The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1911-01-26

them. am clearly of opinion that the
best results will follow my contemplated
movement thru Georgia.
Wv T. sherman, Major General"
rs usual, Gen. Grant decided with
the utmost promptness, and the same
day sent the following reply to Sher-
man:
CITY Point Va, Nov. 2. 1864.
"Maj.-Gen, Sherman:
Your dispatch of a. m. is just re-
ceived. ] dispatch you the same date,
advising that Hoods army, now that it
has worked so far north, ought to be
looked upon now as the object With
the force however,-that you have left
with Gen. Thomas he must be able to
take care of Hood and destroy him.
Il do not see that you can withdraw
from where you are to follow Hood
without giving up all we have gained in
territory / say, then, go on as you
propose.
~. S. Grant, Lieutenant-Genera
Preparing for the Great March.
Sherman now began with well-or
dered haste the preparations for his
important achievement The railroad
and telegraph wires had been repaired,
all the sick and wounded were sent back
by rail to Chattanooga, the wagons and
teams were overhauled, the poorer ami
mails carefully weeded out and the wag-
ons loaded under rigid inspection as to
their contents The Paymasters came
down to pay off the men; the Commits
sioners were also on hand from the sew
eral States to take the votes of the SOL
diers in the Presidential election.
Sherman then informed Grant that
he was ready to march as soon as the
election was over, and appointed Nov.
10 for the start. He decided to make
two columns of about $4,000 men, COM
posed of the Fourteenth, Sixteenth. Sew
enteenth and Twentieth Corps and Kill
patrick's Division of Cavalry, about
$500 men mounted on selected horses.
The cavalry which Sherman did not
take with him was to be under the
command of Gen. J. H. Wilson, who
was also to gather up all the available
cavalry in the Military Division of Mis-
sissippi.
Gen. Steedman. in command of the
defenses of the communications, went
down from Chattanooga as far as
Kingston to Withdraw the garrsons as
soon as all the stores and men were
shipped north All of the troops in
tended for the march were ordered to
concentrate at Atlanta, and Gen. CorSe
in command at Rome, was ordered to
burn all the mills and factories. etc. as
he evacuated the town. Gen. Sherman
kept up a constant communication by
telegraph with Gen. Thomas at Nash
vile, and heard of the arrival at Padu-
cab of Gen. A. ]. Smiths two divisions
which had been ordered from Missouri
to Gen. Thomas
At $3.50 a. m, Nov. II, Gen. Sherman
received a dispatch from Gen. Thomas,
saying thai he had no fears of Beaure-
gard or Hood. II Hoods army stayed
in his front. he. Thomas. would organ
iZe his troops and ruin him unless he
got out of the way very speedily. Gen.
Sherman answered, Dispatch received,
.s<rl.A
the telegraph wire cut and all commun-
ications between the two Union armies
severed
Hoods Plans.
Gen. John b. Hood, in his Advance
and Retreat" gives this copious ex- |
PLANTATION of the farreaching plans with |
which he started to the northward:
I'm this dilemma / conceived the plan
of marching into Tennessee. with the
hope to establish our line eventually in
Kentucky, and determined to make the I
campaign which followed unless with
held by Gen. Beauregard or the author
tiles at Richmond. l decided to make /
provision for 20 days supply of rations
in the haversacks and wagons; to order
heavy reserve of artillery to accom-
pany the army, in order to overcome
any serious opposition by the Federal
gunboats; to cross the Tennessee at or
near Guntersville. and again destroy
Sherman's communications at Steven
son and Bridgeport; to move upon
Thomas and Schofield, and to attempt
to rout and capture their army before
1t could reach Nashville. intended
then to march upon that city, where
would supply the army, and reinforce
it, If possible, by accessions from Ten
nessee. I was imbued with the belief
that 1 could accomplish this feat, after
ward march northeast, pass the Cum
berland River at some crossing where
the gunboats, II too formidable at other
points. were unable to interfere, then
move into Kentucky and take position
With our left at or near Richmond and
our right extending toward Hazel Green,
With Pound and Stony Gaps IN the Cum
oerland Mountains at our rear.
In this position could threaten
Cincinnati and recruit the army from
and Tennessee. The former
state was reported at this juncture to
be more aroused and embittered against
he Federals than at any other period i
IT the war. While Sherman was de-