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


miserable huts, where the wind whistled
through the creyices between tho logs
frightened at the approach Of the Yankees
who they had been told. would kill them
A more forlorn, neglected set OF human be
inps never saw.
General Sherman distributed TO the ne.
groes with his own hands the provisions lef,
here, and assured them that we were their
friends, and they need net be afraid that w
were foes. One old man answered him: 81
spose.dat you'se true; but massa, you'se u
90 way tomorrow, and an aDudder white
man will come" He had never known
anything but prosecutions and fears from
the white man, and had been kept in such
ignorance ofus that he did net dare put
faith in any white man.
REBEL LIES TO NEGROES.
This terrorism, which forms 80 striking q
feature Of slavery, has had marked illustra-
tions ever since We left Atlanta. The ne
groes were told that as soon ss we get them
into our clutches they were put into the
front sfthe battle, and we killed them il
they did not fight; and that we threw the
women and children into the Chattahoe-
chez, and when the buildings were burned
in Atlanta, we filed them with negroes TO
be roasted and devoured by the flames
These stories, which appear 80 absurd TO
US, are not too extravagant for the simple,
untutored minds Of the negroes. They are
easily frightened, and full Of superstition.
In most any other instance, such bloody
tales would have frightened them entirely
cut Of our sight to the woods and other
hiding places, but they assert with much
innocence and elee that "massa can't come
dat over wer We kuow'd heap better
What for de Yankees want to hurt black
men. Massa hates de Yankees, and he's
No fren' ter me; so We am do Yankees bes
frens," Very simple logic that, but it is
sufficient for the negroes.
Gea. Sherman invites all abls-bodiea ne
groes (others could not make the msrch) to
join tho column, and he takes especial pleas
ure when they join the procession, on some
occasions telling them that they are free,
that Massa Lincoln has given them their
liberty, and that they can 60 where they
please; that if they earn their freedom they
should have it-but that Massa Lincoln had
given it to them anyhow. They all seem
to understand that the proclamation Of free
dom had made them free, and have met
but few instances where they did not say
they expected the Yankees were coming
down sometime or other and very generally
they are possessed with the idea that we
are fighting for them, snd that their free
dom is the object Of the war. This notion
they got from hearing the talk of their mas
ters.
"Stick in dar!" was the angry exclama-
tion Of one of the party of negroes to an
other, who was asking toe many questions
of the eficer who had given them perrnis-
sion to join the column. Stick in dar; it's
all right; we's gwins alsng; wo's free."
Another replied to question, "Oh yas,
Massa, de people hereabouta were heap
frightened when dey heard you's coming;
dey busted out very sudden"
DESTRUCTION OF RAILROADS.
BY the way, the destruction of railroads
in this campaign has been most thorough.
The destruction of such long lines Of road
necessarily requires time, which, in an ex-
pedition of this kind. is valuable in the
highest degree. The ordinary method Of
destruction was to place the rails across q
pile Of burning sleepers, their own weight
bending them.
METHOD OF DEsTRUoTIoH.
But this does not injure the rail so much,
but that it may be heated and Strengthened
again. Instruments have been made. One
Is clasp, which locks under the rail, it has
. ring in the top. into which is inserted a
long lever, and the rail is thus ripped from
the sleeper. 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 il
back into shape. In this manner have been
destroyed some 30 miles of rails which lay
in ha ast of tl ~. th IL
on the Augusta & Atlanta Road, from the
last named place to Madison; and thus far
the Georgia Central Road, from few miles
am now writing.
THE MARCH TO oGECHEE.
MAR JoHHsoN's, on TIE SoUrH SIDE
. GEORGIA RAILROAD, Nov. 20.
We have not heard from the army on the
North side of the railroad since it left us at
Sandersville; not from Fitzpatrick until to,
day, and then indirectly through negro,
who reports that the son of his master rode
all the way from Louisville in great haste,
reporting that Wheeler was fighting the
Yankees, who were advancing on Augusta.
Gen. Sherman's second step in this cam
paign will have been equally successful with
the first, if he is able to cross the Ogechee
Tomorrow without opposition. Davis and
Kilpatrick's movement has been blind in
order to facilitate the passage over the Ok
echee Of the main body Of the army. which
for two days past has been marching on par
allel roads South of the railroad.
Thus far we have reason to believe that
the rebels are ignorant of our principal
movement, and are trembling with the fear
that Augusta is our objective.
= Fitzpatrick is doing the same work which
he accomplished with such high honor
when covering our right flank in the early
days of the campaign. His column now
acts as curtain upon the extreme left,
through which the enemy may again at.
tempt to penetrate. He has yet grandel
aim in view. Ii he succeeds, his name will
not only stand at the head of our great cav
airy Generals but it will be uttered with
the prayers and blessings Of the wives and
children of the prisoners whom he may lib
crate at Millsn which is the point he aims
for, and where have been inearcerated many
thousands Of our brave comrades. Kilpat
rick started on the same day that our army
left Milledgeville, the 25th inst. l hav,
not mentioned the fact before in this diary
for fear that it might, in the casualties O
war, get into the hands of the rebels and in
terfere with the movement. Heaven pros
per it, say l. i
on THE MARCH. ...
All day long the army has been movin,
through magnificent pine woods--the Sa