The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-01-06

uOuDleu Hllll upon tne MAN body.
: But Fitzpatrick wouldn't stay 'double,
5 up" On the next day Wheeler was com
PEELED to make his usual report that h
f had "signally repulsed Fitzpatrick" bu
was g obliged to 1aN Jack," the result O
which was that he was driven bacl
through Waynesboro' and beyond Brie
Greek, the railroad bridge over which wa
destroyed, within twenty miles of Angus
ia, which was the nearest approach of ou
forces to that city. Fitzpatrick then tool
up a position to guard Sherman's rear
and while doing so, his force loaded thei
wagons with the forage and provisions O
Burke county, for Use in the less fertil,
counties in the region of the coast.
The March TO Savannah-Sherman Law.
in Supplies.
1t has been shown that Gen. Sherman.
army occupied about eight days in NOV
inc from Milledgevill to Millen, an aver
age distance of seventy-tive miles. Thi.
is only tr!fe over nine miles per day, but
there is no evidence that he was in mo.
ton all the time. On the contrary the
rebels discovered, after he had passed Mil
len, the real object Of his liesurely pro.
gress. Fully aware that the resistance at
Savannah might be formidable, and thai
communication with the fleet and the
procurement Of supplies from Port Roya]
might be attended with difficulties con-
SumlnS considerable time, he paid more
attention than usual to foraging in the
fertile counties eff Jefferson. Washington.
Burke, Glasscock, Warren and Hancock,
all Immediately west OF southwest of Au-
guSta. The rebels said he stopped to
grind corn" But the corn didn't need
grinding. The animals ate it in the ear,
and the men We're not reduced to that ar
ticle Of diet They brought hard tack
enough in their wagons from Atlanta to
last them through the journey, and the
commssaries issued mainly fresh beef,
mutton pork. poultry, sorghum, &C., OBJ
tanned in the country. Another object Of
Sherman's moderate progress, which the
rebels were not 50 ready to acknowledge,
was the destruction of the railroads. The
railroad bridge over the Oconcc was burn
ed after the rebels under Wayne had been
forced back. and that over the Ogechee
near ScbaStopool Station, twenty-five
miles West of Milllen. shared a like fate.
The track was also DESTROYED in many
localities for miles. extending all the way
from GriSwol,l\illc to Millen. on the Geor-
gia Central, ninety->even miles, and from
Covington to Charlottesville, on the Geor-
"ia State road, a distance of sixty miles.
Fitzpatrick, after driving Wheeler behind
, WayneSboro', in the direction of Augusta
Dec, 3, also tore up the track and burned
the bridges over Bricr creek, Buckhcad
'creek, and several smaller streams Thi.
was on the Wayncsboro' branch railroad
connecting Savannah with Augusta via
Milen.
The Rebels Make a Discovery.
The object of Shcrnan'> cautious marcl
through Washington and Jefferson coun-
ties, and the point at which he had re-
solved to strike. which was never for Il
moment undecided in his own mind. only
became apparent to the rebels when il
was too late to prevent it. Macon ha'
been threatened. and Cobb's forces shut III
in its intrenchment>, leaving them useleS
and in the rear. when Sherman moved on
Augusta was threatened, and all the troops
that could be gathered were put in the for
tifications. Charleston and Wilmington
were denuded for .iuguSta's defense. ant
South Carolina militia were assembled a
Hamburger, opposite Augusta, to cooper
ate if necessary Thus Savannah was al
most overlooked, and when Sherman head
ed his columns directly and rapidly for thu
city. which he did on the 4th of Deccm
ber, he left all the rebel forces gathere,
, for his defeat we'll in the rear, and foun,
a ftcbly garriSoned city in his front. Th
situation, as viewed by the rebels, whel
they fully realized this fact, was aptly de
scribed by one Of the Augusta papers thus
on the Sd of December" Sherman la
not tor u montent heNtuted, in our humbl
judgment, as to the point to be attacke
: or the road to it. When his torag
and provision trains are full he vii
: mass his entire force at Nlillcn: THROWING
t his cavalry to the rear, with his WACO
train between the two wings of his army
he will move in compact columns, steadil
but cautiously upon the city of Sananna
g 'rdh no teor Of attacl' on either ,iitHk. Th
Ogcechee and a few crossings and terrlbl
Y swamps on his right, and the Savanna
\ river and its equally swampy banks on hi
left, both ,Ko,'ks ,rW be most securely corere
n a grand desideration in army movement:
! And thus situated he has march some
! thing over eighty miles to the city of S;
O vannah." When the Augusta peopI
n heard that their city was no longer threa
h ened, they drew a long breath and congra
O ulated themselves ''The trowns and sac
f ness with which the countenanccs of on
: citizens have been bedecked,' said Il
: Sentinel, have given way to smiles an
mirth." That is 6 smiles and mirth b.
y cause their neighbors in Savannah wel
l.. to be the recipients of Sherman's favor
and not they.
Sherman Moves Rapidly.
From Millen to Savannah is sevent,
1t nine miles After leaving Millen, Ge1
n Sherman made rapid and regular march
n upon Savannah, on the 9th inst. &c
,e Howard struck the canal which connec
'e the Ogeechee with the Savannah at
n noint abont ten miles to the rear (west)