The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-05-20

INSIDE VIEWS OF THE AKMY-EARL1
TROUBLES, DISSENTl0NS AND
MISUNDERSrAND INGS.
,..,ousr,s RFsrwEEs soLpIERs OF THE REG
UI.AR AND VOLUNTEER ARMIEs-DID GRANT
on suERNAN PLAN THJS WONDERFUL CAM
PAIaN-ro SHERMAN Is DUE THE CREDIT OF
THAT CAMPAIGN-THE MARCH TO THE SEA
THE REVIEW ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE
IN TIE FATIo6'S CAFTTAL.
The subjoined is the conclusion OF the
Hersld's review OF Gen. Sherman's history
of the war OF the rebellion: Our first article
on this noted work concluded with the hrst
~,olnme. The second volume embraces the
narrative OF his career, from the appoint
,nant of Grant to command the ar
mics until the close OK the
war. Thers is concluding chap
Ter on the military lessons of the war, which
has already been published and reviewed in
the Herald. The second volume embraces
many points that have heretofore been IN
controversy, and the truth Of which Will De
largely determined by the evidence OF the
GREAT soldier This more especially, as 10
the march to the sea and the final campaign
which led to the surrender OF johnston
army. Without entering so mucn INTO tnese
points OF dissensiOn, let Us content ourselves
arabs work which throw light upon the
great events in which he was so Industrious
an actor, and which form some OF the most
glorious chapters in our national history
On the 18Th of March, 1860, General oheI-
man then in TIE forty fourth year OF hls
ACE relieved General Grant in the command
of the military division OF the mississippi
and from that time forward he became,
next to General Grant, the conspicuous tg,
ure OF the war. The generals VINO served
1 - al ThnnanQ MnthQr-
SON. and Steele. General Grant mao JUST
been nominated to the chief command OF
all the armies of the Union, and Wss on DIS
way to Richmond to accept the duties OF DIS
supreme ste1ion. General sherman tray
.eIed with ii IN as far as Cincinnati Tor the
purpose OF discussing privately many little
details incident to his new rank and the
great duties that devolved upon MIN
THE MASSACRE AT FORT PILLOW.
Shortly after Sherman's taking command,
General Forest made that famous raid which
resulted ia the capture Of Fort Pillow. The
question as Co whether the troops of Forrest
massacred the negro garrison at Fort Pillow,
has always been one of the problems of the
war. In slluding to it General Sherman in
forms as that he mad intended the vacation
of Fort Pillow and had so ordered 1t; but
that General Hubert had retained small
garrison ito encourage the enlistment OF the
blacks ss soldiers, which was iaVorlIe
political policy at That time" COnsequen
the exposure OF small garrison in an I'M
supported, outlying tort, ana the
massacre that followed, are not to be
blamed 0pOn Gen. Sherman. As to the
massacre, the general now says that no
doubt the troops of Forrest "acted like set
of barbsrisns, shooting down the helpless
negro garrison, after the fort was IN their
possession" He gives Forrest the credit OF
stopping the firing as soon as be could, AND
bears testimony to the fact that when For
rest took federal soldiers prisoners, be was
usually very kind to them. But che had
desperate set OF fellows under him" and at
that time there is no doubt the feeling OF the
Southern people was fearfully savage on
this gerv point of our making soldiers out
of their late slaves, and Forrest may have
shared this feeling.
PREPARING FOR ATLANTA
Still greater events were impending. Gen.
Sherm2n's three oficers-Thomas, McPher-
son and schofeld-wers men of education
and experience, ''who possessed special
qualities of mind and character which, he
says, Sfzted them in the highest degree for
the work then in contemplation" The num-
Der of troops under bis command amounted
in all TO about $50, 600 men, OF which be re-
Rsrded more than 10000 tit for duty. Gen
Sherman's first plan was To take
100000 men as q compact army for
active operations. leaving $4,000 for gar
rison and to guard the lines OF supplies. He
oKganizad three armies-the Cumber-
land, Tennessee and the Ohio-ADd to make
the movements swift and mobile as pos
sible, he allowed only one wagon and one am
bulance to a regiment, and compelled each
officer and soldier to carry food and cloth
ing enough for i've days on his person The
army OF the Cumberland was entrusted to
the command OF General Thomas, the Ten
nessee to that OF General Mcpherson, and
the Ohio to that Of General ScOteld. IL was
difficult to enforce the regulation in refer
ence 60 the paucity or baggage, and dear old
General Thomas could not make up his
mind to sleep on the ground like the sol
diers- Sherman frequently called his at
tenHOn to the orders upon the sub
ject, rather jestingly than seriously.
against his officers for having such luxu-
ries, but, needing tent himself and being
good natured and slow to act, he never en-
forced my orders perfectly. In addition e.
his regular wagon train he had big wagon,
which could be converted into an office,
and this we used to call Thomas Circus "
Sometimes the general would ind quarter
masters had hidden away tents and mess
fixtures of the most comfortable descTip-
ton, and these be always broke mp. The
result OF his efforts was that be doubts il
any army ever went forth to battle with
fewer imPedimeRta.
TIE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN.
So, with 900 men ready in hand, Sher
man made ready TO move against Joseph L
Johnston, who commanded the forces of the
South. Upon assuming command of th'
army of the United States Gen. Grant issued
orders assigning Sherman his part in the cam
paign, which was TO work toward common
center. In reading this ietter of Gen. Gran
to Gen. Sherman, written April 4, 1864, We
find the purpose OF Grant was 10 fight only
the Southern armies. Banks was in Louis
lana about to move upon his unhappy
and disastrous Red River expedition
SigeI was in West Virginia. pro
tecting the railroads. Grant die
not anticipate much from Sigel, but, as ht
auaintIy expressed il in his letter to Sher