The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-08-17


They still had possession of the great
railroads that crossed each other ut
Meridian
To destroy these railroads an eXpe-
dition was sent, in command OF G@u.
Sherman, Feb. 8, 1864. 1t set out from
Vicksburg in light marching order.
The soldiers who contributed the force
of nearly $4,000 men were from Nc
Phersons and Hurlburt's corps. Both
these commanders accompanied the ex-
peditiOn.
The cavalry was chiefly composed of
the united commands of General w.
Sooy Smith and General 'Ben" Grier-
son-in all 1000 men. The cavalry
started from Memphis, and were un
der strict orders to join Sherman at
Meridian not later than Feb. 10. They
We're to march to the south through
Pontotoc, Okolona and Columbus.
In December, 1868. Bishop Polk had
been put in command of the Confed-
crate department of the Southwest.
He had in his department nearly lo,-
600 men. Nine thousand were infantry
under Generals French and Loring:
the rest cavalry. under Generals Fer
guson. s. d. Lee and Writ Adams.
On the approach of Sherman, Polk
hastily evacuated Meridian. He gath
cred all the rolling stock of both rail-
roads and sent it to Mobile. He moved
also the Confederate supplies from
Meridian and elsewhere to a place OF
safety He accomplished all this with
swiftness. and then retired with his
army to Demopolis, across the TOmbig-
bee.
Besides destroying the railroads,
Sherman hoped to penetrate to Selma.
if not to Mobile, by aid of the cav
airy under Smith. At Selma a great
iron foundry was turning out arms for
the Confederacy day and night.
Feb. 6 the expedition reached Jack
son. For the third time Sherman's
army was in the capital Of Mississippi.
This time it was almost destroyed.
No Instructions beyond few burnt
bridges, easily repaired, were met until
the troops reached Tallahatta. twenty
miles west of Meridian. Here trees had
been pulled across the track, to check
Sherman as long as possible, and give
time to remove the Confederate prop
erty from Meridian Seeing this, Sher-
man left his trains behind. and hurried
on. But Polk had already slipped
away.
Feb. 16 the Union troops began the
demolition of railroads.
The great warehouses and acres of
side tracking at Meridian showed how
important to the COnfederacy had been
railway transportation through that
place. To understand Sherman's work
of destruction, the reader has to pic
ture himself the havoc that could be
made by 10000 men working vigorous
ly nearly week, and armed with
crowbars, pickayes and sledge-ham-
mers.
After tearing up the tracks In the
usual way, the soldiers lifted from
their beds the wooden ties also. These
were then piled into vast heaps with
the torn up iron rails upon top. The
pile was then fired. OF course the
rails presently became red hot. In
this condition they were raked from
the flames and twisted around like a
screw. Many were taken while still
red hot, drawn around a tree trunk,
and the ends crossed. This was called
Jeff Davis Necktie."
North and east of Meridian General
Hurlbut had charge Of the demolition
South and west Mcpherson superin-
tended it. Hurlbut reported that nis
army had destroyed sixty miles of ties
ani eight bridges. Mcpherson tore up
fifty-five miles of road and burnt fifty
three bridges. Not much rolling stock
had been left by Polk, but the Union
forces found thirty-five locomotives
ard twenty eight cars, which they
burnt
I'VE stayed at Meridian a week" "
said Sherman In his report. land made
tn. most complete destruction Of the
railroads ever beheld-south below
Quitman, east Of Cuba station, twenty
niles north of Lauderdale Springs and
west all the way back to Jackson"
BY the beginning of 1864, the news
Of Lincoln's emancipation proclama-
tion had become thoroughly published
among the slaves of the South. They
took advantage of 1t wherever the
Union forces appeared. swarming all
about them in such numbers as often
to prove serious embarrassment. The
able-b bodied men were enlisted. but
what TO do with the aged, the women
ard the children, the armies did not
know
No sooner had Sherman penetrated
Mississippi than they came. Many
Union white refugees came also. When
the expedition returned to Vicksburg il
brought with it 400 Confederate pris-
ouers, 1000 white Unionist refugees
and 5000 negroes.
''Some were on foot. some on horse
back, and some in OK carts. Some
were clad in their Sunday best, the
cast-off clothing of their masters. Sc
vast was the crowd that families were
separated and women and children
lost in the throng. Silent tears coursed
down many cheeks, tears of thankful
ness for their great deliverance. There
were faces in that crowd which shone
with joy almost inspired. Smile who
will, but the story of the coming o
tie children Of Israel out of Egyp
can never recall 10 my mind more
profound emotion than the remem
brance of that scene"
Sherman waited week at Meridian
for the arrival of Sooy Smith, who
vas to have been there Feb. 10 Will
the cavalry. He did not come, thel
being under engagement to NEE
Banks at New orleans to prepare foI
the Red River expedition March
Sherman returned to Vicksburg aus
went down the river.
y-hara ynanntip,n rac canoro1 NJ