Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-11-19
Gen. hoWard's Address.


| Army of the Tennessee:
In this annual address, we will attemp
| 20 place before you few sketches to re
lnind YOU of the operations of the Arm,
| two battles which our great leader fought
| IN North Carolina.-they We're indeed the
| last of the war for Shermans column.
We had reached Fayetteville. n. C.ant
TWO army corps. the lith and 10Th. was
pehind his crossing al the city. Our army
the 18th and 18th corps had a good bridge
across the Cape Fear mile below. and
were epeamped west of the river at CON
Venient distances behind the bridge. OF
course, We had some troops beyond the
river. as advance guards. with cavalry
ana ana piekets handsomely covering our
'front.' In this position we remained foi
nearly three, days-from the 18th TO the
10th of March, 1860
sherman had some days before. ex-
pressed his desire to communicates with
Wilmington. as he was confident that
Sehoiield. with his I'D corps, after the
battle of Nashville. had come around by
rall. and had by this time secured VIII
Duncan had selected two enlisted men
the same that had with him floated down
me Ogechee. through the enemys lines
two months before to bring our army and
navy into conjunction. These men. Ser
Geant Amick. 18th Illinois cavalry and
George w. Quimby ed Wisconsin. loaded
with as much mail matter they could
carry without suspicion. had set OF bold
~ across the Caroinas for Wilmington
Later sherman had caused another scout
70 iloat down the Cape Fear river. The
,irst party succeeded in getting through
steamer started up the river for Fayette-
vile. Immediately after the first brisk
excitement of our skirmish with Hardee
had subsidized and his forces were well
over the Cape Fear we heard the shrill
whistle of steam tug coming from be-
low 1t proved to be the eSSage-bearing
vessel from Wilmington. Not long be-
tore the vessel came in sight. fortunately
along the river banks. had come upon a
Confederate steamer and captured It.
me day before our departure one of our
gun-boats. carefully working up steam
steamers arrived. With them came the
coveted mails: also sugar. coffee shoes
and forage,-most welcome supplies The
returning steamers bore from us our sick
to better accommodations. and carried
mail matter for the entire command
The remaining spaces were occupied by
the most of our white refugees, that had
been gathering and increasing from CO.
we organized that motley column of freeI
people that We set in motion towards the
promised lands of Sea Island cotton.
Using our soldiers. whose time had eX-
enough supplies. ahead, and a sufficient
guard in the rear. That main body in the
middle of the road beggars my descrip-
ton. Here was a sample family: An old
grandmother scantily clad bent with
years with a long staff in her right hand
YEARLY keeping UP her pace; near by is a
negro father. face deeply scanned, head
and beard already grlzzled; to his right
the mother with bandanna. turbanned
head. having clinging to her meagre
skints several boys and girls with their
bright. half scared eyes and woolly pates.
All are in rags or patches. thickly set on:
a stout boy of IA, with his broad mouth
full of white teeth is trudging along. and
by a rope halter. pulling after him a
large. dingy. white reluctant mule sad
died with shapeless bundles of every size
Further back. you behold other groups
some before and some behind country
wagons of odd construction. Here is an
Old fashioned sulky, with rounded bot
tom, hauled by horse in fair condition,
but with harness partly leather, party
rope. and the rest chains. All the goods
and chattles of a nondescript, poor white
into this vehicle. On the seat Is the
poor. wretchedly clothed wife, hiding her
face far back in her deep grOttOed sun
bonnet. holding her baby in arms, while a
white-haired youngster is
at her feet. There are dotting
thin that they stagger, mules of all sizes
and conditions and few donkeys that
make known their sorrows by their usual
while jolly pickannies are pill
ing on them their bundles and dragging
them along.
sular column to pass a given point.
There was in the air the music of mui-
.itude. the cries of children. the shouting
Of drivers. the Snatches of jubilee songs
md prayerful calculations: and above all
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