertook to create a disturbance -recently, and who refused to allow himself to be -arrested, was shot down at once by the guard.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“One or two of the Insurance Companies of Savannah -are considering the project of establishing a National Bank -for the issue of ‘greenbacks.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The Custom House and Post Office are being cleaned -and repaired, preparatory to the commencement of business -again.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The soldiers are not allowed under any circumstances -whatever to enter private residences.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The negroes in most cases are orderly and quiet, remaining -with their owners and performing their customary -duties.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“One store with goods from the North has already -been opened.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Nothing but ‘greenbacks’ are in circulation.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The churches on Sundays are well filled with ladies. -On week days, however, but few of them are seen on the -streets.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A majority of the male population have remained -in the city. The families of most of the men who have -left still remain.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A majority of the citizens have provisions for some -time to come, but there is a scarcity of wood, but General -Sherman has announced that he will soon remedy this last -difficulty by getting wood via the Gulf Railway, and hauling -it to the citizens.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“No pass is allowed to any male person to go toward -the city.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“All females who are caught going toward the city -are thoroughly searched.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Eleven hundred loaves of good baker’s bread, which -had been collected for the soldiers of Sherman’s army, -but for which authorized agents did not call, were on -Thursday turned over to the Poor Association of Savannah -by the Committee acting in behalf of the Soldier’s -Dinner, and were yesterday distributed to the poor of the -city. It was truly a kind and providential gift, for the -city is entirely out of breadstuffs of every kind, and for -days past have been unable to issue a pound of meal or -flour to the hundreds who were sorely in need of it.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman had a very summary way of answering -inquiries of the citizens on whose lips was the gall -of secession. To a proud lady who said to him: “General, -you may conquer, but you can’t subjugate us,” he -instantly replied, “I don’t want to subjugate you, I mean -to kill you, the whole of you, if you don’t stop this rebellion.” -In conversation a short time since with several -citizens of Savannah on the subject of the war, General -Sherman, in his characteristic manner, remarked: “We -wish to cultivate friendly feeling with your people; if they -love monarchy we will not quarrel with them; but we -love a strong republic and mean to maintain it.” He -also said he had been through Mississippi twice and -through Georgia once. “The sun goes North on the -21st, and by that time I shall be ready to go North, too.” -In a private letter to a distinguished military man in -New York, his noble and magnanimous spirit appears:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Colonel Ewing arrived to-day, and bore me many -kind tokens from the North, but none gave me more -satisfaction than to know that you watched with interest -my efforts in the national cause. I do not think a human -being could feel more kindly toward an enemy than I do -to the people of the South, and I only pray that I may -live to see the day when they and their children will -thank me, as one who labored to secure and maintain a -Government worthy the land we have inherited, and -strong enough to secure our children the peace and security -denied us.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Judging from the press, the world magnifies my -deeds above their true value, and I fear the future may -not realize its judgment. But whatever fate may befall -me, I know that you will be a generous and charitable -critic, and will encourage one who only hopes in this -struggle to do a man’s share.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Two days later a gentleman addressed a note to General -Sherman, asking questions designed to draw from -him his views upon the prospects of Georgia, and her -relations to the General Government. His reply is marked -with his original thought, and reveals his high ability -as a statesman:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Savannah, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Jan. 8, 1865</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;font-size:.8em;'>“<span class='it'>N. W——, Esq., —— County, Ga.</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Dear Sir</span>: Yours of the 3d instant is received, -and in answer to your inquiries, I beg to state I am -merely a military commander, and act only in that capacity; -nor can I give any assurances or pledges affecting -civil matters in the future. They will be adjusted by Congress -when Georgia is again represented there as of old.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Georgia is not out of the Union, and therefore the -talk of ‘reconstruction’ appears to me inappropriate. -Some of the people have been and still are in a state of -revolt; and as long as they remain armed and organized, -the United States must pursue them, with armies, -and deal with them according to military law. But as -soon as they break up their armed organizations and return -to their homes, I take it they will be dealt with by -the civil courts. Some of the rebels in Georgia, in my -judgment, deserve death, because they have committed -murder, and other crimes, which are punished with death -by all civilized governments on earth. I think this was -the course indicated by General Washington, in reference -to the Whiskey Insurrection, and a like principle -seemed to be recognized at the time of the Burr conspiracy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“As to the Union of the States under our Government, -we have the high authority of General Washington, -who bade us be jealous and careful of it, and the still -more emphatic words of General Jackson, ‘The Federal -Union, it must and shall be preserved.’ Certainly Georgians -cannot question the authority of such men, and -should not suspect our motives, who are simply fulfilling -their commands. Wherever necessary, force has been -used to carry out that end; and you may rest assured -that the Union will be preserved, cost what it may. -And if you are sensible men you will conform to this -order of things or else migrate to some other country. -There is no other alternative open to the people of -Georgia.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“My opinion is, that no negotiations are necessary, -nor commissioners, nor conventions, nor any thing of the -kind. Whenever the people of Georgia quit rebelling -against their Government and elect members of Congress -and Senators, and these go and take their seats, then the -State of Georgia will have resumed her functions in the -Union.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“These are merely my opinions, but in confirmation -of them, as I think, the people of Georgia may well consider -the following words referring to the people of the -rebellious States, which I quote from the recent annual -message of President Lincoln to Congress at its present -session;</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘They can at any moment have peace simply by -laying down their arms and submitting to the national -authority under the Constitution. After so much, the -Government would not, if it could, maintain war against -them. The loyal people would not sustain or allow it. -If questions should remain we would adjust them by the -peaceful means of legislation, conference, courts, and -votes. Operating only in constitutional and lawful channels, -some certain and other possible questions are and -would be beyond the Executive power to adjust, as, for -instance, the admission of members into Congress and -whatever might require the appropriation of money.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The President then alludes to the general pardon -and amnesty offered for more than a year past, upon -specified and more liberal terms, to all except certain -designated classes, even these being ‘still within contemplation -of special clemency,’ and adds:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘It is still so open to all, but the time may come -when public duty shall demand that it be closed, and that -in lieu more vigorous measures than heretofore shall be -adopted.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It seems to me that it is time for the people of -Georgia to act for themselves, and return, in time, to -their duty to the Government of their fathers.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Respectfully, your obedient servant,</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>, Major-General.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Bearing the same date of this able letter, are his -words of congratulation to his rejoicing army:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>In the Field, Savannah, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Jan. 8</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The General Commanding announces to the troops -composing the military division of the Mississippi, that he -has received from the President of the United States and -from Lieutenant-General Grant, letters conveying the -high sense and appreciation of the campaign just closed, -resulting in the capture of Savannah and the defeat of -Hood’s army in Tennessee.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In order that all may understand the importance -of events, it is proper to revert to the situation of affairs in -September last. We held Atlanta, a city of little value -to us, but so important to the enemy that Mr. Davis, the -head of the rebellious faction in the South, visited his -army near Palmetto, and commanded it to regain it, as -well as to ruin and destroy us by a series of measures -which he thought would be effectual.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“That army, by a rapid march, first gained our railroad -near Big Shanty, and afterward about Dalton. We -pursued, but it marched so rapidly that we could not -overtake it, and General Hood led his army successfully -far toward Mississippi, in hopes to decoy us out of Georgia. -But we were not then to be led away by him, and -purposed to control and lead events ourselves. Generals -Thomas and Schofield, commanding the department to -our rear, returned to their posts, and prepared to decoy -General Hood into their meshes, while we came on to -complete our original journey.