The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-12-29


to Savannah, n destroyed for distance es-
tmated at from ninety to one hundred miles.
The railroad running between Atlanta and
Savannah, is destroyed from Wayncsboro to
Savannah, a 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-
struction was carried on leisurely, and with
an eye to completeness. Every rail was heat
ed and bent; every tie, bridge. water station,
tank, wood shed, and depot building burned,
and every culyert blown up. For miles on
the Macon and Savannah, and the Augusta
and Savannah Roads, the track is carried
! over marshy territory by extensive trestle-
work. This is all burned, and will be very
difficult to replace. In ALL Sherman has
completely destroyed nearly 400 miles of
railroad track, and as he was nearly month
in doing it, we may readily believe that it is
well done.
We have the assurance that the army has
Jared sumptuouslv ofthc country, abundant
supplies being found on every plantation.
Every day details for foraging were made
from each regiment, who sailed forth. gene.
rally returning in vehicle or on horseback,
laden with poultry, sweet potatoes, corn,
bread. bacon, honey, and many esceteras
More cattle, sheep and hogs were driven in
than could be used. In such event, like old
buffalo hunters, they appropriated only the
tongues and tender-loins. Superfncus horses
or those that became temporarily disabled,
were shot This is war according to Sher.
man.
From our own train issues Of coffee and
hard bread were mad., but seldom any thing
| else.
Up to reaching Savannah our army had
collected about 1000 rebel prisoners, who
were brought along
The scouts estima e the number Of negroes
coming along at 5000. princip, llv men. It
is certain that the number is very large =
Many of them. are mounted. the better to
bring along the superfluous horses.
Sherman rested his army from marching
on Sundays, though in other labor It was
rather more active on that day than any
ether. The average distance marched per
day was ten miles. 3ah t n.
On Wednesday morning, the 14th instant,
/
Gen. Shcr nan came down the Ogechee rives
in small boat, captured on that stream
He was received, on board of the Nimoah,,
where he was most cordially greeted by Gen.
Foster and Admiral Dahlgrcn. Sherman
looked little rusty, and wore the same
dropping, round-top felt hat, which was OBJ;
servable for not being new when he fianked
Atlanta ) but he was in .bnoyant, spirits, and.
laughed and. chatted as only a man of his
suneuine traits can. IIe said that the re-
sistance to his march WAS less than he an
ticipated. The enemy had nihbed little
at his advance guards and foraging parties,
but avoided fighting with great perseverance.
He had roamed the heart of Georgia for a
month, his army had lived luxuriantly off
the necessities Of Lees and HooTs armies.
and he had destroyed railroads beyond re
pair during the war. An this he had done,
without the loss of thousand men. The
whole story of his march could be summed
up in few words he had not only accom-
pushed everything he had deemed probable,
but many things which were simply possi-
BILE. Among the latter was the capture Of
Savannah; now he was certain of the city,
with strong hopes of its garrison.
Gen. Sherman remlinel in con sultation
with Gen. Foster and Admiral D.hlgren for
several mrs, durin, which time, of colpse,
plans for the cooperation Of Fosters army
and the feet were arranged have it, on
the authority of ons VIII, hal be,ri IN. re
maik, that Sherman declared that all The
navy in the world c,ull not, unaided, cap
ture Savannah. About O'Clock on We'd
nesdsy afternoon, Sher nan returned up the
Ogechee River, and rejoined his army
Sherman has now as safe and convenient
a base Of supplies as Grant. Indeed, in
some respects, he has a1yalt4ges over tn,
armies on tie James. Hts supplies ascend
the Ogechee river short distance. and
reach him after landing. by few miles Of
transportation over splendid stell ioal.-
His tanks are protected by the Savannah
river on the left, and the Ogechee on the
right, while his rear is approachable only
through strip Of country south of Millen,
hanked on both sides by impenetrahlc
swamps. Unlimited supplies can be sent
from Port Royal, and any number ofheavy
guns from the same wel'-stocked post. He
is five days from New York, three days
from Fortress Monroe. He is in an invgor
ating winter climate, as you may imagine
from the fact that write with my coat of
and my pocket handkerchief in easy sup
porting distance, and am thirty mile,
north Of the latitude Of S,vannat tn.
weather is deliciously spring-lika: Just such
day as you would think clever for North
ern June.
General Grant an the War Department
expected Sherman to reach sea board base
at Brunswick or D,rien. The rcb.l pr,s
almost unanimously hit upon the former
point Sherman improved vastly upon al
these forecasts, and has base where he
nroSacntas the sa;pa If Ga uapn an RI What