Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-20
SHERMAN IN ATLANTA.
Did He Expect Grants Army to Me
Him There?

Did He Expect Grants Army to Meet
Him There?
1t is generally believed that General
Sherman abandoned Atlanta and marched
TO the sea to carry out plan of campaign
mapped out in his mind months before.
This view is favored by some war histories,
but the facts of the case as understood here
donot bear it out. The General had not been
in Atlanta many days before he issued an
order requiring Confederate sympathizers
TO go south and the Union citizens to 90
north. At that time the wealthiest and
most prominent Union man in the city was
William Markham. He was a North
erner, and his sentiments were well known
to both the Confederates and the Federals.
| lie had borne conspicuous part in the
formal surrender of the place to the in
vaders, and they naturally looked to him
| for information and advice. When the
order was issued commanding the people
to leave the city Mr.. Markham went to
the Commander and protested
| General" he said, after making his ap-
peal, "this order will send thousands of
innocent people out into the world home
less, helpless and starving"
ut Is the fortune of war;" replied Sher-
| man. 81 must look after the safety and
comfort of my army. Seven Of my soldiers
| are worth more to me than seven thou
| sand of your citizens and the Whole citv
have 500 miles of railway between me
| and my base of communication, and it
| will be difficult to feed my soldiers. You
will see that | cannot undertake to feed
several thousand of your people, some OF
them enemies and some of them useless
| friends. 1t is simply case of self-preser-
vation with me.
"Then you intend to remain here ?p in
| quired Mr. Marham.
"Remain here w repeated the General
THAT is absolutely settled. | shall hold
Atlanta until the war ends"
A day or two later General Sherman
called to see him at his residence and
talked more freely.
My engineers" he said, "are making a
| survey for an inner line of Notifications
running through the outskirts of the city.
The Confederate breastworks are too far out,
and will require too many soldiers to man
| them. When | get through Atlanta will
be as strongly fortified as Gibraltar, and
just as impregnable"
"You are determined to stay?"
"Yes, told you that the other day.
The fall of Richmond is expected daily.
When that occurs Grants army will march
through the Confederacy to this point and
the war will end right here"
During the week the General saw Mr..
Markham several times, and his talk was
always of the same tenor. Not once did
he utter word that indicated purpose to
march to Savannah or any other point.
The one idea of holding Atlanta until
Grant io:DaJ i'm, coor,oj 70 bo
in his mind.
As he related these interesting matters
of histor, the other day, Mr.. Markham
spoke with emphasis. He recollected the
| events of the stirring period as if they
had occurred yesterday, and he never hes
itated to recall 4 name or a date or the
| words used in conversation.
Are you certain that Sherman's march
| to the sea was not contemplated by him
when he captured Atlanta Y
Mr.. Markham paused to consider the
| question.
81 am reasonably certain" he responded.
"The General talked with me apparently
without reserve. He made possible prep
aration to hold the city, and he seemed to
be confident that Grants army would
capture Richmond in a short time and fol-
! the Carolinas into Georgia"
"What caused him to change his plans,
| and go to the coast, and then northward to
meet Grant :"
81 think that it was the desperate battle
at Altoona. When Hoods men moved
| around in his rear he saw that it was i'm
possible to hold his line of communication
with his base of supplies. He could not
| think of retreating, and SO his only course
was to strike out through Georgia, destroy
ing everything in his pathway"
$50 his celebrated march was not part
| of his original programme, but was an af-
| terthought ?"
"That is my belief, based upon what he
! told me, and upon what | saw"
As the writer looked at Mr. Markham,
and noted his serene appearance, he could
| not resist the temptation of asking him
another question.
"Mr. Markham, how much did Sherman's
| visit to Atlanta cost you?"
"At least Sll4,000 in buildings alone,
cannot now estimate the value of the other
| property that was lost, but it amounted to
large sum-"
Did the Government ever reimburse
you ?"
"No, put in claim. but it was year
too late, and | was told it would take
special Act of Congress. / have taken no
further stepsi"
Mr.. Markham found General Sherman
a very expensive acquaintance, but in his
prosperous and contented old age he
seems to care very little about it. He
has made another fortune since those days,
and is, perphaps, better satisfied with the
new Atlanta than he was with the old.