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We quietly and deliberately destroyed Atlanta and -all the railroads which the enemy had used to carry on -war against us; occupied his State capital, and then -captured his commercial capital, which had been so -strongly fortified from the sea as to defy approach from -that quarter.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Almost at the moment of our victorious entry into -Savannah came the welcome and expected news that our -comrades in Tennessee had also fulfilled, nobly and well, -their part; had decoyed General Hood to Nashville, and -then turned on him, defeating his army thoroughly, capturing -all his artillery, great numbers of prisoners, and -were still pursuing the fragments down into Alabama. -So complete a success in military operations, extending -over half a continent, is an achievement that entitles it to -a place in the military history of the world.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The armies serving in Georgia and Tennessee, as -well as the local garrisons of Decatur, Bridgeport, Chattanooga, -and Murfreesborough, are alike entitled to the -common honor, and each regiment may inscribe on its -colors at pleasure the words ‘Savannah,’ or ‘Nashville.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The General Commanding embraces in the same -general success the operations of the cavalry column -under Generals Stoneman, Burbridge, and Gillem, that -penetrated into Southwestern Virginia, and paralyzed the -efforts of the enemy to disturb the peace and safety of the -people of East Tennessee. Instead of being put on the -defensive, we have, at all points, assumed the bold offensive, -and completely thwarted the designs of the enemies -of our country. By order of</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Major-General <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>This was followed on the 14th by a message regulating -the trade and social life of the people:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>In the Field, Savannah, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Jan. 14</span>.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“It being represented that the Confederate army and -armed bands of robbers, acting professedly under the -authority of the Confederate government, are harassing -the people of Georgia and endeavoring to intimidate them -in the efforts they are making to secure to themselves -provisions, clothing, security to life and property, and the -restoration of law and good government in the State, it is -hereby ordered and made public:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I. That the farmers of Georgia may bring into -Savannah, Fernandina, or Jacksonville, Fla., marketing, -such as beef, pork, mutton, vegetables of any kinds, fish, -&c., as well as cotton in small quantities, and sell the -same in open market, except the cotton, which must be -sold by or through the Treasury agents, and may invest -the proceeds in family stores, such as bacon and flour, in -any reasonable quantities, groceries, shoes, and clothing, -and articles not contraband of war, and carry the -same back to them families. No trade-store will be attempted -in the interior, or stocks of goods sold for them, -but families may club together for mutual assistance and -protection in coming and going.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“II. The people are encouraged to meet together in -peaceful assemblages to discuss measures looking to their -safety and good government, and the restoration of State -and national authority, and will be protected by the national -army when so doing; and all peaceable inhabitants -who satisfy the commanding officers that they are earnestly -laboring to that end, must not only be left undisturbed -in property and person, but must be protected as -far as possible consistent with the military operations. -If any farmer or peaceful inhabitant is molested by the -enemy, viz., the Confederate army of guerillas, because -of his friendship to the National Government, the perpetrator, -if caught, will be summarily punished, or his -family made to suffer for the outrage; but if the crime -cannot be traced to the actual party, then retaliation -will be made on the adherents to the cause of the rebellion. -Should a Union man be murdered, then a rebel -selected by lot will be shot; or if a Union family be persecuted -on account of the cause, a rebel family will be -banished to a foreign land. In aggravated cases, retaliation -will extend as high as five for one. All commanding -officers will act promptly in such cases, and report their -action after the retaliation is done. By order of</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“Major-General <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>We have now a very remarkable interview between -a delegation of the negro population, including -twenty men, nearly all of whom were preachers, and -Secretary Stanton and General Sherman. There were -members of the parishes whose pastors were present, -worth from $3,000 to $30,000. Rev. Garrison Frazier, -sixty-seven years of age, was the speaker. The answers -to various questions touching slavery, the war, and the -ability of the negroes to take care of themselves, were -promptly and intelligently answered. After General -Sherman had left the room, an inquiry touching their -opinion of General Sherman was made, with the following -reply:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We looked upon General Sherman prior to his -arrival as a man in the Providence of God specially -set apart to accomplish this work, and we unanimously -feel inexpressible gratitude to him, looking upon him as -a man that should be honored for the faithful performance -of his duty. Some of us called on him immediately -upon his arrival, and it is probable he would not meet -the Secretary with more courtesy than he met us. His -conduct and deportment toward us characterized him as -a friend and a gentleman. We have confidence in General -Sherman, and think whatever concerns us could not -be under better management.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The conference was followed by the following order:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Headquarters Military Div. of the Miss.,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>In the Field, Savannah, Ga.</span>, <span class='it'>Jan. 16, 1865</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I. The islands from Charleston, south, the abandoned -rice-fields along the river for thirty miles back -from the sea, and the country bordering the St. John -River, Florida, are reserved and set apart for the settlement -of the negroes now made free by the acts of war -and the President of the United States.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“II. At Beaufort, Hilton Head, Savannah, Fernandina, -St. Augustine, and Jacksonville, the blacks may -remain in their chosen or accustomed avocations; but on -the islands, and in the settlements hereafter to be established, -no white person whatever, unless military officers -and soldiers detailed for duty, will be permitted to reside; -and the sole and exclusive management of affairs will be -left to the freed people themselves, subject only to the -United States military authority and the acts of Congress. -By the laws of war, and orders of the President of the -United States, the negro is free, and must be dealt with -as such. He cannot be subjected to conscription or -forced military service, save by the written orders of the -highest military authority of the department, under such -regulations as the President or Congress may prescribe. -Domestic servants, blacksmiths, carpenters, and other -mechanics, will be free to select their own work and -residence; but the young and able-bodied negroes must -be encouraged to enlist as soldiers in the service of the -United States, to contribute their share toward maintaining -their own freedom, and securing their rights as -citizens of the United States. Negroes so enlisted will -be organized into companies, battalions, and regiments, -under the orders of the United States military authorities, -and will be paid, fed, and clothed according to law. The -bounties paid on enlistment may, with the consent of the -recruit, go to assist his family and settlement in procuring -agricultural implements, seed, tools, boats, clothing, -and other articles necessary for their livelihood.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“III. Whenever three respectable negroes, heads of -families, shall desire to settle on land, and shall have -selected for that purpose an island or a locality clearly -defined within the limits above designated, the Inspector -of Settlements and Plantations will himself, or by such -subordinate officer as he may appoint, give them a license -to settle such island or district, and afford them such assistance -as he can to enable them to establish a peaceable -agricultural settlement. The three parties named will -subdivide the land, under the supervision of the inspector, -among themselves and such others as may choose to -settle near them, so that each family shall have a plot of -not more than forty acres of tillable ground, and, when -it borders on some water channel, with not more than -eight hundred feet front, in the possession of which land -the military authorities will afford them protection until -such time as they can protect themselves, or until Congress -shall regulate their title. The quartermaster may, -on the requisition of the Inspector of Settlements and -Plantations, place at the disposal of the inspector one or -more of the captured steamers to ply between the settlements -and one or more of the commercial points heretofore -named in orders, to afford the settlers the opportunity -to supply their necessary wants, and to sell the -products of their land and labor.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“IV. When a negro has enlisted in the military service -of the United States, he may locate his family in any -of the settlements at pleasure, and acquire a homestead -and all other rights and privileges of a settler as though -present in person. In like manner negroes may settle -their families, and engage on board the gunboats, or in -fishing, or in the navigation of the inland waters, without -losing any claim to land or other advantages derived from -this system. But no one, except an actual settler as above -defined, or unless absent on government services, will be -entitled to claim any right to land or property in any settlement -by virtue of these orders.