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make about fifteen miles a day, unless otherwise ordered. The army was directed to "forage liberally on the country during the march." For this purpose, brigade commanders were to organize "good and sufficient foraging parties, under the command of one or more discreet officers," to gather corn or forage of any kind, meat, vegetables, or other necessaries, aiming always to keep on hand ten days' provisions for the men 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." The power was entrusted to army corps commanders to destroy mills, houses, cotton-gins, etc., in districts or neighborhoods where the army was molested by guerrillas or bushwhackers, or the inhabitants should burn bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local hostility; but no such devastation was to be permitted where the inhabitants remained quiet. "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

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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. 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." A pontoon train fully equipped and organized was assigned to each wing of the army.

In accordance with his plan, Gen. Sherman effectually destroyed the railroad in his rear, and then set fire to and burned all the storehouses, depots, machine-shops, and everything else in Atlanta which could be of any service to the rebels. Having concentrated at Atlanta, his troops, numbering between 50,000 and 60,000, the right wing, under Howard, moved on the 12th of November, and was followed by the left, under Slocum, on the 14th. Sherman himself accompanied the left wing. The lines of march followed generally the two lines of railroad traversing the state, the Georgia and Central, running from Savannah to Macon, and thence by a north-westerly line to Atlanta, a distance in all of nearly 300 miles; and the Georgia Railroad, running north of the former, in an easterly direction, between Atlanta and Augusta. This was connected with the southerly line by way of Waynesborough and Millen with Savannah. In the area bounded by these lines, resembling a parallelogram with Atlanta, Macon, Augusta and Millen at the four

CH. XV.]

MARCH OF THE RIGHT AND LEFT WINGS.

489

corners, and Milledgeville at a central crossed the Ocmulgee, and passing south, point in the enclosure, the important movements of Gen. Sherman's army were effected.

The rebels at first, and for some time, supposed that Sherman was engaged upon a raiding expedition into Georgia. It seemed as if it were impossible for them to grasp the boldness of that general's undertaking; and hence, as Grant says, "the blindness of the enemy in ignoring his movement, and sending Hood's army, the only considerable force they had west of Richmond and east of the Mississippi River, northward on an offensive campaign, left the whole country open, and Sherman's route to his own choice. For full and accurate details, we must refer the reader to Sherman's report, written in his lively and energetic style. A brief outline is all that we have room here to present.

Howard marched in two columns southwardly on the railroad as far as Jonesborough, the rebels being able to make but feeble opposition. One of his columns occupied McDonough, on the 15th of November, about thirty-five miles south-east of Atlanta, and the county seat of one of the richest por. tions of Georgia. Howard, on the 20th,

"The whole plan, which had originated in the

brain of President Davis, to compensate for the enemy's offensive movement in Georgia by penetrating Tennessee was outrageously foolish, from the simple con

sideration that the two invasions were necessarily un

equal; for that into the enemy's country could not seriously affect his superabundant resources, while that into the southern interior went right into the heart of the Confederacy; and having once passed the

frontiers, on which the South had necessarily thrown all its resources in men, was destined to realize Gen.

Grant's assertion, that the Confederacy was merely a shell."-Pollard's "Last Year of the War," p. 130.

VOL. IV.-62.

left Macon on the right and in the rear, and then moved rapidly through Monticello and Hillsborough to Clinton, so as to strike the Georgia Central at Gordon, twenty miles east of Macon. Kil patrick's cavalry, meanwhile, were demonstrating in the direction of Macon, and the rebels were firmly possessed of the idea that that city was to be attacked, and gathered all the forces they could, under Cobb, for its defence.

On striking the Georgia Central, on the 22d of November, Howard's corps began to destroy the track between Gordon and Griswoldville, in that thorough and complete manner which they had acquired by long experience. While engaged in this work, a severe skirmish or battle between a section of our artillery and some cavalry, and about 5,000 of the rebels, occurred at Griswoldville. Desperate assaults were made on our force, but they resulted in nothing but loss and disaster, and the rebels were glad to make their way back to Macon. Milledgeville was occupied on the 21st of November, just a week after leaving Atlanta, the distance travelled being about ninety-five miles.

