The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-05-21
VOLUME 3.

we were marching for RlchmOnd, Wbere
we should end the war" al had no pur-
pose to march direct for Richmond by
way of Augusta and Charlottesville, but
always did design to reach the sea coast
at Savannah or Port Royal, and even
kept in mind the alternative of Pensa-
cola"
THE ROMANCE OF THE MARCH
General Sherman's style becomes
picturesque and vivid in treating of this
march to the sea. At Covington the ne
groes were simply frantic with joy. and
clustered about his horse, shouting and
praying in their quaint style, which had
a peculiar eloquence "that viii move
stone," and l can now see poor girl, in
the very ecstacy 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 ncgro-''about as fine a head as !
ever saw. / asked him il 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 smppos-
ed that slavery was the cause, and our
success would be his freedom. / asked
him if all the negro slaves comprehend
ed this fact, and he said they surely did"
1t was a hard time with the plantation
of Howell Cobb, the famous rebel Gen
eral, when Sherman reached it. lie gave
orders to General Davis to spare nothing
and that night the plantation was de-
stroyed. "Sitting in front of the fire that
evening"" says the General, 81 became
conscious that negro with tallow
candle in his hand was scanning my face
closely. inquired, What do you want
old man?' He answered, 'Dey say you
is Massa Sherman l answered that
such was the case, and inquired what he
wanted. He only wanted to look at me,
and kept muttering, Dis niger can't
sleep dis night There were appeals
| from the Southerners to rouse and de-
fend their native soil, but Sherman kept
marching steadily on. "When the SOL
diers took Milledgvil!e they organized a
Legislature of their own and had merry
pranks Beauregard called on the Geor
glans to rise for the defense of their soil,
as he was fastening to join them. Sena-
tor 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 assail the in
vader in front, flank and rear, by night
and by day, and let him have no rest.
At one point there were torpedoes on
the road, and handsome young officer S
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 tor
pedoes. Finally, on the 18th of De-
comber, about month after the depar
ture from Atlanta, Sherman's troops
captured Fort McAllister, and his army
was on the seacoast, under the protection
of the guns of the Federal army, and
with abundant supplies.
THE CAPTURE OF SAVANNAH.
| We learn from the memoirs of Gener-
al Sherman that the capture of Savan-
nah was also his own act, against the
wishes of General Grant. AS soon as
Sherman arrived at Savannah, Grant
wrote to him to fortify himself on the
seacoast, leave behind artillery and cav
airy, and to bring the balance of his
command to Richmond, Sherman re-
piled that he would prefer to take Saw
annah, thence to march toward Colum.
bia and Raleigh. Thomas had not at
tackled Hood, as was expected; and
Grant, impatient for the contest, had
thought of going to Nashville in person
but cor tented himself with sending out
Logan to relieve Thomas. In obedience
to Sherman's urgency, Grant changed his
mind about embarking his troops, and
the resul: was the capture of Savannah
on December. p, 1864, and an order
from Grant to carry out his own ideas
and to march with his entire army by
land.