The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-13


OF war; The correspondence was angry and elo-
qaent. Sherman arrac ed Hood aud the whole
South n eryent ana MT always wise rhetoric.
Hood replied that the course OF General Butler in
New orleans was even more hnmane and consider
ate than that Of Sherman ana better thousand
deaths than to i've under sherman and his negro
aliles," But SHERMAN was imperative IN ms reso-
lntloH IT. ne sald 70 Hallech at the tlhle, 'the
people raise howl against my bdrbarlty and
cruelty, Wan answer that war IS war and not pop
GlaritY seeking = lhey want peace. theY ana their
relatives must stop the war; But II oherman's
course was severe II was justified py the orders
from WASHINGTON. HaaecHs letter 20 sherman,
commenting upon the conti oyersy with Hood,
SHOWS The angry feeling which animated even
calm ollec.s 81 Tue regular army. II wouid,'
saYs Haeck destroy every mill ana factory
wIIaln re@cn Which dId want lor my own
use RUS the rebeis nave done, not Gnly ~ Mary.
land ana Pennsylvania but also in Virginia ana
otner rebel states when compelled 70 iall back
before our arms. La many sections 81 the coun-
try they nave not eltS mn 70 grind corn for tucr
own suffering families lest we mHnt use them -
supply our armies. We must 90 the same
VINO PLANNED THE MARCH TD TEE sea-
The general opinion has been that, while General
sherman commanded tho arinJ which marcneG
from Atlanta 70 savannah ana from taence to Ricn-
mond the conception OF the plan belongs 70 General
Grant. II is well that this question should be de-
cided. In many respects the march to the sea
stands out from the rebellion a. the most brilliant
achievement Of The war. On the 18th or Septen-
Der 1864 General Grant wrote 10 sherman from
CITY Point that he did NOT know exactly wnat TO
do with Sberman's army, and vas disturbed by
the difficulties Of supplying H. and intimated that
IL might be wen 10 threaten Macon and Augusta.
TO this letter General Sherman REPLIED say
the State OF Georgia with 10000 men,
hauling some stores ana depending on the country
for the balance that ''wnere d mi lion OF people
lind subsistence my army won't starye.n lie ana
not beheve IN penetrating Georgia without an OBJ
jectiye beS ond. ut would be productive or much
good ] can start east aud make circuit south
and back, doing vast damage to the State, but re-
suiting in no permanent good, and ~ threatening
10 do so hold 4 rod over the Geurgians. VINO are
not over loyal 10 tue S0uthn lie concludes by ad-
visng tnat Grants and Caubvis armies should
reinforced and THAT ne should keep HOOD en-
ployed. and put MS own army in fine order Tor /
possession oil tue Savannah River Is more fatal 10
the possibility OF Southern independence. He may
stand the iall OF Richmond, but not the fall OF
Georgia. al you can wnlp Lee ana can march
to the Atlantic, think Uncle Abe will give
IS the hrst indication IN this correspondence uf
what aIserwaro became the famous march to the
sea.
GRAEr HEsIrArEs OVER THE MARCH
70 tins letter Grant answered September g. 1T
would be better 10 drlye Forrest out OF Tennessee,
nrst step to do any nng else you may leel
your force suniclent ior;' But Sherman wound not
abandon MS sea dream. On the OIL OF OCTOBER ne
telegraphed 10 Thomas, II want TO destroy all tile
roads yellow Chattanooga, including Atlanta, and
\ 10 make lCr the seacoast;' anu again, TO Grant,
\ ~ make this marcn ana can make Georgia
\ howl.n General ]. ii. Wilson sent down 10
\ command the cavalry, Grants idea evidently being
Il that Wilson at the mead OF the cavalry force might
\ do in Georgia what sheridan mao done IN Virginia;
'and Grant, says Sherman advised that Wlson
should De sent south 70 accomplish ali tnat
4 had proposed TO do with the main army; but had
not so much faith Ia cavalry a. he nad, and pre-
\ ierred the nrst.n Grant again urged sherman ID
destroy Hoods army before thinking o. his mlrcn
q,
swered MIN tnat Thomas was strong enough 70
handle Hood, and that "tne best results would
follow the contemplated movement through
Georgia. Evidently this despatch decided GEN
eral Grants mind, Tor the 2d OF November ne tee-
4 graphed;-"I do not see that you can withdraw
/ from where you are to follow Hood without giving
up all we nave gained IN territory: say. tnen,
4 20 on as you propose" "Thls," says General
Il sherman, was the LrSt time thlt General Grant
Y assenled To the march 10 the sea, ana although
many OF MS warm friends and admirers insist
4 that he was the author and protector OF that
Il march, and that l simply executed MS plans,
\ General Grant mas never, Ia M opinion, thought
SO or said so.u II nave often Oeen ASKED by well
\ meaning friends when the thought or that march
first entered my mind. 1 knew tnar an army
\ winch had pene irated Georgia Us far as Atlanta
could not turn BACK 1t must 80 ahead out wnen,
how aud where depended on many considerations.