The corps under Slocum marched eastwardly towards Augusta, and by the 17th of November, the road was effectually destroyed as far as Covington. One column turned southeastwardly in the direction of Milledgeville, while another continued on the line of the railroad, and destroyed it as far as Madison, sixty-nine miles east of Atlanta, and 102 west of Augusta. The cavalry were pushed on between twenty and thirty miles further, serving as a

demonstration against Augusta, and thoroughly deceiving the enemy as to Sherman's real plan. From Madison Slocum marched to Milledgeville, which was reached November 22d; and the two wings were thus brought together again.

A few days before, when Gov. Brown and the legislature (then in session) waked up to the fact that Sherman's army was about to enter the city, they fled in a very great hurry, carrying off what they could, the public archives, funds, etc., and escaping to Augusta, and Macon, and anywhere, to get out of the way of the dreaded Yankee host. In fact, the leaders of the rebellion could no longer evade the unwelcome truth, that our army was moving directly and successfully through the heart of Georgia to the sea coast, and that, unless it could be stopped, disastrous results must inevitably follow. Beauregard came to the rescue, in his peculiar way, and issued an address, November 18th, calling on the Georgians to "obstruct and destroy all the roads in Sherman's front, flank and rear, and then his army will soon starve in your midst." So, too, rebel congressmen urged upon the people to devastate and destroy everything in Sherman's path, a kind of advice which, as might be expected, was treated with indifference or contempt. Gov. Brown set forth a proclamation, and ordered a levy, en masse, of all the white population, in the effort to stay the progress of our army. But it was all in vain. The resistance which troops, thus gathered for an emergency, were able to

make, amounted to almost nothing

against a large and well appointed army, such as Sherman's was.*

1864.

On the 24th of November, the army left Milledgeville, having Millen, seventy-four miles distant, in view. The main body crossed the Oconee at Milledgeville, destroying the bridge over that river, and the railroad bridge over Fisher's Creek, south of the city. A large force of Kilpatrick's cavalry demonstrated at the Central Railroad bridge over the Oconee, twentyfive miles south-east of Milledgeville, which was defended by earthworks, by the rebel Gen. Wayne, with a body of stragglers and militia which had been picked up between Milledgeville and Augusta. This road here runs for several miles through a swamp, which borders the west bank of the Oconee. Wheeler, who had been left in the rear at Macon, by the excellent strategy practiced in his case, as above noted, made extraordinary efforts and succeeded in getting across the Oconee, in order, with Wayne's help, to dispute the passage of the river. Howard, finding the bridge strongly guard ed, sent the 15th corps some eight miles below to a ford where a pontoon bridge was laid. The rebels thereupon retreated hastily, and by the 26th of November, the whole right wing was across the river, moving eastward along

* "Sherman's march assumes the aspect of a great

swinging movement the pivot of which was the army described on a radius of half a continent one of those colossal enterprises whereof there are few exemplars in military history, and which fill up the measure of the imagination with the shapes of all that is vast and grandiose in war."-Swinton's "Army of the Poto mac," p. 566.

before Petersburg. But it was a swinging movement

CH. XIII.]

FORT MCALLISTER CAPTURED.

491

the railroad, and destroying it effect- road bridge, and then took up his posi ually as the column advanced.

Slocum crossed the Oconee at the same time with the right wing, and moved northwardly, aiming for Sparta in Hancock County. On the evening of the 24th of November, Slocum's advance encamped at Devereaux, seven miles west of Sparta, and the cavalry scoured the whole country, one of the most fertile and thickly settled in the whole state, and vast quantities of forage and provisions, and many horses and mules were obtained, and much cotton burned. The Georgia Railroad, on Slocum's left flank was not neglected. While the army lay at Milledgeville, a portion of the cavalry force was actively engaged in different directions, striking the railroad repeatedly, burning the bridge over the Oconee at Blue Spring, destroying public property, etc.

