The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-12-29
ERONz GEN. SHERMAN.
His Triumphant March
THROUGH Georgia.

lulUuou UCOlSlds
The correspondent Of tue Cincinnati Ga
zetto furnishes the following interesting de
tails concerning Sherman's march through
Georgia:
On Sunday morning, the 11th inst, par
ties from plantations came down reporting
heavy cannonadmg in the direction Of Sa
vannah. and at Fort Pulaski during the pre-.
ceding night shells could be seen bursting
over or near the town. Early Monday
morning the gunboat Flag came steaming
up from the south, having on board Captain
Duncan, Myron Amick and George W..
| Quinby, three Of Sherman's scouts, and the
first of his couriers reaching our lines since
he set out from Atlanta
Capt Duncan brought a desp itch from
Gen Howard, dated the 9th inst, on the
Savannah Canal, saying: "We have had
perfect success, and the army is in tine
spirits" The canal referred to is about five
miles east OF Savannah, running from the
Savannah River to the Ogechee River, but
it is, so far as business is concerned, an OBJ
solete affair.
Captain Duncan and his COMPANIONS left
Sherman's army at Savannah Canal on the
evening Of the 9th, with written dispatches
from Generals Sherman and Howard for
General Foster They embarked in dug.
out, and padded down the Ogechee River,
hiding during the day. On Saturday night
they foated by Fort Macallister~ and the en-
osny,s r:ei.~. hn.se a,-;ns a rain storm, and
emerged into Ossibaw Sound, where they
were discovered and picked up by the Fed
eral gun5oat Flag. They passed under the
bridge over the Ogechee River on the Gulf
Railroad, which was then burning, having
probably been fired by the rebels to prevent
Sherman's army crossing, not KNOWING that
he had already crossed. The gunboat Flag
set sail Immediately for H ilton Head, and
arrived here with Der welcome passengers
on the morning of Monday, the 18th inst.
The news of Sherman's safety spread
with the wings of the air, and in an hour or
two flags futtered from many buildings on
the island, and decked out the numerous
shipping in the harbor. Dispatches, were
sent to Gen. Foster, who was at the front at
Pocotaligo He came down imme diately,
and SON after, in company with Capt. Dun.
can and his scouts, embarked on a revenue
cutter for Ossibaw Sound. to endeavor 10
communicate with Gen. Sherman. In the
meantime salutes were fired from Fort Pu-
laski, as a given signal to apprise Sherman
tina: his dispatches had been received.
Capt Duncan and his compagnons 1u
roydge were dressed IN what NAV be consid-
cred the habits If Confederate citizens, not
emitting in their make ups moderate al.
lowance Of rents and tatters, to give their
garb an air of plausbility. Their eyes glis-
tened for want of sleep, and they ate with
! Gallo vivacity They had not dared ven.
turc to shore while journevinc down, the
Ogechee; and they couldn't sleep or eat very
well on the gunboat Flag, for it must be re-
membered they are Western lads, and on
salt water for the first time. In word,
they were very sea sick.
These scouts report that throughout the
march the army moved in four columns.
Howard on the right, AMI Slocnm on the
left, with cavalry in front and rear. In this
manner, il coveredia strip Of nearly sixty
miles in width For three hundred miles
General Sherman has utttrough Georgia
swalh of sixty miles 1t would seem that
the "hero turned fugitive" might have been
found somewhere in this tract IF 10000
square miles il the search for. HIM had been
very earnest.
Immediately after leaving Atlanta, the
column marching toward Macon devastated
the country for miles west ofthc Macon and
Atlanta Railroad, in order to retard the pro-
gress of Hood, should he attempt to follow
in on Shsrman's rear.
Not the least significant and cheering fact
of the march is, that but very little opposi.
ton to the grand raid. or rather occupation,
was met In their haste to fly, bridges
over the smaller streams, were in several in.
stances, left unbnrnel hy the citizens
They were terrified ont IF discretion, and
failed to respond to the despairing appeals
of Generals and legislators, to fell trees,
burn bridges and destroy Subsistence. In
no place was the road seriously 5lockadcd.
and tha cfnres that ware hurred were fiyai
by the rebel cavalry, who were fsarei bv
the agricultural G,Drgisns ~ muc'l az the
Yankees. The horses were secreted in the
swamps to escape both parties. W. got
nearly all, because the Indispensable negro
was verv apt to designate the spit where
the coming cavalry nags were TO be found.
Our troops had few skirmishes, in all Of
which they were sue ,essful. IL Wheeler
defeated Fitzpatrick at any tina, no one in
Sherman's was aware of the fact when our
scouts left it. @
The rebel papers mike m ment ion Of the
ludicrous fact that Milledgeville was surren-
,lered to our scouts two days before the
main army reached the town. These scouts
were met by the Mayor, who insisted on
surrendering the place, only asking that pri-
vate property should be respected. These
triumphant captors. after their informal en-.
tree, proceeded to open the penitentiary, re.
leasing about one hundred AMI fifty inmates,
some of them members Of the Fe ieral army,