The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-05-02
CHAPTER XVIII.
NEARING THE END.
Once more to Nashville.

Sherman and Johnston had been hght+
ing tooth and nail over 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
trencllments 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 thereupon re-en-
acted his favorite flank movement. filed
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.
Pherson who, with the brave Logan,
had chiefly sustained the front of the
battle, was killed in action.
Sherman now longed to sweep
through the Atlantic States, but Hoods,
army. though driven away, was hover
ing near him, and rendered such a move
ment inpossible; when the glad tidings
was brought to the Federal camp, that.
the Southern General was setting out to-
invade Tennessee.
s'If Hood will only go there" Sher-
man declared. II 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 lie passed through; and critical
old gentleman Il thousand miles away,
reading their morning papers, growled
over Thomas delay, and declared, that,
if they were in command Of the Federal
troops they would order affairs OH a
very different plan; and their convic-
tons were sustained, when news came
that the Crock Of Chickamauga'' was
being shut up at Nashville. just as he
and Rosecrans had been at Chattanoo-
ga Why, these venerable stay -at-homes
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 the 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 rabble Of de1noralized fugitives!
And this battle, SO far as any great
military movements were concerned,
finished the war in the West.
Grants advance on Richmond, Sher-
mans march to the sea, Thomas de-
str1lction of an army, were compliments
of each other-each necessities OF the
others-and combined, were the forces
that broke the back of the Confederacy.
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 1rwinsville, in South
ern Georgia.
On the 18th 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 ex-
ample, and the Confederacy, with it's
high hopes and great ambitions, was q
thing of the past.
There were no more bivouacs by the
camp-fres now, no weary marches, no
CORY scenes of battle, no more hunger
and thirst in beleaguered cities for the
Fighting Fourth, for the regiment was
on it's way to Columbus to be mustered
out of service. Its beloved Colonel had
suddenly and mysteriously resigned,
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 at so interesting moment, but
had attributed it to some important
business calls, for he knew that Hop
kins was a man of large property, and
consequently would be glad to get back
to his affairs.
It was not till they were well into
Ohio and a 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 Colonel
of the Fighting Fourth"
The paper dropped from the young
mans hand. His eyes swan with tears.
Colonel of the Fighting Fourthl Great
Heavens! it was enough to turn his
brain!
ITO be Continually
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