The army being now east of the Oconee, the rebels were much frightened, not knowing whether Sherman would strike at Augusta or Savannah. His own purpose was clear enough to himself, but by the exceeding activity and skill of the cavalry, and by various apparent indications that Augusta was the point immediately in view, the rebels were again deceived; Wheeler's cavalry fell back, and forces from every quarter were gathered at Augusta in order to defend it; Sherman, all this while, was quietly advancing towards Millen, and securing an unobstructed passage of the Ogeechee with his main body. Kilpatrick, having driven Wheeler back through Waynesborough and beyond Brier Creek, within twenty miles of Augusta, destroyed the rail

tion as a guard in Sherman's rear.

Howard passed through Sandersville, November 26th, and Louisville, November 30th. Slocum marched through Sparta and then moved upon Louisville. Millen was reached on the 2d of December, Sherman having moved slowly, but with a purpose. As it was somewhat uncertain as to supplies when he moved on to Savannah, Sherman paid special attention to foraging, and also to the complete destruction of the railroads, including the bridge over the Ogeechee, twenty-five miles west of Millen.

Savannah was now about eighty miles distant, and Sherman having left the rebel troops in his rear, where they could do no harm, advanced rapidly and regularly forward. Howard, on the 9th of December, struck the canal which connects the Ogeechee with the Savannah, about ten miles in the rear and west of the city. From this point he communicated, by means of scouts, with a gun boat in Ossabaw Sound, and gave intelligence of his success thus far. On the 10th of December, Sherman advanced to within five miles of Savannah, where the rebels had erected the first of a line of defences. Sherman resolved to capture Fort McAllister and thus open the Ogeechee, so as to communicate with the fleet, and cut off communication between Savannah and the southern part of the state. Accordingly, as Sherman stated in a dispatch, dated 11.50, P.M, December 13th, on board the gun boat Dandelion, Ossabaw Sound: "To-day, at five o'clock, P.M., Gen. Hazen's division of

1864.

Fort McAllister, and the opening of communication with our fleet, and the consequent independence of supplies, dissipates, all their boasted threats to head me off and starve the army. I regard Savannah as already gained."

the 15th corps carried Fort McAllister the army of surplus negroes, mules and by assault, capturing its entire garrison horses. We have utterly destroyed and stores. This opened to us the over two hundred miles of rails, and Ossabaw Sound, and I pushed down consumed stores and provisions that to this gun boat to communicate with were essential to Lee's and Hood's the fleet. Before opening communica- armies. The quick work made with tion 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 on the Ogeechee, at King's bridge. The army is in splendid order, and Hardee, in Savannah, undertook to equal to anything. The weather has hold out for a while; but, on the 20th been fine, and supplies are abundant. of December, he considered the case Our march was most agreeable, and hopeless, and destroying whatever he we were not at all molested by the could, he fled to Charleston. On the guerrillas. We reached Savannah three 21st, Savannah was occupied, and Sherdays ago, but, owing to Fort McAllis- man sent a message to the president ter, could not communicate; but now begging to present him with the city we have McAllister, we can go ahead. "as a Christmas gift," with its 150 We have already captured two boats heavy guns, its ammunition, and some on the Savannah River, and prevented 25,000 bales of cotton. Gen. Geary their gun boats from coming down. I was placed in command, and Sherman's estimate the population of Savannah order, December 26th, with reference at 25,000, and the garrison at 15,000. to the government of the city, was General Hardee commands. We have not lost a wagon on the trip, but have gathered in a large supply of negroes, mules, horses, etc., and our teams are in far better condition than when we started. My first duty will be to clear

judicious and considerate. The disposition of the citizens was to quiet and orderly behavior, and little if any trouble was given to the constituted authorities in the changed condition of affairs.

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