The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-04-05
sLOCUM's VETERANS.
A Graphic Account of the last Pitched Bat
tie Of the War.

tie OF the War.
An interesting incident OF Sherman's
march to the sea was the transferring OF
forage and supplies to the eOmmissary
wagons while in motion. This was done
in order that the trains might be kept
we'll together and no time lost. The
mounted officers would ride through the
fields on either side of the line of march.
so as not to interfere with the troops.
Gen. Sherman used this route and c. uld
be seen dashing through thickets or
pluuging through swamps. He would
ride one day with Gen. Slocum, COM
manding the left wing of the army, and
the next day with Gen. HOwarn, COM
manding the right wing Gen. Sher
mans army arrived before the defences
Of Savannah on December 90. 1864.
During the long march no news from
the outside world had been received ex
cept what had been CLEANED from the
Southern papers. The Union fleet lay
in Ossabaw sound and the only obstacle
preventing Sherman's troopers commun
Icating with it was Fort McAllister,
which was assaulted and captured by
Gen. Hazen's Fifteen Corps on Decem-
Der %. On the 10Th the mails were de-
livered and the pile of letters that had
accumulated was something wonderful.
1t was said that every man in the army
got letter, and some received several,
which made bulky collection. Prep
arations were at made for assauIting the
defenses of Savannah, but the Confeder
ates evacuated the city, and a portion Of
Gen. Slocums troops, under the com
mand OF Geary, marched into the city
on the morning of Dec. 2l
1t was Gen. Grants plan to transfer
Sherman's army. excepting the artillery
and cavalry to Virginia after the cap
ture OF Savannah, but he finally defer ed
to Gen. Sherman's desire to reach Vir.
GINA by marching though S nth and
North Carolina. The troops spent about
one month in Savannah retittIng and
preparing for what proved to be the fl.
nal campaign of the war. On Jan. Is
the march commenced. The right wing
threatened Charleston, S. c., and the left
Augusta, Ga, causing the concentration
OF rebel troops at these points, when the
two wings were finally united in the in
terror of South Carolina. When the
troops crossed into South Carolina the
greatest excitement and enthusiasm pre-.
vailed The work of destroying the rail-
roads, which had occupied 80 much of
the time Of the troops in Georgia. was
now Resumed. The men become very
expert at this work. A section # the
railroad would be taken up bodily, the
rails being ripped from the ties, then a
fire would be made of the latter. The
rails would then be piled upon the fire
and when heated they would be twisted
around trees or telegraph poles, making
| IL lmnnGaihln m
miles of railroad was thus DESTROYED in
the march to Columbia. The left wing
under command of Gen. SlOcum, went
within SIX miles Of Columbia and was
then ordered to cross the Saluda river at
lions Church. In speaking of Colum
bia and its causes Gen. Slocum has said:
We could see the flames of burning
city very distinctly from our position.
Nearly all the public buildings, several
churches, an orphan asylum and several
of the residences were destroyed. The
city was filled with helpless women and
children and invalids. many of whom
whom were rendered houseess and
homeless in a single night. No sadder
scene was presented during the war.
The question as to who was Immediately
responsible for this disaster has given
rise to some controversy. do not be-
lieve that Gen, Sherman countenanced
1t or was in any degree responsible for
it. | believe free use of whiskey
(Which was supplied to the soldiers by
the citizens with great liberality) was
the immediate cause of the disaster.
Primarily the responsibility must rest
forever npon those who should have
been the protectors of these helpless
people. For more than quarter OF a
century, to use a common expression,
South Carolina had been absDlu ely
spelling for fight No statesman, how
ever eminent, could do anything which
rendered him so odious to that State as
to propose compromise measures which
contemplated peaceful solution of the
troubles between the two sections Of the
coun ry. Clay and Webster tried it,
only to be condemned by these people.
She attempted the destruction of the
Union during the presidency of jackson;
upon the election of Lincoln she could
not walt to learn his policy; she could
not even wait to consider with her sister
States of the South-she took the lnitia
tive. Now tina: the result for which he
had labored so long had been accom-
pliShed, it would have been regretted by
the entire North, and think by many
at the South, had the performance
closed without giving her an opportunity
to witness the results and feel the effects
of her long continued efforts. II the
people of any section OF our country
should become infected with the war
fever, they will do well t. remember
that while politicians can inaugurate a
war, they can seldom close one. While
they can predict with great accuracy
where the first battle will be fought, they
can never tell where the last one will
occur. A drunken soldier, with a mus
ket in one hand and a match in the 9TH