The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-11-30

sieged by the rebel LonSstr~st. and needed
help. Al the time our men were In decidedly
light marching order. Our hayersscks, with
the old "thrre days ration TO last hve, had
already been drawn out To seven; but this Was
no time for hesitation. and We vent on To
Knoxville Aod relieved Burnside from his
pressing danger. II. on that occasion. ne we're
little hard on our Union friends OF East Ten
ne.see, I hope that they appreciated the fact
that they hal a. much interest IN the result rs
We; and, as tn our rebel friends. they know
that We, who were engaged In . national work.
ought not 20 suffer for food ~ long As they had
any II will not do for me now to dwell on
those Interesting times, but there Is Que point
OF history 20 ofieu misstAted that I will ven
turs correction. You uill remember that In
thsvinter of isi3-s LETT the Fifteenth corps,
and part Of the SIXTEENTH sncsmped along the
railroad from Huntsville 10 Stevenson. whilst
almost alone returned by river to Memphis
and vicksburg; whence. with Mcpherson and
Hurlhurt. ue made that Meridian excursion.
The sole cd exclusive object In that winter
march Vas u prepare for the coming grand
campaign Of 1854. to drive back the rebel army
~ Gen. Polk out of Mississippi. and to break
up oil railroads there, more especially the Mo-
bile & Ohio road, ~ that the rebels could not
again threaten the safety Of the Mississippi
river, which Vas deemed vital to our cause oJ
anything but mere cavalry dashes, such ~
Forrest MAS accustomed 10 make, temporary IN
their nature. or course gave out excessive
ly that We were destined Tor Mobile or Mont
gonsry, but hsd no intention of going further
than Meridian. and when We had accomplished
that No returned to the river Ut our leisure
This enabled me 10 spare TO Gen. Banks the
two divisions Of Generals A. J. smith and
Mower, and also 20 draw from the river Gen.
Mcpherson With the three divisions Of veatch,
Leggstt and Giles A. Smith. oil Of which aner-
wards shared With us In the glories Of the sue
ceeding battles Of the war.
have reason 10 know also thatthe breaches
he made in the railroads about Meridian we're
not fully repaired by the rebels during the
war, and that they were one Of the causes
which, In the next winter. compelled Hood to
delay about Florence whole month, waiting
for bis clothing and ammunition (going tn
Gen. Thomas), the very time he needed TO col
lect the force necessary to whip him On arrival
before Nashville. including the two old di.i-
s,ons Of our Army VI the Tennessee. which,
under A. J. Smith and Mower. had fully sus-
tanned the reputation Of this army. TO which
they rightfully belonged. would like thus TO
70 on and trace the career OF this our glorious
army through those evestful times Of 1864 and
1865, rum the drst dash through Snake Creek
Gap, to Resaca, 10 Kingston, TO New Hope,
Dallas and keneshav, to Chattahoochie, around
by Roswell to Decatur. to Atlanta, where our
beloved Mcpherson fell; TO Savannah, To Sas-
senaehee and Columbia, TO Fayetteville and
Goldsborough, to Raleigh and Durham Station.
and last. TO the capital Of our eountry-near
two thousand miles OF continuous marching.
The time will not permit me To do justice to
so interesting Q subject, but will here again.
an this public occasion, renew my full and
willing testimony to the noble spirit that al
ways animated this army. Its career Was ever
onward, never checked always victorious; so
rapid In motion. so eager to strike, II deserved
its name 81 the whip-lash." swung from one
flank 10 the other, rs danger called, night or
day, sunshine or storm. | sometimes feared
you thought your old commander was hard
aud unieeling; but now that - all over. now
the fatigue Is forgotten, l have no fear that
one Of you would willingly spare single leaf
from the chaplet Of the past.