Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-12-23
The Hundred DAYS, Fire.

and letters Of Gen. Sherman during the
war, which bore such strong evidence OF
literary as we'll as military genius, viii
be glad to see his own description Of the
campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta.
The army Of the Cumberland recently
held an anniversary celebration in Cleve-
land, Ohio, in response to the toast
+" From Chattanooga to Atlanta-one
hundred days fire, Sherman made a
speech which the Cleveland Herald thus
reports:
1t was my great good fortune to sue
ceed to the army when all its members
had been moulded into soldiers. Ii was
well accoutered, equipped and command
ed. 1t had good division, brigade, regi-
mental and company commanders and
all the soldiers were sclooled in the art
of war. 1t only deyolved upon me there
fore to do what general shonld direct
the heads of the columns. II was my
lot to command the column Of the grand
army that moved through Georgia.
was well supported, having such able
soldiers as Thomas commanding the CEN
tire, Mcpherson the right wing and Scho-
field the left wing, and backed by an ar
my of true, loyal, brave and intelligent
men. | well remember that morning in
May when over the telegraph was flashed
to me the order for the army to move
We advanced in three armies, bearing
directly down upon Joe Johnston, at
Dalton. We all remember when we first
saw upon those hills the first Blue pufs
Of smoke from the rifles Of the skirmish-
ers, followed by the boom Of the cannon
which told that the battle had begun
From that time till the last gun of the
campaign was fred, one hundred and
nineteen days, il was one unceasing bat
tie.
Not only was the crack Of the rife our
reveille, but the sound Of the cannon in
the distance soothed US to sleep at night
and when the sound was hushed we
awoke from sleep. 50 long as the firing
of tbs piokets told us that they were
awake, we were secure !. but when all
was quiet we felt disturbed and anxious
/ wish had time and it were approprite
for me to follow in detail the movements
of those armies throughout the whole OF
that devious campaign, over mountains,
across streams, and through those dense
woods and thickets. have only time
en- this occasion to give you few points
but before proceed further | want to
thank you for your silence and attention
1t was my hope and desire to crush the
army of Johnston by single blow, and
while you of the Army of the Cumber-
land were climbing the rough sides Of
Rocky Face, | knew what you did not
that brave and well appointed army
was moving to the right upon far more
important line than that you occupied
| listened anxiously for the boom OF the
guns Of MCPHERSON. who had moved
through Snake Creek Gap aud was ad.
vancing on Resaca. When the welcome
sound came to my ears, / thought Joe
Johnston was my victim, but my plan
was not entirely successful.
Then all the armies passed down
through Snake Greek Gap, Ikea stream
Of lava from a volcano, upon Resaca.--
Here ! came within an ace Of accom-.
plishing my purpose, Johnston only es-
Gaping by few minutes, as l have had
it from the lips of Johnston himself since
the war. Then we moved down the val
leys to Cassville, where supposed John.
ston would fight. lie has told me since
the war, and shown me a ,opy Of his or
der to that effect, that he intended to
give battle on the range of hills below
Cassville. He said that he had been
out all day, and at night, when worn
and weary, Hood asked him to supper,
the subject Of the coming battle was dis
cussed, and Hood told him that his lines
were enfladed. Johnston told him that
it was impossible, but Hood reiterated
the statement, and Johnston could not
go into battle when one of the most trus-
ty corps commanders was dissatisfied. =
The next morning, when | had expected
to commence the decisive battle Of the
campaign, | found the enemy's position
vacant. Twenty years ago, when a lieu
tenant of artillery, I passed on horse
back through Altoona Gap, ] knew the
place and its advantages for defence,
and | surely thought johnson would
make stand there. was not little
surprised that he did not, and we had no
choice but to puh on, for we would be
satisfied only with victory. Below Al
toona we met Johnston at New Hope
Church-that hell-hole' rightly nam
ed. The trees there yet bear the marks
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