Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-10-29

Gettysburg on the south OF James river
and Staid there with Richmond all but III
his grasp. Yet tnere were some bold spirits
who ncld that the god of battles nll4ht see
to it that the weaker side shuuld have one
more chance with fair play ana no favor
and one of those WIS Gen. j + Hood. that
GashluI, daring Texan, VINO saucilY made
faces around the corner at Sherman after
the latter had hIsiied him ont Of Atlanta
bv giving him the toe Of the boot, as it
were
Hood candidly admitted to himself and
his Supporters tigt ne COulGn't cope with
Sherman in open battle, but he hoped by
| skillfui mRueUverS to draw hIln away from
his long line Of communication between At
lanta and NHshTili: and WORRY hiiu into an
| abandonment Of all that the Mon army
| had gained south 81 Tennessee river With
| this project III view he Turned and doubled
on the track uorthHar,l AGAIN toward Chat
! t1uoDga. At various points he threatened
| or attacked Sh-rmau's iine OF communica
| ton, notably al AliatO1na pass where
| brave Corse 'held the tort. and he soon
had the satisfaction OF finding ohernan's
army all Ken up in the haste to cover
the vital points in its rear, only one corps
remaining in Atlanta
After two weeks of "A game Of fox and
geese" Hood found himself in the presence
of large body OF s'hprman'S troops in the
mountains of northwestern Georgia and
determined to offer battle, but when be
canvasSed his own soldiers he found that
the spirit of lighting mad vanished Re
peated disaster and retreat had filled the
hearts of his battle Scared veterans with
the prevailing hopeless sncss In this crist-
nothing would fit so wei ~ the motto, "Bc
bold, he bold and evermore he boldn' and
of boldness Hood had an apparently eX
halistless supply He resolved to give Sher
man the slip once more and march rapidly
| TO Nashville, Louisville and Cincinnati
strike terror TO the north, win the smiles
Of France, who only waited good excuse
for aiding the Coufcderacy, and bring up a,
last OH Grants rear in northern Virginia
after crossing Ohio and the Blue Ridge
Was ever the dream of a daring military
udventurer wilder than that? But Wha
was to hinder? sherman, distance and tn,
scattered Union troops to be met with OF
the way? As for the last two obstacle
Hoods soldiers were equal to the march
and equal also he believed to any impro
vsel force that could be raked up to i'm
pede him in all tie west. Sherman, him
self, he believed, would turn to and 20 bacl
Grant ind Sherman had discussed plaI
after Atlanta fell for drawing Hood ava,
from his rich base of supplies in Alabam;
by marchinga Union army through Georgia
to the gulf or to the sea Both agreed thei
that in such event Hood would certainly
follow lie was in front of Sherman at tn,
time this conclusion was reached. Bu
when lie abandoned his camps. stripped
for the race, about the middle of October
and struck out westward enHlug sherman
in northern Georgia, he was to all intent
and purposes loose in Tennessee for Sher
man had nothing in the field to proven
the C0nfederates crossing from Alabama
anywhere they chose, Nevertheless, Sher
man chung to the theory that If he marched
the main portion of his army to the Sc
Hood would follow and though Grant a
the last moment advised him to ruin llOo
before starting Off at "A tangent, and Lin
coin was "auXlous, II not fearful he Oe
gan the historic and picturesque march.
. Hood marched westward across Alabam
100 miles, victuaHug and equippin4 hi
, army en- route for their wonderful veutur
= into hostile territory BY the middle G
: November he wa, crossing the Tennessee
! ut Florence. Ala Hi, numbers, includin
the cavalry that would join him, wer
| about 10000 Another theory Sherma
, held about this remarkable campaign wa
| that his lieutenant, Gen. Thomas, with
l ! corps of about 1000 men under Gen. ID. y
I Stanley, and an indefinite force of mounte
) and dismounted cavalry, could hold til
4 line of the Tennessee river and keep Hoo