Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-12-28

geeches River. but il is, so faf as business
Is concerned, an obsolete affair.
Capt. Duncan and his companions left
Sherman's army at Savannah Canal on
the evening of the 9th, with written dis
patches from General Sherman and How
ard forGen. Foster-They embarked in
a dugout, and padded down the Ogeeche
River, hiding during the day. On Satur-
day night they aoitsd by Fort McAlister
and the enemy's picket boats,
during a rain storm, and emerged into
[OssibaW Sound, where they were discov-
cred and picked up by the Federal gun
boat Flag. They passed under the bridge
over the Qgeechee River on the Gulf rail
road which wss then burning. having
probably been fred by the rebels TO pre-
vent Sherman's army crossing, not know
ing that he had already crossed. The
gunboat Flag set sail Immediately for
Hilton Head, and arrived here with her
Welcome passengers, on the morning OF
Monday, The 18th inst.
The news Of Shernan's safety spread
with the wings of the air, and IN an hour
or two flags luttered from many build
ings on the island, and decked ou. the
numerous shipping in the ha:oor. Dis.
patches were sent 10 Gen. Foster, who
was at the front of Pocotoligo.s He came
down Immediately, and soon after, in
company with Captain Duncan and his
scouts, embarked on a revenue cutter for
0ssibaw Sound, to endeavor 10 communi-
cate with Gen. Sherman. In the mean
time salutes were fred from Fort Pulas-
XII as a given signal 10 apprise Sherman
| hat his dispatches had been received.
Can't nuDcon ord bis ra-,11so,s "a s.o,t-
age were dressed in what may be consid-
cred the habits of Confederate citizens.
not emitting in their make ups & nicder-
ate allowance Of rents and ~tatters, 10 give
their garb an air Of plausibility. Their
eyes glistened for want of sleep, and they
ste with Gallo ~vivacity. They had not
dared venture 10 shore while ~journeying
down the Ogeechee; and they couldn't
sleep or eat very well on the gunboat
Flag. for it must be remembered they are
Western lads, and on salt water for the
Grst time. In a word, they were very
sea sick.
HOW HERNIA MARCHED.
These scouts report thst throughout
the march the army moved in four col
umns, Howard on the right. and Slocum
on the left. with cavalry in front and
rear. In this manner, it covered asirip
of nearly sixty miles in width. For three
hundred miles Sherman has cut through
Georgia a swath of sixty miles. II would
seem that the ''hero turned fugitive"
might have been found somewhere in
this tract of Is, 900 square miles If the
search for him had been very earnest
Immediately after leaving Atlanta. the
column marchingtoward Macon devastat
ed the country for miles west of the Ma
con and Atlanta Railroad, in order TO re-
tard the progress of Hood, should he at
tempt TO follow in on Sherman's rear.
WHAT OPPOSITION WAS ENCOUNTERED.
Now the least significant and cheering
fact Of the march il, that but very little
opposition to the grand raid, or rather &C
cupation, was met. II their haste to fv.
bridges over the smaller streams were, in
several instances, left unburDed by the
citizens. They were terrified out Of dis
erection, and failed to respond to the de
spairing appeals of Generals and Legs
lators, TO fell trees, burn bridges, anG
destroy substance. In no place wss the
road seriously blocksded. and the stores
that were burned were fred By the reb
1 ell cavalry, who were feared by the agIi
cultural Georgisns az much as the Yam
KEGS. The horses were seereted in the
swamps to escape both parties. We got
nearly all, because the indispensable ne
gro was very apt to designate the spot
where the coming cavalry nags we're TO
be found. Our troops had a few skirmish
es. in all Of which they were successful.
If Wheeler defeated Fitzpatrick at any
time, no one in Sherman's army was aware
of the fact when our scouts left it.
TIE CAPTURE OF NILLEDaEvILLR
The rebel papers make no mention OF
the fudIcrous IacJ thzt Nii4v3eoxI4-~
surrendered TO our scouts tTo days be
fore the main army reached the town.
These scouts were met 10y the Mayor, who.
insisted on su~rrendering the place, only
asking that private property should be
respected. These triumphant captors,
after their informal enGee, proceeded to
open the penitentiary, releasing about
one hundred and fifty inmates. some o
them members of the Federal army, con
fined for what were really military of
lenses. Very few of the citizans remain
ed, and those vino did were not disturbed
On leaving Milledgegille, our forces burn
ed the State buildings, exploded aquan
tity of ammunition, and destroyed the
ArIELDoRDE FROM SHERMAN.
While in M~illedgeyilie, 4 citizen made
complaint 10 Sherman Of having been
robbed of e considerable amount in mon
eY and a valuable gold watch, establish
ing the fact with abundant evidence.-I
Sherman Immediately issued an order de
claring that any of his army found en-
gagged stealing money or articles of nc
military value, of r~arishing, or wantonly
burning private property, would be shot.
This order was not violated, SO far Is |
could be ascertained.
DAMAGE TO III GEoEeIA RAILROADS.
Our scouts assert that Sherman has |
destroyed the great railroad |
quadrilateral, of which Atlanta, Macon. |
Augusta, and Savannah, are the fouf !
corners. The railroad leading east from |
Atlanta to Augusta is destroys for owe |
miles, including bridges over the
Yellow and contiguous rivers. The rail |
road running south from Atlanta to Ma
con, is destroyed for eighty miles. Tine
running east from Macon to Sa
yannah, IS destroyed for a distance esti
at from ninety to n hundred
miles. The railroad running between
Augusta and Savannah. is destroyed from
Waynesboro to Savannah, a distance OF
over eighty miles. The Gulf Railroad
has been cut, and Sherman's position,
when last heard from, insures that he
holds the Charleston and Savannah rail
road.
We learn that this wholesale work OF
was carried on l~eisurely, and
an eye TO completeness. Every rail was
and bent; every tie. bridge, water
tank, wood-shed, and depot
building burned, and every ~culvert blown
For miles on the Macon and SaYan
nah, and the Augusta and Savannah
roads, the track is carried over marshy
by extensive trestle work. This
is all burned, and will be very difficult to
In all, Sherman has completely
destroyed nearly 400 miles of railroad
and as he was nearly a month in
liz. no n raadiiv haliava fhot /. 5s