The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-03-05

I'm the cut the upward, curves show the gen.
eral line of march of the Twentieth corps, the
reversed curves that of the Seventeenth corps,
the broken black line that of the Fourteenth
corps, and the unbroE@l linc that of the Fif-
teenth corps, while the stars show the pre-
scribed range of the cavalry: but it is to be
noted that the cavalry swept over Il large
breadth, and thanking, bodies of the infantry
often departed from the main lin
tacl the railroad Supplying the Union
army.
Sherman cast longing eyes on Mobile
and Savannah-anywhcrc to shorten his
line of supply. Meanwhile he sent Thomas
back to Chattanooga to look after Hood
and protect his present line from Atlanta
to Louisville. He then conceived the plan
of marching to the sea, there to meet
transports iOoIcd with proy1-.~,.A. Gen.
Grant strongly advised him to turn and
destroy Hood before entering upon his
proposed move.
Sherman replied that II he could hope to
overhaul Hood he would turn against him
with his whole force, but that be feared
Hood would retreat southwestward with a
view of drawing him from Georgia "Still," ,"
said Sherman, eff he attempts to invade
middle Tennessee VIII hold Decatur, and
be prepared to move in that direction; but
unless l let go ofAtlanta my force will not
be equal to his Sherman also added in
another dispatch to Grant, eff | turn back
now the whole effect Of my campaign will
be lost" Grant replied: 81 DO not see how
you can Withdraw from where you are to
follow up Hood without giving up all we
have gained in territory. | say, then, go
on as you propose" So the great march
waj begun.
Sixty thousand men made Il holiday
march over the territory lying between At
n n,ch To N
sea has doubtless done more to attach fame
to the nanlc Of Sherman among the masses
than any campaign he planned or execut-
ed There is something in it 50 different
from the ordinary lead and powder and
blood of war. The men were 50 happy
Uncle Billy, | guess Grant is waiting
for US at Richmond" they called out as
Sherman passed them on the march. There
were shots fired, but at sheep and chick
ems; there was blood spilled, but it was the
blood of November turkeys. 1t was Jolly,
roistering, reckless army-an army that
had fought for and won the privilege of
rowing at will over the territory that was
laid open to it. In about thirty days the
advance came to the banks of Ossibaw
sound where frOW ned Fort MacA lister but
Gen. Hazen's division formed in line and
walked over the parapets with but little
trOuDlc SuppileS were aJ mana, ScnC down
from the north by sea; the goal was won.
Sherman had new and safe means of
supply, and the moral effect of the move
was tremendous.
Sherman says in his "Memoirs:" Il con-
sidered this march as a means to an end,
and not as an essential act of war. Still
then, as now, the march to the sea was gen.
orally regarded as something extraordina-
ry, something anomalous, something out
of the usual order of events; whereas, in
fact l simply moved from Atlanta to Sa-
vannah, as one step in the direction of
Richmond, n movement that had to be
met and defeated or the war was neces-
sarily at an end"
Finishing tho Struggle.
On the first day of February, 1865, Sher-
man started with $1,000 men in pursuit of