, 1864-12-24
FROM GEN. SHERMAN.
His Triumphant March
Through Georgia.
DETAILED AND INTERESTING
NARRATIVE OF HIS SCOUTS.

DETAILED AND INTERESTING
NARRATIVE OF HIS SCOUTS.
Incidents Of the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Of Property--The Opposition
He Encountered.
TIE SITUATION AROUND SAVANNAH.
The correspondent Of the Cincinnati Ga
zete furnishes the following interesting details
concerning sherman's march through Geor-
GIN:
TEE FIRST NEWS FROM SHERMAN. i:
On Sunday morning, the 11,h inst; parties
from plani atfuns came down reporting heavy
caunonading In the direction Of Savannah,
and at Fort Pulaski during tho preceding
night shells could be seen bursting over or
near the town. Early Monday morning the
gunboat Flag came steaming up from the
South: having on board Captain Duncan, Ny
ron Amick and George ". Qninby, three Of
Sherman's scouts, and the first Of bis couTiers
reaching our lines since he set out from At
lanta.
Capt. Duncan brought dispatch from Gen.
Howard, dated the 9th inst, on the Savannah
Canal, SAVING: 1--WE have had perfect Sue
cess, and the army is In fine spfrlrs." The
canal referred to is about five mites east Of
Savannah, cunning from the Savannah River
to he ogechee River but it. Is, a So far as bus'-
Captain Duncan md his companions left,
Sherman's army at Savannah Canal on the
evening OF the 9th, with written dispatches
from Generals Sherman and Howard for Gen
eral Foster. They embarked in dug-ont, aud
padded. down the ogechee, River, hiding;
foated by Fort Macallister and the cnemy's
picket boats during rain storm, and emerged
into Ossibaw Sound, where they were dis
covered and picked up by the Federal gunboat
Fling. They passed under the bridge over
the Ogechce River on the Gulf Railroad,
hccn fired By the rebels to prevent Sherman's
army crossing, not knowing that he bad al
ready crossed. The gunboat Flag set sail i'm
mcdiately for Hilton Head, and arrived here
with her welcome passengers on tue morning
Of Monday, the 18th inst.
tue wings Of the air, and in 40 hour or Two
lags fut1ered from many buildings on the
Island, and dccked out the numerous shipping
in the harbor. Dispatches were sent to Gen.
Foster, who was at the front at Pocotaliso:.
He came down Immediately, and soon after,
in company with Capt. Duncan and his
scouts, embarked On 4 revenue cutter for
with Gen. Sherman. In the meantime sa1utes
T were fired from Fort Pulaski, rs q given sig
nal 10 apprise Sherman that his dispatches
lad been received.
Cnpt. Duncan and his compag,aons du toyaye
| were dressed in what may be considered the
habits oi Confederate citizens, not emitting
in their, rnake-ups q moderate allowance Of
rents and tatters, to give their garb an air Of
r1ausibility. Their cyee elistened for want Of
sleep, and they ate with Gallic yiyacity. They
had not dared venture to shore while journey
ing down the Ogecbee; and they couldn't
for it must be remembered they are Western
lads, and on salt water. for the first time. In
q word, they were very sea.sick.
I HOW SHERMAN MARCHED.
These scouts report that throughout the
| march the army muvcd In four columns. How
ard on the right, add slocum on the left, with
ca, airy in front and rear. In this manner, it
covered strip Of nearly sixty miles in wdtn
sherman has cut through Georgia 3
swath Of sixty miles. It would seem that the
t'hcro turned 1ugiL.ye' might have been found
somewhere in this tract OF 10. Coo square miles
if the search for him had b.cn very earnest.
Immediately after leaving Atlanta, the. col
u1nn marching toward Aacon devastated the
country for miles west Of the Macon and At.
1anta Railroad, In order to retard the progress
OF hood, should he attempt to follow In on
| sherman's rear.
WHAT OPPOSITION WAS ENCOUNTERED.
Not the least significant and cheering fact
OF the march is. that but very little oppost-
tion to the grand raid, or rather occupation.
