Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-29
RUTLAND HERALD.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2s, 1854.
The Great March.

m true there were no gorgeous trap
pings, no elephants or chariots, no cap
slve kings with chains about their neoks,
bat there was al abundance of substan-
tisl trophies great surplus" of able
bodied negroes, mules and horses-and
the men lived on the fat OF the land.
General Sherman succeeded In complete
iy mys,ifying the rebel authorities every
where, causing them TO collect troops
for the defence OF half q dozen places
which he cared nothing about; and
when he had passed beyond them he de-
stroyed the railroads and the bridges
behind. so that those troops could not
reach him. The New York Times, In
about Ave columns of closely printed
matter, gives very interesting, and we
doubt not, a truthfh account Of this
grand march, from which We condense
. few particulars,
After Gen. Sherman had maneuvred
~ az to get Hoods army "stuck in the
mud between Tuscumbia and Florence"
aud had placed two corps under Gen.
Th0mas to take care Of Hood, he di-
vided his remaining veterans into two
divisions, or wings, of which General
Siocum commanded the left and General
coward the right
ION the 18th of November, the right
wing, under Gen. Howard, moved ont
nom Atlanta, and began its march. On
the l4th, the left wing, under Gen. Slo-
cum took up its route, and on that day
Gen. Sherman and Staff with a strong
body guard, babe adieu to the strong
hold he had conquered and reduced, and
nook the road leading to Macon. LET
him go North" said he of Hood; "our
business is down South" The fortifca-
lions OF Atlanta had been completely
dismantled and destroyed. The public
buildings, railroad depots, &c, were
burned. No private dwellings were in
sentionally destroyed.
The rebels at Richmond received
their first news Of Sherman's departure
from Atlanta from the North, but re-
fused to place confidence in 1t. 1t is a
big Yankee lie,' said the Richmond Ex-
aminer, and if Sherman has really
burned Atlanta, it is to cover retreat
northward, to look after Hood" But
II Sherman is really attempting this
prodigious design" it continued, "his
march will only lead him to the Paradise
OF Fools" AS it turns out, this does
not prove very complimentary to the
citizens of Savannah and vicinity.
The plan of Gen. Sherman's march
contemplated the covering of the two
great lines Of Railroad, the Georgia
Central" leading from Atlanta in
s0utbeasterly direction to Savannah, a
distance Of about 900 miles; and the
Georgia Railroad" from Atlanta almost
due east to Augusta, distance Of about
no miles. These are from 40 to 70
MIKES apart. While the rebels were max
ing all haste to defend Macon, which
lies on the Ocmulgee, Gen. Howard
crossed this river at least twenty miles
above, and proceeded rapidly to Mil
ledgeville which he entered Nov. 21st,
In Just one week from Atlanta. Gen.
Siocum also arrived in Milledgeville on
the following day, and thus the two
wings became united. The army re-
manned in Milledgeville till Nov. Oath,
General Sherman occupying the execu-
i've mansion for his headquarters.
The members of the legislature then in
session, together with Gov. Brown, had
left on the 18th.
"some OF our troops perpetrated q
very handsome travestie upon the pro-
ceedings of the fleeing Legislature.
They met ut the State House, elected
a Speaker and Clerk, and were intro
duciDg bills and resolutions at furi-
Gus rate, when courier rushed in,
brssthless with haste, and shouted,
" the Yankees are coming !" whereupon
the members dispersed In the most pan
ie-stricken manner, causing an immense
deal Q! amusement"
II has been stated In some of the pa
pers that the Georgia Legislature were
holding mock session at this time, and
that, being startled by the cry Of CYAN
KEGS" they incontinently fed; but this
must be a mistake, for, like the Georgia
Major that we read OF, being perhaps
ia little lame" they had been careful
10 commence an earlier retreat.
The main body of the army crossed
the 0conee on the Oath Of November,
and then it was that the rebels at Au-
9usta and Savannah began to tremble |
"Then began, also, q vigorous system
or rebel 6rag Wheeler was put to his |
trumps, and required to whip Fitzpatrick |
three times q day, and to Invariably |
close the report OF his victory with the |
announcement after this glorious sue |
cess Ne fell 5aekr' ALI this Wheeler
most yaliantly did, but on one occasion,
IN fight near Gibson, the county seat |
Of Glascock county, being required to
bring in Kiipatrlck's head as trophy,
he humbly apologized with his hat,
that In his haste TO fall back,
BIO had LEFT Knpatrick's head on its
shoulders"
The Whole army appeared in the vi
cinity OF Millen, Dec. I'd. . .4
Very adroit strategy was necessary
vt this juncture to conceal the real q