metto, saw ne move IN my mlnd'S eye and after
Jefferson DAVIS speech nj Palmetto, on eptember
\ 20 | was more positive III my nyetlon.
out was in doubt as 10 he time ana manne )"
7 We tnlnk there can Ue no couot uf he
u fact tnat ms mafca 70 the sea was Thoroughly tae
conce ption OF SHERMAN ana that he believed The
success OF the marcn would result IN the
oays altcr tnis despatch, giving formal assent,
4 General Grant telegraphed approving the plans
anu saying: Il tnink every thing mere is fayoraDie
now. Great GOOD fortune attend you. ! believe
you Will be eminenty successful, and at most eau
only make march less iraiuu than hoped Tor"
THE MARCH TO THE
7 on the 10Th Oh November, 1854 Sherman set out
upon his march. Ills army "as DIVIDED INTO
OF Generals Howard aud slocum, and was
composed OF aoout 10000 men. NOSE ex-
u
purge It from non-combarants and sics men, and
every soldier IN Inc ranks was .'weil equipped and
provided as well As human foresight cOuiG wlth
ali tue essentials OF life, strength and vigorous
acton.n Provisions enough Tor twenty days and
10 age for nve we're taken. Sherman's description
\ o. the morning when the march began Is vivid and
picturesque 1--WE stool upon The very ground
whereon was fought tns bloody battle o. jay -,
and could see the copse o. WOOD wnere MCPHERSON
fell, Benind us lay Atlanta smoulderlng anu IN
ruins, the black smoke rising nigh In air and
city, "Rgnt before us tue fourteenth
corps marching steadily and rapidly with
O. CHEEKY and swinging pace, made lignt
or the many hundred miles that lay between us
ana Richmond. Some band struck up the an
them Q. John Brown. The men caught up The
straIn aud nHger before or since have heard the
ch0ras done with more spirit or better harmony
or time aud place. rnen we turned our horses
heads 10 toe east. Atlanta was soon lost beniud
tire screen Of trees aud became thing 81 TO
past Around It clings many thought OF des-
perate cattle, or hope and lear, which now seem
Ike The memory 81 q Dream and nave never
beautiful; clear sunlight, with bractng air. and an
unusual feeling OF Inspiration seemed 10 peryade
all minds-the lechng OF something 10 come, vague
and undenned. stlA iul OF venture and intense IN
teresL Even the common soldiers caughG The IN
spTation, and many group called cut 70 me ~
Grant Is waiting for US IN lacnmOnd.i Indeed the
general sentiment was I'VE were marching
IL mad no purpose TO march direct Tor Richmond
BY. way OF Aususta and Charlottesville, but always
Port Royal, and even Kept IN mind the alternative
Of Pensacola"
General snermauis style becomes picturesque
and viva In treating or Lnis march to tie sea At
Covington the negroes were SIMPLY frantic Win
JOY, anu clustered about hts horse, Shouting and
praying 10 their quaint style. which had pecG-
liar eloQuence ''iDat Will move stogc,n and II
can now see poor grl, in tue very ecstasy OF the
Methodist shout, huggng the tattered banner OF
o1c Of me regiments ana jumping up TO the fee.
or JesnS.n Inen there came Olq, gray haired
negro-"dbout as hne mead as ever saw. 1
asked him y nc understood about tie war ana Is
progress. lie ssld that he dIu that he had been
looEing Tor the angel I tue Lore ever since lie
was knce-nign, anu, though we prOfeSsed 10 be
ngntluR Tor tue UniCn be supposed NJ slavery
was the cause and our success would De It's lrce-
dom. asked aim " all tue negro slaves compfe-
nenGed this fact, ana he said they surely Uid.r It
was q nard time With the plantation ~ Howell
CCOD, the famous rebel geuerai, when sherman
reached IT, He gave Or0ers 10 General Davls 10
spare nothing aud that nignt the plantation was
destroyed. Stttng IN front OF the IRE that even