Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-09
That Famous March.

The following entertaining paragraphs
are gathered from Gen. Shermans recent
war memoirs. Who planned the march
to the sea? The general opinion has been
that, while Gen. Sherman commanded the
army that marched from Atlanta to Savan-
nah and from thence to Richmond. the
conception of the plan belonged to Grant.
1t is well that this question should be de-
cidcd. In many respects the march to
the sea stands out from the Rebellion rs
the most brilliant achievement of the war.
On the 18th of September, 1864. Gen.
Grant wrote to Sherman that he did not
know what to do with Shcrmans army.
and was disturbed by the difficulties of
supplying it. and intimated that 1t might
be well to threaten Macon and Augusta.
To this letter Gen. Sherman replied, say
inc he would not hesitate to cross the
State of Georgia. with sixty thousand men.
hauling some stores and depending on the
country for the balance; that. where a
million men find substance my army won
starvc" He did not believe in pcnctrat-
inc Georgia without IN objective beyond,
- 1t would he productive OF much good.
| can start east. and make a circuit south
and back, doing vast damage to the state,
but resulting in no permanent good. and
by threatening to 90 So hold 4 rod over
the GeorTians, who are not over loyal to
the South" He concludes hy advising
that Grants and Canhy's armies should b"
reinforced and that he should keep Hood
employed, and put his own army IN tine
order for a march on Augusta, Columbia,
and Charleston. The possession of the
Savannah river is more fatal TO the posi-
biltv of Southern independence. lie may
stand the fail of Richmond but not the fall
of Georgia. " If YOU can whip Lee and
can march to the Atlantic, | think tncle
Abe will give Us twenty days absence to
see the Young folks This is the first in
dication in this correspond OF what
afterwards became the famous march to
The sea.
To this letter Grant answered Sept. +:
- 1t would be better to drive Forrest out OF
Tennessee as a first step to do anything
else YOU may feel your force sufficient
for" But Sherman would not abandon
his sea dream On the 9th Of October, he
tclcgraphed to Thomas: Il want to de
stroy all roads below Chattanooga, lnclud
inc Atlanta, and make for the sea coast;
and arain, to Grant, e" can make this
march, and can make Georgia howl
Gen J. II. Wilson was sent down to COM
being that Wilson at the head of the cav
airy force might do in Georgia what Sher-
man had done in Virginia; = and Grant"
saws Sherman, ''advi>ed that Wilson
should be sent South to accomplish all
that had proposed TO do with the main
army: but had not s. much faith in cav
airy Us he htd, and preferred the rrst
Grant again urged Sherman to destroy
Hoods army before thinking of his march
across to the sea and the next day Sher-
man answered him that Thomas was
strong enough to handle Hood. and that
the best results would follow the cOntem-
plated movement through Georgia. Ev-
identity this dispatch decided Gen. Grant 5
mind, for the ID Of November he tcle-
rraphed: - do not see that you can with
draw from where veu are to follow Hood
without giving up all we have gained IN
territory l say then, go on as you pro-
pose "This.' says Gen. sherman,
:. was the first time that Gen. Grant as
sented to the march to the sea. and, al
though many of his warm friends and ad-
mirers insist that he was the author and
protector of that march, and that simply
executed his plans. Gen. Grant has never,
! in nv opinion. thought so or sad so.
have often been asked by well meaning
friends when the thought of that march
first entered my mind. | knew that an
army that had penetrated Georgia as 1ar
us Atlanta could not turn back-lt must 60
ahead; but when how and where, depend
ed on many considerations As soon as
Hood crossed from Lovejoys to Palmetto,
saw the move in my minds eye, and al
ter Jeff Davis speech ut Palmetto, on Sep
tember 26, | was more positive in my con-
yction, but was in doubt as to the time ana
manner We think there can be no
doubt of the fact that the march to the sea
was thoroughly the conception OF Sher-
man. and that he believed the success OF
the march would result in the fall of Rich
mond On the 7th of November, five days
after this dispatch, giving formal assent
Gen. Grant telegraphed, approving the