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“V. In order to carry out this system of settlement, -a general officer will be detailed as Inspector of -Settlements and Plantations, whose duty it shall be to -visit the settlements, to regulate their police and general -management, and who will furnish personally to each -head of a family, subject to the approval of the President -of the United States, a possessory title in writing, -giving as near as possible the description of boundaries, -and who may adjust all claims or conflicts that may -arise under the same, subject to the like approval, treating -such titles as altogether possessory. The same general -officer will also be charged with the enlistment and -organization of the negro recruits, and protecting their -interests while so absent from their settlements, and will -be governed by the rules and regulations prescribed by -the War Department for such purpose.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“VI. Brigadier-General R. Saxton is hereby appointed -Inspector of Settlements and Plantations, and -will at once enter on the performance of his duties. No -change is intended or desired in the settlement now on -Beaufort Island, nor will any rights to property heretofore -acquired be affected thereby.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“By order of Major-Gen. <span class='sc'>W. T. Sherman</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>This was a kind and honorable provision—giving the -unfortunate race just the opportunity which was desired -of self-culture and progress. They do not desire to come -north and mix with the white population, but own themselves, -and have a fair opportunity for improvement.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>An “Educational Association” followed, to establish -schools for the freedmen, which should be taught by those -of their own people already possessed of some learning. -All were invited to join it by paying three dollars. The first -evening the number of members swelled the fund to more -than seven hundred dollars. Then five hundred children -were gathered together to be formed into schools. Rev. -J. W. Alvord was a leading philanthropist in the work. -They were divided into ten schools, of fifty scholars, and, -with a teacher at the head of each, marched in a procession -two by two through the city—a strange spectacle -indeed to all beholders! “The procession marched on -till they came to the old Slave-market—a large building, -three stories high. General Geary, who now commands -the city, said they might have this for a school-house. So -they took possession of it, placing the children along the -very platforms where the old slave-traders used to set men -and women to be examined for sale. The fathers and -mothers of the children looked on in wonder to think -what a change had taken place; while many wept joyful -tears, and shouted praises to God who had done such great -things for them.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But oh, the sad want and suffering of the masses in -the conquered city! All that could be done by General -Sherman to alleviate the famine, was promptly offered.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The mayor and a few of the citizens had not only a -formal meeting to express loyalty to the Stars and Stripes, -so long dishonored there, but asked for an exchange -of rice for other articles of food. For this purpose a -vessel was sent by permission of the commander-in-chief -to New York. That city, Boston, and Philadelphia, immediately -took measures to forward supplies. The accompanying -message of the mayor of Boston was a fraternal -and excellent tender of former friendship and a renewal -of old associations. When, on January 19th, the steamship -<span class='it'>Rebecca Clyde</span> lay at the wharf with her large cargo -of provisions, the mayor thanked the people of the North -for their generosity, and complimented very warmly the -“wise and impartial administration” of General Geary. -He said: “He has restored order out of chaos, and -made the people of Savannah feel that the Northern army -has not come among them to ruin or pillage them. Life -and property have been as safe during the Federal occupation -as it ever had been under civil rule.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Captain Veale, of General Geary’s staff, replied, assuring -the mayor that the “Federal officers and soldiers -had always treated the people of the South with kindness -and forbearance, and hoped that they would soon again join -in one bond of brotherhood for the preservation and welfare -of our common country. He also thanked the mayor for -his high eulogium on General Geary, and assured him that -the general’s object was to promote the welfare of Savannah -and make her citizens feel that the Northern army -was not inimical to the South.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Savannah in the old Revolutionary days extended her -hand in time of trouble to Massachusetts, whose sons repay -the debt of gratitude with unfeigned delight.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Such were the events and scenes attending the return -of the old flag to its place in Savannah, never again to -be trailed in the dust by traitorous hands.</p> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='330' id='Page_330'></span><h1>CHAPTER XXIV.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -Major-General Sherman appreciated at Home—A Conflagration—A New and -Bolder Campaign—An amusing Letter from a Rebel—General Sherman -begins his March—Perils and Progress—Branchville and Columbia—Charleston. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/w.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='W'/>ITH the advent of the New Year, the friends -of General Sherman in his native State inaugurated -a movement to secure a fitting testimonial -of their appreciation of his brilliant -achievements. A public meeting was called -at Columbus, Ohio, at which Governor Brough presided, -and made the subjoined remarks: “General Sherman -has been identified with our army from the commencement -of the contest. Able and discreet—daring, yet -prudent—ever active and energetic—he has led his forces -with almost universal success. He has been in earnest -from the beginning; and if his life is spared, will so continue -to the end. Sharing the privations and dangers of -his army, and, ever consulting and promoting the comfort -and safety of his men, he has acquired their unlimited -respect and confidence. His State should hold him in -honor, and the nation owes him a debt of gratitude.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“While Ohio should not boast, she should not allow -her modesty to make her entirely oblivious to the merits -and greatness of her sons. While other States are providing -solid testimonials for men who have perilled their -lives and fortunes, and distinguished themselves in the -cause of the country, we should not hesitate in similar -acts of appreciation and gratitude toward one of our own -citizens who has stood in the foremost rank in all this -contest. On the contrary, we should come to it in the -spirit of zeal and enthusiasm. This movement has been -inaugurated by the people of the city where General -Sherman was born—its originators are gentlemen of high -character and integrity—and our people should cordially -meet it with the determination that it shall be promptly -and fully successful, and the testimonial be at once worthy -of all the State, and its noble, patriotic, and distinguished -citizen.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Lieutenant-General Grant sent the following expressive -note to the committee having the tribute of grateful -affection in charge:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='pindent'>“<span class='sc'>Dear Sirs</span>: I have just this moment received your -printed letter in relation to your proposed movement in -acknowledgment of one of Ohio’s greatest sons. I wrote -only yesterday to my father, who resides in Covington, -Ky., on the same subject, and asked him to inaugurate a -subscription to present Mrs. Sherman with a house in the -city of Cincinnati. General Sherman is eminently entitled -to this mark of consideration, and I directed my -father to head the subscription with five hundred dollars -for me, and half that amount from General Ingalls, chief -quartermaster of this army, who is equally alive with -myself to the eminent services of General Sherman.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Whatever direction this enterprise in favor of General -Sherman may take, you may set me down for the -amount named. I cannot say a word too highly in praise -of General Sherman’s services from the beginning of the -rebellion to the present day, and will therefore abstain -from flattery of him. Suffice it to say, the world’s history -gives no record of his superiors, and but few equals.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I am truly glad for the movement you have set on -foot, and of the opportunity of adding my mite in testimony -of so good and great a man. Yours truly,</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>U. S. Grant</span>, Lieutenant-General.”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>How noble and beautiful such evidence of true greatness, -the master minds of the war-field delighting to honor -each other! A frightful conflagration in Savannah was -among the painful incidents of these winter months, -crowded so full of stirring events. The unresting brain -and form of General Sherman had scarcely completed the -new order of things in Savannah, before a still grander -campaign in some of its aspects, one more perilous and decisive -in its results on the rebellion, was planned, and his -glad host waiting his word of command to march. Sherman’s -rule of military action is, not to rest while possible -motion promises substantial results. Looking away from -Savannah toward South Carolina, and beyond to Richmond, -his masterly genius formed deliberately the plan -of advance, which was kept in his own breast. He -threatened several points at once, so that the enemy could -not tell whether he would strike first with an avalanche of -living men, Branchville, Augusta, Columbia, or Charleston. -The “dazzling rapidity” of his movements always -completely paralyzed the foe. To concentrate after he -was fairly in motion, and his immediate object discerned, -in time to successfully stop him, was next to impossible. -We have had no military leader in this intelligent and -irresistible celerity of movement that approaches him. -The Secretary of War announced in the following message -to Mr. Lincoln, the fact, that the laurelled chieftain was -again in the war-path over a hostile country, with continuous -swamps and morasses at the very entrance into -its perils:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Fortress Monroe, Tuesday</span>, <span class='it'>January 17</span>—10 <span class='sc'>p. m.