Connecticut western news., 1875-06-04
THE MARCH THROUGH GEORGIA.
The Story of the March Told by Gen.
 Sherman in his Personal Narrative.

THE MARCH THROUGH GEORGIA,
 The Story of the March Rs Told by Gen t Sherman i'm his Personal Narrative.
 An exchange, in describing the march
 of Sherman through Georgia, as de
 tailed in Gen. Sherman's personal nara,
 tive, says On the 10th of November,
 1864, Sherman set out upon his march.
 His army was divided into right and l left wing under the command of Gen.
 erals Howard and Slocum, and was com
 posed of about 6O,0OO men. Most ex-
 traordinary efforts had been made to
 purge it from non -combatants and sick
 men, and every soldier in the ranks was
 "well equipped and provided as we'll as
 human foresight could with all the es-
 sentials of life, strength and vigorous
 action.'" Provisions enough for twenty
 days and forage for five were taken. Sherman's description of the morning when the march began is vivid and pie
 turesque }: "We stood upon the very
 ground whereon was fought the bloody
 battle of July p, and could see the
 copse of wood where McPherson fell.
 Behind us lay Atlanta smouldering and
 in ruins, the black smoke rising high
 in air and hanging like pail over the
 ruined city," Right before us the
 Fourteenth corps, marching steadily and
 rapidly with cheery and swinging pace,
 made light of the many hundred miles
 that lay between us and Richmond.
 Some band struck up the anthem of
 John Brown. The men caught up the
 strain, and never before or since have I
 heard the chorus done with more spirit
 or better harmony of time and place.
 Then we turned our horses heads to the
 east. Atlanta was soon lost behind the screen of trees and became thing of the past. Around it clings many thought of desperate battle, of hope and fear,
 which now seem like the memory of a dream, and have never seen the place since. The day was extremely beauti- full; clear sunlight, with braching air, and an unusual feeling of inspiration seemed to preyade all minds-the feel ing of something to come, vague and undefned, still full of venture and in soldiers caught the inspiration, and many group called out to me as I worked my way past them Uncle Billy, I mond.' Indeed the general sentiment was that we were marching for Rich mond, where we should end the war" "I had no purpose to march direct for Richmond by way of Augusta and Char lotteville, but always did design to reach the seacoast at Savannah or Port Royal, and even kept in mind the alter native of Pensacola"
 General Sherman's style becomes pic turesque and vivid in treating of this march to the sea. At Covington the negroes were simply frantic with joy, and clustered about his horse, shouting and praying in their quaint style, which had 8 peculiar eloquence "t that will move a stone," and "I can now see a poor girl, in the very ecstasy of the Methodist shout, hugging the tattered banner of one of the regiments and jumping up to the feet of Jesus." Then there came an old, gray haired negro "about as fine head as I ever saw. I asked him if he understood about the war and its progress. He said that he did; that he had been looking for the angel of the Lord ever since he was knee-high, and, though we professed to be fighting for the Union he supposed that slavery was the cause, and our suc- cess would be his freedom. I asked him if all the negro slaves comprehend ed this fact, and hesaid they surely did" " It was hard time with the plantation of Howell Cobb, when Sherman reached it. He gave orders to Gen. Davis to spare nothing, and that night the plantation was destroyed. "Sitting in front of the fire that evening"" says the general, "I became conscious that @ negro with @ tallow candle in his hand was scanning my face closely. I inquired What do want, old man?' He answered: 'Dey say you is Massa Sherman I answered that such was the case, and inquired what he wanted. He only wanted to look at me and kept muttering dis nig- ger can't sleep dis night '" There were appeals from the Southerners to rouse and defend their native soil, but Sher- man kept marching steadily on. When the soldiers took Milledgeville they or ganized Legislature of their own and had merry pranks. Beauregard called on the Georgians to rise for the defense of their soil, as he was hastening to join them. Senator Hill telegraphed from Richmond that every citizen with his gun and every negro with his spade could do the work of the soldier, and members of Congress telegraphed to as- sail the invader in front, flank and rear by night and by day, and let him have no rest. At one point there were tor pedoes on the road, and 8 handsome | young officers foot was blown to pieces. Sherman formed his prisoners into an advance guard, and made them march | at the head of his column and remove the torpedoes. Finally, on the 18th day of December, month after the depar- | ture from Atlanta, Sherman's troops cap tured Fort McAllister, and his army was on the seacoast under the protection of the guns of the Federal army, and with abundant supplies.