The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1864-07-26

AZ ihs uule General ShermaH sas
making mas fsmous rad ia Mlssissippi,
Major Gsnerai T. II Rousseau. CON
handing lhe district 81 Nashville, pro-
posed to General Grant a concerted
Increment from Decatur upon Selma,
Alabama He had obtained great
dead q valuable information regarding
The route and the yuloerability Of sci
ms. and Was anxious 10 make The
movement. But as The raid o. Gen.
cral Sherman was instituted only for
The purpose 81 SO thoroughly destroy.
iag The Mississippi railroad. ia, na
"a en.iye force OF rebel infantry eoald
operate against the points % Che Ms
slssippi river, which /, was intended
10 weaken Ia order 10 prosecute the
present campaign, ana did not con.
template the occupation 81 Selma, Gen.
Rousseau's proposition was declined.
Lately, however, General sherman,
becoming dtsirous of the destruction
81 the railroad between Montgomery,
Ala. and Columbus, Ga, ordered
General Rousseau, June 50, to make
preparations for a raid upon the road
between the points named and this
raid, as ordered, Is the one upon
which General Rousseau departed
la,t evening. The sole purpose Of
the raid IS, a, before stated, The drs.
lrueiion OF the railroad. This is 20 be
done 50 eflrctually as 10 cut off ior the
rest OF the gar the lne 10y which the
rebels Get theit supplies Of beef, DC,
Orders we're given and preparations
made Tor the destruction Of the rails
by twisting and burning them, with
the ties, bridges, wafer tanks, Be-
the blowing up Of culverls, locomotives,
machine aud government shops, arse
mails, &c. Orders were also given
for tire destruction st Opelikn, HE
poLt at which the Columbus road d
verges from the Atlanta, West Point
and Montgomery road BY The com.
pleie destruction OF This point, Gener.
al Sherman hopes 10 cut off Mont.
gomery from communication by bolll
routes with the east. 1t will he seen
by the map sent gu that this is effect
ed. General Rousseau hopes to ire
'tiievably destroy the railroads from
Montgomery TO Columbus and West
Point, and, il practicable, the greater
part Of the rebel government properly
in Montgomery, Columbus, Fuskee.
gee and The principle points along his
route.
Having completed all his prepare
tons, and having on the Ali instant
received the final orders 10 move
General. Rousseau and staff lett head
quarters in this city on the 9th.
Tie patty lett with tie idea tia
they might land in a Southern prison,
but congratulated themselves thai
4 Grant has cut of the route to LIBBY
With llns view OF a prison in then
minds, the party made all pfopara.
/ tions for Southern residence, and
quite an amusing scene was witAessct
at headquarters in the closing mt
balancing OF accounts, writing farewell
letters and giving directions Tor the
disposition Of private property. Tie
Provost Marshal, Major Bigney, viii
his usual generosity, gave each OF the
officers 4 couple Of thousand dollars il
rebel muney-not fac simlte, bul lh,
genuine Article, whicInis said 10 be
nearly as valuable as tie. imitation
/ though not eqnalling it in engraving
aid printing.
General sherman order for lht
raid restricted The force to about tive
thousand five hundred. There ar,
one thousand Spencer repeating rifles
/ firing eight times wNhom rrloading
and invaluable rs cavalry arm. I've
light Rodman guns were taken along
due and careful preparation being
made TO abandon them, if necessary
! il a useless condition. The men wer,
all veterans, the rev recruits Of ia,
regiments named, having been lief
behind. General Rousseau and Col
onel Harrison left very confident o
success Bolh,are fighting. cnerg tic
men, and II success Is possible lhey
will accomplish the task laid out fol
I them.
The route TO be taken by Genera
Rousseau is one HAT has never beet
followed heretofore during The war
though i,.is'nearly identical with tll'
trace pursued by General dickson il
the war against the Creek Indians
The FIRST point oil any importance On
the route Is Blounlsl lille, the mex
Ash, lille. A few miles beyond Ash
willie is the Coosa river. Genera
Sherman first directed Rousseau Il
make the crossing a; Zen Islands, bu
subsequently this was changed SO Il
TO allow him TO cross at the nearcs
ford. lie is then TO move rapid,
upon the Talladoga and the neart ;
bridge or ford over tie TaIlapoosi
river. The route between these tw'
streams is 10 be very rapidly pursued
ani the bridges are TO be completed.
destroyed. The passage Of the ITALIA
poosa will. in all probability, be mad
At Tehoprke, and Will bring the fore
into Dadeyilie Mountain roads wil
carry II to the railroad a, conyenien
points when the work Of destruction
vii be begun. Ihere are eigh