, 1864-07-29
" n mile from the mint where the first at

number Of them as prisoners. Gen Thomas
reports Just NOW, the result Of the nght tnis
afternoon as most signal and glorious vic
tory. Thank God and our brave boys TOT IL.
think the final attack upon Atlanta VIII oe
can't be delay ed long, Johnston must fight,
surrender or run. Il he will fight, the result
10 one can aoubt, he will not IN all prooa-
bllity surrender, aud If he retreats 1t VII!
have, IN my opinion, a most ruinous and
demora1izing effect upon his army: Az de-
t9re US o1d tbat at a a9aT vii tIs
beyond Atlanta The Augusta and Atlanta
RaiIoad is already cut at Decatur q point
some eight miles from Atlanta, efectnally
cutting of Johnston from getting position
on stone mountaip, twelve miles southeast
Of the city. Y he retreat he must 60 In she
dire tction Of Macon-he can't 10 well on the
West Point ronte, for the reason that upon !
reaching the Chattuhoochcc at that place ne
would lose oil his trains md trnnsportahon;
the railroad through Alabama being ais Inch
es narro Wer Ill its gauge, than the Georgia
road. The general wish seems to be that he
will make. q stand at or near Atlanta, and
take his thrashfDg there; for it is generally
believed If he were defeated badly NOW, It
would virtually end this campaign II not the
war. / most heartily hope it aay be 80. l,
not tired Of whipping rebels, not tired Of
serving my country, not tired Of doing what
is simply my duty aud my privilege; for all
these things. am willing to do, and will con-
tinue to do most cbeerfully as long rs IN arm,
cd foe, Insults our comIon Tag but
ure to which We are all huIjectea-tircd OF
this long and paintul separation from my
family nld friends-and absence from my
business. III al tlrse respects VIC aufler. and
must continue 80 to do Us loug Us the rebelllon
lasts.
It is most intenee1y hot bere-and !" icc-
cold lemonadea'' and Lake Michigan breezcs
are luxufies that the weary. 1ainti1g soldier
is a stranger to. I often wonder II yo0r
good people ut home ever seriously think 81
the hardships aud priVations TINT We poor fel-
lows are subjected to In this chfval'ic "su9-
ny South?" Have you ever thought what It
Is to start ut carly dawn, aud march and fight
until dark1ess closes your harl d4ys work,
then cutting Aastly Jour ailo ance Of bacon
and hard.tack," and swallowing your mug OF
|, dark, strong, uncreamed coffee, throw your
self, worn and weary, upon the ground, hap
the unwclccme sound ofttboo1s and saadles'
| two or three times durlug tho night? r not,
think Of the poor soldier as 5uu "lihdraW
| from your bountiful meal to- night, aud retire
| to your pleasant couch, and pray God that
| oufdst ull hIs toils and hardships, 4 may,
| but grant the soldier health-thls Is all We
ask, sickness and disease are nll We fear.
This ''Sunby South,' about which we have
heard SO much, and Of which, "in' your
| minds eyer ne have drawn SO many fanclful
bug. Taken literally, grant you, 1t H. "suu-
ny7 enough. 1 would not exchange good
two hundred acre farm In Illinois forany five
miles square hare get seen In Georgia, With
oil the ''Americsn It cttizens Of African de-
sce1t" thrown in.
The land. thus far, Is mountainous and
rough. thu soil, except in small valleys here
nud there, very rocky, sandy and sterile.
The principal productions Of this season Of
The ycar being. blackbcrries,. black
snakes, ard black, white, aud yellow
babies: The first is at iair aartiels' arl.1a
and the third, presume, are babies, at least
their mothers say they are, or very recently
hnye been. atn GLAD they are not mine.
This last production, so common to MI
countries, Is TeEy abundant here, without re-
ference to coil and climate; the crop at each
Of the Oldest seldom exceeding in years the
number found in the squad or platoon.
One Of the sorrowtul features OF the war
ie, the woful condition in which 1t leaves the
| poor women and children Of thfs country.
That portion OF the State over which we
have already passed Was the most thickly
populated part Of Gcorgia, fonr-n tbs of the
people bc1ne, yety poor, some Of the balance
were accounted *:,ood iiyers," few wealthy.
The good 1ivers and wealthy hayo utmost all
lett with their families, and especially theiI
niggers {but even some Of these have lett
with tho everlasting Niger, and left their
families unprotected 1T homel aud gone fur
tEer South. This leaycs 1.-The poor white
r,neh'' all behind. They lad no Satnbo to
run away with, few Of them wanted to 60,
and those that did could rot. They almost
all had n4eir small allowance Of s'corn aud
bacon" that Would serve for food until the
little patcll Ct corn aud potatoes, which they
have cultivated themselves, would ripen.
