The National tribune., 1896-10-29
"SHERMAN's RUNNERS"

"SHERMAN's
with provisions, and every horse and mule
in the outfit was also well garnished with
turkeys, chickens, and other things not in
cluded in the general issue of the Com
missary Department.
Their mounts were not as fine as the Gov
eminent furnishes to its Regular cavalry, bnt
answered the purpose until better could be
obtained The animals ranged from a
scrawny little mule to a splendid horse, and
the equipments were motley collection
army saddles, leather saddles, side saddles,
blankets, and pieces of carpet; for brides,
in some cases, piece of stick and sweet
potato vine served the purpose.
These were gradually exchanged from day
to day, as opportunity offered, for better
animals and better equipments, until our
detachment of "bummers was a nicely
equipped company Of mounted infantry, and
we never lacked for plenty to eat while on
| the march In their foraging expeditions the
bummers were keen, alert soldiers, full OF
resource and courage, and when any party
of them met the enemy's cavalry, all within
| hearing FASTENED to the assistance OF those
who were attacked, and in this way many
respect able battles were fought. When for
raging duty was over, the hummer" was in
the ranks again, the orderly, reliable soldier,
doing the routine duty of the camp
Our line of march, when we left Atlanta,
took us due east along the railroad towards
! Augusta until we passed Madison, when we
turned south towards Milledgeville, which
was then the Capital of the State OF Georgia.
| This part of Georgia had at that time many
rich plantations, and there had just been
! harvested a large crop of sweet potatoes.
These formed the staple OF our living, made
more palatable by an occasional chicken,
turkey, or pig, or a nicely cured ham or
| bacon. When these could not be procured
we had to get along with fresh beef, of
which there was plenty.
The "bummers brought in many fine
game cocks, aud in a short time every regi-
ment or battery aud every Headquarters mess
had fighting rooster, which was carried
along tied on the back of pack mule or fas-
tered TO a cannon. and the sport of an even
ing was in watching these birds fighting.
1t was not an uncommon sight to see Gen.
Sherman, with his old slippers on hi feet
and cigar in his month, an interested spec
tator at these cock-fghts.
The negro slaves from along the route fol-
lowed US by thousands, and no efforts oil ours
could keep them back. Mothers carried
CRYING babies IN their arms, and dragged
and drove other little Ones to keep up with
the procession, escaping from the land OF
bondage"
In the afternoon of Nov. % we came in
sight of the spires of Milledgeville, and
word was passed along the line that we
would get the Capital of Georgia without q
, fight This news was welcome but unex-
pecied. Our " friends" the enemy, even
kindly left us good bridge upon which to
! cross the Oconee River The Sd Wis. was
: designated as provost-guard and It's Colone
: post commander, when the column was
formed to march into the city, Col. Carmen
of the 18th n. j., the brigade commander
leading the column. The brigade BAND
nIayed Marching Along" and as We
neared the Capital they changed to Yankee
| Doodle.n Marching Through Georgia
had not then been written.
The white people from doors and windows
looked on silently and sullenly, but the col
ored people hailed with delight the adven
| of our army Milledgeville was midi,
| treated by these modern Goths. No pr
yate property was injured except cotton, no
was public property destroyed, excepting IL
the case of the arsenal, when it was neces
sary to burn the building to destroy tn
| contents.
The arsenal was filled with grotesqu
collection of arms, ancient and modern
There were q few thousand modern mus
kets, and many more old fint-locks, old
fashioned squirrel-rifes, single and double
barreled shotguns, old pistols, bowie kniye,
and other Anticipated weapons of war.
The amusing part of the collection was
:. lot of pikes-not a few of them, but thou
= sands-made for the State of Georgia to arr
= her citizen soldiers TO repel invasion. The
= were like large knife fastened to the en-
:. of pole about six feet long, and before tn
y invention of gunpowder would have been
20 serviceable weapon.
70 Taking up pike in defense of their cour
a. try was a favorte expression with SOuther
o. politicians, but many of them were lik
as Gov Harris, of Tennessee, of whom til
IA story was told that in speech TO the cit
: zens of Nashville he exhorted them to TAX
40 up pixies in defense of their city, and offere
II to lead them, but when the time came to d
n 80 the pike he took up was the MurfreesboI
m pike.
ds The last act of the State authorities befol
an leaving the city was TO turn loose the prison
ers in the State prison, and while we WEI
at there the building was accidentally set G
ar. fire and burned. / know it was an acc
ms dent, for the man who set it on fire to-
RI me so.
nd In one Of the rooms of the Capitol w
~ stored a large amount of Georgia State bill
printed in large sheets, stacked up like cor
as wood and everybody helped themselves
So what they wanted of it, Money of tn
fe, kind was extremely plentiful for few day
tie and large fortunes of it were lost or won
se- the turn OF q card.