Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-12-29


We had been told that the country
was very poor east of the Oconee, but
our experience has been delightful
gastronomic contradiction of the state
ment. The cattle trains are getting so
large that we find difficulty in driving
them along. Thanksgiving day was
very generally observed in the army,
the troops scorning chickens in the plen-
titude of turkeys with which they had
supplied themselves.
Vegetables of all kinds, and in unlim-
tied quantities, were at hand, and the
soldiers gave thanks as soldiers may,
and were merry rs only soldiers can be.
In truth, so far as the qualification of
the stomach goes, the troops are pursu-
ing a continuous thanksgiving. III adj
dition to fowls, vegetables and meats,
many obtain delicious syrup made
from sorghum, which Is cultivated on
all the plantations, and stored away in
large troughs and hogsheads. The mills
here and there furnish fresh supplies of
-four and meal, and we hear little or
nothing of "hard tack'-that terror to
weak mastication. over the sections of
country lately traversed l find very lit
tie cultivation of cotton The com
mands of Davis appear to have been
obeyed; and our large oroves of cattle
are turned nightly into the immense
fields of ungathered coSn to eat their I'LL,
while the graneries are crowded to over
flowing with both oats and Germ.
DESTRUCTION OF RAILROADS.
By the way, the destruction of rail
roads in this campaign has been most
thorough The destruction of such long
lines of road necessarily requires time,
which In an expedition of this kind is
valuable in the highest degree. The
ordinary method of destruction was to
place the rails across a pile of burning
sleepers, their own weight bending them
But this does not iniure the rail so
much but that it may be hi ated and
Strengthened again. Instruments have
been made-one is a clasp, which locks
under the rail. 1t has ring in the top,
into which is inserted long lever, and
the rail is thus ripped from the sleepers.
When the rail has become heated a
wrench is applied, which fits close over
the ends of the rail; by turning them in
opposite directions the rail is so twisted
that even rolling machine could not
bring it back into shape.
ON THE MARCH.
All day long the army has been NOV
ing through magnificent pine woods
the savannahs of the South as they are
termed. have never seen, and | can't
conceive more picturesque sight than
the army winding along through these
grand old woods. The pines rise, naked
of branches, eighty and ninety feet, and
then are crowned with tuft of pure
green. The trees are wide apart, so that
frequently two trains of wagons and
troops in double column are marching
abreast. In the distance may be seen a
troop of horsemen, some General and
his staff, turning about here and there,
their gay uniforms and red and white
flags contrasting tremendously with
the bright yellow grass underneath aud
the deep evergreen. War has its ro-
nance and it's pleasures, and nothing
could be more delightful, nor can there
be more beautiful subjects for the ar
lists pencil than thousand sights
which have met my eye for days past,
and which can never be seen outside
the army.
HOWELL coBBs PLANTATION.
Just before his entrance into Milledg-
vile, General Sherman camped on one
of the plantations of Howell Cobb. It
was a coincidence that a Macon paper,
Cobb's address to the Geor-
gians as general commanding, was re-
ceived the same DAY. This plantation
was the property Of Cobb's wife, who
was Demar / do no. know that this
Cobb ever claimed any great reputation
as man of piety and many virtues,
but could not help contrasting the call
upon his fellow citizens to "rise and
defend their liberties, homes, etc, from
the step of the invader, to burn and
destroy everything in his front, assail
him on all Sides" and all that, with his
own conduct here, and the wretched
condition of his negroes and their quar-
ters.
We found his granaries well filled
With corn and wheat, part of which was
and eaten by our animals
Ind men. A large supply of syrup made
rom sorghum (which we have fonnd at
nearly every plantation on our march)
vas stored In On outho"ec -, ryos
slso disposed Of to the soldiers and the
Door, decrepit negroes, which this hu-
name, liberty-loying Major General left
20 die in this place few days ago. Be-
coming alarmed, Cobb sent to that place
ind removed sill the able bodied mules,
horses, cows and slaves. He left here
'ome fifty old men--cripples and women
Ind children--with clothing scarce COW
ring their nakedness, with little or no
God, and without means of procuring
my. We found them covering over the
Ire places of their miserable huts, where |
he wind whirled through the crevices
between the logs, frightened at the ap-
roach of the Yankees, who they had |
,een told, would kill them. A more
orlorn, neglected set Of human beings l |
lever saw.
General Sherman distributed to the |
negroes with his own hands the provi- |
ions left there and assured them that |
We were their friends, and they need not |
De afraid that we were foes One old |
nan answered him: II spese dat you'se |
rue; but massa, you'se III go away to- |
morrow, and anudder white man will |
sproa Ho bad payar tnau, opv4bipp