Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-12-08
From sherman.

New YORK, Dec. Prom the Richmond
Dispatch of Dec. I'd. a cavalry fight in
were victorious took place in East
Georgia, on Tuesday. The yankee cavalry
under Fitzpatrick, were attempting to cross
the Savannah river when they were attack
cd by Wheeler, and after an obstinate fight
was driven back in the direction of Mcllen,
losing very heavily.
Richmond Dispatch of the I'd, also says:
Sherman $ main army is moving towards the
coast and a battle is expected.
From the Richmond Whtgof Dec. I'd:
Itdocs not seem that our authorities have
any suspicion of the effect the movement of
Hood would have, at least we judge so from
the very feeble opposition which has thus
far been made to the advance of Sherman.
1t is plain that he is moving to the coast and
that he has been enabled to live upon the
country. We think it probable that Sher-
man will reach the Atlantic in comparative
safety. His next move in our opinion will
be by sea to Richmond. We do not believe
he can succeed in taking either Augusta or
Savannah. Indeed should he succeed in
capturing the first named place it will do
him no good since he will find there nothing
he was seeking; at the last named he will
have to fight and that he is very well aware
of and does not wish to do before securing
base upon the sea.
! Charleston, for the present at least, we
think to be entirely out Of the question. -
Should he determine to secure himself on
/ the sea and thence issue during the winter
| to ravage the country or carry on regular
water campaign, he must be kept in as we
suppose he can. In the meantime he aban-
dons an immense tract of country in the in
terror over which it is impossible that his
army, situated on the ocean and closely
watched, can exercise any influence tor good
or evil. We do not see that Sherman S last
exploits will have any effect upon the issue
of the war, but after having been told by the
highest authorities in the Confederacy that
his retreat from Atlanta was to be more dis
astrous than the retreat of Napoleon from
Moscow, it is a little vexatious to find hin
getting off so cheaply burning and murder
ing as he goes.
The Richmond Dispatch of the Sd, says
Seven hundred prisoners have been received
at Augusta who were captured while forag
ing for Sherman army.
The Government has pardoned all tn,
convicts in the penitentiary, put arms il
their hands, and sent them to the front, ex
cept those who were put in for life, whom h
| could not rcpricve, according to law.
Heavy cannonading was heard all yester
day in the direction of Macon believed t
be a battle between Sherman and our forces
I A letter in the Augusta Chronicle, from
l memberof the Georgia Legislature, givin
4 his experience in escaping from Sherman
l army, he and others having been taken acros
r the country, shows the extent Of the deva'
r tation inflicted on the country. He says:
- Going to McCradle's place, he found hi
C fine house in ashes and his gin house burr
= ed, and every horse and mule gone. In h
7 lot were about 100 cattle lying dead. The
. looked like good stock, and were evidentl
e killed to deprive planters of them.
y Proceeding on we found every plantatio
: on the road similarly devastated except tn;
: no other dwelling houses were burned unit
; we reached the fine farm of Hon. Joshu
e Hill. This is aperfect wreck. A large gi
house full of cotton, corn-cribs, &C., wei
4, stripped. His loss was greater than an
+ planter in this section. Besides the cottor
!; several thousand bushels Of corn and pot;
1 toes, several hundred bushels ofwheat, an
q much other valuable property, with hors,
t and mules and many negroes are gone.
e They ravaged the country below here
+ the Oconee river the roadswerc strewn wit
the debris of their progress. Dead horse
, cows, sheep, hogs, chickens, corn, whea
g cotton, broken vessels, cotfee-mills, and tral
d ments of nearly every species of proper
were strewn along the way.
g In Madison they burned the depot al
N two or three old houses, with the marke
II house They gutted the stores and plunde
r ed more or less in every lot. They fir
" every store and several houses, and tn,
officers with show of magnanimity aid
r to put out the flames. Many families ha
at not pound of meat, or peck of meal hor
4, many negroes were taken from homes
Is comfort to share the uncertain fortunes o
, winter march to the coast, and there fore
u, to starve Many families of wealth ha
al not house servant left, and those who we
1T the most trusted were often the first to leay
The Richmond Wing of the I'd, says:
" Price with large army is within striki
s. distance of Little Rock.