The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-01-07
Nherzuun's Grand March.


. tic stretches away on one side OF US, tn
tide-waters OF which lave the eastern sid
: of our camp. The grass ia springinl
: green at our feet. The graceful palmetto
rears its tapering shaft, and the gigantic
: live and swamp oaks-ali evergreen
I throw their grateful shades around.
> The mocking-b bird is singing IN the grove"
1 The sun shines as brightly and warmly
e as an Iowan May day. Earth knows nc
winter here, though l should think sh'
avenged it in the intensity of her summers
Here, in mid Dece,n Der, have been torceC
: to dot my under flannel and write il ms
> shirt sleeves, for comfort, while you ara
shivering around your fires within, while
bowling Boreas is playing fantastic tricks
with snow-dritts without. One can scarce
~ realize that there should be such con-
trast between Burlington and Savannah.
You would hardly risk jumping into the
Mississippi, n state Of perfect nudity,
with soap in hand to make an outer pur-
CATION, as I did i'll tide-water few morn
ings since, and yet assure you the sensa-
ton was any thing but uncomfoTtao.e.
BIZ. you will be ready 10 say. let Us have
something about the army. Very wei, 1
will cast poetry, sunshine, mocking- birds
and perpetual S2r;Lg aside for steruer
themes.
/ THE MARCH
1 Let me here premise that what / have to
say will, for reasons which appear III the
narrative, relate mainly to our own Corps
! the 18th and more particularly 10 our own
Division the 3D.. From tie time Hood
made his iil-starret; movement il cur rear,
which All rabe!com glo-.ted as a master
stroke OF policy, il was generally Under
stood ii our army thai Sherman had
some great movement on the tapis which
would be developed IN a Snort time, 80 lar
as Il was proper TIA, such a movement.
should be developed.
l believe il q former letter I told voU
now Sherman stood upon kenuesaw noun
tam, with glass ia hand, watching the pro-
yress OF Hoods men as they tore up the
railroad from Big Shantv to Ackwo.tn,
and iaug0,ngiy remarked: Now | am
getting ti.arn Just where l want them"
tod you also that Sherman had afforded
Hood every facility to get IN his rear
lou can now understand il ali, though you
may not then have done SO. BY getting |
Hood army in Or rear, (tte only army /
the rebels had or could get IN Georgia and |
completely demoiishing the railroads in |
our rear we went along il was simply |
I'M possible that Hood should be aole TO get I
5eteec9s US and Savannah.
While Hood ana Beaurepa-d were ma
king their futile demonstrations ugon our
in the rear, ShernanJ
wheeled his whole column a bout.
having got sufficient supply to Atlanta
TO subslst his army during the march. J and
directly to Atlanta. Our Division
was among the last to move. We left Car
.ersvilla On the 18th u,t. That day the last
ram went northward over the raj. read to
chattanooga, and our connection with our
D.d oase was severed, probably forever
rom this place to Atlanta, ruin reigued
supreme. at Etowah and Altoona. the red
lanes were rioting over burning barracks.
ano Tor distance OF thirty miles from At
anita the railroad was the most perfect
wreck. Rails were heated ard bent around
iees, stuinps. or whatever afforded "A fac!l-
~ iDr kending-many of them were twist
ii like whip-cord. Ties were torn I'D and
cit III burning plies. From tue TOP of
Aennesaw l could follow the tor,iious
Niudtngs Ct that most serpentiue road. by
ne smoke OF the burning ties. Here aud
mere some iaw.ess straggler, in violation
u positive orders to the contrary, mad Dut
he torch TO deserted private dwelling.
md the t.e-iiend danced in balls that had
'nce perhaps been tripped by s'the light,
autastic toe"
On reaching Atlanta we were greeted by
ne same scene of barracks wrapped in con-
Migration. FIRE held grand carnival
iere the work OF destruction eliminated.
Here stood the b.ackened walls o. the
arge Iron Works some time since laid II
uins. The splendid stone depot, aud the
ound- house-in short, almost every build
ng Of public utility were blown up before
Se LETT. TIE numerous switches and side
racks were demolished. Atlanta, from
being the proud and boastful Queen Of
ebeldoln. was left crown,ess aad robe
ess Niobe sitting disconso.ate amid her
-oiceiess woe. Far II the night after our
departure, we could mark the location o.
he fated city, by the red banner OF fame
which rolled ouL upon the heavens above.
Allan is ust. Mussulman would ex-
lain. "God is just.' Christian NAV re-
pond. Atlanta eagerly rushed into tho
rout rank of the rebellion. There Coo.
yia and her confederate rebels of South Ga.
DINA, Alabama aud Mississippi met in
ra.torous conciave and concerted their me-
ARGUS schemes os treason and blood. Who
nai! pity 4er when ner streets are dyed
WITH recel gore and the red flames hold -e-
rel over her public buildings.
Our entire army, consisting Of the I'm
9Th. 18th, and Goth Corps, rendezvoussd n.
a..anta on the lith ult. On the morning .
u the 10Th, the army received general
'sdeE rom the ou4nander-ia- Chief. stat.
ng that our communication with our for.
u1 = Base was broken up, and that bv a ,
eng ano arduoUs naasch we were now 70 :
eeA ne" Dase no other hint was given ,
s TO where that new base " as 70 be sought ,
.or could the most sagacious of the mini.
,a'eu venture an unqualified gaess upon ,
nat point We were assured how ever ina, ! .
be movement had been fully considered :
y both Gen. Grant and the War Depart-
nent, that al the exigencies of the march ,
,ao neen .aken into consideration, and ali =,
nat human sayac!ty could DO had been =
lone 70 render It su ccessfu,.
OUR ORDER OF MARCH
,ome.imes varied. When we left Atlanta /
, os - IN ~ E0rps formed the right wing the
S V the !eft, the 18th the right centre. and
,n i4th the left. No two Corps. noi. in !
ravss sy yh Two s,, Divisions Of the same corps
LOT q snort distance when two roads con- :
';eisea al some pointer when an apprehen- J
' y. o. an attack made it advisable to come
sitn.h easier supporting distance 70 each
'tnsr; The l7th Corps took the Jonesboro, :,
'oan rom Atlanta, and the 10Th the Angus
. road. The army was spread over the :
shois intervening space. This was done |.
|, ,dc,.isate foraging. By marching uoon
i.iierent roads nc Corps or Division had
my advantage over another.
AAi- LAUNDERING AND INcENDtARy1sM
FORBIDDEN,
AS mucn VIII be said by the rehel navvs.
papers we have seen a few such artic,e.