Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-04-07
sHERMANs GRAND ARMY.

A correspondent of the Cincinnati Ga
zette, writing from Goldsboro, north Car
olina, gives the following graphic descrip-
ton of Sherman's victorious army of
veterans, as it marched into the town and
formed a junction with the forces of
SchofeId and Terry:
APPEARANCES OF THE COLUMN.
The people are constantly told that
| finer army never trOd the earth-and this
is true And from this it may be sup
posed that it is magnificent body, sweep
ing in all the pride and pOmp that ro-
nance attaches to great military organiza-
| tions.
But among all these thousands it would
! be impossible to discover one single ele-
ment of display. Everything wears the
hard stern features of war, all is practical
to the last degree. 1t has passed like a
military hurricane through thickets, for
ests and swamps, and has been torn and
bespattered by the rush. Ron and dri-
wing sand has beat pon it; the red tide
of battle has rolled, over it, hunger has
been guest at times, the cold has made
it shiver. Its garments are worn and
travel-stained, and its whole exterioris as
rough and tattered as the imagination
could paint it. But underneath all this
throbs life which enfolds that of the
nation. This war-worn host is made up
of iron men, with brave hearts, beating
proudly and with high hope. On every
oountenance feeling of confidence and
conscious strength is stamped.
On entering the town, the troops wheel
ed into column of companies, and passed
in review before Generals Sherman and
Schofeld. Then an impression of mill
tary strength struck all behOlders. Those
thousands marching carlessly, consulting
comfort instead of order, arranged their
accouterments, and, springing into ranks,
the column swung along with that long
easy stride which none but veterans can
take; and in spite of torn hats, ragged
clothes, and many shoeless feet-in spite
of a thick covering of fine dust that had
sifted over everything, the great power of
such an army flashed brightly through
this rude exterior, and impressed one
most deeply. A few hours passed by the
side of that column were worth years Of
ordinary life.
THE TRAIN.
If the troops themselves presented such
a motley scene, what shall be said of the
great train, miles and miles in extent,
which followed it? In that train the ar
my carried its supplies, and its everyday
clothes. Of the latter little must be said.
When men come before you in their best,
it is unkind, to say the least, to make un-
pleasant allusions to their common wear.
First came the ambulances. 1t always
makes one shudder to see them by hun
dreds, as if in long funeral procession
| Then the regular supply wagons There
was kind of home feeling in the brands
of these, for large numbers of them were
marked Cincinnati" Then came the
| baggage trains, the pack-mules, and the
| foragers' train, and the confused mass
which ever follows the wake of our army.
drawn to it as a strong current sweeps all
floating material with it. These baggage
| trains contain all styles of household ma
| terial; each looks like travelling curios-
ity shop, or gipsy's wagon. The pack
mules carry as many different articles as
the country affords. Spades, chairs,
| buckets, pans, blankets, hams, chickens,
geese, and darkies, are strung together on
| these mules in the most ludicrous confu-
| sion. A description of one will serve for
| all. It comes toward you, nOndescript
moving mass. The ears betray motive
power which a mass of quilts and blan-
| kets effectually conceal. Coffe- pots and
mess-pans on one side, are balanced by a
| half barrel of -four on the other; six
chickens and goose, balance half hog;
shelter tent, few yards of carpet on
| THIS Slde, nOld up a rocking cnalr on the
other while perched in the midst of this
pile was great negro, with wide e-brim-
med straw hat, wound with Grape
enough to do justice to the memory of all
his dead ancestors, and to crown the load,
he carried huge knapsack of his own,
packed with his private property.
The forage train was the irregular pOr-
ton, what we have attempted to de-
scribe was the thoroughly organized part
of the column. The foragers are selec-
ted from each division to collect supplies,
and to bring in the. supplies they impress
all the transportation they find. So
pack mules, carts, farm wagons, carriages,
buggies, barouches and hacks, mingled in
carriages Of the South Carolina nobility
are transporting federal soldiers, chicken
and ham To look at these trains one
would think that the whole South were
emigrating.