Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-02
HIS REASON MILITARY
Why Gen. Sherman Did Not At
tack Augusta.
EXPLANATIONS ARE MANY
Most Of Them Are Wide of the
Truth.
WANTED TO REACH A SEAPORT
Judged It Important to Get Into
Touch With the Navy and
Supply Ships.
TO REACH A SEAPORT
By WILLIAM +. CURTIS.

SuPpAy 0AlPs.
By WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
| Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
When Sherman was on his march to
| the sea" he passed by Augusta. Ga. MAX
| Ing only a demonstration in that direction
| with his cavalry. which was met with
great energy by Gen. Wheeler. The people
| Of Augusta we're anticipating an attack.
particularly because the old United States
arsenal there was the most important
gun factory and repair shop in the Con-
federacy. and the powder mills were rum
ming night and day to furnish ammuni-
ton to Lee. Johnson. Bragg and other
southern armies. Augusta was the most
important point in the south from
Confederate standpoint for these reasons
and it was supposed to be the chief object
of Sherman's invasion. Hence as many
of the Confederate forces as could be
spared were hurried to that point: forth
f1cations were thrown up all around the
city. immense quantities of cotton were
piled up Ave or six bales high to protect
the guns: tar and other combuStibles
were placed on the bridges so that they
could be burned instantly If necessary.
| and various other preparations were mace
to give the Yankees a warm reception
But Sherman turned his left shoulder on
Augusta and marched by. leaving the
arsenal and powder mills running on
full time.
The somkestack of the powder mill
is still standing and has been converted
into a monument to commerate the vaiu-
able assistance rendered the Confederate
armies by that factory, which. 1t is claim
ed. furnished more powder than all the
rest of the mills in the south combined.
Various Explanations Given.
Various explanations have been given
for what the people of Augusta consider
the eccentric conduct of the Union Army.
They cannot conceive that Sherman could
have passed them by without some very
good reason. and they have been gossip
ing about 1t for forty years Some of
the southern historians assert that he was
afraid to attack Augusta for fear his
army would be wiped out or crippled so
that he would be compelled to surrender.
and they declare that his failure pro-
ionged the war at least year when he
might have terminated 1t by destroying
the arsenal and the powder-mills and de-
priving thus the southern armies of their
most important sources of supply. That
explanation is scarcely reasonable. be-
cause Old Tecumseh was not easily
frightened and he did not show much
caution III marching lilTOuSH 1Coi Sid-
Furthermore, Lee surrendered April T.
1868. less than four months after. the date
Sherman passed Augusta. He left At
lanta' November Is. 1864: he reached
Savannah December q. 1864, and Lee
surrendered April II. 1855.
Therefore 1t is necessary to look for
another reason and 1t has been explained
by several writer's that he had a child
buried in the little cemetery at the arsenal
his first-born-to whose early death he
hoA hoan rocOnciipd Rlt that
theory will not hold either. because Gen
Sherman was not married until at least
four years after he left Augusta. He
was on duty at the arsenal there from
the fall of 1874 until January. 1916, when
ne was a lieutenant. He was then trans
ferYed to Fort Moultre, Charleston. and
so far as any one knows there is no record
that he ever again visited Augusta. His
in his memoirs. which leads to the infer
ence that he did not consider 1t either
interesting or important.
Many Friends in Augusta.
The third explanation is more inter
esting and romantic. as we'll as plausible,
although it is not a true one. During
Sherman's service in Augusta he was
very kindly treated by the people of that
city and formed several intimate and
even affectionate attachments among the
ciated. Mr.. John A. North. who is the
historian and oracle of Augusta. tells me
that none of them is surviving now
but that Sherman's solicitude for their
welfare was so great that he sent word
to Mr. H. H. Cumming that his friends
In Augusta need not have any anxiety
because. as long as there was another
way open. he would not bring down upon
them the horrors of war. One of the
daughters of Mr. Cumming was Sherman's
sweetheart, although they were never
engaged Among the families living
around the arsenal reservation were sew
eral other young ladies to whom he was
sincerely attached. One of them was the
daughter of Rev Samuel s. Davis. pas
tor of the First Presbyterian Church
Another was Miss Thomas, who after
ward married Mr.. Castigan. clerk of the
court; another became the wife of Judge
FoiliSank, who is still living at Savannah.
Another was Mrs. John Adams. the
daughter of grocery merchant. who
died only a few years ago. Sherman
was also attached to several young men
compa Mons during his residence there.
and at the time of his raid the most
of them were still living in Augusta, with
their wives and children.
1t is generally believed among the older
residents that Sherman passed by Au-
rusta rather than bring sorrow and ruin
on these his old friends, and 1t would
be Just like him. The explanation is
plausible. although, as l have said 1t Is
not true.
Wanted to Get to the Sea.
In his memoirs and other voluminous
writings concerning the greatest stra-
tegic movement of the civil war, which
was conceived and carried out by Kim.
Gen. Sherman gives no explanation or
intimation of his reasons for leaving
Augusta unarmed but they are made
very clear by indirection. 1t was well
understood by those who were In the
confidence of the administration and the
War Department at Washington at that
| time that the chief object of Sherman's
march to the sea was to secure posses
sion of a port upon the Atlantic coast
through which the Union army might
receive supplies from the north. Sher-
mans forces were entirely dependent
upon the country. and were compelled
| to forage for their living. The rail-
ways behind them were few and In bad
condition. and even II they had been in
perfect order they could not have fur
nished, the necessary transportation.
Besides that the armies in Tennessee