The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-02-02

Georgia'S rich farming and grazing
lands. Taken all in all, the army was
ready to fight its way to the sea, al
though, as Sherman declared, there
was little prospect that it would be
called upon to battle for existence or
the right of way.
Before leaving Atlanta Sherman saw
to it that no future Confederate army
would make that a rallying point. The
horate defenses which had blown up
during the siege, facing both north and
south, were thoroughly RACED, and all
the workshops, mills and depOts that
could be seryiceable to an army were
destroyed
Sixty thousand soldiers gathered at
nightfall to witness this destruction,
and with the accompaniment of music,
the bands playing martial airs and
| operate selections, the torch was APP
piled to magazines of powder beneath
the doomed structures and the sky
was Illuminated by brilliant spires and
towers of flames. Leaving the smok-
ing ruins behind, the soldiers took up
the march the morning of Nov. 10, first
casting away their last impedimenta.
Sherman rode with the left wing, on
the road to Augusta. Never a mar
tinet i'll camp, he appeared on the
march with a single staff officer and
orderly and was easily approached by
the soldier who had a case to present.
"Uncle Billy" was a greeting which Of
ten reached his ears, and he saluted
right and left the line officers and COM
mon soldiers whom he had met in
camp. After the first day or two the
soldiers began to look upon their trip
as a picnic. Flankers guarded the line
on either side, while mounted Skin
mishers rode far ahead. Foragers were
sent out and then troops were expected
to eat all that was brought to camp
to save transportation. An exception
was made when game ROSTERS We're
| found among the plumber. These were
| kept for sport and the less coura geous
fowls sent to the frying pan. On the
| march the gamecOclls were carried I'M
| der the arm of some soldier or allowed
| to perch, with string tied to the leg
| upon Il cannon or caisson box.
The "foragers" or 'bummers" set
out each morning before daylight and
| rode in advance of the troops. They
were armed, of course, to defend them
! selves from Confederates who might be
| on the scent of the same plumber. The
natives usually buried their provisions,
and it became an art to detect these
| subterranean storehOuses. In case Of
big find the foragers pressed into serv-
| ice farm carts and vehicles. One day
a forager rode into the bivouac dressed
in the faded uniform of a militia gen
| eral of Olden days, with high hat and
monstrous feather. Behind him came a
| family carriage laden with hams,
sweet potatoes, game and sweetmeats,
drawn by two horses mule and
COW.
Occasionally the columns would en-
! ter a region bare of supplies-that is to
say, of luxurieS-but the country was
| seldom so poor but that skillful hunt
| ers could unearth sweet potatoes and
| bacon. Usually the corn crop was good
| and unharvested. Wherever a grist-
mill could be found the troops ground
| their own meal, and if the mill was out
| of order, as was often the case, the
| clever Yankees could mend the gearing
| for temporary use. The negroes We're
| ever ready to serve the Yankees. and it
| took but little coaXing to get the old
mammies to turn out con pone' by
| the bushel.
Then, too, there was excitement for
the weary marchers. During the first
stage the Confederate cavalry under
| General Joe Wheeler covered the terri
tory in advance of both Slocums and
| Towards lines, and there We're frequent
skirmishes on the outposts. Occasion
ally the enemy's foragers had posses
| sion of the fat Of the land and strug
| gle more ingenious and daring than
| bloody would take place Escaping
| Yankee prisoners often drifted into the
lines and told their wonderful stories
| of prison life. As the column marched
on, all the railways were destroyed. Oc-
| casionally this work of destruction was
resisted by the local authorities and
even by armed militia. Sherman strove
| to avoid battle and was generally able
to brush away opposition by mere
show of force.
With the army marching blindly on
in unknown territory it took but little
| to produce that most exciting and ride
ulous thing. an "army scare" Some
times a ratified forager, riding back at
gallop and calling out danger, would
bring a whole corps into battle line.
| Etaff officers would dash down the road
| like mad, generals and colonies would
! shout orders, while sabers flashed from
| thousands of scabbards muskets We're
! brought to a carry, sergeants buZZed
along the line, the flag was unfurled at
each battalion and the line stood ready
| for battle. To the music of banging
shells staff officers returned from the
| front, but it was soon over the real
or imaginary enemy flying at the sound
of big guns, and the column soon fell
into route, marching, but not fighting
through Georgia"
| GEORGE L. KILMER