Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-01-05

llTU ARMY CORPS, DILLON s BRIDGE, :
NEAR SAVANNAH, GA, Dec. |.
Marching from Atlanta on
the 18th we were fairly launched on our jour.
ney, and looked back as long as we could in
the direction of home, watching the smoke
hanging over the doomed city, and the lofty
peak Of classic Kennesaw beyond 1t was
sad farewell to the graves of the brave
men We had seen fall in the late campaign.
They rest in peace, and it will be long before
their slumbers are din that welcomed them
to their final resting place.
Our march for the first two or three days
was tedious in the extreme, being accom-.
pllshed for the most part in the night, over
miserable roads, and we began to think it
wond be long before we should bath in
salt aodter," But after passing McDonough
we struck better roads, and fine county,
Forage became abundant, and animals and
men made themselves at home in Georgia
No one went hungry7.and many. became
fat, "tle subscriber being among the many.
We took oil we wanted, which means that
for space of 60 miles in width extending,
you may say, dlagonally across the State,
welleft almost nothing at all eatable. 1t is
as il an army had marched from Cleveland
to Cincinnati desolating the country for q
width of 60 miles, aud leaving famine in its
wake. This is mentioned with more satis-
faction than you suppose; for though the
destruction is thus widespread. do not be-
lieve il will produce any very great suffer-
ing. The people will only have Ogo where
the army has not been, and then they will
lind as good subsistence as they deserve, so
that i IL merely destroying so much that
would otherwise go to feed our active enc.
mics.
In addition to what we have eaten we
have used on an average at least 5000
fence rails daily to cook opr food, and warm
ourselves by. This, however, is small al
lowance, being only one rail to each man.
Two to man will bc nearer correct.
What will strike you a. very singular,
zoe hare shot all The dogs zoe could .fad.-
These animals have been actually enrolled
IN tho Confederate service, and thinking the
arrangement very suitable one, we have
accepted them as on an equality with ell
supporters Of the Confederacy. The duty
to which these animals have been assigned
by the great dogs Of the Confederacy is that
OF running down our escaped prisoners, the
old men, boys, and rebel women assisting
the dogs. This is no jest, In every coun-
ty regular packs of bloodhouuds are kept
for this very purpose, and instances can be
cited in which prisoners have been torn to
pieces by them; and so terrible have they
become that attempts to escape are beoom-
ing very rare. A Provost Marshal and
pack of dogs in every county to hunt pris-
oners and deserters are among the latest
devices by which these polished Southern
gentlemen hope to achieve their indepen-
dence.
10 resume my narrative-we marched
leaving Macon to eur right and struck the
Georgia Central r. II. at Gordon, twenty
miles M S East OF the former place on the 25th
The Railroad has been thoroughly destroy
ed from near Macon to within twenty miles
of this city. The Atlanta and Augusta r.
X. has gap in it of more than one hun
dred miles, and every saw mill, Touring
mill, and factory in reach Of the army has
been burned. These may be repaired aud
rebuilt, but we eau easily destroy them
again.
During the whole march we were never
confronted by the enemy in any respectable
force, kilpatrick's cavalry was more than
a match for oil their forces, aud might have
made the march alone for any resistance he
encountered. In the whole march / did
not s,e te:exceed fifty men. They are all in
the army-from the oldest to the youngest.
We struck the enemy first about ten miles
from Savannah on the 9th inst, skirmished
with him one afternoon, aud next morning
forced in the works within three miles Of
the city. The city is completely invested
the river below the city. while Gen. Foster
is investing the South Carolina side. We
have captured Fort McAllister with some
4 M hAa md all tka