The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-04-16

tify the Rebels.
In making final preparations for tn
great marcf, it was fully recognized tina
none but strong men should lie taken fo
this service. The stress and strain of thu
long campaign had told upon many.
Each corps had hospital within I'M
Notifications at Atlanta. These hospitals
contained 1900 wounded, sick and con
yalescent officers and soldiers. They were
sent to the rear. the wounded and SICK Il
hospitals at Chattanooga, Nashville ant
beyond The convalescents were sent Il
Chattanooga. Under orders from Gen
Thomas these officers and men were or
ganized into Il brigade by Brlg.-Geii
Charles Cruft for garrison duty. the OF,
fcers and men of each corps being KEPT
together.
ENGINEER ORGANIZATION FOR THE
GREAT MARCH.
The route of the great march lay across
numerous rivers, creeks and marshes. re-
cniring PROMPT construction of bridges
and repairs of roads. 1t was necessary
to make provision for all of this in ad-
vance.
This duty was devolved upon o. NJ
Poe. Captain of Engineers, Chief En-
gineer, Military Division of the Mlssls-
sippi. upon the staff of Gen. Sherman.
This Engineer organization was com;
posed of engineer troops and troops OF the
line on engineer duty.
1. The LIST Regt Mich. Engineers and
Mechanics. Col. John Il. Yates. command
ing, receiving orders direct from Gen. Sher-
mans Headquarters; 10 companies, 1,50O
men.
2. The LIST No. Engineers. Lieut.-Col.
William Tweddale. commanding, in charge
wifi Ripbt Wjnp the
Army: five companies. $50 men.
3. The 18th Ind. Lieut.-COl. George L.
Buell.. commanding. in charge of the pom
to0n train of the Left Wing; 10 companies,
TT5 men: total, 2,S05 men.
4. Pioneers, Left Wing. six divisions,
each having Pioneer Corps of 100 men;
GOO men.
Right Wing-Seven divisions, each diyi-
vision having an average strength of 100
soldiers and 20 negroes-l,2U; total.
1.S00: making grand total of this En-
gineer and Pioneer force of 4,60o men.
5. As to the Tools and Tool Trains
Each Of the Pioneer Corps carried a sutfi-
cient number of tools TO work their full!
strength. The Right Wing carried dup
licate set of tools in wagons. In the Left
Wing each brigade was provided with a
tool wagon, loaded with $50 intrenching
tools. A great many axes, shoyels and
picks were carried by each regiment. and
always in reach for ready use. The Michi-
gan Engineers and Mechanics had train
of 50 wagons, of which 20 were loaded with
the following tools: l 800 axes and helres.
1,5OO shoyels. 700 picks and helves. 200
hatchets, besides an ample supply of
carpenters and bridge tools, saws, augers.
etc; also 100 hooks, specially designed b.
Capt Poe for twisting railroad iron. The
remaining wagons carried subsistence aud
Quartermaster's stores. The Missouri En-
ginecrs carried 800 axes, 500 shovels and
4 full supply of carpenters and black
smiths tools. - ....-
=. 6, The Pontoon Train.-Right Wing
POntoniers, LIST Mo. Engineers, eut-Col.
Tweddale; effective force, $50 men. This
pontoon train had IS canvas boats, 20
boat wagons. GOO chesses OF flooring tim
bers, with Is chess wagons, 196 Ealks or
wagon. two tool wagons. seven forage
wagons. Length of bridge this material
would construct, $50 feet.
Left Wing-Pontoniers. 5Stb Ind.
Iieut.-Col. Buell.: effective force, 775 men.
This pontoon train had 81 canvas pontoon
boats complete. Is extra canvas covers.
10 anchors, 2.000 pounds of rope, 81
horses, 800 mules, 81 wagons, three ambu-
lances. two tool wagons and three FORCES.
Col. Buell. carried 1876 flooring joists and
$50 flooring boards. All the material for
these bridges was of great strength, so
that when bridge was built continuous
stream of wagons and men could pass over
It. The design was that section of the
pontoon bridge should habitually travel
with each corps when the corps moved on
different roads.
sHEEMANs ARMY BEGINS ITS GREAT
MARCH.
On the morning of Nov. Is, 1864, the
army began its movement from Atlanta.
srhf fh<
teenth and Seventeenth Corps. novel
southeast toward Macon. The Fifteenth
Corps. on the right, followed the railroad.
destroying it as it advanced. The Seven
teenth Corps took the road through Ne
Donough. Upon the extreme right Gen.
Fitzpatrick marched with his Division of
Cavalry. keeping well to the front
Gen. Slocum, heading the Left Wing.
marched east with the Twentieth Corps
along the Augusta Railroad by way If
Stone Mountain and Social Circle.
Gen. Corse, with the Fourth Division.
Fifteenth Corps, reached Atlanta on his
march from Rome on the morning of the
18th. but was detained until late in the
afternoon loading his wagons with sup
plies. He camped near East Point that
night.
The Fourteenth Corps remained in At
Ianta with Gen. Sherman and his staff.
who superintendent the final destruction
of the railroad. roundhouse, machine shop
and other buildings used for military pur-
poses and the loading of the wagon trains
which had not been completed.
For this days march | had the rear of
The three advance divisions with my
brigade. 1t took some time for this large
body of troops to move out with its great
wagon train. 1t was not until / o'clock in
the afternoon that i was able to take the
road
The troops were all fresh and marched
eagerly forward. but it was II O'Clock at
night when closed.up with the balance of
the division and reached my camp When
night set in was number of miles south
of Atlanta and was far beyond a point
where l could see the city. but a red glare.
lighting up one-fourth of the northern hori-
Zon and rising high into the sky. could be
seen all night long i'm the direction of the
city. clearly indicating that large part of
That One-time great stronghold had been
doomed TO destruction by the god of war.
Gen. Sherman's first objective point was
Milledgevile, the Capital of the State.
Situated about 100 miles southeast from
ATLANTA. His plan was to threaten both
Macon and Augusta, but not to undertake
the capture of either. The feint upon
these places was designed to prevent the
concentration of large force for the de-
Tense of the State Capital
Gen. Fitzpatrick. with his two bricades
of cavalry, numbering $500 men and six
pieces of artillery, on the 18th crossed