</span></p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;font-size:.8em;'>“<span class='it'>To the President</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“General Sherman renewed the movement of his -forces from Savannah, last week. The Fifteenth and -Seventeenth Corps went in transports to Beaufort on -Saturday, the 14th. The Seventeenth Corps, under -Major-General Blair, crossed Port Royal Ferry, and, -with a portion of General Foster’s command, moved on -Pocotaligo. General Howard, commanding that wing of -the army, reported on Sunday, 15th, that the enemy -abandoned his strong works in our front during Saturday -night. General Blair’s corps now occupies a strong position -across the railroad, covering all approaches eastward -to Pocotaligo. All the sick of General Sherman’s army -are in good hospitals at Beaufort and Hilton Head, where -the genial climate affords advantages for recovery superior -to any other place. The peace and order prevailing at -Savannah since its occupation by General Sherman, could -not be surpassed. Few male inhabitants are to be seen -on the streets.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“<span class='sc'>Edwin M. Stanton.</span>”</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>Refer to a large map, and you will perceive at a -glance the field of operations before General Sherman. -About half way from Savannah to Charleston, is Pocotaligo, -on the direct railroad—an important place, which -was the object of an expedition soon after Beaufort -came into our hands. Its capture secured General Sherman’s -flank from attack in his progress toward Branchville, -a great railway centre, in importance resembling -Atlanta. His advance lay as it did when he approached -Savannah, between two rivers, whose borders were -guarded with swamps. Having carried Pocotaligo Bridge, -on the 13th of January, whose strong garrison had always -successfully repulsed us hitherto, the onward march -from Beaufort commenced. General Hatch’s division -was already occupying a “position not far from the -bridge, with their guns turned on the railroad. The -Seventeenth Corps crossed Port Royal Ferry on a pontoon -bridge laid by the Engineer Corps, and marched -swiftly, but cautiously, to the railroad. The enemy’s -pickets were soon aroused, and attempted some skirmishing, -but were pushed off without trouble. On the -15th, with the Seventeenth Corps on the left, and Hatch’s -troops on the right, after slight resistance, the railroad -was gained, a little south of the bridge. Our skirmishers -dashed lightly ahead, encountered the enemy’s, who were -supported with light artillery, swept them off, gained the -bridge, and a brigade of the Seventeenth charged and -carried it, together with the earthworks at the further -end. Several heavy guns, which the enemy had spiked, -fell into our hands; one of the earthworks carrying seven, -and the other five. The great bridge, with the trestle-work -in the swamp on either side, is fully a mile in -length. The enemy, finding he must give up the work -he had so long defended, tried to burn it. But our men -were too quick for him and saved it. Our loss was only -about fifty killed and wounded. Lieutenant Chandler, -of General Blair’s staff, was killed while leading a gallant -and victorious charge.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The enemy’s force consisted of General McLaws’s -detachment of Hardee’s forces; and were pushed out of -Pocotaligo, the Seventeenth Corps occupying the railroad -from the Coosawatchie to the Salkehatchie. So soon as -this lodgment was effected, Sherman sent the First and -Third divisions of Geary’s Twentieth Corps, of Slocum’s -column, across the Savannah, so as to hold the railroad -continuously from Savannah to the lines of the Seventeenth -Corps. On the 16th, also, the Fifteenth Corps -embarked at Thunderbolt for Beaufort.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>On the legions swept toward Branchville, more than -half way to Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, and -northwest of Charleston. The threatening front of our -army against Charleston at the same moment, kept occupied -and apart Generals Beauregard and Hardee. General -Kilpatrick hung like a thunder-cloud around Augusta, -keeping General D. H. Hill with his troops there, while -General Howard’s right wing reached and cut the railroad -below Branchville; General Blair’s Seventeenth -Corps crossed the Salkehatchie, wading waist deep -through the current, defeating the enemy in the very -water, and seizing River’s Bridge; and General Slocum -had gone above Branchville, cutting the railroad there. -This was during the first week in February. Sunday -night, the 11th, the enemy finding Branchville hopelessly -encircled, cutting the paths of communication, fled from -the town, and the next day our victorious troops, with -flying banners, entered it.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Over streams, into which they plunged with a shout; -through morasses, building corduroy roads in swamps, -destroying railroads for nearly a hundred miles of a -single line, the brave boys had got within reach of the -“tempting prize,” as the Columbia <span class='it'>Guardian</span> called it, -now seventy miles distant, and a hundred and forty-three -from Augusta, Georgia.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>That paper began to use quite different speech from -that addressed a few weeks before to the “gentle warrior.” -He thus discoursed to the people: “South Carolinians -are not to be intimidated by the fulminations of a -brutal foe, and we are mistaken if South Carolinians -have forgotten how to treat the insolence of the hireling.” -The same paper said that Columbia would not even be -approached, because Sherman was bent on Charleston. -“To believe it is contrary to common sense, contrary to -a knowledge of Sherman’s character and confessed determination, -and contrary to all military strategy. Possibly -a <span class='it'>raid</span> may be made here for the purpose of creating -a diversion. It will not find us unprepared. Long -before Columbia falls, we look for a battle and a victory.” -Sherman, however, having left Branchville, was marching -over the fine, high, fertile region northward, where -supplies were abundant, and the country roads excellent. -Already he was aiming at Kingsville, where he would, -if successful in his object, at one fell swoop destroy the -Columbia and Charleston Railroad, and the Wilmington -and Manchester Railroad. “That he will succeed in -doing this, we have doubts—very grave doubts; for we -know something of the dangerous operations of an army -in the hands of Beauregard.” In order to dissipate the -doubts of some skeptical as to which side the operations -of Beauregard would be dangerous, the same journal -announced with pleasure the arrival of that chieftain and -his staff at Nickerson’s Hotel in Columbia.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman, in a brief time, cleared away the -painful doubts from the mind of this editor. Taking -Kingsville, he commenced a skirmishing march on Columbia. -While the quiet of a pleasant evening was settling -down upon Columbia, a sudden shriek in the air -startled the inhabitants. The signal shells of approach -were fired from “Yankee” guns.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>The army then under cover of darkness moved up the -river, and in the morning forded the Saluda and Broad Rivers. -While the waters were surging around the cheerful -host, the enemy decided that “prudence was the better part -of valor,” and hastened out of the capital. The female employés -of the treasury department were hurried off to -Charlotte, a panic-smitten company of maidens, young -and old; lithographic presses for the currency were left -behind; and a large amount of medical stores was seized -by our troops. General Sherman pressed forward toward -Charlotte after Beauregard, who was completely in the -fog respecting the goal of his antagonist—whether it was -Charlotte, North Carolina, a hundred miles from Columbia, -or Florence, South Carolina, ninety miles away, -likewise a railroad centre. The map again will shed -light on the field of this great game of war. The only -road remaining for escape from Charleston was the -threatened track to Florence. Meanwhile General -Gilmore’s time to move near the doomed city had -come.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>February 10th, General Schemmelfinnig threw his -command of about 3,000 strong across a bridge laid over -the creek separating Folly and Cole Islands from James -Island, and fastened with firm foothold upon the latter, -only three miles from Charleston. The Fifty-fourth New -York, acting as skirmishers, encountered the enemy a -mile farther, at Grimball’s, on Stono River, up which the -iron-clads <span class='it'>Augusta</span> and <span class='it'>Savannah</span>, and the mortar schooner -<span class='it'>Commodore McDonough</span>, made their way to protect -our forces on the flank, shelling the rebels. Toward -night General Hartwell advanced with his brigade, the -columns double in front dashing upon the rifle-pits -with a shout that assured him of victory. The bloody -struggle was brief. The foe returned to his main works, -leaving less than a hundred of our troops killed and -wounded, and their own, with twenty prisoners, in our -hands. This was the first time these works had been -taken by our troops.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Potter moved toward Bull’s Bay to cut the -railroad north of the city. General Hatch moved across -the Ashepoo, toward the South Edisto.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Hardee, with General Sherman, master of -Columbia, shutting him on that side, had been watching -with eagle eye the manœuvres of General Potter, -endangering his last highway from the city, and resolved -upon flight. Friday, February 17th, his preparations for it -began. In the night the garrisons of Sullivan’s Island -and Point Pleasant withdrew, just in time to escape General -Potter’s advance on the road by Christ’s Church. For -the movements of Hardee had been discovered by General -Schemmelfinnig’s watchful scouts and signal officers, and -he barely slipped from the grasp of his antagonist. The -troops in the city marched out by the Northeastern Railroad -on Saturday. Wrote Mr. O. G. Sawyer from the -gates of the city:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Shortly after daylight it was discovered that there -were no troops in and about Sumter, or Moultrie, or in -the works on James Island. Lieutenant-Colonel Bennett, -of the Twenty-first United States colored troops, commanding -Morris Island, immediately despatched Major -Hennessy, of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers, -to Fort Sumter, in a small boat, to ascertain whether the -fort was evacuated. Major Hennessy proceeded to Sumter, -and soon waved the old Stars and Stripes over the -battered battlements of the work, from which they had -been torn down in April, 1861. The sight of the old flag -on Sumter was an assurance that the enemy had evacuated -all their works, and it was hailed by every demonstration -of joy by all, on ship and on shore. Another -boat in charge of Lieutenant Hackett of the Third Rhode -Island artillery, was immediately sent to Fort Moultrie -to take possession of that work, and raise again the national -colors upon its parapet. The navy, anxious to -share in the honors of the day, also launched a boat, and -strove to gain the beach of Sullivan’s Island before the -army, and an exciting race ensued between the boats of -the different branches of the service. Each boat’s crew -were urged on to the utmost by their respective commanders, -and every nerve and muscle was strained to pull -the boats to their utmost speed. It was a friendly but -earnest trial of endurance and skill. Every man felt that -the credit and honor of the service rested on himself, and -redoubled his exertions to attain success. The race was -a close one, the boats being evenly matched; and when -one forged a little ahead it was recognized by the cheers -of its friends, who watched with intense interest the progress -of the contest.