Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-04-19

dering its railroads valueless,
while other details applied the torch to
public and private property, destroying
everything which could be employed to
prolong the war. The four columns of
Sherman's army hung the signs of their
progress in the clouds--four pillars Of
smoke by day and four pillars of fire by
night. From Atlanta to Savannah we
left behind us blackened trail, sixty
miles wide, through the heart of Georgia,
and when the journey was ended the
confederacy knew why Sherman had
made the march tu the sea.
Some days after leaving Atlanta we
encountered the most important resis-
tance until the neighborhood of Savan.
nah was reached. 1t was near Macon, q
| city of Importance, which contained q
rebel force. Our cavalry had made a
felnf on the city and in the operation
had drawn rebel sortie OF larger di-
| mensions than 1t could handle. The
infantry of the federal right wing was
within supporting distance and brig
ade Of General Hazen's division of the
fifteenth corps encountered the enemy
and after brisk engagement accom-.
plished Its defeat. Our fnrces then
withdrew and moved on. Macon was
not our objective point and We did not
want it. The left wing of the army in
the meantime had moved upon Mil.
ledgevilla, the state capital, routed its
cavalry guard, took possession of the
city and held it for day or two. Il.
was during this temporary occupation
that some of the wags of the twentieth
corps assembled in the state
house, organized what they
called the Georgia state leg
isiaturs and repealed the ordinance OF
secession by which Georgia had separ-
ated itself from the pnion. The pro-
ceedings were dignified and formal. but
| Georgia did not at that time profit by
the wisdom of Its Yankee legislature. At
Milledgeyille confederate arsenal and
numerous public buildings were burned,
| by General SheFman's order, but the
private property of that beautiful city
was unmolested.
| BY this time the army he'd left the
Oomulgee river well behind and stood
confronting the deep and rapid running
Oconee. The rebel general, Whs sler,
had sGcamalased division OF cavalry
with which to dispute our progress.
Orders were promulgated by tho stato
and confederate authorities appealing to
the people to run off their cattle, mules
and horses, destroy all forage and burn
the bridges in our advance. The Geor'
glans were entreated to lay waste their
oonntry that the invaders might starge
/ in, their midst. On the Oconee river the
| first attempt was made to comply with
these elnsuuctions. In swift retaliation
we applied the torch to everything com.
bustible. Plantations were scourged
with fire aud by night the yauited
heavens reflected back the glare
of burning buildings and cas'
8 warning light far in advance of the on
moving host. One Lesson was enough
for the entire campaign. There was nc
further attempt to destroy the food anc
| forage needed by Sherman's men and
animals.
At Milledgeyille the left wing of tht
army and the cavalry crossed the Oconet
on bridge left by the enemy. at Ball'i
ferry, twenty-five miles below, the righ
wing attempted to lay it's pontoor
bridge, when its front WAS assailed by
Wheeler's cavalry, posted in the wood.
on the opposite bank. Under cover of ,
section of twelve FOUNDER guns our pom
toon boats were manned and swune
rapidly across the stream, where o land
ing was effected, a line formed and in I
brief period of time the armed obstruc
tion WAS removed. The pontoon bridge
was speedily built and the fifteenth snt
seventeenth corps crossed the Oconei
and pushed on with the other wing o
the army into Georgia's richest CHOKE,
and sweet potato pastures, the regioI
| lying between the Oeonee and Ogeeche,
rivers.
The first division OF the march hat
been successfully accomplished. Gen
! eral Sherman's Atlanta orders to hi
subordinate generals were to place thei
commands at the two points named OF
the Oconee river. Additional orders is
sued at the Oconee required the arm,
to advance eastward with Millen as it
objective point. It was at Mi!len tina
the railroad rnnning westwars
from Savannah to Atlanta sen
| a branch northward t.
Augusta. Kilpatrick's cavalry wa
ordered to swing rapidly northward
feint on Augusta and descend suddenl.
upon Millen, where large number Q
, union prisoners were confined. Til
]. movement. was executed With Fitzpatrick
{ usual yigor, but the prisoners had beel
) moved away from Millen before our cav
5 airy reached it and their hcsed for re
. lease was frustrated. The two wing
!. of the main army occupied the position
i assigned them in the beginning an
$ moved steadily forward, destroying Q
8 they marched.
t l have followed the army of invasio
9 we'll into the second stage Of its marc
1 without reference to its most importal