Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-03-19
why General Sherman Failed 10
Reach Selma.
SEVEN THOUSAND NEoRoEs LIBERATED
THE SEIZURE OF MERIDIAN WORTH FIFTY
MILLIONS TO THE eovknNNENT.
vIcKsBuRo, Miss, March a, 1864.
Correspondence of the n. Y. Tribune.

The late expedition of Gen. Sherman from
this point having SO largely filled the public
mind North, and, so far MS the journals
which have reached here indicate, been SO
utterly and totally misconceived, it may be
judcious, perhaps, to state clearly what was
the object of the undertaking, and how
large u measure of successes attended it.
But little fighting took place during the
entire march, the most important being
some tolerably heavy sairmisbing which
occurred in the vicinity of Clinton, this side
of jackson, as the expedition was about
starting out, the small squads of the enemy,
wherever seen, prudently Withdrawing upon
our artillery being brought into position
Large quantities of cotton were found and
destroyed while on our way out, some baled
and some not yet gnned. Both cotton and
! gins were placed beyond the reach of afford
| ing temptation to cotton spectators of
questionable loyalty. On our return little,
however, was molested. Asa general thing,
in the region of country passed over, the
large planters had abandoned the growth of
that former sovereign staple under the pro-
hibitory enactment of the rebel Congress
! two years ago. Corn, however, was in
! abundance, and such corn rs would make
the heart of a man glad. The cribs of this
entire section were bursting with fatness,
though our army left those in its immediate
wake about as etfectualy depleted rs Howell
Dobb did the national Treasury when he
retired from its management at the close of
Mr.. Buchanan's administration.
At Decatur a large lanyard and very
considerable lot of cotton were destroyed
the town itself sharing the same fate. Our
boys were guided to quantity of cotton
hidden in al obscure locality, near this
,t.,1
fact, and indeed everywhere the blacks tes-
tilted unmixed delight at our approach.
frequently meeting us with their wives and
children, "toting" their little all along with
them, and apparently fully satisfied Of the
advent of the day of jubile." Repeatedly
were our men advised of the hiding places
of boards of bacon, pork, hams, stock, car
riages, ETC., the movements OF rebel military
and the whereabouts of citizens fighting in
the rebel army. 1t is in vain that the peo-
Pile nave sought to inspire them with aver
sion and terror of our Northern, especially
, Yankee, soldiers. They know better, and
in spite of the habit of years to obey and
believe their masters, they will not credit
what they say, but preferring to cut loose
forever from the associations of youth and
t all of home they know, throw themselves
= upon the uncertain issue of their new condi
= ton with 1altn tnat Is SuDlinc.
> From 5000 to 1000 of these people ac
companied the triumphal return Of Sher
. mans expedition, and | defy any human
c being with as much feeling in his bosom a,
b. even Legree in Mrs. Slows immortal story
to look on such n scene unmoved. Old lncr
with the frosts of 80 years upon their heads
men in the prime of manhood, youth, ano
!. children that could barley run, women Will
their babies on their breasts, girls with tn,
blood of proud Southern masters in thei
veins, old women, tUttering fecbly along
leading from II land of incest and bondag,
possessing horrors worse than death, chill
n dren and grandchildren, dear to them a
our own sons and daughters are to US. The,
came, many of them it is true, with shou
and careless laughter but silent tears cours
cd down many a cheek-tears of thankful
c ness for their great dcliverancc and ther
: were faces in that crowd which shown will
l. Joy which caused them to look almost in
n spired. Those may smile who will, but tn
II story of the coming up of the children q
) Israel out of the land of Egypt can neve
&c call up to my mind a more profound emo
q tion than the remembrance of that scene
The carnival at Rome with the fantasti
1t costumes of the populacc presents nothing
n more varied and promiscuous than di
n the attire of this interesting asscmblage.
l. When / looked upon the long lane film
IS in through roads along which our slaughter
II ed brothers lie buried thicker than aheavt
e in harvest field and reflected on Il!
II horrors to which this race had been subjec
- ed by the foes whom we are fighting, l tc
'e faith in God of justice renewed in m
', heart, and hope in the success of our caus
4 rckindle to a brighter flame.
le AT Canton, which our army visited bu
did not burn, we succeeded in capturin
or and destroying IL locomotives. Anoth,
v was also destroyed at Meridian, making
n in all, inticting loss on the Conicdcrat,
10 which is of incaculable value. 1t is a fat
er perhaps known, but will bear repeating her
" that Grierson's raid last year through tn
,d State damaged the railroad some forty mil,
north of Okolona to such an extent thu
they never repaired nor undertaken to opc
ate it above that point. l learn from u
engineer who has been forced Tor two yea
past to run locomotive over their road
and who was enabled to get 10 our lin,
'e during the late raid, that ten miles per hon
is and has been for some months the max
mum speed attainable by their trains. I'll
Isl destruction by Grierson of passenger cars
year ago has never been made good on Il
roads. and left them almost destitute ofcar
even before General Sherman came in no
to give their Mississippi railroads this co,
de grace.
When the news was brought to Sherms
,rs that the rebels had abandoned Meridia
without a blow, and that the des,ructiG
is was au .Jdit accompH, he is said by eye-wi
al nesses TO have walked silently to and fro 4
n. some minutes, and then burst ont exciteSll
nd This is worth fifty millions to the Cover
he ment," The rebels seemed, up almost to d
a. last moment, TO have regarded Mobile
raj the point aimed at, Farragut's .bombardme
of Fort Powell serving to keep up the il
ed preston. | am warranted in saying til
of sherman was sanguine of his ability to ha
re. taken that city without difficulty. and hi
ral the object of his expedition permitte
re. would have done so. lie states unhesiti
ingly that he felt sorely tempted to do so
N. il was, aud nothing but the fact Of its pc
Vi sibly frustrating other important moN
le- ments already planned prevented his undt
A ] faElna