The National tribune., 1903-03-26

G ARMIES DURING OCTOBER.
Grant, but his dispatch was not received
| until the next day. This is what Gen.
Sherman said to Gen. Grant:
s'Rome, Ga. Nov l, 1864; Q a. m.
| ''Lieut.-Gen. u. s. Grant Commanding
Armies of the United States, City Point,
Va:
"As You foresaw. and as Jeff Davis
| threatened, the enemy is now i'll the full
tide of execution of his grand plan to de-
stroy my communications and defeat my
| army.
His infantry. about 10000, with
| Wheeler's and Roddey's Cavalry. from
1900 to 10000, are now in the neighbor-
| hood of Tuscumbia and Florence, ard, the
water being low, is able to cross at will.
| Forrest seems to be scattered from East
port to Jackson, Paris and the Lower
Tennessee, and Gen. Thomas reports the
capture by him of a gunbOat and five
| Transports Gen. Thomas has near Athens
and Pulaski Stanley's Corps-abOut 1o.0O0
strong, and Schoield's Corps-1OOOO-
en- route by rail, and has at least 10000 or
q, 600 men, with new regiments and con-
scripts arriving all the time; also Rose
Grams promises the two divisions OF Smith
and Mower, belonging to me, but / doubt
| if they can reach Tennessee in less than
10 days. -. T.; s..e..
| ,sIf I were to let go Atlanta and north
Georgia and make for Hood he would, as
he did here, retreat to the southwest, leav-
| ing his militia, now assembled at. Macon
and Griffin, to occupy our conquests, and
the work of last Summer would he lost.
have retained about $4,000 good troops,
and have, sent back fully 25,000; and, hav-
| ing instructed Gen. Thomas to hold de-
| e., chx-sli ba IN.
catur-all strongly fortified and pro-
! visioned for a long time-1 Will destroy all
the railroads of Georgia and do as much
| substantial damage as is possible, reaching
| the seacoast near one of the points hither-
to indicated, trusting that Gen. Thomas.
with his present troops and the influx of
new troops promised, will be able in few
| days to assume the offensive.
Hoods cavalry may do a good deal of
damage, and l have sent Wilson back with
all dismounted cavalry, retaining only
about $500.
"This is the best I can do. and shall there
fore-when l can get to Atlanta the nee
essary stOres-mOve as soon as possible.
'W. T. SHERMAN, Major-Gperal."
GEN. GRANT AUTHORIZES MARCH TO THE
| SEA.
Gen. Grant replied to this dispatch as
follows:
"City Point, Va,
"Nov. 2, 1864; II: 80 p. IN.
"Maj.-Gen. Sherman, Rome, Ga:
"YOur dispatch Of 8 a. m. yesterday is
Just received. l dispatched you, the same
date, advising that Hoods army, now that
it had worked SO far north, be looked upon
more as the objective.
"With the force, however. you have left
with Thomas, he must be able to take care
of Hood and destroy him.
Il do not really see that you can with
draw from where you are to follow Hood
without giving up all we have gained in
territory. l say, then. go as you propose.
, 'U. s. GRANT, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT"
!, This dispatch settled the question
of Sherman's March to the Sea
Gen. Grants idea for bringing the
war to a successful and speedy close
was to make the armies of the Con
federacy the objective of his military
movements and to concentrate his armies
for that purpose. But in this case Gen
Hoods army had been beaten-in three
months campaign and had now marched
away to the State of Albania to a new
base and new field of operations
obviously with the hope of drawing
the whole Of Gen. Sherman's army il
pursuit, and thereby causing him tc
, relax his grip upon the State Of
, Georgia. This he was unwilling to do
Gen. Sherman sent the following repl,
to Gen. Grants message:
: Headquarters Military Division of the
, Mississippi, in the Field.
Kingston, Ga, Nov. 2, 1864.
, "Lieut.-Gen. Grant, City Point, Va:
dispatch of 11:30 a. III. received.
, will go on and complete my arrangements
and in few days notify you of the day o.
my departure. Gen. Thomas reports to
; day that his cavalry reconnoitered within
three miles of Florence yesterday, ant
found Beauregard intrenched. hav,
; ordered him to hold Nashville, Chattanoo
Ega and Decatur, all well supplied for
! siege; all the rest of his army to assembl,
about Pulaski and to fight Beauregart
cautiously and carefully. At the sam,
time for A. j. Smith and all reinforcement
to get up to enable him to assume q bOlt
y offensive and to enable Wilson to get
good mount of cavalry. / think jeff. Davi
will change his tune when he finds m,
advancing into the heart of Georgia in
stead of retreating, and l think it will
have an immediate effect on your opera
. tons at Richmond. w. T. SHERMAN,
"Major-General, Commanding"
!. On the same day MAJ. Gen. A. ]. Smitl
d telegraphed Gen. Sherman from Warrens
b burg, No., informing him that he wa
under orders to join him and would lose n,
'' time III reacnins St. Louis anu emDarklni
r for destination en- route.
t On this date Gen. Hood had his head
e quarters at Tuscumbia, Ala, with Stew
l. arts and Cheatham's Corps encamped il
r the vicinity of the town, and Lees Corp
u occupying the city of Florence. Gen
t Hood was making every possible effort t
I thoroughly equip and provision his arm,
1 for the great movement he had in hand
;, while Gen. Sherman and Gen. Thoma
s were rapidly preparing for the part eacl
: was to play in this great game Of war.
No one not actually present and partici
: pating In the work Of preparation for tn