! was met. N their haste to fly, bridges over
the smaller streams, we're in several lnstan-
| ces, left tnburned BY the citizens. They were
terrified out Of discretion, and failed to re-
sptnd to the despairing appeals Of Generals
and Legislators, to fell trees, bum bridges
and destroy subsistence. In no place was the
road seriously blockadcd. and the stores that
who were feared by the agricultural Geor-
gians as much Us the Yankees. The horses
were secreted in the s#amps to escape both
parties. We got nearly all, because the in
| dlspensable negro was very apt to designate
the spot where the coming cavalry nags ;er Mefe
| 10 lie found. Our troops had few sklrmlsh.
es in ali Of which they were successful. II
Wheeler defeated Fitzpatrick at any time, no
one in Sherman's army vas aware Of the tact
when our scouts left it.
THE CAPTURE OF, .i1l1EDGrv1LLE.
The rebel papers make no mention Of the
lr5ic1ous fact that Alilledgeville was surren-
dc1ed to our scouts two days before the main
army reached tffet town. These scouts were
met by the Mayor, who insisted on surrender
ing the place, only asking that private prop
er'y should be respected. These triumphant
captors, after their informal entree, proceeded
to open the penftentiary. releasing about one
| hundred aud fifty inmates, some Of them
members of the Federal army, confined for
what were really military otfenses. Very few
IF the citizens remained, and those who did
were not disturbed. On leaving Miffcdge-
Vile, our forces burned The State buildings,
exploded quantity Of ammunition, aud lc-
stroyed the depots.
1 FIELD ORDER FROM SHERMAN.
While in Millc1Ecyille. O citizen made COM
pInint to Sherman Of having been robbed Of u.
considerable amount in money AND q valuable
gold watch, establishing The Fact with nbsfld-
! ant evidence. Sherman Immediately issued
m order declaring that any Of his army found
engaged in stealing money or articles Of no
military value, Of ravishtng, or wantonly
burning private property, would be shot.
This order was not yiolated, so far as could be
ascertained. 49,.
DAMAGE TO THE RAILROADS.
Our scouts assert that Sherman has com
pletely destroyed the great railroad quad
and Savannah, are the fonr- co7 ners. The
railroad leading east from Atlanta to Augusta
il destroyed for over seventy miles, lnc1ud.
ing bridges over the Yellow and contiguou.
rivers, The railroad running south from
Atlanta TO Macon, Is destroyed for eighty
miles. The railroad running east from Macon
TO Savannah, is destroyed for distance esti
mated at from ninety to one hundred miles.
The railroad running between Augusta and
Savannah, is destroyed from Waynesboro to
Savannah, distance Of over eighty miles.
The Gulf Railroad has been cut, and Sher-
mans position. when last heard from, insures
that he holds the Charleston and Savannah
Railroad.
We learn that this wholesale work Of de-
structinn was carried on 1eisurcly, and with
an eye to completeness. Every rail was heat
ed md bent; every tie, bridge, water-station,
tank, wood.shed, and depot building burned,
and every culvert blown up. For miles on
The Macon and Savannah, and the Augusta
md Savannah Roads, the track is carried
work. THIS is all burned, and will be very
difficult to replace. mall. Sherman has com.
Fletcly destroyed nearly 400 miles ofraitroad
track, and as lie was nearly month in doing
it, We may rcadily believe that 1t Is well
done.
| NOW THE ARMY LIVED.
We have the assurance that the army ha.
fated sumptuousIy If the country, abundant
supplies being found on every plantation,
Every day details for foraging were made
fiom each regiment; who sailed forth, gener-
ally returning In vehicle or on horseback,
laden with poultry, sweet potatoes, corn,
bread, bacon. honey, and many ef ceteras.
More cattle, sheep and hogs were driven IN
than could be used. In such eTent, like old
buffalo hunters, they appropriated only the
tongues and tendcr-loins. Superfuous horses
or those that became temporarily disabled
we're shot. This Is WIT according 10 shcr
man.
From our own train Issues Of coffee and
hard bread were made, but seldom anything
else.
| REBEL PRISONERS.
>Up to reaching Savannah our army had col
| 1ceteff about 2 CO.. rebel prisoners, who vert