The Portland daily press., 1875-05-20
The March to the Sea.

Ihe forthcoming volume OF General Sher-
mans memoirs, the publication of which has
| been deferred on account of the great demand
until the 22rd. inst, contains the following de-
scrption of the beginning of the great march
to the sea:
About A. NJ. of November 16.h we rode
out of Atlanta by the Decatur road, filled by
the marching troops and wagons Of the Four
teehth Corps: and reaching the hill, just out
side of the old rebel works, we naturally paused
70 look back upon the scenes of our past bat
ties. We stood upon the very ground whereon
was fought the bloody battle of July 23d, 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 a pail OveI the ruined city. Away
off in the distance, on the McDonough road,
was the rear of Towards column, the gun
barrels glistenng in the sun, the white topped
wagons stretching away to the south and right
before us the Fourteenth corps, marching
steadily and rapidly, with CHEEKY look and
swinging pace, that made light OF the thousand
miles that lay between us and Richmond.
Some band, by accident, struck up the anthem
of John Browns soul goes marching on; the
men caught up the strain, and never before or
since have heard the chorus of Glory, glory,
halelujahp done with more spirit, or in better
HARMONY of time and place.
Then we turned our horses heads to the
east; Atlanta was soon lost behind screen of
trees. and became thing of the past. Around
it olngs many thought of desperate battle, of
hope and fear, that now seem like the memory
OF dream; and have never seen the place
since. The day was extremely beautiful, clear
sunlight, with bracing air,and an unusual feel
ing of exhlaration seemed to prevade all minds
"a feeling of something to come, vague and
underlined, still full Of venture and intense in
terest. Even the common soldiers caught the
inspiration, and many group called out 10 me
as L worked my way past them, Uncle Billy,
guess Grant is waiting for US at Richmond!
Indeed, the general sentiment was that we
were marching for Richmond, and that there
we should end the war, but how and when they
seemed to care not; nor did they me asure the
distance or count the cost in life, or bother
their brains about the great rivers TO be crossed
and food required for man and beast, that had
to be gathered by the way. There was devil
may care feeling pervadDg officers and men
that made me feel the full load of responsible
ity, for success would be accepted as matter
of course, whereas, should we fail, this march
would be adjudged The wild adventure of a
crazy fool.
The first igbt out we camped by the road
side near Litbonia. Stone Mountain, mass of
granite, was in plain view, cut out in clear out
line against the blue sky; the whole horizon
was lurid with the bontires of ties, and
groups of men all night were carrying the
heated rails TO the nearest trees and bending
them around the trunks. Colonel Poe had pro-
vided tools for ripping up the rails and twist
ing them when hot; but the best and easiest
way is the one have described, of heating the
middle of The iron railsson boDfres made of the
cross-ties, and then winding them around
teegraph-Dole or the trunk of some convenient
sapling. | attached much importance to this
destruction OF the railroad, gave 1t my own per-
s0nal attention, and made reiterated orders to
Others on the subject.
The next day we passed through the hand
some town of Covington, the soldiers closing
up their ranks, the color bearers unfurling their
flags, and the bands striking up patriotic airs.
The white people came out OF their houses to
behold the sight, spite of their deep hatred OF
he.invaders, and the negroes were simply iran
tic with joy, Whenever they heard my name,
they clustered about my horse. shouted and
prayed in their peculiar style, which had nat
ural eloque that would have moved stone.
1 have witnessed hundreds, if not thousands OF
such scenes; and can now see poor girl, in the
very ecstacy of the Methodist Shout, huggIng
the banner of one of the regiments and jump
ing up to the feet of Jesus
L remember, when riding around by by
street i'll Covington, to avoid the crowd that
followed the marching column, that some one
brought me an invitation to dine with sister
of Sam. Anderson, who was cadet at West
Point with me; but the messenger reached me
after we had passed the main part of the town.
Il asked to be excused, and rode on 10 place
designated for camp, at the crossing OF the Ul-
cofauhachee River, about four miles to the east
of the town. Here we made our bivousc, and l
walked up to Plantation house close by,
where were assembled many negroes, among
luelu du Oiu, SIdy-DdlIeu nau VI do huc q hCd1
as ever saw. 1 asked him if he understood
about the war aud its progress. He said be
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 un-
ion, he supposed that slavery was the cause,
and that our success was to be his freedom. L
asked him if all the negro slaves comprehended
this fact, and he said they surely did. then
explained to him that we wanted the slaves to
remain where they were, and lot to load us
down with useless mouths, which would eat up
the food needed for our fighting men; that our
success was their assured freedom; that we
could receive few OF their young hearty men
as pioneers; but that, if they followed US in
swarms of old and young, feeble and helpless,
it would simply load us down and cripple us in
our great task. L think Major Henry Hitch
cock was with me on that occasion, and made
note of that conversation, and believe that
old man spread this message to the slaves,
which was carried from mouth to mouth, to
the very end of our journey, and that it in part
saved us from the great danger we incurred of
swelling our numbers so that famine would
have attended our progress"