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Finally, after a hard pull and as fast a race as -Charleston harbor ever witnessed, the army boat, under -Lieutenant Hackett, reached the shore in advance. As -she touched the officer and crew sprang out on the beach, -through the surf, and rushed for the goal. The parapet -was soon gained and the flag given to the breeze, amid -the cheers of the soldiers and sailors, who had come up a -moment or two behind him. The fort was found completely -evacuated, as were all the works on the island. -The guns were all spiked and some of the carriages -somewhat damaged. A large quantity of munitions was -found in the magazines, which the enemy had not found -time to destroy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When the flag floated over Moultrie, Lieutenant-Colonel -Bennett, Major Hennessy, and Lieutenant Burr, -of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania, started out for the city, -leaving orders to have troops follow. They pulled up -the bay, while the rebel iron-clads and vessels were in -flames, and the city itself was burning at various points. -Reaching Fort Ripley, or what is known as the Middle -Ground battery, the flag was displayed over the work, -and waved for a few moments. The party then pushed -on to Castle Pinckney, when the same ceremony of taking -possession was observed, and then the boat was pulled -cautiously, but directly, toward the city. No hostile -force was observed, but a large number of negroes and -some whites were congregated on the docks, watching -the approach of the ‘Yankee boat.’ Colonel Bennett -immediately landed, and ‘Old Glory’ was displayed again -in the city of Charleston, amid the cheers and cries of -joy of the crowd assembled about it. It was a perfect -storm of applause, and outbursts of unfeigned joy and satisfaction. -The negroes, with all their impulsiveness, were -equalled by the whites in their exhibition of satisfaction -and pleasure at the great event. They seized the hands -of the officers and men, and wept with excess of exultation -and delight. Such a scene was never dreamed of -by the most enthusiastic believer in the loyalty of a certain -portion of the citizens of Charleston. It took all our -men by surprise.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On landing it was not deemed advisable by Col. Bennett -to advance into the city, as he was informed that a -rebel brigade was still at the depot, taking the cars, and -that a force of cavalry was scouring the city and impressing -men into the ranks and driving the negroes before -them. As he had but nine men with him he confined -himself merely to sending to Mayor Macbeth the -following peremptory demand for the surrender of the -city:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Headquarters United States Forces,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>Charleston, S. C.</span> <span class='it'>Feb. 18, 1865</span>. }</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;'>“ ‘Mayor <span class='sc'>Charles Macbeth</span>, <span class='it'>Charleston</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Mayor</span>: In the name of the United States Government, -I demand the surrender of the city of which you -are the executive officer.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Until further orders all citizens will remain within -their houses.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I have the honor to be, Mayor,</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:2em;'>“ ‘Very respectfully, your obed’t serv’t,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>A. G. Bennett</span>,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:0em;'>“ ‘Lieut.-Col. Commanding U. S. Forces, Charleston.’</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>“To this demand Colonel Bennett was subsequently -handed, by a committee from the mayor, consisting of -Alderman Gilland and Williams, a letter which he was -about to despatch to Morris Island:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:left;margin-left:0em;font-size:.8em;'>“ ‘<span class='it'>To the General Commanding U. S. Army at Morris Island</span>:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Sir</span>: The military authorities of the Confederate -States have evacuated this city. I have remained to -enforce law and preserve order until you take such steps -as you may think best.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:6em;'>“ ‘Very respectfully, your obedient servant,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Charles Macbeth</span>, Mayor.’</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>“After a brief interview, in which the aldermen informed -Col. Bennett that the city had been fired by the rebels -in various places, and that the town was threatened by a -total destruction, as the firemen were all secreted, in consequence -of the operations of the rebel cavalry, who were -impressing them and driving them from the town whenever -found; and they desired protection from the rebels, -in order that the firemen might perform their duty without -fear of being seized. To this application Colonel -Bennett returned to the Mayor the following communication:</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<div class='blockquote'> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Headquarters U. S. Forces, Charleston Harbor,</span> }</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'><span class='sc'>near Atlantic Wharf</span>, <span class='it'>Feb. 18, 1865</span>. }</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>Mayor Charles Macbeth</span>: I have the honor to -acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date. -“ ‘I have in reply thereto to state that the troops under -my command will render every possible assistance to -your well-disposed citizens in extinguishing the fires now -burning. I have the honor to be, Mayor, very respect -fully, &c.</p> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘<span class='sc'>A. G. Bennett</span>,</p> -<p class='line' style='text-align:right;margin-right:1em;'>“ ‘Lieut.-Col. commanding U. S. Forces, Charleston.’</p> - -</div> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Alderman Williams, who happened to be mounted -on a fine horse, rode back to the Mayor to deliver the -communication. He had not proceeded more than a -block or two when he came upon fifty rebel cavalry, who -were watching affairs. They instantly halted the peace -commissioner, and blandly observed that they thought -they should be compelled to dismount him, as they were -under the impression that they would take the horse in -the country. He reflected an instant, and then observed, -in a careless way, that perhaps the Yankees, who had just -landed five hundred strong, might object, and he would -think of the matter. The announcement of the arrival -of five hundred Yankees was quite enough for the bold -troopers. Without taking his horse or further palaver, -they wheeled, and rode wildly up Meeting Street, announcing -the approach of the Yankees to all stragglers, -and there was instantly a great commotion and a hurrying -off trains. Meanwhile the fires were spreading with -great rapidity, and threatened to sweep over the city, until -fifty men from Morris Island reënforced Colonel Bennett’s -little handful of men, when he instantly moved up -into town with twenty-five men, sending small detachments -to take charge of the public buildings and depots. -His march up Meeting Street was one continued ovation. -Crowds thronged the streets and cheered, hurrahed, waved -handkerchiefs, and in other ways manifested their delight -at the arrival of our troops, and at the sight of the old -flag, borne ahead of the little company of colored troops. -The officers were mounted on horses, borrowed for the -occasion, and could hardly keep their saddles, so many -enthusiastic individuals, of both sexes, were at the same -time shaking them by the hand, catching hold of their garments, -hugging their horses, and welcoming them in other -violent styles. Charleston never witnessed such a scene -before, or echoed so loudly to the cheers for ‘President -Lincoln,’ the ‘Stars and Stripes,’ the ‘Yankee army,’ -and other patriotic subjects, as it did on that memorable -day. One would suppose that the people had gone mad -with joy. It was a universal outburst of joy, and the -little band of Yankees moved on with all the <span class='it'>éclat</span> of -most honored friends, instead of successful enemies and -conquerors. Was this, indeed, the hotbed of treason; -the very home of disloyalty and rebellion? None would -have dreamed of it had they witnessed the reception of -our flag and troops that day. It was the most wonderful -display of loyalty and patriotism.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>And thus, after all the terrific cannonading of four years, -with the sufferings and death of the long siege, the “accursed -city” fell without a battle for its possession. When -the Confederate and Palmetto flags were raised on the -walls of Fort Sumter in place of the dishonored banner -of freedom, in the spring of 1861, the boastful Mayor of -Charleston made a flaming speech, declaring that they -should wave there forever!—that Southern independence -was secure, and her career of glory begun. He -assured the enthusiastic people, that if their ensigns were -struck down they would be trailed in “a sea of blood!” -We may leave him to his meditations while we join in -the shouts of victory.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Standing on the walls of Sumter, look away in the -direction of General Sherman’s march. From Atlanta -to the shattered fortress, in this campaign “our great -victories were almost bloodless, and therefore the more -joyous and the more memorable. Branchville fell by -manœuvre, not by the costly price of heroic troops. The -turning of Branchville was the signal for the evacuation -of Charleston, and its capture was the capture of Charleston. -It was as if Sherman, sixty two miles distant from -Hardee, had sent him a telegraphic message to vacate the -premises, and the notice was obeyed without question.