But the rebel or1ny as it fell back, stripped
thin almost Of every thing, so that wc fad
destitute Their husbands, cons and bro
tbers, have either gone Willingly or been
forced lntn the rebel army, 30 that the only
Males VIC find, n1c the very old and feeble, o.
the lad who has not yet reached bis tas's.
!, aud children, in the. frafi of theec two :.rea1
srmics. We do not stop an h"ur any Where:
, without having arou1d ns, from flVe to hitJ
: | Of thtec poor Wnulen and Children, some o
them bafefoot, that lave walked from three
to nftrtn miles, over the rocks and through
the eand, to beg and CRY for bread, many ol
: | them not having had mouthtnl o
! | znJtbfng for five or six days.
: This Is daily Scene, in the heart Of this
SO alled glorious Couiederacy. What Is te
. become OF these poor creatures. Hea:en onlj
!. kDpws. Gen. Sherman is svniiog MI Of then
! That be can turpiel transportation for, to ths
= North, where tte7 Gill get tln[loyment aut
. dread. I am willing that our Government
= olways noted for its ncts Of humanity, ever
! thing to relieve their w:nts, and pre:cryc th'
= lives OF these poor people, Jet, dread tn!
consequences of eendiDE to the North, sucl
, great numbers of this class Of people. The,
= are indolent, ehift1ees aud ignorant, the5 vii
: be no benefit to the labor department Of th
! band, It will convert the North into on
. grand "poor house'' for the reception ant
q maintenance of the paupers Of the South
!. and thtir rnme is legion. ,...,,
/ The raider, ns our Gen. stoneuan Is famfl
i iarly called By the boys, has Just returne:
n from a dash down the river, some fifty mile
9 rotthw1st OF here. Gen. Sherman sent Il
= in that objection for the purpose Of diyerttnl
n the enemy, while the infantry made cross
y ing over fhe river above the railroad. Ant
|. tic plan, daslspg down the river with abou
= three thousand cavalry, aud battery, striE
!; ipg It, first about ten miles below, and open
- ing bis battery upon the enemy opposite, the
,r of cc1rsc suppose we are about to cross, an
d lush to the defense OF that point in larg
n force. General s leaves ole section of hi
!. battery there, and tew men, to entertain th
~ rebels, and 1ushrs back few miles into th
t. country, out of sight OF the enemy, and th
r. next they hear Of him Is a other eectio
& opened twenty miles further down and
d. second division agnin, made; anu again
4 kullU+ ELL iuhET uU"us uulil IEuclo Aa
= thesouth bnnk Of the river lined with me
=. and batteries for forty miles. In the mca
time, while the rebels have all their attentio
- turned in this direction, the 23d Arm
: Corps strike the river seven miles abov
1 the railroad, snd are safely owe!
~ the meantime Gen 8. lashes across the rive
'e ut Morris bridge, and drives the enemy .fros
~ the river; comes back ngnin, as directed, de
i stroys the bridge, 50 that the enemy cannt
n cross In our rear, and retraces lls steps, d
u etroyirg The bridges and terries 81 along t.
n destruction Of all the ferries and bridges a
- the river, the capture OF nearly 200 prisoner
"a | q number fnot known Of tue enemy ktlle
:, aud wounded, almost 200 captured mules an
q horsce, 1arge amount OF cora and osco'
the destruction Of several large mills aud fa
tories that were In tue rebel employ; and OF
l. entire loss was one man captured ald I"
wounded. ...
Gen. Sherman has left to Gen. stonema
the entire protection OF the left wing OF Il
= and from there the rieht, and most succes
- fully has he done 1t. He is dashipg, but ca
- tjous; and has been successful In every mo
get rade by him during the campaign. Tho
or with 1ltm, and undcr him, have to work.
~ has The best working stall in tins army, M
Il who are not in the army forproflt or pleasur
e. but from Eenee Of patriotism and dut
a. -Four Of them are from Illinois, two from t
~ 18th and TWO from the 10th Illinois cayalr
80 bis medical director from the LIST Kentuc!
or cavalry, Capt. Perkins 12th United States
fantry, and btajor Keough, formerly OF &c
john Bnford's staff, Is his efficient and &c
t1emanly aid. We have no wagons, carry
sseaddle- e-bags'' upon mule, and get our !
m tions as we can. Our headquarters are Whe
I'd night oyertakes rs, or when We reac9 !
~ ~ fton1 we arc pushing for; blanket, aud
he ground our bed, ard in all this We fare u
on as we'll and no better than onr brave co