Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-12-27

| ne other ls the georgia failTOa0 running lfOul
Augusta TO Atlanta, at from 40 tc 90 miles north
of the Georgia Central Railroad, and making the
distance to Atlants. from Augusta, II miles.
! At Nil en-. On the Georgia Central road. 70 miles
north of Savannah, is the junction Of brsuoh
read called the NaynesboTo' Railroad, which egt-
meets with Augusta, J3 miles distant, and nskes
The diferercr by rail from ~ yannah TO Augusta,
1872 mis'
THE STRATEGY on TIE START.
Tn. plan Of Gen. Sherm1n's march oontsmpls-
ted the covering of these Two lines OF railroad
their consequent destruction and concentration
of his forces at Or beyond MilIedgeylle, with hll-
patrick cavalry force well disposed IN front and
vsantly covering esch flank, The movement a1d
route Of his infantry columns we're so well masked
that, from first TO last, the enemy were in tola.
ignorance Of the position Of his main body, and
only discovered The track Of his infantry columns
after they had lett their ylgiIent foes many n'is'
in the rear. Tbs was most lofcb.y demonstrated
by the admirable strategy With which Sherman
demonstrated against Macon, shutting zap Cobb
m'Iitia-the only force contesting his march-ln
the fortifcatons Of lh,t city, threat ming it by a
strong eavslry force, while his main body moved
on and eft the rsdoulabis Cobb and bis cymmand
10 bis rear.
Tue MOVEMENT or THE RIGHT WING.
The riebt wing moved directly south from Az.
lants, which il 10 Fulton County to Rough and
Ready and Jonesboro stations, on the Alac n and
Western Railroad, in Fayette County. Ga Nov.
l6 ore column Of The right wing passed through
JoneIboro, rs miles south Of Atlanta, Nhssl-fb
cavalry and Co55s militia retiring upon Grilin.
Another column Of the r.gh! wing occupied Me-
Donough. Nov. II the county seal OF Henry
County, some distance cast OF Jcues. .sro' and
about 3j miIps southeast Of Atlantis. On tae
10th, Wheeler engaged our eavalry a. Bear Greek
station, ten miles north Of Gtiip, and tsiegraphel
Gen. HarGee that be had checked the Yankee
advance" The very same evening, az six o'clock
hi. ragged trooper, fell back through Griffin, %
The direction Of Bsroesvie, where Cobb. mi.i.s
had already preceded hlm. Our cavalry occupied
Gnfn, which is the county 'esi of Spa.d ~ Colu-
tv, on the l1lh and IN the ISL, drove Whee er
out Of BarnesyIlle, in Fke County, and through
Forsyth, the county seat Of Mcnroe County, 16
miles south Of Atlanta and p miles nouhNe't Of
Msson.
The FEIST AGAINST MACON.
This demonstration, though only made by cav
airy, con mp.siey deceived Cobb, who pa, ell his
force 10 the tntEenehmens Of thlt place. and by
military impresmen. put every male resident 10
the ranks TIE right wing moved on from Nc
| Donough on the l6.h, to Jackson, tbs county
seat cf Butts county, and thence TO Planters Fac
tory on the Oca.ulgee river, which w4s s1cces'-
| fully crossed on the 20.h, thus leaving Macon IN
our right aad rear, distant about twenty-five
miles.
TIE CROSSING or THE 0cMNLGEE.
TIL, crossing of the O,mugee vas urcon;sstsd.
! Il was the first indication that Sherman would
pass by Macon, which is in BIB county, without
an effort to take il. The ieint was admirably
made by our cavalry, which pressed the rebel
forces holly from Forsyth, and then vsering
around to The east Of Macon, attacked 'afcs of
rebels at point known as Est Nacop where We
captured battery, Vhcl The rebels calm they
rstook Tais was on the 20 b, and on the same
day our cavalry advanced to GnsEo dvllIe, eight
miles east Of Macon, where they captured !an
| Der traiu, bnrned foundry aud the chemical
works, tore Up the railroad and cui the telegraph.
| At tn. same time part o.! Gen. llovard's con-
m,nd moved rapidly lhtugA Monticello, The
county seat u Jasper county, Wn-re the court
house was burned, via. H.,lsboro, IL the south
ern part Of the sam. county, TO Clinton, the c0ur-
ty seat Of Jones' county for he purpose Of Slr.k
| ing the Georgia Central Railroad at Gordon, the
junction Of the branch road - Nlilledgsv.lls
IllAving iefl Cibb's forces ia MicJn, now II his
rear, Sherman sent 40 infantry force to ae.a=
rear guard at Griswo.dviils whts he moved
toward the Oconee, occupied Miledgeyi,le, ani
destroyed the railroad.
Gen. Sherman entered Milledgeve Nov, 81,
having made the march from Atlanta IN Just
seven days, with no haste on the part OF any Of
bis columns Average distance by the rou IS
marched, ninely-hye miles.
A AsKIRMlsu AT GRlswoLDvLLg.
On the 22i the rear guard at GriiWodyills was
attacked by force Of rsb's from Macon, under
Gen. Philip composed of brigades Of mill
th. two regiments OF State lns troops and The
Augusta and Athens battaons. The rebel &C
eoun, Of the battle says that it lasted several
hours, and ths the gallant Georgh militia charged
across an open field and drove our troop, from
their line of works. During the night, they say,
our troops rdirtd-thaI is, continued their al
rance, A, this was but mere Skirmlsh with the
rear guard Of the right Ning, the truth OF the reo-
e claim to success may he estimated IN the TACT
that they acknowledge q 10" Of Ola in killed and
wounded, and one Of their commluders, Gen.
Anderson, was censurtd for bis reckls" exposure
Of the tender militia. lie was also severely
wounded IN The ishi Tbs was tie mast con.
siderable engagement in the whole march.
TUE MOVEMENT OF TUE LEFT VINO.
The lslt wing under Gen. Slooun, left Athna
Nav. H. moving out by the Decatur road for a
short distance and then branching OF t. the right
and passing through De kaio County, by way Of
Fiat Rcck and Swapping Shoals to Coylnglon, the
county ,eat Of Newton County, which point the
advance reached on Nov. H. the cavalry pushing
on As fAras Sloia Circle, 10 Walton County
station on the railroad htytwo miles east Of Al.
antl, whtr, the railroad buildings we're burned
Coyngton is situated in the mds, Of a very fertile
country, and forsging Was carried on to an tXlen-
sive degree A parry from one Of tue brigades
Of the rsentieth Corps, while out fomging some
distance north Of the rarol', at Oxford, were
fred upon by bushwhacksis, and ons Of their
number killed. Here the order ior relentless
devastation Of the oluntry was carried out With a
degree OF severity which resulted in the destrue
ton Of Emory College, at Oxford. Il was the
preperty Of the Methodist Church, had seyera
hne Libraries, min,ralo icll cabinet, iue chem
io,l apparatus, and cost nearly halt million dol
lars before the war. The plantations in this
(Newton) county we're thoroughly stripped, and
our troops lived on the ia, OF the land. They
we're mucl ,urpti,ed at the ichne,s ot the e1ua.
Try they passed Ihroush,
TIE LINE OF TIE GEORGIA RAILROAD.
From Coyiogton Gen. Slacum moved directly
east to Madison, the county seat Of Morgan eoun'
ty, his cavalry covering bis left llluk and destroy
ing the railroad thoroughly. At Madison the
rai,oad buildings, the jail, several warehouses aud
the msrkei-hnuss vers burned. F,om Madison
the l.f wing moved almost doe nouIh npon Ea-