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Ordinarily, one would have supposed that the -streams which crossed Sherman’s path at every step -would have been successfully contested. But he appears -to have passed them without a day’s delay at any one. -Of such vital importance was time to both parties—to the -one, that he might make his combinations and concentrations; -to the other, that he might break them—that no -sacrifice would have seemed too great on the enemy’s part -to ensure delay. But, at the very first show of resistance -at a river crossing, our advance, not waiting for support, -would dash into it, waist deep, with loud cheers, while -the rest of the column hurried to flank the position above -and below, and invariably in a few hours the enemy was -in hot retreat.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Indeed, the enthusiasm of our troops, with Sherman -as a leader, has known no bounds. They felt themselves -invincible, and have laughed at obstacles. Sixty or -seventy thousand troops is a large force for such operations, -but larger ones have miserably failed. It is large -enough, however, when directed by genius and inspired -by enthusiasm. On the other hand, the enemy has fled -from Sherman’s path as from that of a pestilence. His -troops feel that there is little use in opposing our columns, -and go as quickly as possible to the rear. The unprejudiced -topographer, speculating upon the probable location -of that mysterious region, ‘the last ditch,’ would hitherto -have assigned it to South Carolina. But the ‘great -flanker’ has, in fact, flanked that famous ditch, and it -has been evacuated through fear of enfilading. Day after -day, the theatrical bills of the Confederacy announce ‘one -more and positively the very last ditch;’ and still the -comedy is played. Branchville, Columbia, and Charleston -fell, but we see no Derry, no Saragossa, no Puebla, -in their defence. Lame and impotent conclusion indeed -from such bravado of prologue! The chance of becoming -the sepulchre of the Confederacy will be taken from -South Carolina.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But let us walk over Charleston after its occupation -by our troops. The flames shoot up on every hand, and -the firemen rush to the centres of conflagration. Thousands -of bales of cotton and many buildings are consumed, -amid the frantic distress of the people, who are principally -the poorer classes, left in the wake of retreat. The -depot of the Northeastern Railroad became the arena of -new horrors.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In this building a quantity of cartridges and kegs -of powder had been stored by the rebels, and as they had -not time to remove it they left it unprotected. A number -of men, women, and children had collected to watch the -burning of a quantity of cotton in the railroad yard, -which the rebels had fired, and during the conflagration -a number of boys, while running about the depot, had -discovered the powder. For the fun of the thing, and -without realizing the danger they incurred, they began to -take up handfuls of loose powder and cartridges and bear -them from the depot to the mass of burning cotton on -which they flung them, and enjoyed a deal of amusement -in watching the flashes of the powder and the strange -effects on the cotton as it was blown hither and thither -by the explosion of the cartridges. Quite a number of -boys soon became engaged in this dangerous pastime, and -speedily the powder running from their hands formed a -train upon the ground leading from the fire to the main -supplies of powder in the depot. The result is easily -conjectured. A spark ignited the powder in the train, -there was a leaping, running line of fire along the ground, -and then an explosion that shook the city to its very -foundations from one end to the other. The building -was in a second a whirling mass of ruins, in a tremendous -volume of flame and smoke. A report rivalling -Heaven’s artillery followed, and then a silence ensued -that, made every one tremble and hold his breath. The -cause of the tremendous explosion soon became known, -and a rush was made for the scene of the catastrophe. -Such a sight is rarely witnessed. The building was in -ruins, and from the burning mass arose the agonizing -cries of the wounded, to whom little or no assistance -could be rendered by the paralyzed spectators. Many, -wounded by the flying fragments of the building were -removed from the additional danger of the fire, but those -in the depot or immediately about it were irretrievably -lost. One by one was reached by the furious flames, the -supplicating voices and the fearful, agonizing groans, that -appalled the stoutest heart, died away and ceased, and -charred remains only were left by the devouring element -as it moved on to new victims, who soon passed amid -that horrid scene from life to death. Language cannot -adequately describe the terrible nature of the scene. -The cries for aid and rescue from the wounded within -fell upon willing ears, but nothing could be done to assist -them or even to alleviate the final pangs. The flames, -like a fabled monster, strode on, licking up every thing -inflammable, and enveloping its victims in its fiery and -deadly embrace. Fortunately the sufferings of the unfortunate -creatures were not prolonged. The work was -done quickly, and soon every voice was silenced, every -moan hushed, and every spirit gathered to its Maker. -The horrors of the scene will never fade from the minds -of those who were so unfortunate as to witness it. Over -one hundred and fifty are said to have been charred in -that fiery furnace, and a hundred men were wounded -more or less seriously by the explosion or were burned -by the fire.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Then came the destruction of the rebel fleet. Very -fittingly the <span class='it'>Palmetto State</span> first flew into fragments with -a loud report, which signalled well the fate of the home -of secession, and over it soon swept the free waves. -The <span class='it'>Chicora</span> and <span class='it'>Charleston</span> followed in the work of -ruin. Cotton, rice, tobacco, locomotives, etc., fell into -our hands.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The reports of the Charleston editors that the city -experienced but little damage from our shells, like nearly -all others emanating from the same source, were essentially -false. It requires no very extended examination in -the lower streets of the city—those near the bay—to satisfy -the most sceptical of the fact that our shells were -working most serious injury to the town, and that the -continuance of the bombardment would make it a mass -of ruins, as it had already rendered it untenable to the -most courageous resident. But two persons resided in -‘Shell-town,’ as some wag named that portion of the city -east of the two-mile post, visited by our shells, and they -clung to their firesides with a tenacity of purpose that the -most demonstrative and aggressive Parrott shell failed to -relax. Though their beds were torn to pieces while they -were engaged in their domestic affairs—both being females—by -impertinent shells, and their culinary affairs -seriously damaged by projectiles, their roofs perforated, -and ventilators put in front of their dwellings, they would -not move, but endured the bombardment with a coolness -and equanimity rarely found. Even the rebel officers, -who ordered them away from the dangerous ground, -failed to call a third time to ascertain whether or not -the order had been obeyed. They lived through the -entire bombardment, became accustomed to the howl of -the rushing shell and its sharp explosion, and paid no -rent, although the buildings they occupied suggested -heavy rents. Now that quiet and safety are insured -they propose to repair and live comfortably once more.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On landing you observe that the wharves are in a -very dilapidated condition, that tell very plainly that they -have not been much in use the past four years. The -palmetto logs that form the cribs are covered with grass, -and the planking is much decayed, full of man-traps, and -about worthless so far as cartage is concerned. Advancing -up the rickety docks, you come to a parapet of sand, -over which peer the muzzles of heavy guns, bearing down -the channel, for home defence; then around or over the -batteries into the silent streets, covered with the <span class='it'>débris</span> -from shattered stores and dwellings, and bearing at points -a tolerably good crop of grass—the same kind of grass -that was to have sprung up in the streets of New York -when King Cotton exercised his potent sway. Not a -building for blocks here that is exempt from the marks -of shot and shell. All have suffered more or less. Here -is a fine brown-stone bank building, vacant and deserted, -with great gaping holes in the sides and roof, through -which the sun shines and the rain pours, windows and -sashes blown out by exploding shell within, plastering -knocked down; counters torn up, floors crushed in, and -fragments of mosaic pavement, broken and crushed, lying -around on the floor, mingled with bits of statuary, stained -glass and broken parts of chandeliers. Ruin within and -without, and its neighbor in no better plight. Here a -great shell has struck the chimney and crushed a large -portion of the roof in; then exploding, distributed its -fragments through the ceilings, and burst out great -patches of brick and mortar, which now lie on the pavement -below, untouched since they fell. Every imaginable -portion of buildings have been damaged by our fire, -and not a single house in this portion of the town has -escaped. Not a building is occupied, save by the brave -women to whom I have already referred, and the front -doors or windows gape open, through which you may -gaze upon battered offices, demolished stores and counting-rooms -in ruin, where commerce once dwelt and active -business men pursued their respective vocations unmolested -and undisturbed. The churches, St. Michael’s -and St. Philip’s, have not escaped the storm of our projectiles. -Their roofs are perforated, their walls scarred, -their pillars demolished, and within, the pews filled with -plastering or fragments of mural tablets, which were to -perpetuate the memory of some good man long asleep in -the grave-yard near by. You may count up a round -number of shell-holes in their steeples, and many upturned -monuments in their grave-yards. War is cruel, -and the howling projectile that takes its start four miles -and a half away is indifferent whether it ploughs up the -marble that affection has placed over the remains of long -buried worth, or crashes into the political halls where -treason is plotted or crime against humanity is conceived. -The cold iron has been no respecter of property -in Charleston. The good and bad, rich and poor, criminal -and saint—if there be any of the latter here—have -received visits from the Parrott projectiles, and keenly -felt the justice of the visitation.