The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-07-23
CHAPTER XVIII.
NEARING THE END.

Sherman and Johnston had been fight
ing tooth and nail over a hundred miles
Of mountains and woods; and the words
Dalton, Resaca. Dallas and Lost and
kenesaw mountains had been written
in letters Of blood on the page Of his
tory.
Johnston had retired behind the in
trenchments Of Atlanta, when Davis,
dissatisfied with his Fabian policy. had
deposed him. and put Hood in his place.
Sherman advanced on the Georgian
city. when Hood attacked the Union
army three times with tremendous
energy, but was repulsed with great
slaughter. Sherman thcreupon re-cn-
acted his favorite flank movement, filled
his wagons with fifteen days. rations,
dexterously shifted his whole army
on his opponents line of supplies. and
compelled the evacuation of the city.
But the victory was dearly bought: for
Sherman's Lieutenant. the gallant Nc
Phcrson who. with the brave Logan.
had chiefly sustained the front of the
battle. was killed in action.
Sherman now longed to sweep
army. though driven away. was hover
ing near him. and rendered such move
ment impossible: when the glad tidings
was brought to the Federal camp, that
the Southern General was setting out to
invade Tennessee.
IF Hood will only go there" Shcr-
man declared, Il will give him rations
for the journey"
And Hood went: and Sherman started
on that grandly picturesque expedition.
1.-The March to the Sea-
Hood moved rapidly devastating the
country he passed through; and critical
old gentleman thousand miles away,
reading their morning papers. growlcd
over Thomas delay, and declared, that
if they were in command of the Federal
troops they would order affairs on a
very different plan: and their convic-
tions were sustained. when news came
that the Rock of chickamauga'' was
being shut up at Nashville. just rs he
and Rosecrans had been at Chattanoo-
ga. Why. these venerable stay-at-homcs
said such conduct was simply outrage
GUS. Oh. If they could only hold the
reins. Even Grant caught the contagion
of this popular discomfort, and actually
set out to take charge Of his troops In
person. when tho North was electrified
with the report that Thomas in two
days bloody battle had driven the Con-
federates out of their Entertainments
into headlong fight, and dissolved them
into a rabble of demoralized fugitives!
Ar hot Ia
military movements were concerned,
finished the war in the West.
Grants advance on Richmond. Shcr-
mans march to the sea. Thomas de-
struction of an army, were compliments
of each other-each necessities of the
others-and combined. were the forces
that broke the back of the Confcdcracy.
Five dates now stand out lurid in the
completion of that long calendar Of
carnage.
On April the 9th Lee surrendered to
Grant at Appomattox courthouse.
On the Goth OF the same month john
ston yielded to Sherman.
On the 10th Of May jefferson Davis
was captured at Irwinsville, in South
| ern Georgia.
On the 14th of May all Confederate
troops east of the Mississippi laid down
their arms.
On the Goth Of May all west of the
"Father of Waters" followed their cx-
ample, and the Confcderacy, with it's
high hopes and great ambitions, was a
thing Of the past.
| There were no more bivouacs by tho
camp-ires now. no weary marches, no
cory scenes of battle, no more hunger
and thirst in beleaguercd cities for the
Fighting Fourth, for the regiment was
on its way to Columbus to be mustered
out of service. It's beloved Colonel had
suddenly and mysteriously resigned,
and had preceded them some weeks be-
fore, leaving the delightful task of con-
Quoting the jubilant fellows home to
Frank Besant. who had in vain sought
the reason of his superior's desertion of
his men ut SO interesting moment, but
had attributed it to some important
business calls, for he knew that Hop
kins was man OF large property. and
consequently would be glad to get back
to his affairs.
1t was not till they were well into
Ohio and n dispatch from his friend
reached him at roadside station that
the real object of Hopkins mission was
revealed to him.
"Your commission was signed to-day
my boy. Though your hours of com
mand are few, it will be no little boast
for your children and your children's
children to say you once were Colone
Of the Fighting Fourth"
The paper dropped from the young
mans hand His eyes swan with tears
Colonel of the Fighting Fourth! Grca
Heavens! it was enough to turn hi
brain!
TO BE CONTINUED.
I'm Court.-"How came it that whci
J you broke into the store You carried of
lot of useless trash and left tn
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