Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-12-08
A VIVID PICTURE or sHERMAN's
PROGRESS.
The Adventures OF u skedaddIIng Reb.
eI Legislator.


One of the rebel Legislators that fed
from Milledgeville, thus describes his e1-
Periences after reaching RAtonton. They
urnish good picture of Georgia life un-
der the reign of Msjor General Sherman:
We found Eatonton sgitated The
streets were throuDged with horsemen,
some moving out TO look for the enemy
ard some prudently moving the other way.
The windows and pi=zzss were lined with
ladies and children, many of the former,
and all the latter very pretty, and ali
dreRding the advent of the vile vandals,
whose despicable character ia best Illus
trstei in the fact that they are terror to
the helpless. A village waiting for the
Yankees is picture worthy a Hogarth.
Leaving cur baggage, we took hssty
dinner determined to keep the road to
Madison until our pickets should notify
us Of the approach ofthe Yankees. About
three o'clock g scout came dashing down
the road at a Gipin speed, crying, HTo
the woods TO the woods I and lss l0ood-
ed.
After waiting several hours in the rain,
under rail pen, improyised for the occs-
sion, we determined to 90 out on the road
to see what was going on. We had not
travelled hundred yBrds before a party
Of eerulean clad equestrians came dashing
up, and in very polite manner briefly re-
quested Us to halt. The request was ac-
companied with most significant cooking
of carbines and pistols, which, brought 10 q
horizontal attitude in ones front, are very
persuasive, especially TO an uDarmed civil
ian and We halted. After a brief and hur-
ried talk in which we were questioned
very closely about the country, troops in
the vicinity, &c, they drove on; we gath
cred from their actions that they were the
advance guard Of the fUrCe rom Madison,
snd were expecting TO meet another force
from Monticello at the fork near by. Ap-
pretending that our overcoats and small
residue Of cash, and other personal effects,
would not be safe in tho molly crew COM
prising the Yankee army, we resolved to
keep the woods until they should pass.
We therefore trraed 10 our Pen and
staid until morning. We then proceeded
through the woods, within hearing dis
t4nce Of the road.
Late on Sunday their main column COM
menced passing, and we found it very
difficult TO avoid them. They swArmed
through the fields, shooting cattle and
plundering Unfortunately until late in
the night. We were more in dread of
being shot as bust whaekers than we had
of being plundered, and probably should
have kept the road; but we now had no
choice but to avoid them ifpossible. Their
wagons were rumbling along the Month
colo road on our left and on the Madison
road on the right, while they sWaTmed in
The country between. We could hear
them talk and hear their caps explode as
they passed within a few feet of us The
night was intensely cold, wet ard dark,
aave when the distant CLEAN Of burning
house lighted up the horizon. Their main
columns were passing from about two
o'clock on Sunday afternoon until about
nine o'clock at night. The next day they
were passing during the morning, and we
continued in the woods. This was on the
third day out, during which time it had
rain ed continually, and we had subsisted
on parehed corn. On Tuesdsy morning
we determined 70 take the road and push
on. Going to McCredles place we
found his fire h5use in ashes and
his gin-house burned, and every horse and
u1NlD kOAGs IL AA1 AOk Al1LD WClc hDOuk
one hundred cattle lying dead. They
looked like good stock, and were evidently
killed to deprive the planters Of them.
Proceeding on we iOund every plantation
on the road similarly desolated, except
that no other dwelling houses were burned
until We reached the line msnsion of Hon.
Joshua Hill Probably the Hill who ran
against Brown for Governor of Georgia
This is perfect wreck; q large
Clubhouse full Of Gotten, corn-eribs,
dwelling, all q smouldering ruin. His loss
was gre2ter than that of any planter in
this section. Besides the cotton, several
thousand bushels of corn, potatoes, several
hundred of wheat, and much other val
usble property, with every horse and mule
and many negroes, ere gone. No farm
on the road to this place and as far as we
can hear towards Atlanta escaped their
brutal raYages. They rsvRged the coun-
try below here 20 tho Oconee river The
roads were stTewn with the debris of their
progress,