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>February 19th, Charleston was placed under martial -law. Some of the regulations had a peculiar interest -in the reference made to <span class='it'>colored</span> officers; a condition of -things in that most <span class='it'>southern</span> of the cities of the South, in -its love of the “peculiar institution,” the wildest reformer -did not dream of four years ago.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman disdained the display of success on -entry into South Carolina, and remained on the hostile territory -surrounded with mystery, caring only, in his own -language, to do “a man’s share” in suppressing the -frightful revolt. On February 19th, he was at Winsboro, -thirty miles north of Columbia, on the railroad leading -to Charlotte. The first telegram from him was dated at -Laurel Hill, North Carolina, March 8th, saying: “We -are all well, and have done finely.”</p> - -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<div class='figcenter'> -<img src='images/map2carolina-illo.jpg' alt='' id='iid-0007' style='width:300px;height:auto;'/> -<p class='caption'><span style='font-size:smaller'>MAP OF CAROLINAS</span></p> -</div> - -<div><span class='pageno' title='357' id='Page_357'></span><h1>CHAPTER XXV.</h1></div> - -<div class='summary'> -Wilmington—Peace Commissioners—General Sherman’s Statesmanship—His -Characteristics—Interesting Recollections of General Sherman—His pure -Character. -</div> - -<p class='noindent'><img src='images/t.jpg' style='float:left;' alt='T'/>HE able General Schofield has been successful -in the Department of North Carolina. Wilmington -was compelled to strike the Confederate -flag, and “Cavalry Sheridan” sent Early’s -troops “whirling” from his path whenever -they measured swords on the battle-field.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With light spreading toward the zenith from every -part of the horizon of our land, the first spring month is -passing away. The rebellion grows weak and furious, -hastening to the overthrow for which all true freemen -have prayed, and which despots great and small have only -feared.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>While General Sherman was on his way to Richmond, -piercing the Carolinas with his lines of march -and driving the rebel armies from his path, two important -events transpired outside of martial movements. One -was the sending of “peace commissioners” from Richmond, -early in February, who were met near General -Grant’s headquarters by the President and Secretary -Seward, and whose conference left the question of peace -where it was before, in the hands of Generals Grant and -Sherman. The other memorable event was the passage -of the Constitutional Amendment by Congress, -forbidding, after its approval by three-fourths of the -States, involuntary servitude, excepting for crime, throughout -the land. It was an occasion of intense interest in -the national Capitol, followed by similar scenes in the -loyal North, giving to the celebration of Washington’s -Birth Day an importance in connection with the recent -victories which was never known before, nor is it likely -to have again.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman has from the beginning of the war -shown those great qualities of generalship rarely combined, -even in successful commanders. His genius reminds -us of Napoleon Buonaparte in the comprehensive -appreciation of the entire field of action and the exact -issue, in high military culture, in the daring campaigns -which have given him a preëminence among the few who -stand alone in their unquestioned mastery of the art of -war and ability to meet its largest responsibilities, and -in a statesmanship equal to his military attainments.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Whatever question in the complicated interests of the -stirring times he touches, it finds a clear and decisive -answer. He has studied history, and the principles which -lie at the foundation of the Republic. He is not cruel, -but believing war to be simply an engine of destruction to -secure an ultimate good which can be reached by no -peaceful means, his policy is the legitimate working of -that engine. He would wield it with no tears of false -philanthropy that would protract the appeal to its sanguinary -settlement of difficulties, nor with the vacillation -that would spare the enemy present suffering and secure -a greater amount of sorrow in the future. Loyal, patriotic, -and modest, he has kept his eye on the national -ensign through untold labors and perils, amid detraction -and the rivalries of a mean ambition, holding the rein -upon his war-horse with a warm but unrelaxing grasp.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>With a highly nervous temperament and manner, he -is always calm and self-possessed in action. Genial and -sincere his troops admire and love him, and are ready to -follow him to the bosom of a boundless wilderness -thronged with foes, or into the swamps waist deep to -storm a fortress beyond.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Since this biography was written some pleasant -reminiscences of General Sherman have appeared in the -Leavenworth <span class='it'>Conservative</span>, of Kansas, which, on account -of their interesting character, are here added to his life:</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Citizens of Leavenworth will remember that there -stood on Main Street, between Delaware and Shawnee, -in 1857, 1858, and 1859, on the ground now occupied by -handsome brick buildings, a shabby-looking, tumbling, -cotton-wood shell. It was occupied, on the ground floor, -by Hampton P. Denman, ex-mayor, as a land agency -office. The rooms above were reached by a crazy-looking -stairway on the outside, up which none ever went -without dread of their falling. Dingy signs informed the -curious that within was a ‘law shop,’ kept by Hugh -Ewing, Thomas Ewing, Jr., W. T. Sherman, and Daniel -McCook. Those constituted the firm known here in the -early part of 1859 as Ewing, Sherman, & McCook. All -were comparatively young men. All were ambitious; -the one who has gained the greatest fame, perhaps, the -least so of the associated lawyers. The Ewings had the -advantage of high culture, considerable natural abilities, -cold, impassive temperaments, and a powerful family influence -to aid their aspirations. Hugh Ewing was but -little known hereabouts, though acknowledged to be a -brilliant and versatile genius by his intimates. ‘Young -Tom,’ as the other scion is familiarly called, has always -been a prominent and influential man.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The third member of the firm fills to-day one of the -proudest pages in the history of our land. His name and -fame take rank with the greatest of earth. All conspire -to do him honor. Aliens bow to his genius, and enemies -show the extent of their fears of its power by the virulence -of their hate and its manifestations. W. T. Sherman -never mingled in our public affairs. He lived -among us for several months, having some landed interests -here. An outlying part of our city plat is marked -on the maps as ‘Sherman’s Addition.’ Prior to entering -upon the practice of law in this city, he lived for some -time in the vicinity of Topeka, upon a farm of one hundred -and sixty acres, which we believe he still owns. His -neighbors tell of his abrupt manner, reserved, yet forcible, -speech and character. Previous to residing in Kansas, -Sherman lived in California, where, as a miner, banker, -and lawyer, he made and lost a large fortune. A graduate -of West Point, he had previously held a captain’s -commission in the Topographical Engineer Corps, and, in -pursuance of duty, had made several important surveys -and explorations, the reports of which had been duly published -by Government. They relate principally to routes -for the Pacific Railroad.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A good story is told of Sherman’s experience as -counsel, and of his dissolution of partnership to take the -position held by him when the war broke out—that of -President of the Military College of Louisiana.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“While in the practice of the law here, Sherman was -consulting partner, having an almost insurmountable objection -to pleading in court. He is accorded the possession, -as a lawyer, of thorough knowledge of legal principles; -a clear, logical perception of the points and equity -involved in any case. He could present his views in the -most direct manner, stripped of all verbiage, yet perfectly -accurate in form. He was perfectly <span class='it'>au fait</span> in the authorities.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But to return to our story. Shortly after the reception -of the offer from the Governor of Louisiana in relation -to the college, Sherman was compelled to appear -before the Probate Judge—Gardner, we believe. The -other partners were busy, and Sherman, with his authorities -and his case all mapped out, proceeded to court. He -returned in a rage two hours after. Something had gone -wrong. He had been pettifogged out of the case by a -sharp, petty attorney opposed to him, in a way which -was disgusting to his intellect and his convictions. His -<span class='it'>amour propre</span> was hurt, and he declared that he would -have nothing more to do with the law in this State. -That afternoon the business was closed, partnership dissolved, -and in a very short time Sherman was on his -way to a more congenial clime and occupation. The -war found him in Louisiana, and despite of his strong -pro-slavery opinions, found him an intense and devoted -patriot.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“We met him here, and though but slightly acquainted, -have remembered ever since the impression he -left on our mind. He sphered himself to our perception -as the most remarkable intellectual embodiment of force -it had been our fortune to encounter. Once since, we -met him in our lines before Corinth, where he had command -of the right wing of Halleck’s magnificent army. -The same impression was given then, combined with the -idea of nervous vitality, angularity of character, and intense -devotion to what he had in hand. Sherman is -truly an idealist, even unto fanaticism, though, in all -probability, if told so, he would abruptly retort back an -unbelieving sarcasm. He outlines himself to our memory -as a man of middle stature, nervous, muscular frame, -with a long, keen head, sharply defined from the forehead -and back of the ears. His eyes have a bluish-gray -cast, and an introverted look, but full of smouldering fire. -His mouth is sharp and well cut; the lower part of the -face powerful, but not heavy. His complexion fair, and -hair and beard of a sandy-red, straight, short, and strong. -His temperament is nervous sanguine, and he is full of -crotchets and prejudices, which, however, never stand in -the way of practical results. The idea, or rather object, -which rules him for the time, overrides every thing else. -Round the mouth we remember a gleam of saturnine -humor, and in the eyes a look of kindness which would -attract to him the caresses of children.