The National tribune., 1901-07-18
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On the March to the Sea
Copyrighted, 1882 by the publishers of THE NATIONAL
Copyrighted 1893, by the publishers OF THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE.

Copyrighted, 1893, by the publishers OF IKE NATIONAL
TRIBUsE.
Nearing Savannah = Struggles With the
Swamps and Morasses-Torpedoes in the
Road.
Except the Fifteenth Corps, the entire
army was now pressing down the long,
narrow peninsula lying between the Sa-
yannah and the Ogeechee Rivers, and
which grew narrower as the city was APP
preached, until now it was nowhere more
than IS miles wide.
This was so cut up by creeks, swnmps,
rice-canals and dikes that it Afforded
splendid opportunities for the rebels to
obstruct the onward march of the army,
and at that time any prolonged halt would
mean starvation. There was nothing in
the country but rice, with most of that
behind the rebel lines, and 10000 men
would eat great deal of rice every day.
The rebels had all the will in the world
to give this obstruction, and they fully
comprehended how fatal it might be to
the bold invaders. Trees were felled
across the roads and into the fords; lines
of rifle-pits covered the distance between
heads of swamps running to the rivers on
either flanks; ugly forts rose to command
the crossings, and the long lines of cause
ways through the marshes; the gates
were shut, and the rice fields and dlkeS
were flooded; and heavy skirmish lines
would obstinately cling to the high banks
and dispute further progress, while mile
or more away cannon much heavier than
field-guns, and indicating the presence of
regular siege works, would below out sui
lenly, and send their shells roaring
through the melancholy wastes. Then
would come the swift deployment of heads
of columns, eager search for hog-paths
through the swamps, weary tioundering of
skirmish lines through the mud and flood
of rice-fields, the cutting down trees under
fire to make foot-bridges for daring Skir-
mishers to rush across and gain positions
Of advantage, and the final coming up
against solid line that seemed to finally
bar the way.
But the Fifteenth Corps was flying
light on the south side of the Ogeechee,
and bringing all these plans to nausht by
.'a-gittin' round our eends," as the rebel
prisoners expressed it.
Behind such Instructions as filed the
tongue of land between the Savannah and
the Ogeechee 10000 men could have held
Sherman's army back for months. The
10000 men were there, but over beyond
the sluggish Ogeechee the agile Fifteenth
Corps was roaming at will, finding fOrds
and crossings, and perpetually coming in
behind the obstinate Instructors, threat
ening them with capture.
The tall, scattered, somber pines
were now giving way to sturdy live-oaks,
from whose hundred arms hung long fes-
toons of the funereal-looking Spanish
moss, giving a graveyard gloominess
wherever there was a grove.
The dismal swamps, the endless maze
of flooded rice-fields, the ghostly drapings
on the Strengthening trees, the barren
ness of the uncanny land, the awful stor-
les of the alligators and other Shiny mon
sters a hundred times more horrible,
which were circulating among the negroes,
and especially the anxious look upon the
faces of the Colonel and. the Adjutant,
the way they and the other officers would
move off TO one side, and talk in low tones
about rations, the arrival OF the ships,
prospects of coming into communication
with our feet, and the necessity of the
most careful outstanding of supplies, filled
Aunt Minerva's soul with corToding fears.
"Dis seems de very roostin' place fer
harnts," she said to Uncle Ephraim, one
evening, as she detained him by her side.
Her independence OF him and occasional
fine scorn were all very well when they
were back on the highlands. Now she
wanted his supporting presence all the
time. ''Diss de very hatchin'-place fer
dem. Dey breed down hyah like skeeters
in duck-pond Dem long things a-hang
in from de trees is DER clothes in which
dey go t visit der friends in de grave
yards. An hits gittin' wusser an wus-
ser. Ebery day ives a'gittin furder inter
desc awful swamps. Eph. doesn't yo'
know some Bible verses yO' kin say dat'lI
be good t keep off de speritsT'
Il useter, but done forgot all dat con-
jure bizniss since / come inter de army.
Sergeant ST says hits plum wicked t
conjure, and Corpril Elliott he laffs an
says hits wuss dan wicked-hit's dam
foolishness, only fit fer niggers and pore
whites"
"Ephum McGiIIicuddy Klegg." gasped
Aunt Minerva Ann, ''how dares yO' use
cuss-words in sich place as dis? Some
thing may fly away wild yo' any minnit."
Stop talkin' dat fool nigger-chatter,"
said Uncle Ephraim, initiating Sis man
ner OF sweeping aside the superstitions
of slave-days. Mustn't t'ink an talk
dat-a-way, now dat yO's free. Muffin fly
way wild nobody in Sherman's army. Dey
amt de kind dat's flied away wild"
well, den, hit may come swimmin' an
creepin' along froo dis black water, an
kotch yo' an drag yo' down under de
roots OBJ de trees, 'mong de nasty Shiny
mess oh weeds an water-grass, whar moe
casins long as a fence-rail III bite yo', an
gators bigger'n a saw-log, wild moufs big
germ a barn-door, and teef like a cotton
gin II swaller yo'," said Aunt Minerva
Ann, bursting into tears. Better pray,
Eph, dan say cuss-words. If we'uns ever
git on dry ground agin den yo' kin cuss
all yo' wants t, an | won't say word"
Uncle Ephraim shuddered. He had
thought too much of those awful things
himself.
"'Spect l had better stop cussin' till
we'uns git outen YAH" he conceded. But
den Corpril Elliott, he goes right along,
cussin' like house a-fire ebberyting down
hyah, an sayin' dat he don't glib a
d fer de rebels an all deir works. o,
Lord fergib me, / done said d again,
an didn't mean ter, at all"
IT'S plum nigh skeered t def all de
time" said Aunt Minerva Ann, between
sobs of uncomfortable weeping. "I's bin
watchin' de Cunnel an de Adjutant. Dey's
awfully skeered, spite OBJ deir tryin' t not
let ON. De Cunners face so long dat he
could eat outen a churn, an de Adjutant
he nebber sing nor whistle no more. 1
Overheard him sayin' sumthin' t de Gun
mel bout nebber gittin' outen desc awful
swamps; de furder in we went de wuss
jes' stand still. I'm not gwine t sleep a
fire, an be reaG:= If de Angel Gabriel he
blow his horn"
well, Sarjint Klegg amt skeered a
mite" said. Uncle Ephraim, by way OF en-
c0uragement. "Sarjint Klegg, he say hit
make no dffference-we's bound t lick
de rebels, any way, an dat right off
Once dey got behine rocks an mountains,
but we licked dem out jest de same as
we're gwine t do when dey're behine mud
an water. Corprii Elliott he jes' cusses
aIl de time an saws he don't 9Th m d