Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-08-08
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The Retreat Of Joe Johnston.
DEsfRDoTION OF THE OITY0F JACKSON.
p Prominent Mississippiaias Favora
iPle to a Reconstruct otion- Failure
of the Black Brieades.r 7ld5
TloOrrospOndeuOe Of the ohiosso 1imss.l

! '' ''VICKeBUR0j Jnly24.
Later accounts from g en-. Sherman bribR th,
Information Of hIs having pureued Johnston fal
beyond Jackson. The latter took uo his line Of
march immedlatly on, hearing pf The fall OF this
place. His retreat was too precipItete for Gen
SheFmanto DO mncb more Than threaten his real
guard, Johnston was compelled, however, q
leave q vast amount of property and subsistehce
behind, that would ceriaihly have been taken
With him, or destroyed, had his danger been
Hess imminent. Hs attembted no defepse G oi
jackson, but, on our approach, fred the oity In
many places and manifested the utmost desire
to leave US nothing but q smouldering heap Of
ruins. On our former occupation Of the place,
pains were taken 10 leave all private and much
OF the public property of the place uniniured
| No bnildings were allowed to be btfned that
| did not contain Confederate stores, and Were In
| some way in the use and occupation Of the
Confederate Government. Many Of these even
escaped. But, on General Johnston setting the
example of malicious destruction, General Sher.
man felt absolved from further obligations In
that direction, and fnished The woTE Johnston
began. Precisely bow much--or rather how
little-of sho city Ia left to marko lie former
alto, am unable to say. From the accounts
received here, city exists only In the me emory,
tradition, and history of the past. It's deseris
may have been overwhelming. Itbfato has been
sudden and total destruction. Doi ',,'''
The head Of General Shermsn,s column
reached Big Black river, on the return, two
days ago, and the entire corps will probably re-
main there for the present. Gen. Sherman re-.
ports to Gen. Grant that the people are the
worst whipped and subdued Of any on the face of
the earth. They are completely humbled, and
beg for mercy on every hand. They acknowl-
edge themselves thoroughly conquered, admit
their inability to longer successfully oppose the
Federal Government, express their willingness
to come into the Union again on any termS, and
beg Of him in the name OF everything sacted to
oIpress them no further. Judge Starkie, Mr..
Poindexter, and other prominent men Of the
State came forward and proposed organizing q
State governments favorable to q reconstfuction
OF the Union on the beet obtainable terms,
| pledging all the Influences they possess against
the rebellion and 10 favor of the Federal dow
eminent. .I ~. -
The country between here and jackson ia
completely devastated. No subsistence OF any
kind remains. Every growing crop was do
stroyed, when possible. Wheat was burned iu
the barn, stack, wherever found. All subeist.
ence was brought of or destroyed. Live stock
was uaed, or brought away everywhere. Gen.
Sherman asserts that the people must newt
ably leave, be fed by she Federal Government,
or starvs. Thousands are applying for food
to suetain life, aud suoh heartrending and
terrible destitution never existed on this con.
tinent as In the region indicated "a He has estab.
lished temporary system of relief, and issues
many ratione TO the moet needy. .aa. q"
Gen Johnston's whole army had been sub
sistlDg almost exclusively on green corn for
several weeks past, and half bis troops were.
probably unfit for duty. We came upon them
sick At almost every house, and found them
ianguiening or dead at almost every fence cor
ner! The utter impossibility Of supplying his
men may have prevented his gath ering an army
suthcient to fall on Gen. Granite rear at Vicks.
Durg before reinforcements arrived from the
North. AS it is, Johnston is BY THE time far
from here, Ii not without bis Department. and
no attack 10 possible from the forces under his
command for months to come. If VicksburR
we're defended by but ten thousand men, /
doubt Johnston's ability to take It before Christ
mas. .... t.As..
No trading permits of any kind are granted,
ana none but suffers allowed to land goods.--
zen. Grant is understood TO oppose any and all
opening of trade for the present. He first wants
10 "end the war" in this section. His expert
ence mas been that trading retarded military
Operations wonderfully; hence none can be done
with hs permission at present. Ii is not likely
-
trary to his advice. To do 90 would be not
only improper, but criminally wrong, s,asI
Emancipation is, beginning to "plsgns the
inventors" Black bfigades are reiaures, what
ever may be written to the contrary. About
i've thousand black soldiers are In this depart
ment, They are wholly ineffclsnt--if for no
other reason-for lack Of arms and discipline.
They are neglected at Washington. They are
not properly organized here. Their officers are
scarcely recognized al present, and left without
the means of doing more. Nearly q thousand
men were brongbt from Nalchez last week.
Gen. Grant orders thAt none but men ft for
duty be accepted at present, and that the othsrs
be notified that they are free, but advised TO stay
with their former masters and earn living,
until he can provide for them. Probably not
Lose than twelve thousand women, children and
men unfit for duty are now here, and daily fed
at Government expense! What shall bo done
with them7 lAR' H7-tl it7 o1a nl