Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-01-12
Army Correspondence
SAvANNH, Ga. Dec. %, 1856

be qualification to our many friends al
home to know something Of our march
from Atlanta to Savannah, I will devote
this evening in attempting to give you a
short description of it.
After destroying all the Railroad track
and buildings, and other public works and
edifices in Atlanta, the ''army Of Georgia
Consisting Of the l4th and Goth corps un
der command of General Slocum. consti-
tuting the left wing, and the 18th and 10Th
Corps, under General Howard the right
wing), left there on the 10Th of November
in four parallel columns, and tr ravelled in a
general southeast direction.
Being attached to the Goth Corps and
therefore better acquainted with the Incl
dents connected with it, shall confne my
self to a description Of occurrences connected
with the route it took, so far as my own
knowledge and observations extended.
The boys all felt in excellent spirits and
we marched 16 miles the first day, camping
that night near Stone Mountain ate our
supper and enjoyed the luxury of good
sleep in the open air, rendered the more
refreshing by the exercise ofour march
We continued our course for several days
along the track of the Decatur R. R. which
we destroyed at intervals of every few
miles, burning all the depots and other
Railroad buildings. We also burned all
the cotton found along our route.
Being compelled to subsist off the coun-
try as we passed through, you may rest
assured that we let no opportunity pass Of
capturing chickens, geese, turkeys, hogs,
honey, sweet-potatoes, etc. which we found
in great plenty in this part Of the starring
Confederacy.
On the 18th we left the Decatur road
and struck across towards the Georgia
Central R. R. passing through Madison
Eatonton, Milledgeville, Sandersville and
other smaller places. Madison in partic-
ular is very pretty place, the citizens
more wealthy, intelligent, and refined than
in any other place On the route. We saw
roses and other flowers in bloom here even
at this time Of the year The weather was
warm and pleasant during nearly the whole
route, had but two days rain, and the soil
being sandy the mud soon dried up Passed
through Eatonton on the 21st, burned what
cotton we found there, and reached Mill
edgeville, the Capital of the state, on the
22d where we remained two days for rest.
The Depot &C., Armory, Penitentiary
and other Government buildings were de-
stroyed here.
All along our route the citizens were
surprised at our moderation and kind treat
ment, having been told by the rebel cavalry
(who kept in our adyance) that we came to
kill, burn, and destroy The citizens said
we treated them far better than the rebel
army did. We found none but very old
men, all the young and middle aged hav-
ing been "taken in' by the conscription
Up to this time we had met with no oppo.
sition, but on the 25lh we found some
bridges burned and trees felled across the
roads, which continued more or less the
rest Of the way, but, thanks to the Pioneer
Corps, these impediments formed no serious
obstacle to our onward march.
Skirmishing occurred with the rebel cav
airy under Wheeler on the 25th and Goth.
A number Of them were killed or captured.
We suffered slight loss. We passed through
Sandersyille on the Goth and struck on the
Georgia Central R. R. and occupied our
leisure hours in tearing it up and destroying
the depots, etc. during the march until the
first of December. We then took turn
to the northeast in order to destroy the
r. R. on the north of Millen, junction of
two roads where the rebs had prepared to
make stand and do little fighting, but
we '1anked" them, destroyed the road and
continued our course in a southeast direc-
ton for several days without much Interrupt
ton. Dec. 9th, when within IS miles OF
Savannah our scouts discovered rebel fort
on the other side Of a swamp, built directly
in the road. They had cut down the trees
on each side Of the road Ealing them across
the road for about half mile, in order to
give sweep for their artillery When
within mile of them they commenced
shelling US; the column halted, and the
31st Wis. and 61st Ohio under command
Col. West (of the 31s) were ordered to
charge and take the fort Accordingly our
boys waded for half mile through the
swamp and as soon as they got out to the
edge Of the timber, the rebs, numbering