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Such are the impressions left on our mind by the -only military educated member of this legal quartette—all -of whom have held commissions as Generals in our -army.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>I shall give you, reader, from the pen of a friend, the -Rev. Mr. Alvord, a pioneer in the religious army-work, -who has been much with General Sherman, the best pen-picture -of him which has appeared, and which has never -before been published: “Tall, lithe, almost delicately -formed. If at ease stoops slightly; when excited, erect -and commanding. Face stern, savage almost; yet smiling -as a boy’s when pleased. Every movement, both of -mind and body, quick and nervous. A brilliant talker, -announcing his plans, but concealing his real intention. -A graceful easy rider, when leading a column looking -as if born only to command. Approachable at times, -almost to a fault, again not to be approached at all.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I saw him in a grand review at Savannah. His -position was in front of the Exchange on Bay Street. -The Twelfth Corps was to pass before him; he rode -rapidly to the spot, almost alone, leaped from his horse, -stepped to the bit and examined it a moment, patted the -animal on the cheek, then adjusted his glove, looked -around with an uneasy air as if in want of something to -do; catching in his eye the group of officers on the balcony -he bowed, and commenced a familiar conversation, -quite unconscious of observation by the surrounding and -excited crowds. Presently music sounded at the head of -the approaching corps. Quick as thought he vaulted to -the saddle and was in position. There was peculiar grace -in the gesture of arm and head which did not weary, as -for an hour he returned the salutes of every grade of -officers. Reverence was added as the regimental flags -were lowered before him. The more blackened and torn -and riddled with shot they were, the higher the General’s -hat was raised and the lower his head was bent in recognition -of the honored colors. Every soldier, as he marched -past, showed that he loved his commander. He evidently -loved his soldiers.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I saw him in his princely headquarters at Charles -Green’s, on New Year’s Day. Many were congratulating -him. He was easy, affable, magnificent. Presently -an officer with hurried step entered the circle and handed -him a sealed packet. He tore it open instantly, but did -not cease talking. Read it, still talking as he read. -Commodore Porter had despatched a steamer, announcing -the defeat at Fort Fisher.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Butler’s defeated!’ he exclaimed, his eye gleaming -as it lifted from the paper. ‘<span class='it'>Fizzle—great fizzle!</span>’ nervously, -‘knew ’twould be so. I shall have to go up there -and do that job—eat ’em up as I go and take ’em back -side.’ Thus the fiery heart exploded, true to loyalty and -country.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I entered the rear parlor and sat down at the glowing -grate. He came, and leaning his elbow upon the -marble mantel, said: ‘My army, sir, is not demoralized—has -improved on the march—Christian army I’ve got—soldiers -are Christians, if anybody is—noble fellows—God -will take care of them—war improves character. -My army, sir, is growing better all the while.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“I expressed satisfaction at having such testimony, -and the group of officers who stood around could not -suppress a smile at the General’s earnest Christian eulogium.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Such is W. T. Sherman. A genius, with greatness -grim and terrible, yet simple and unaffected as a -child. The thunderbolt or sunbeam, as circumstances -call him out.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“On the march from Atlanta his order was ‘No -plunder by the individual soldier;’ but his daily inquiry -as he rode among them would be, ‘Well, boys, how do -you get along? like to see soldiers enterprising; ought to -live well, boys; you know I don’t carry any thing in my -haversack, so don’t fail to have a chicken leg for me -when I come along; must live well boys on such a march -as this.’ The boys always took the hint. The chicken -leg was ready for the General, and there were very few -courts-martial between Atlanta and Savannah to punish -men for living as best they could.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“When McAllister fell, he stood with his staff and -Howard by his side, awaiting the assaulting column. -‘They are repulsed,’ he exclaimed, as the smoke of -bursting torpedoes enveloped the troops; ‘must try something -else.’ It was a moment of agony. The strong -heart did not quail! A distant shout was heard. Again -raising his glass the colors of each of the three brigades -were seen planting themselves simultaneously on the -parapet. ‘The fort is ours,’ said he, calmly. He could -not restrain his tears. ‘It’s my old division,’ he added. -‘I knew they’d do it.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘How long, General,’ said a Southron, ‘do you think -this war will last; we hear the Northern people are nearly -exhausted?’ ‘Well, well,’ said he, ‘about six or seven -years of this kind of war, then twenty or twenty-five of -guerrilla, until you are all killed off, then we will begin -anew.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“A wealthy planter appealing to his pity, ‘Yes, yes,’ -said he, ‘war is a bad thing, <span class='it'>very</span> bad, cruel institution—very -cruel; but you brought it on yourselves, and you are -only getting a taste of it.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The English ex-consul asked him for protection and -a pass on the ground of his neutrality and that of his -country. ‘Don’t talk to me,’ said Sherman, ‘of your -neutrality, my soldiers have seen on a hundred battle -fields the shot and shell of England with your queen’s -mark upon them all, and they <span class='it'>never</span> can forget it. Don’t -tell me you couldn’t leave before I came; you could send -out your cotton to pay Confederate bonds and bring cannon -in return—don’t tell me you couldn’t get away <span class='it'>yourself</span>.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The consul stood abashed, and awkwardly bowed -himself from his presence.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Such is his treatment of rebels. He receives no -apology nor has any circumlocution. He strikes with -his battalions; he strikes with every word he utters, -whether from pen or lips. The secessionists of Georgia -and South Carolina believe he’ll do what he threatens.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“Said the rebel colonel who had placed the torpedoes -in the Savannah River, when ordered to take them up, -‘No! I’ll be d——d if I do any such drudgery.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘<span class='it'>Then you’ll hang to-morrow morning</span>; leave me,’ -said the stern commander. The torpedoes were removed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“In this way, by his words, his manner, his personal -presence, his threats with their literal execution, and the -swift and utter destruction in the track of his army on -their late march, he has struck terror to all hearts. -Though thoroughly secretive, he is strangely frank.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Give me your pass, General?’ said I; ‘I’ll meet -you again on your march.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘You don’t know where I am going,’ said he, with -emphasis.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I think I do, General, if I can catch you.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘<span class='it'>Where?</span>’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘At Charleston.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I’m not going to Charleston.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘Then, at Wilmington.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I’m not going to Wilmington.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I’ll see you, I think, in Richmond.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“ ‘I’m not going to Richmond. You don’t know -where I’m going. Howard don’t know.’</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“But he gave me the pass; I, at least, know where -he was not going.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>“The country may well honor and admire General -Sherman. His personal presence is an army of itself. -His army is duplicated by the spirit with which he inspires -it. Such a man wields destiny. God will guide -his way. May He sanctify him. We shall hear more of -him hereafter.”</p> - -<p class='pindent'>General Sherman’s character from childhood has been -above reproach, and his honor unsullied. His amiable -wife is a member of the Roman Catholic Church, while -he, as has been intimated, usually attends the Episcopal -service. Besides the death of his son recorded in these -pages, within a year he has lost a child he had never -seen—born while he was in the smoke of battle; the -young spirit went to heaven before the father’s eye could -rest on its earthly greeting to him through the smile of -infancy.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>But a nation sympathizes with him in his sublime -self-denial and his griefs, and in the language of our -beloved President, “follows him with its prayers.”</p> - -<p> </p> -<hr class='pbk'/> - -<p class='line' style='text-align:center;margin-top:4em;margin-bottom:2em;font-size:1.2em;'>TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Where multiple spellings occur, majority use has been -employed.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Punctuation has been maintained except where obvious -printer errors occur.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>Some illustrations were moved to facilitate page layout.</p> - -<p class='pindent'>A book cover image was created for this eBook and is placed in the -> public domain.</p> - -<p class='line'> </p> - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<hr class="full" /> -<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE AND MILITARY CAREER OF MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN***</p> -<p>******* This file should be named 51999-h.htm or 51999-h.zip *******</p> -<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> -<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/5/1/9/9/51999">http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/9/9/51999</a></p> -<p> -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed.</p> - -<p>Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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