The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-03-20
THE SHERMAN EXPEDITION.
Further Details.

A correspondent OF the Tribune, who
accompanied the Sherman Raid into
Mississippi, furnishes some facts and in
cidents of interest, not hitherto pub
lished:
But little fighting took place during
the entire march, the most important
being some tolerably heavy diminishing
which occurred in the vicinity OF Gin
ton, this side of Jackson, as the ex-
podition was starting out, the small
squads Of tho enemy, wherever seen,
prudently withdrawing upon our artille-
~ being brought into position Large
quantities Of cotton were found and
destroyed while on our way out, some
baled and some not yet ginned. Both
cotton and gins were placed beyond the
reach Of affording temptation to cotton
spectators of questionable loyalty On
our return little, however, was modest
ed As a general thing, in the region of
country we passed over, the large plant
ers had abandoned the growth of that
former sovereign staple under the pro
hibitory enactment of the Rebel Con-
gress two years ago Corn, hooeee1 loas
IN abundance, and sl;cb con. as ago.sia make
the heart Of a man glad
At Decatur, 8 large lanyard and q
very considerable lot Of cotton we're do
stroyed the town itself sharing the
same fate.
At Meridian the Confederate author
tiles had built or were constructing
quite q considerable number Of build
ings for government use, including ma
chine shops, quartermaster5' and com
missary quarters, hospital capable Of
accommodating $500 TO 1900 patients,
&c. These, with the town, were Of
course destroyed. We also burned ev-
cry depot and station along the line of
the railroad as far as our army reached,
the beautiful town Of Canton, IS be-
fore stated, being spared
At Canton, which our army visited
but did not burn, we succeeded in cap
turing and destroying II Locomotives.
Another was also destroyed at Meridian,
making Is in all, inficting loss on the
Confederate5 which is OF incalcUlable
valuable 1t is fact perhaps known,
but will bear repeating here, that tirier-
sons raid last year through this State
damaged the railroad some forty miles
north of Oklahoma to such an extent that
they have never repaired or undertaken
to operate it above that point learn
from an engineer who has been forced
for two years past 70 run a locomotive
over their roads, that ten miles per hour
is and has been for some months past
the maximum speed attainable by their
trains. The destruction by Grierson
Of passenger cars year ago has never
been made good on the roads, and left
them almost destitute Of cars, even be-
fore Sherman came in now 10 give their
Missississippi railroads this cogp dc
grace
1t is no news to state that the Con
federates were put TO their wits end to
keep mp the ordinary wear and tear Of
their roads for the past year; it will
therefore be the more fully apparent
how immensely important a work has
been accomplished by Sherman. Ad-
yancing TO within twenty miles Of Me-
ridian, he sent detachments ten or til-
teen miles beyond that point and thirty
or forty north and south 10 tear up the
tracks, destroy culverts, burn the de
pots, bridges and ties, and render use
less by bending the rails Of the several
roads diverging from that important
railroad center This was done, and
done effectually; so effectually, indeed,
rs 10 place it out Of the power Of the
Rebels to put those roads in operation
again during the continuance Of the
war. This, therefore as any one famil-
lar with the topography Of Mississippi
viii readily perceive, cuts OF the State
from any further military occupation by
the Confederate army, it being impOssi-
bic longer to vancouver or subsist an ar
my there without possession Of the
river Cavalry may sweep down or
across the State, but with all the strong
holds along tho Mississippi river We
hold military control Of tho entire State
effectively and effectually.
When the news was brought in to
Sherman that tho rebels had abandon
cd Meridian without = blow, and that
the destruction was az fat acconDH, he
il said by eyewitness to have walked
silently 10 and fro for some minutes,
and then burst out eXcitediy, This Is
worth fifty millions TO the Government"
The rebels seemed, up almost 70 the
last moment, TO have regarded Mobile
as the point aimed at, Farraguts bonn
bardment Of Fort Powell serving 10
keep up the impression am war
ranted in saying that Sherman was
sunguine Of his ability TO have taken
that city without difficulty, and had
the object Of his expedition permitted,
would have done so He states unhes-
itatingly that he felt sorely tempted to
do so a. it was, and nothing but the
fact of its possibly frustrating other
important mo snents already planned
prevented his undertaking IL
Being ignorant Of the combinations
limited at, it seems 10 me 70 be a pity
that he did not undertake it, for, from
all the information made public, and
some received through private sources,
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